erying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Whether Peter was or was not a disciple of John the Baptist, he be came acquainted with the immaculate Lamb of God in the following manner: The blessed Jesus having spent thirty years in the solitude of a private life, had lately been baptised by John in Jordan, and there owned by the solemn attestation of heaven to be the Son of God; whereupon he was immediately hurried into the wilderness, and there for forty days maine tained a personal contest with the Devil, but having conquered this great enemy of mankind, he returned to Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing his proselytes, and endeavouring to answer the Jews, who had sent a deputation to him to inquire concerning the new Messiah that appeared among them. To satisfy these curious inquirers of Isreal, John faithfully related every thing he knew concerning him, gave him the greatest character, and soon after pointed him out to his disciples; upon which two of them presently followed the great Redeemer of mankind; one of which was Andrew, Simon's brother. They came to him towards evening, and in all probability stayed with him the whole night, during which time Andrew had an opportunity of informing himself, and of satisfying his most anxious scruples.

He did not long conceal the joyful discovery he had made; for early in the morning he hastened to acquaint his brother Simon that he had found the Messiah. It is not enough to be happy alone; religion is a com municative principle, that like the circles in the water, delights to multiply itself, and to diffuse it's influences all around, especially on those whom nature has placed nearest to us. "I have" said he with rapture to his brother, found that eminent person so long and signally foretold by the prophets, and whom all the devout and pious amongst the sons of Jacob so earnestly expected to appear."

St. Peter, who was one of those who waited for redemption in Isreal, ravished with this joyful news, and impatient of delay, presently followed his brother to the place; and on his arrival, our blessed Saviour immedi ately gave him a proof of his divinity, saluting him at first sight by his name, and kindred, and what title should soon be conferred on him by the author. ity of his Master.

Whether these two sons of Jonah constantly attended in person from that time on the great Redeemer of mankind, and became his disciples, the sacred history does not mention. It is however probable, that they stayed with him some time, till they were instructed in the first rudimenta of his doctrine, and then, by the leave of their great and benevolent Master, returned to their families and their callings; for it is reasonable to suppose, that the blessed JESUS was not at this time willing to awaken the jealously of the rulers of Israel, and the suspicions of the Romans, by a numerous retinue, and therefore dismissed his disciples and amongst the rest Andrew and Peter, who returned to their trade of fishing on the lake, where they were afterwards found by our blessed Redeemer.

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Our Lord had now more than a year entered on his public ministry, going into every part of the country, to seek opportunities of doing good to the children of men; so that by the constancy of his preaching, and the reputation of his miracles, his fame was spread throughout all Judea, and multitudes of people flocked to him from all parts to hear his doctrine, and be spectators of his mighty works. And surely it is no wonder that the parched and barren earth thirsted for the kindly dews and showers of heaven to refresh it.

In order to avoid this prodigious throng of people, our great Redeemer often retired to some solitary place, to indulge the privacies of contemplation in one of these retreats on the banks of the sea of Galilee, the multi

tade found him out, and ran to him from the city. Our Saviour, therefore, to avoid the crowd, stepped into a fishing boat which lay near the ahore, and belonged to Simon Peter, who, together with his companions were on shore drying their nets after an unsuccessful night spent in toil and Jabour. The blessed Jesus, who might have commanded, was pleased to entreat Peter, who now returned to his boat, to thrust off a little from the land, that he might instruct the people, who were gathered in prodigious crowds on the borders of the lake to hear him.

St. Peter gladly complied with the request of his Master, who delivered his heavenly doctrine to the people on the shore. As soon as he had ended his discourse, he resolved to work a miracle, that the apeople might be persuaded that he was a "teacher come from God;" accordingly he or dered Simon to row further from the shore, and cast his net into the sea. To which Simon answered, that they had laboured the whole preceding night, and had taken nothing; and if they could not then succeed, there was little hopes of it now, as the day was far less proper for fishing than the night but as his Master was pleased to command, he would readily obey; and, accordingly, he let down his net, when to the astonishment both of him and his companions, so great a multitude of fishes were enclosed, that they were obliged to call their partners to their assistance.

Amazed at this miraculous draught of fishes, Simon Peter in an extacy of admiration, blended with awe and humility, fell prostrate at his Master's feet, acknowledged himself a vile and sinful person, and thinking himself unworthy of being admitted into the presence of a person so immediately sent from: God:: but the compassionate Son of the Most High kindly re moved his fears telling him that this miracle was wrought to confirm his faith, and to indicate to him, that the Almighty had appointed a more noble employment for him, that of saving the souls of the children of men.From this time Peter and his companions became the inseparable and constant disciples of the great Messiah, living under the rules of his institutions and discipline.

Our blessed Saviour returned soon after to Capernaum with his disciples, where they found the mother-in-law of Peter dangerously ill of a fe ver: but the compassionate Jesus, who never omitted an opportunity of doing good to the human race, rebuked the disease, and taking her by the band, restored her in a moment to her former health; demonstrating at once his power and willingness to relieve and comfort the sons and daughters of affliction and sorrow.

The adorable Redeemer, having for some time entered on his public ministry, thought proper to elect some peculiar persons from amongst his followers, to be constant witnesses of his miracles and doctrines, and who after his departure, might be intrusted with the care of building his church, and planting that religion in the world, for which he himself left the mansions of heaven and put on the veil of mortality. In order to this, he withdrew privately in the evening to a solitary mountain, where he spent the night in solemn addresses to bis Almighty Father, for rendering the great work he was going to undertake prosperous and beneficial to mankind.

son.

The disciples came to him early the next morning, out of whom he made choice of twelve to be his apostles, and the constant attendants on his perThese he afterwards invested with the power of working miracles, and sent them into different parts of Judea, in order to carry on with more rapidity the great work which he himself had so happily begun among the people,

The evangelists in general, in their enumeration of the apostles, constantly place, St. Peter first. Indeed, the age and gravity of his person, gether with his being first, called to be an apostle, particularly qualified

him for being president of this sacred college: bat we must not suppose that St. Peter was invested with any personal prerogative above his breth ren; none of them ever intimated any such thing; and St. Paul says expressly, that be himself was not inferior to the very chiefest apostle ; for be was less eminent for usefulness than success in his ministry.

This election had not long taken place, when the blessed Jesus, attended by Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. followed Jarius, a ruler of the synagogue, to his house, in order to restore his daughter, an only child who lay at the point of death; but before their arrival, a messenger are rived with the news that the damsel was dead, and therefore unnecessary for our Saviour to give himself any further trouble: but our Lord bid the ruler not despair; for if he believed, bis daughter should be restored to her former health and accordingly, on his arrival he took the maid by the hand, and with the power of his word recalled her fleeting spirit, which had quitted its earthly tabernacle, and restored her again to life and health, i the presence of her astonished friends.

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No further account of St. Peter, in particular, occurs till the night after our Saviour's miraculously feeding the multitude in the wilderness. Jus Bus had ordered his disciples to take ship, and pass over to the other side, while he sent the multitude away; but a violent storm arising, they were in great danger of their lives, when their great Master came to them, walking on the surface of the boisterous billows, with the same ease as if it bad been dry ground. At his approach, the disciples were greatly terrified, supposing they had seen a spirit: but their compassionate Master soon dispelled their fears, by telling them that it was he himself, and therefore they had no reason to be terrified..

St. Peter, who was always remarkable for bold resolutions and precipie date zeal, desired his Master to give him leave to come to him on the wa ter, and on obtaining permission, he left the ship, and walked on the sea to meet his Saviour; but when he heard the deep roar about him, and the waves increase, he began to be afraid; and as his faith declined his body sunk into the water; so that in the greatest agony, he called for assistance to him who was able to save: nor was his cry in vain ; the com passionate Saviour of mankind stretched out his hand, and again placed him on the surface of the water, with this gentle reproof, “ O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?” And no sooner was the blessed Jesus and his disciple entered into the ship, than the winds ceased, the waves subsided, and the ship was at the land whither they were going. A miracle of this kind could not fail of astonishing the disciples, and convincing them of the divinity of his person; accordingly, they drew near, and worshipped him with this confession, “of a truth thou art the Son of God,"

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Our blessed Saviour, the next day, entered the synagogue of Caperna um; and from the miracle of the loaves took occasion to discourse concerning himself, as the true manna, and the "bread which came down from heaven: opening to them the more sublime and spirited mysterics, and the necessary and important duties of the gospel. On which, great part of the audience, who expected he was going to erect a temporal kingdom, and re-establish the throne of David in Jerusalem, offended a his representing his dominions as entirely spiritual, departed from him, and came no more to hear his discourses. JESUS, on beholding this defection, turned himself towards his disciples, and asked them whether they also would go away? To which Peter replied, "Lord whither shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life:" thy doctrine alone can instruct us in the paths that lead to happiness; and thou art the true Messish, the great prophet so fully foretold and so long expected by our nation.

JESUS being willing to hear what account his disciples would give him of the various opinious of the people, asked them, what the world said concern

fng him? To which they replied, that some took him for John the Baptist risen from the dead; some thought him to be Elias, and others Jeremiah, or one of the old prophets. This account not satisfying our blessed Saviour, he told them that it was no wonder that the people, who had seldom seen him should form various con ectures concerning him and the doctrine he preached; but as they had been constantly with him, heard his sermons, and been spectators of his miracles, it was natural to think they might form a truer idea of him ; and therefore, asked them what they themselves thought of him? To which Peter in the name of the rest, answered, "Thou art Christ, Son of the living God," anointed and set apart by the Most High, to be the great King, Priest, and prophet of Isreal.

This full and comprehensive declaration of Peter, satisfied the inquiry of our great Redeemer, who answered, “Blessed art thou, Simon BarJonah; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven" that is, this faith which thou hast now confessed, is not human, or built upon the testimony of man, but upon those evidences and principles which I was sent from God to reveal unto the world and those great and solemn attestations he hath given from heaven to the truth, both of my person and doctrine therefore," I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”~~ As thy name signifies a rock, so shalt thou prove firm, solid, and immovable, in building my church, which shall be so firmly established by thy care and diligence to that faith thou hast now professed, that all the asaults of men and devils shall not be able to destroy, by their utmost efforts.

At this time the disciples had no idea that their master was to suffer death for the sims of the world; on the contrary, they considered him immortal, having imbibed the opinion of the Scribes and Pharisees, "That Christ abideth forever:" so that when the blessed JESUS told them of the sufferings he must undergo at Jerusalem, what affronts and indignities he must suffer, and be at last put to death with all the effects of torture and disgrace, by a sentence of the Jewish Sanhedrim, St. Peter who could not endure the thought of his Master's suffering even the least punishment, much less those cruelties which he had mentioned, and at last death itself, interrupted him very unseasonably, and said, "Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee." He considered these sufferings inconsistent with the character of the great Messiah, whom he expected would restore the splendour of the throne of David bis father. and reduce all the kingdoms of the earth to his obedience.

Our blessed Saviour, who came down from heaven to give his life a ransom for the sins of the world, and who valued the redemption of mankind infinitely more than his own ease and safety, highly resented this speech, of St. Peter, and accordingly returned this sharp reproof, "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence to me; thou savourest not the things of God, but those that be of men.",

After these transactions, the great Redeemer of the sons of men, being about to receive a specimen of his future glorification, took with him three of the most intimate of his apostles, Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and went up into a very high mountain, and while they were employed in earnest addresses to the Almighty, he was transfigured before them, such lustre beaming from his face, as exceeded the brightness of the meridian sun; & such rays of light issued from his garments, as exceeded the light of the clearest day; an evident and sensible réprésentation of that state, when the just shall walk in white robes, and shine as the sun in the kingdom of their father." During this heavenly scene, the great prophets, Moses and Elias, cappeared in all the brightness, and majesty of a glorified state, familiarly conversing with him, and discoursing of the death and sufferings be was shortly to undergo, and his arcension to the heavenly regions of happi ness and glory, tar allti

St. Peter and the two apostles were in the mean time fallen asleep, being either weary for want of natural rest; or, overpowered with these ex- traordinary appearances, which the frailty and weakness of their nature could not support, were fallen into a trance: but on their awaking, were strangely surprised to see their Lord surrounded with so much glory, and those two great persons conversing with him. They however remained silent till those visitants from the courts of heaven were going to depart, when Peter, in a rapture and ecstacy of mind, addressed himself to his Master, declaring their infinite pleasure and delight in being favoured with this glorious spectacle; and desired his leave to erect three tabernacles, one for him, one for Moses, and one for Elias; but while he was speaking, a bright cloud suddenly overshaded those two great prophets, and a voice came from it, uttering these remarkable words, "* This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." On which the apostles were seized with the utmost consternation, and fell upon their faces to the ground; but Jesus touching them, bid them dismiss their fears and look up with confidence. They immediately obeyed, but saw their Master only; the others having vanished together with the cloud of light. they had lately beheld.

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This heavenly scene being ended, our blessed Saviour travelled through Galilee with his apostles, and at his return to Capernaum, the tax-gatherers came to Peter, and asked him, whether his Master was not obliged to pay tribute? To which Peter readily declared he did. On his entering the house to give his Master an account of this demand, Jesus prevented him by asking, "What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take tribute? of their own children, or of strangers ?" To which Peter answered, not from their servants and family, but from strangers.

Then," replied our Lord," are the children free." I myself as being the Son of God, and you as my servants, are free from this tax yearly paid to God, for repairing his temple at Jerusalem. But rather than give offence, by seeming to despise the house of God, and undervalue that authority which had settled this tribute, he determined to pay it, though at the expence of a miracle. Accordingly, he ordered Peter to repair to the sea with a hook, and take the first fish that offered, in whose mouth he should find a piece of money. The disciple obeyed, and found the money as his Master had foretold, and gave to the gatherers of the tribute for his Master and himself, as their proportion of it.

Our blessed Saviour having entered the city of Jerusalem in triumph, he repaired to Bethany; from whence he sent two of his disciples, Peter & John, to make preparation for his celebratingthe passover before his death. Preparation being made, the great Redeemer and his apostles entered the house, and set down at the table. But their great Master, who often taught them by example as well as precept, arose from his seat, laid aside his upper garment, took a towel, and pouring water into a bason, began to wash his disciples feet, to teach them humility and charity by his own example. But on his coming to Peter, he would by no means admit his Master to perform so mean and condescending an office. What! the Son of God stoop to wash the feet of sinful mortals! A thought which shocked the apostle, who strenuously declared, "Thou shalt never wash my feet." But the blessed Jesus told him, that if he washed him not, he could have no part with him; meaning that this action was mystical, and signified the remission of sins, and the purifying virtue of the spirit of the Most High, to be poured upon all the Chritians. This answer sufficiently removed the scruples of Peter, who cried out, “Lord not my feet only, but also my hands and by head."

The dear Redeemer now began the institution of his supper, that great and solemn institution, which he resolved to leave behind him, to be constantly celebrated in his church, as a standing monument and memo