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; and such rays of light issued from his garments, as exceeded the light of the clearest day; an evident and sensible representation 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 appeared in all the brightness and majesty of a glorified state, familiarly conversing with him, and discoursing of the death and sufferings he was shortly to undergo, and his ascension to the heavenly regions of happiness and glory.

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 extraordinary 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 court of heaven were going to depart, when Peter, in a rapture and extacy 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 custom or 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 of fered, 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 and John, to make preparation for his celebrating the passover be fore his death.

Preparation being made, the great Redeemer and his apostles entered the house, and set down at 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 Mas

ter to perform so mean and condescending an office. What! the Son of God stoop to wash the feet of a sinful mortal! 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 true Christians. This answer sufficiently removed the scruples of Peter, who cried out, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my 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 memorial of his love in dying for mankind; telling them at the same time, that he himself was now going to leave them, and that whither he went, they could not come. Peter, not well understanding what he meant, asked him whither he was going? To which our blessed Lord replied, that he was going to that place, whither he could not now, but should hereafter follow him; intimating the martyrdom he was to suffer for his Master's religion. Peter answered, that he was ready to follow him, even if it required him to lay down his life. This confident presumption was not at all agreeable to the bless cd JESUS, who told him he had promised great things, but would be so far from performing them, that before the cock crew twice, that is before three in the morn ing, he would deny his Master thrice.

Having now ended supper, they sung an hymn, and departed to the Mount of Olives; where JESUS again put them in mind how greatly the things he was going. to suffer would offend them. To which Peter replied,. that though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will never be offended.

After this they repaired to the garden of Gethsemane; and leaving the rest of the apostles near the entrance, our blessed Saviour, taking with him Peter, James, and John, retired into the more solitary parts of the garden, to enter on the preparatory scene of the great tragedy that was now nigh at hand.

The blessed JESUS at this awful juncture laboured under the bitterest agony that human nature could suffer, during which he prayed with the utmost fervency to his almighty Father, offering up prayers and supplications, with strong cryings and tears; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. While our great Redeemer was thus interceding with the Almighty, his three disciples were fallen asleep, though he had made three several visits to them; calling to Peter, asked him, if he could not watch one hour with him? advising them all to watch and pray, that they might not enter into temptation, adding, The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

During our Lord's conversation with them, a band of soldiers from the chief priests and elders, preceded by the traitor Judas to conduct and direct them, rushed into the garden, and seized the great High-Priest of our profession. Peter, whose ungovernable zeal would admit of no restraint, drew his sword, and without the least order from his Master, struck at one of the persons who seemed to be remarkably busy in binding JESUS, and cut off his right ear. This wild and unwarrantable zeal was very offensive to his Master, who rebuked Peter, and entreated the patience of the soldiers, while he healed the wound by a miraele.

The fidelity of the apostles, which they had urged with so much confidence, was now put to the trial. They saw their Master in the hands of a rude and inconsiderate band of men; and therefore should have exerted their power to release him, or at least have been the companions of 'is sufferings, and endeavoured, by every VOL. ii.

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kind and endearing action, to have lessened his grief. But alas! instead of assisting or comforting their Master, they all forsook him and fled,-from innocence in dis

tress.

Hereupon the soldiers who had bound JESUS led him away, delivered him to the chief priests and elders, who carried him from one tribunal to another; first to Annas, and then to Caiaphas, where the Jewish Sanhedrim were assembled in order to try and condemn him to death.

Peter, who in the mean time had followed the other disciples in their flight, recovered his spirits, and encouraged by his companion St. John, returned to seek his Master; and seeing him leading to the high-priest's hall, followed at a distance, to know the event: but on his coming to the door he was refused admittance, till one of the disciples, probably St. John, who was acquainted there, came out, and prevailed on the servant who kept the door, to let him in. Peter being admitted, repaired to the fire burning in the middle of the hall, round which the officers and servants were standing; where being observed by the maid-servant who let him in, she charged him with being one of CHRIST'S disciples; but Peter publicly denied the charge, declaring that he did not know him, and presently withdrew into a porch, where he heard the cock crow: an intimation seemingly sufficient to have awakened his conscience into a quick sense of his duty, and the promise he had a few hours before made to his Master. But, alas! human nature when left to itself, is remarkably frail and inconstant. This Peter sufficiently experienced; for while he continued in the porch, another maid met him, and charged him with being one of the followers of JESUS of Nazareth; which Peter stiffly denied, and, the better to gain belief, uttered an oath, to confirm his assertion.

Nearly an hour after this, the servant of the high