When they wished to ask our Lord anything, we generally
find St. Peter asking; and when (as in the gospel for to-day), our
Lord asks them a question, St. Peter answers for them all. Whom say
ye that I am? And Peter answered and said, 'Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the Living God.'
This is what St. Peter had learnt; because he had kept his eyes and
his ears open, and his heart ready and teachable, that he might see
God's truth when it should please God to show it him; and God did
show it him: and taught him something which his own eyes and ears
could not teach him; which all his thinking could not have taught
him; which no _man_ could have taught him; flesh and blood could not
reveal to him that Jesus was the Son of God; flesh and blood could
not draw aside the veil of flesh and blood, and make him see in that
poor man of Nazareth, who was called the carpenter's son, the only-
begotten of the Father, God made man. No. God the Father only
could teach him that, by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit: but do
you think that God would have taught St. Peter that, or that St.
Peter could have learnt it, if his mind had been merely full of
thoughts about himself, and what honour he was to get for himself,
or what profit he was to get for himself, out of the Lord Jesus
Christ?
No: St.
Pages:
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165