Scripture or reason to suppose that by this name | intended by them, is true only in this respect, that our Lord should design the person of Peter to be that very rock upon which his church was to be built. In a fond imitation of this new name given to St. Peter, those who pretend to be his successors in the see of Rome, usually lay by their own, and assume a new name upon their advancement to the apostolic chair; it being one of the first questions which the cardinals put to the new elected pope, "by what name he will please to be called." This custom first began about the year 844, when Peter di Bocca-porco (or Swine'smouth) being chosen pope, changed his name into Sergius the second; probably not so much to avoid the uncomeliness of his own name, as if unbefitting the dignity of his place, (for this being but his paternal name, would after have been no part of his pontifical style and title,) as out of a mighty reverence to St. Peter, accounting himself not worthy to bear his name, though it was his own baptismal name. Certain it is, that none of the bishops of that sce ever assumed St. Peter's name; and some who have had it as their Christian name before, have laid it aside upon their election to the papacy. But to return to our apostle. our blessed Saviour made choice of it, to honor it with the frequency of his presence, and the power of his miraculous operations. In length it was an hundred furlongs, and about forty over; the water of it pure and clear, sweet and most fit to drink; stored it was with several sorts of fish, and those different both in kind and taste from those in other places. Here it was that Peter closely followed the exercise of his calling; from whence it seems he afterwards removed to Capernaum, (probably upon his marriage, at least frequently resided there,) for there we meet with his house, and there we find him paying tribute; a house, over which, Nicephorus tells us, that Helen, the mother of Constantine, erected a beautiful church to the honor of St. Peter. This place was equally advantageous for the managery of his trade,standing upon the influx of Jordan into the sea of Galilee, and where he might as well reap the fruits of an honest and industrious diligence. A mean, I confess it was, and a more servile course of life, as which, besides the great pains and labor it required, exposed him to all the injuries of wind and weather, to the storms of the sea, the darkness and tempestuousness of the night, and all to make a very small return. An employment whose restless troubles, constant hardships, frequent dangers, and amazing horrors, have been described by many authors. But meanness is no bar in God's way; the poor, if virtuous, are as dear to heaven as the wealthy and honorable; equally alike to him with whom "there is no respect of persons." Nay, our Lord seemed to cast a peculiar honor upon this profession, when afterwards calling him and some others of the same trade from catching of fish, to be (as he told them) "fishers of men." 4. His father was Jonah, probably a fisherman of Bethsaida, for the sacred story takes no farther notice of him than by the bare mention of his name; and I believe there had been no great danger of mistake, though Metaphrastes had not told us that it was not Jonas the prophet, who came out of the belly of the whale. Brother he was to St. Andrew the apostle, and some question there is amongst the ancients, which was the elder brother. Epiphanius (probably from some tradition current in his time) clearly adjudges it to St. Andrew, herein universally followed by those of the church of Rome, that the precedency given 5. And here we may justly reflect upon the to St. Peter may not seem to be put upon the wise and admirable methods of the Divine Proviaccount of his seniority. But to him we may op- dence, which in planting and propagating the pose the authority of St. Chrysostom, a person Christian religion in the world, made choice of equal both in time and credit, who expressly says, such mean and unlikely instruments; that he that though Andrew came later into life than should hide these things from the wise and pruPeter, yet he first brought him to the knowledge dent, and reveal them unto babes, men that had of the gospel; which Baronius, against all pre- not been educated in the academy and the schools tence of reason, would understand of his entering of learning, but brought up to a trade, to catch into eternal life. Besides, St. Jerome, Cassian, fish and mend nets; most of the apostles being Bede, and others, are for St. Peter being the elder taken from the meanest trades, and all of them brother; expressly ascribing it to his age, that he, (St. Paul excepted) unfurnished of all arts of rather than any other, was president of the col- learning, and the advantages of liberal and inlege of apostles. However it was, it sounds not a genuous education; and yet these were the men little to the honor of their father, (as of Zebedee that were designed to run down the world, and to also in the like case,) that of but twelve apostles overturn the learning of the prudent. Certainly, two of his sons were taken into the number. In had human wisdom been to manage the business, his youth he was brought up to fishing, which we it would have taken quite other measures, and may guess to have been the staple trade of chosen out the profoundest rabbins, the acutest Bethsaida, (which hence probably borrowed its philosophers, the smoothest orators, such as would name, signifying an house, or habitation of fishing, have been most likely, by strength of reason and though others render it by hunting, the Hebrew arts of rhetoric, to have triumphed over the minds word signifying either,) much advantaged herein of men, to grapple with the stubbornness of the by the neighborhood of the lake of Genesareth, Jews, and baffle the finer notions and speculations (on whose banks it stood,) called also the sea of of the Greeks. We find that those sects of phiGalilee, and the sea of Tiberias, according to the losophy that gained most credit in the heathen mode of the Hebrew language, wherein all greater confluences of waters are called seas. Of this lake the Jews have a saying, that " of all the seven seas which God created, he made choice of none but the sea of Genesareth;" which, however longe ab init. The Emperor Antoninus gave a piece *See particularly Oppian, 'AMEUT. Bibλ. a. non of gold for every verse in the description here referred to.-ED. world, did it this way, by their eminency in some was despised and scorned, opposed and persecuted, arts and sciences, whereby they recommended and that had nothing but its own native excellency themselves to the acceptance of the wiser and to recommend it. A clear evidence that there more ingenious part of mankind. Julian the was something in it beyond the craft and power apostate thinks it a reasonable exception against of men. "Is not this," says an elegant apologist, the Jewish prophets, that they were incompetent making his address to the heathens, "enough to messengers and interpreters of the divine will, make you believe and entertain it, to consider that because they had not their minds cleared and in so short a time it has diffused itself over the purged, by passing through the circle of polite arts whole world, civilized the most barbarous nations, and learning. Why, now this is the wonder of it, softened the roughest and most intractable temthat the first preachers of the gospel should be pers; that the greatest wits and scholars, orators, such rude, unlearned men, and yet so suddenly, grammarians, rhetoricians, lawyers, physicians, so powerfully prevail over the learned world, and and philosophers have quitted their formerly dear conquer so many who had the greatest parts and and beloved sentiments, and heartily embraced the abilities, and the strongest prejudices against it, precepts and doctrines of the gospel?" Upon this by the simplicity of the gospel. When Celsus account, Theodoret* does with no less truth than objected, that the apostles were but a company of elegancy, insult and triumph over the heathens. mean and illiterate persons, sorry mariners and He tells them, that whoever would be at the pains fishermen, Origen quickly returns upon him with to compare the best law makers, either amongst this answer: "That hence it was plainly evident, the Greeks or Romans, with our fishermen and that they taught Christianity by a divine power, publicans, would soon perceive what a divine when such persons were able with such an un- virtue and efficacy there was in them above all controlled success to subdue men to the obedience others, whereby they did not only conquer their of his word; for that they had no eloquent neighbors, not only the Greeks and Romans, but tongues, no subtile and discursive head, none of brought over the most barbarous nations to a comthe refined and rhetorical arts of Greece, to con- pliance with the law of the gospel; and that not quer the minds of men. For my part," says he, by force of arms, not by numerous bands of solin another place," I verily believe that the holy diers, not by methods of torture and cruelty, but Jesus purposely made use of such preachers of by meek persuasives, and a convincing the world his doctrine, that there might be no suspicion that of the excellency and usefulness of those laws they came instructed with arts of sophistry, but which they propounded to them. A thing which that it might be clearly manifest to all the world the wisest and best men of the heathen world that there was no crafty design in it, and that they could never do, to make their dogmata and instihad a divine power going along with them, which tutions universally obtain; nay, that Plato himself was more efficacious than the greatest volubility could never, by all his plausible and insinuative of expression, or ornaments of speech, or the arti- arts, make his laws to be entertained by his own fices which were used in the Grecian composi- dear Athenians. He further shows them, that tions. Had it not been for this divine power that the laws published by our fishermen and tentupheld it," as he elsewhere argues,-"the Chris-makers, could never be abolished (like those made tian religion must needs have sunk under those weighty pressures that lay upon it, having not only to contend with the potent opposition of the senate, emperors, people, and the whole power of the Roman empire, but to conflict with those home-bred wants and necessities wherewith its own professors were oppressed and burthened.” by the best amongst them) by the policies of Caius, the power of Claudius, the cruelties of Nero, or any of the succeeding emperors; but still they went on conquering and to conquer, and made millions both of men and women willing to embrace flames, and to encounter death in its most horrid shapes, rather than disown and forsake them; whereof he calls to witness those many churches and monuments every where erected to the memory of Christian martyrs, no less to the honor than advantage of those cities and countries, and in some sense to all mankind. 7. The sum of the discourse is, in the apostle's words, that "God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, the weak to confound those that are mighty, the base things of the world, things most vilified and despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are,"t These were the things, these the persons whom God sent upon this errand, to silence "the wise, 6. It could not but greatly vindicate the apostles from all suspicion of forgery and imposture, in the thoughts of sober and unbiassed persons, to see their doctrine readily entertained by men of the most discerning and inquisitive minds. Had they dealt only with the rude and the simple, the idiot and the unlearned, there might have been some pretence to suspect that they lay in wait to deceive, and designed to impose upon the world by crafty and insinuative arts and methods. But, alas, they had other persons to deal with, men of the acutest wits and most profound abilities, the wisest philosophers and most subtile disputants, able to weigh an argument with the greatest accuracy, and to decline the force of the strongest reasonings; and who had their parts edged with the keenest prejudices of education, and a mighty veneration for the religion of their country; a religion that for so many ages had governed the world, and taken firm possession of the minds of men. And yet, notwithstanding all these disadvantages, these plain men conquered the wise and the learn--ED. ed, and brought them over to that doctrine that + 1 Cor. i. 27, 28. 85 (20) *Theodoret, who was one of the earliest and most learned historians of the church, lived in the former part of the fifth century. His commentaries on various parts of Scripture display great knowledge and piety; but he suffered much from the factious spirit of his age: and in the disputes respecting Nestorius, was threatened with the loss of the episcopal rank, to which he had been justly elevated for his virtues. the scribe, and the disputer of this world, and to | It was towards evening when they came, and make foolish the wisdom of this world." For therefore probably they staid with him all night, though "the Jews required a sign, and the Greeks during which Andrew had opportunity to inform sought after wisdom, though the preaching a cru- himself, and to satisfy his most scrupulous inquicified Saviour was a scandal to the Jews, and ries. Early the next morning, (if not that very foolishness to the" learned "Grecians;" yet, "by evening,) he hastened to acquaint his brother Sithis foolishness of preaching, God was pleased to mon with these glad tidings. It is not enough to save them that believed;" and in the event made be good and happy alone; religion is a communiit appear, that "the foolishness of God is wiser cative principle, that, like the circles in the water, than men, and the weakness of God stronger than delights to multiply itself, and to diffuse its influmen."* That so the honor of all might entirely ences round about it, and especially upon those redound to himself; so the apostle concludes, whom nature had placed nearest to us. He tells "that no flesh should glory in his presence, but him, they had found the long-looked for Messiah, that he that glorieth, should glory in the Lord." him whom Moses and the prophets had so signally foretold, and whom all the devout and pious of that nation had so long expected. SECTION II. 3. Simon, (one of those who "looked for the kingdom of God, and waited for the redemption of Israel,") ravished with his joyful news, and im Of St. Peter, from his first coming to Christ till patient of delay, presently follows his brother to his being called to be a Disciple. THOUGH We find not whether Peter, before his coming to Christ, was engaged in any of the particular sects at this time in the Jewish church, yet is it greatly probable that he was one of the disciples to John the Baptist. For first, it is certain that his brother Andrew was so; and we can hardly think these two brothers should draw contrary ways, or that he who was so ready to bring his brother the early tidings of the Messiah, that the "sun of righteousness" was already risen in those parts, should not be as solicitious to bring him under the discipline and influences of John the Baptist, the "day-star" that went before him. Secondly; Peter's forwardness and curiosity at the first news of Christ's appearing, to come to him and converse with him, show that his expectations had been awakened, and some light in this matter conveyed to him by the preaching and ministry of John, who was "the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight;" showing them who it was that was coming after him the place; whither he was no sooner come but our Lord, to give him an evidence of his Divinity, salutes him at first sight by name, tells him what and who he was, both as to his name and kindred, what title should be given him, that he should be called Cephas, or Peter; a name which he afterwards actually conferred upon him.* What passed further between them, and whether these two brothers henceforward personally attended our Saviour's motions in the number of his disciples, the sacred story leaves us in the dark. It seems probable that they had staid with him for some time, till they were instructed in the first rudiments of his doctrine, and by his leave departed home. For it is reasonable to suppose, that our Lord being unwilling, at this time especially, to awaken the jealousies of the state by a numerous retinue, might dismiss his disciples for some time, and Peter and Andrew amongst the rest; who hereupon returned home to the exercise of their calling, where he found them afterwards. 4. It was now somewhat more than a year since our Lord, having entered upon the public stage of action, constantly "went about doing 2. His first acquaintance with Christ com- good, healing the sick, and preaching the gospel menced in this manner. The blessed Jesus hav- of the kingdom;† residing usually at Capernaum, ing for thirty years passed through the solitudes and the parts about it, where, by the constancy of a private life, had lately been baptized in Jor- of his preaching, and the reputation of his miradan, and there publicly owned to be the Son of cles, his fame spread about all those countries; by God, by the most solemn attestations that heaven means whereof multitudes of people from all parts could give him; whereupon he was immediately flocked to him, greedily desirous to become his hurried into the wilderness, to a personal contest auditors. And what wonder, if the parched and with the devil for forty days together. So natural barren earth thirsted for the showers of heaven? is it to the enemy of mankind to malign our hap-It happened that our Lord retiring out of the city, piness, and to seek to blast our joys, when we are to enjoy the privacies of contemplation upon the under the highest instances of the divine grace and favor. His enemy being conquered in three set battles, and fled, he returned hence, and came down to Bethabara, beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing his proselytes, and endeavoring to satisfy the Jews, who had sent to him curiously to inquire concerning this new Messiah that appeared among them. Upon the great testimony which the Baptist gave him, and his pointing to our Lord then passing by him, two of John's disciples, who were then with him, presently followed after Christ, one of which was Andrew, Šimon's brother. banks of the sea of Galilee, it was not long before the multitude found him out; to avoid the crowd and press whereof he stept into a ship, or fisherboat, that lay near to the shore, which belonged to Peter (who, together with his companions, after a tedious and unsuccessful night, were gone ashore to wash and dry their nets.) He who might have commanded, was yet pleased to entreat Peter (who by this time was returned into his ship) to put a little from the shore. Here being sat, he taught the people, who stood along upon the shore to hear him. Sermon ended, he resolved to seal up his doctrine with a miracle, that the people might be the more effectually convinced that he was a teacher come from God." To this purpose, he bade Simon launch out further, and cast his net into the sea: Simon tells him they had done it already, that they had been fishing all the last night, but in vain; and if they could not succeed then (the most proper season for that employment) there was less hope to speed now, it being probably about noon. But because where God commands it is not for any to argue, but obey, at our Lord's instance he let down the net, which immediately enclosed so great a multitude of fishes that the net began to break, and they were forced to call to their partners, who were in a ship hard by them, to come to their assistance. A draught so great that it loaded both their boats, and that so full that it endangered their sinking before they could get safe to shore: an instance wherein our Saviour gave an ocular demonstration that, as Messiah, God had "put all things under his feet, not only fowls of the air, but the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea."* 5. Amazed they were all at this miraculous draught of fishes; whereupon Simon, in an ecstacy of admiration, and a mixture of humility and fear, threw himself at the feet of Christ, and prayed him to depart from him, as a vile and sinful person. So evident were the appearances of Divinity in this miracle, that he was overpowered and dazzled with its brightness and lusture, and reflecting upon himself, could not but think himself unworthy the presence of so great a person, so immediately sent from God; and considering his own state, (conscience being hereby more sensibly awakened,) was afraid that the divine vengeance might pursue and overtake him. But our Lord, to abate the edge of his fears, assures him that this miracle was not done to amaze and terrify him, but to strengthen and confirm his faith; that now he had nobler work and employment for him; instead of catching fish, he should, by persuading men to the obedience of the gospel, catch the souls of men and accordingly he commanded him and his brother to follow him; (the same command which presently after he gave to the two sons of Zebedee.) The word was no sooner spoken, and they landed, but disposing their concerns in the hands of friends, (as we may presume prudent and reasonable men would,) they immediately left all, and followed him; and from this time Peter and the rest became his constant and inseparable disciples, living under the rules of his discipline and institutions. 6. From hence they returned to Capernaum, where our Lord, entering into Simon's house, (the place in all likelihood where he was wont to lodge during his residence in that city) found his motherin-law visited with a violent fever. No privileges afford an exemption from the ordinary laws of human nature; Christ, under her roof, did not protect this woman from the assaults and invasions of a fever. "Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick,"* as they said concerning Lazarus. Here a fresh opportunity offered itself to Christ of exerting his divine power. No sooner was he told of it but he came to her bed-side, rebuked the paroxysm, commanded the fever to be gone, and taking her by the hand to lift her up, in a moment restored her to perfect health and ability to return to the business of her family; all cures being equally easy to Omnipotence. SECTION III. Of St. Peter, from his election to the Apostolate OUR Lord being now to elect some peculiar per- 2. Early the next morning his disciples came 66 it, when he tells the apostles that "when the Son | fore, in all humility, addresses himself to our Saof Man shall sit on the throne of his glory," that viour; which he had no sooner done but servants is, be gone back to heaven, and have taken full came post to tell him that it was in vain to troupossession of his evangelical kingdom, which ble our Lord, for that his daughter was dead. principally commenced from his resurrection, that Christ bids him not despond; if his faith held out then they also should sit upon twelve thrones, there was no danger. And suffering none to fol judging the twelve tribes of Israel;" that is, low him but Peter, James, and John, he goes they should have great power and authority in the along with him to the house; where he was dechurch, such as the power of the keys, and other rided by the sorrowful friends and neighbors, for rights of spiritual judicature and sovereignty, telling them that she was not perfectly dead. But answerable in some proportion to the power and our Lord entering in, with the commanding effidignity which the heads and rulers of the twelve cacy of two words, restored her at once both to tribes of Israel did enjoy. life and perfect health. 3. In the enumeration of these twelve apostles, 5. Our Lord after this preached many sermons, all the evangelists constantly place St. Peter in and wrought many miracles; amongst which none the front, and St. Matthew expressly tells us that more remarkable than his feeding a multitude of he was the first; that is, he was the first that five thousand men, besides women and children, was called to be an apostle: his age also, and the but with five loaves and two fishes;* of which, gravity of his person more particularly qualifying nevertheless, twelve baskets of fragments were him for a primacy of order amongst the rest of taken up. Which being done, and the multitude the apostles, as that without which no society of dismissed, he commanded the apostles to take ship, men can be managed or maintained. Less than it being now near night, and to cross over to Cathis, as none will deny him, so, more than this pernaum, whilst he himself, as his manner was, neither Scripture nor primitive antiquity do allow retired to a neighboring mountain, to dispose himhim. And now it was that our Lord actually con- self to prayer and contemplation. The apostles ferred that name upon him which before he had were scarce got into the middle of the sea, when promised him. "Simon he surnamed Peter." on a sudden a violent storm and tempest began It may here be inquired, when and by whom the to arise, whereby they were brought into present aposties were baptized. That they were, is un- danger of their lives. Our Saviour, who knew questionable, being themselves appointed to con- how the case stood with them, and how much fer it upon others; but when or how the Scrip- they labored under infinite pains and fears, having ture is altogether silent. Nicephorus, from no himself caused this tempest for the greater trial worse an author, as he pretends, than Euodius, of their faith, a little before morning (for so long St. Peter's immediate successor in the see of they remained in this imminent danger) immedi Antioch, tells us, that of all the apostles Christ ately conveyed himself upon the sea, where the baptized none but Peter with his own hands; that waves received him, being proud to carry their Peter baptized Andrew and the two sons of Ze-master. He who refused to gratify the devils, bedee, and they the rest of the apostles. This, when tempting him to throw himself down from if so, would greatly make for the honor of St. the pinnacle of the temple, did here commit himPeter. But alas! his authority is not only sus- self to a boisterous and instable element, and that picious but supposititious, in a manner deserted in a violent storm, walking upon the water as if by St. Peter's best friends, and the strongest it had been dry ground. But that infinite power champions of his cause. Baronius himself, however, sometimes willing to make use of him, elsewhere confesses that this epistle of Euodius is altogether unknown to any of the ancients. As for the testimony of Clemens Alexandrinus, which to the same purpose he quotes out of Sophronius, (though not Sophronius but Johannes Moschus, as is notoriously known, be the author of that book,) besides that it is delivered upon an uncertain report, pretended to have been alleged in a discourse between one Dionysius, bishop of Ascalon, and his clergy, out of a book of Clemens not now extant; his authors are much alike, that is, of no great value and authority. 4. Amongst these apostles our Lord chose a triumvirate, Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, to be his more intimate companions, whom he adnitted more familiarly than the rest unto all the more secret passages and transactions of his life. The first instance of which was on this occasion: -Jairus,|| a ruler of the synagogue, had a daughter desperately sick, whose disease, having baffled all the arts of physic, was only curable by the immediate agency of the God of nature. He there that made and supports the world, as it gave rules to all particular beings, so can, when it pleaseth, countermand the laws of their creation, and make them act contrary to their natural inclinations. If God say the word, the sun will stand still in the middle of the heavens; if, Go back, it will retrocede, as upon the dial of Ahaz: if he command it, the heavens will become as brass, and the earth as iron, and that for three years and a half together, as in the case of Elijah's prayer: If he say to the sea, Divide, it will run upon heaps, and become on both sides as firm as a wall of marble. Nothing can be more natural than for the fire to burn, and yet at God's command it will forget its nature, and become a screen and a fence to the three children in the Babylonian furnace. What heavier than iron, or more natural than for gravity to tend downwards? yet, when God will have it, iron shall float like cork on the top of the water. The proud and raging sea, that naturally refuses to bear the bodies of men while alive, became here as firm as brass, when commanded to wait upon and do homage to the God of nature. Our Lord walking toward the ship, as if he had an intention to pass it, he was espied by them, who presently * Matt. xiv. 17. |