Exposition of John, Chapter 18 · Verse 13
Verſe 25. And Simon Peter ſtood and warmed himſelf. They ſaid therefore unto him, Art not thou alſo one of his diſciples? He denied it, and ſaid, I am not.
26. One of the ſervants of the high Prieſts (being his kinſman, whoſe eare Peter cut off,) ſaith, Did not I ſee thee in the garden with him?
27. Peter then denied again, and immediately the cock crew.
Followeth in theſe verſes, the third branch of this part of the chapter, wherein Peters ſecond and third denial of his Maſter are recorded. John doth in brief declare, that Peter, after his firſt denial, ſtaying ſtill in the crowd, and warming himſelf, (as is alſo formerly marked, v. 18.) was the ſecond time aſſaulted and challenged as one of Chriſts diſciples, and doth againe deny it: And that after a while, (as is marked, Luke 22.59.) he is the third time aſſaulted by one who had intereſt in the man whom Peter had hurt, and who had ſeen him in the garden with Chriſt. But he perſiſts in his denial, till the cock crew the ſecond time, which being accompanied with Chriſts looking on him, and his remembring what Chriſt had foretold, is a mean to draw him to repentance, as is marked by the reſt. For clearing this purpoſe, Conſider, 1. Whereas in his ſecond aſſault, as is ſaid in general, that they (to wit, who were preſent) ſaid to him, &c. and yet two of the reſt aſſert this aſſault to have been by a maid, Mark 14.69. Matth. 26.71. and another, that it was by a ſervant, Luke 22.58. This difficulty may be thus reconciled, that a maid and a ſervant aſſaulting him, and he ſeeming to neglect them, the whole company, or many of them, do charge him with it, which puts him on the ſnare of an open denial. 2. As for the third aſſault, the differences betwixt the Evangeliſts may be thus reconciled, That being challenged to be one of Chriſts followers, as being a Galilean, whoſe ſpeech bewrayed him, Mat. 26.73. Mat. 14.70. Luke 22.59. this ſervant which ſaw him in the garden, (and belike, ſaw him alſo cut off his kinſmans eare) confirmeth the challenge: All which importunity, and poſſibly ſome intimation that it was known what he had done in the garden, precipitates him upon a third denial. 3. As for the manner of his denial, there is no great difficulty; for, it is the ſame thing in ſubſtance that he is ſaid to deny by all of them, to wit, that he was Chriſts diſciple, or with him. Only while the reſt obſerve that he denied to have known Chriſt, or to underſtand of what they ſpake when they challenged him, it points out to what an abſurdity his feare drave him, in that he profeſſeth his ignorance of him, of whoſe fame and report almoſt none in the land were ignorant. And his ſwearing and curſing, recorded by them to have accompanied his denial, doth further point out what the violence of the tentation was, and what ſtuffe may lurk in the boſome of Saints, ready to break out when there is a tentation.
From v. 25. Learn, 1. The Lord takes ſtrict and conſtant notice of mens deportment and walking upon ſnares, however they little heed it themſelves; and the longer they do ſo, he is the more offended: Therefore it is yet again remarked, that all this while, Simon Peter yet ſtood and warmed himſelf in that place, among ſuch company. 2. Such as do caſt themſelves in unwarrantable company, and continue among them, partaking of their accommodations, do not readily eſcape without a foule trial and ſlip, and that moe then one; for, Peter ſtanding and warming himſelf, his carriage caſts him upon the ſnare of a new denial. 3. Men are ſo much the nearer a fall, as they continue among ſnares and tentations, when the Lord is eminently calling them to their duty, and to mourn for their former failings; and ſo their carriage is nothing anſwerable to what their condition, or the Lords diſpenſations calls them aloud unto; for, this addeth to his guilt, and ripens him for a new aſſault and fall, that he ſtood and warmed himſelf, when he ſhould have been mourning for his former denial. 4. As Satan is alwayes tempting beleevers, as he hath opportunity; ſo eſpecially, when he hath gained any ground upon them, he is an eager purſuer of them by his fitted means and inſtruments, and their falling in any degree, is but a preludie to greater tentations; for, Satan having prevailed by the voice of a weak damoſel, doth now the ſecond time aſſault him, by a maid, a ſervant, and many together; They ſaid therefore unto him, Art thou not alſo one of his diſciples? 5. As Satan is ready to tempt and aſſault ſliding diſciples; ſo they being once entred in a courſe of defection, are ready to perſiſt and go yet further wrong, eſpecially when they are not ſenſible of their former failings; for, he again denied it, and ſaid, I am not, and that with an oath, as is recorded by the reſt. 6. It is the great ſin of Chriſts diſciples to deny their Maſter, or themſelves to be his diſciples and followers; for, this was Peters fault, He ſaid, I am not one of his diſciples. And albeit it was his eminent ſlip to renounce his Maſter by an avowed denial; yet others have need to look to it, who though they profeſſe him, yet their practice doth refute their Profeſſion, Tit. 1.14. 2 Tim. 3.5. And namely, when they practiſe not ſuch duties as are required of diſciples: ſuch as, hearing and abiding in his Word, John 10.27. and 8.31. ſelf-denial and bearing of his croſſe, Mat. 16.24. mortification, Gal. 5.24. walking after his Spirit, Rom. 8.1. meekneſſe, Matth. 11.29. mutual love, John 13.35, and ſeveral other duties recorded in Scripture.
From v. 26, 27. Learn, 1. As Satan is inceſſant in purſuing, ſo he knoweth how to fit tentations to every mans humour, that they may take; Therefore, Peter being all this while poſſeſſed with fear, he hounds out his kinſman, whoſe eare Peter cut off, (whereof, belike, he had ſome intimation) and one who ſaw him in the garden, that theſe conſiderations working yet more upon his fear, might drive him to a new and more groſſe denial. 2. As it is Satans element to ſin and draw others to multiply ſin after ſin; ſo Saints, eſpecially, may expect that when they ſlip, they will be moſt, of any, inceſſ…ntly purſued, to adde ſin after ſin. It being Satans delight to engage them eſpecially in ſin againſt God, and by the throng of tentations, to keep them from recovering their feet; Therefore doth he thus purſue Peter the third time. 3. It is the duty of the Lords people, when they are tempted, to conſider what impediments the Lord layeth in the courſe of their ſinning, that ſo they may be aſhamed to go on; And it is their great ſin, when they do otherwiſe; for, whatever was Satans aime in chooſing this inſtrument to aſſault him the third time; yet the Lord thereby would ſhame him from his denial, by bringing in ſo clear evidences againſt him that he was a diſciple, which he could not ſhift without much impudence, and without open wronging of his Maſter as not worthy to be owned, and that before them who certainly knew he had been one of his followers. All which did contribute to make his ſin of denial the more odious. 4. Saints weakneſſe is ſuch, as being aſſaulted, they may fall again and again in the ſame ſin; as here Peters threefold denial teacheth us, Peter then denied again. It is, indeed, more grievous, when men fall often again into the ſame ſin, even after they have repented for their former falling into it, (though the Scripture declareth not that to be inconſiſtent with the ſtate of grace in a perſon) but it may be more frequently incident to Saints, to relapſe often while they are ſtill kept going under the power of tentations, without getting liberty to draw their breath, or recollect themſelves; which was Peters caſe here, and pleads for more pity. 5. A gap being once made in the conſcience by ſin, it will eaſily grow wider, and one ſin will prove a needle to draw in the thread of another ſin; as here Peters experience doth witneſſe, who by one denial is drawn to another, and who from ſimple denial, proceeds to denial with an oath, and then with curſing, as the reſt obſerve. 6. When Saints begin to ſlip, and do not make conſcience of repentance for it, God may let their defection riſe to a very great height, till they ſee cauſe to abhorre themſelves indeed; for, ſo much alſo doth this experience teach. He, not heeding, nor being affected with his firſt denial, the Lord gives him up to mee denials, and that with ſwearing and curſing; that ſo his conſcience may be alarm'd with the groſſeneſſe of his way. And indeed, ſolid repentance in a backſliding way is ſeldome attained, till the defection come to ſome height of groſſeneſſe. 7. Whatever be mens conceit of themſelves, yet the event will clear that Chriſts verdict concerning mans frailty, is true, and that their preſumption is a liar; for, here, immediately the cock crew, to witneſſe, that before this time prefixed by Chriſt, Peter had denied him thrice, according to his prediction, John 13.38. 8. Albeit the Lord ſuffer his own to ſlip through tentation, that he may correct their proud conceit of themſelves, and teach them to abide more in him; yet he will not utterly loſe, but will recover them; for, the cock crew; to put Peter in minde of what paſt betwixt Chriſt and him: which being accompanied with other meanes, draws him to repentance, as is marked by the reſt. 9. The ſame means which men have had, and yet have profited nothing by them, may yet be much uſeful when God commands a bleſſing; for, albeit Peter was alarm'd by the cocks crowing firſt, after his firſt fall, Mark 14.68. yet he never remembreth Chriſts words, but goeth on, and the ſame mean, with Chriſts look, is bleſſed. 10. The Lord is, oft-times, in mercy pleaſed to recover his people by very ſpeedy repentance, after their trial for diſcovering of their weakneſſe, is over; And particularly, ſuch as through violence of tentations are driven upon ſin, do readily ſooner recover by repentance, then they who upon reſolution, and with deliberation engage in a courſe of ſin; for, Peter being under a violent tentation in this his ſinning, immediately the cock crew, to give him warning to repent, which accordingly ſucceeds.