JESUS afks Peter, if he loved him, and bids him feed his Lambs. CHRIST'S Difcourfe with Peter at the Sea of Tiberias, with a remarkable Prophecy concerning the Death of that ApoJohn XXI. 15,———24. file. JOHN XXI. 15. So when they had dined, Jefus faith to Simon Peter, Simon, Son of Jonas, loveft thou me more than thefe? He faith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knoweft that I love thee. He faith unto him, Feed my Lambs. JOHN XXI. 15. 15. 635 NOW when they had made a plentiful Meal Sect. 201. fa (a) Doft thou love me more than thefe do? ] The original Words, we тlwv, are ambiguous; and befides the Senfe I have given them, they might fignify, Doft thou love me more, than thou loveft thefe Nets, and other Inftruments of thy Trade; fo as to prefer my Service to any worldly Advantages? In this Senfe Dr. Whitby explains them, and argues for it from this Confideration, that otherwife Peter could not have appealed to Chrift, that he did thus love him; fince it was impoffible for him exactly to judge of the Proportion between his own Love to Chrift, and that of his Brethren. But that learned Commentator did not observe, how modeftly the Reply is adjusted on that Head. Peter only anfwers, Yea, Lord, (or affuredly, Lord,) thou knowest that I love thee; but does not add, more than thefe. And this beautiful Circumftance in the Anfwer fhews, how much he was humbled, and improved by the Remembrance of his Fall. (b) Feed my Lambs.] The Paraphrafe fhews, how fair a Senfe may be given to these Words, without fuppofing they inveft Peter with any fuch diftinguished Authority in the Church, as, contrary to the moft convincing Arguments, the Papifts fuppofe, and make this Suppofition the Corner Stone of their Babel. Bellarmin's Diftinction between Lambs, and Sheep, as fignifying the Laity, and Clergy, is very trifling, nor can any Example of the like Diftinction be produced. It is much more natural to fuppofe in general, that Lambs here (as in Ifa. xl. 11. and many other Places,) may fignify the weakest of the Flock, which, by the way, it is by no Means to be taken for granted, that the Laity always are. So that on the whole, this Argument for the Pope's Supremacy feems almoft as contemptible, as that which fome Writers of that Communion have drawn from thefe Words, to prove that Hereticks, tho' Princes, are to be put to Death, by Authority derived from Peter; because feeding 636 He thrice renews the Queftion, and the Charge. Sect. 201. favour thee fo far, as to commit my Church, in Part, to thy Apoftolick Care, remember that the most acceptable Way of expreffing thy Love to me, will be by taking Care even of the weakest and feebleft of my Flock. John XXI. 15. 16 17 18 And to imprefs it more upon his Mind, be Jays to him again the Second Time, Simon, [Son] of fonas, doft thou indeed love me? He answers him as he had done before, Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. [Jefus] fays to him again, Feed my Sheep with Tendernefs and Care, and thereby demonftrate the Truth of thine Affection to me. And that it might never be forgot by him, or any that were prefent, he fays to him the Third Time, Simon [Son] of Jonas, wilt thou abide by what thou haft faid? Doft thou truly love me, and will that Love of thine bear a fevere Trial? Peter was exceedingly grieved, that he faid to him the Third Time, Doft thou love me? And he faid to him with great Earneftnefs, My dear Lord, thou knoweft all Things; thou feeft the very Hearts of Men, and, feeing mine, thou knowest that I do indeed love thee; tho' my late lamentable Fall might juftly bring it into Question, and my repeated Denial of Thee renders me worthy of fuch à Rebuke as this repeated Enquiry implies. Jefus fays to him, Well, Peter, I acknowledge thou doft indeed love me, and know how to diftinguish between Frailty and Treachery; and therefore I not only own thee as a Difciple, but confirm thee in thine Apoftolick Office, again requiring thee to feed my Sheep; and be affured, that I confider thy Zeal for the Edification and Comfort of my Church, as the most acceptable Token thou can't poffibly give of thy Love to me. 16 He faith to him again the fecond Time, Simon, Ser He faith unto him, Yea, of Jonas, loveft thou me? Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He faith unto him, Feed my Sheep. 17 He faith unto him the third Time, Simon, Son of Jonas, loveft thou me? Peter was grieved, because he faid unto him the third Time, Loveft thou me? And he faid unto him, Lord, thou knoweft all Things; thou knoweft that I love thee. Jefus faith unto him, Feed my Sheep. 18 Verily, verily I fay un And indeed thou fhalt approve that Love, not only by Labours, but by Sufferings too: For verily, to thee, When thou wast verily I fay unto thee, and would have thee to re member young, feeding the Flock implies a Power of killing Wolves. See Bayle's Philof. Comment. Vol. i. pag. 82.I fhall only add, that fome have obferved, that apva being the Diminutive of apva fignifies the leaft of my Lambs: Which may be interpreted as an Intimation of the Care, which Peter, under his Minifterial Character, (congruous to the Wifdom and Tendernefs of the great Shepherd of the Sheep,) fhould take of little Children. See my Ten Sermons on the Power and Grace of Chrift, Serm. vii. pag. 176, & feq. 2d. Edit. (c) When Peter is told, by young, thou girdedft thyfelf, and walkedft whither thou fhalt be old, thou fhalt stretch forth thy Hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst wouldft but when thou not. 19 This fpake he, fignifying by what Death he fhould glorify GOD. And when he had fpoken this, he faith unto him, Follow me. 20 Then Peter turning about, feeth the Difciple whom Jefus loved, following; which alfo leaned on his Breaft at Supper, and faid, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? what Death he should glorify GOD. 18. 637 member it as what shall surely come to pafs, that Sect. 201. And this be faid, fignifying and intimating by 19. And Peter did fo with great Alacrity; but 20 (c) When thou art grown old.] Peter's Crucifixion is faid to have happened about Forty Years after this; but the Time is not exactly and certainly known. (d) Silently following him, in humble Token of his Readiness &c.] There is a Spirit and Tenderness in this plain Paffage, which I can never read without the moft fenfible Emotion. Christ orders Peter to follow him, in Token of his Readiness to be crucified in his Caufe. John ftays not for the Call; he rifes, and follows too; but he fays not one Word of his Love, and his Zeal. He chofe that the Action only fhould fpeak that; and when he records this Circumftance, he tells us not what that Action meant; but with great Simplicity relates the Fact only. If here and there a generous Heart, that, like his own, glows with Love to Chrift, fees and emulates it, be it fo; but he is not folicitous, Men fhould admire it. It was addreffed to his Mafter; and it was enough, that he understood it.And can any one be himself base enough, to imagine that fuch a Man could spend his Life in promoting a pernicious Fallehood, (for fuch, in the Second Edition of the Ninth of my Ten Sermons, I largely prove the Apoftolick Testimony to be, if it were a Falsehood,) and at laft in his old Age, when his Relifh for every Thing but Goodness and Immortality was gone, would fo folemnly atteft it, as he does in the Conclufion of his Gafpel? May GOD deliver every one that reads this, from a Head fo fatally beclouded by the Corruptions of the Heart! (e) This 638 John XXI. 21. But it is not said, what should become of John. 21 Peter seeing him, faith fball this Man do? Sect. 201. Lord, who is he that will betray thee? (See John xiii. 25. pag. 433.) Peter therefore obferving this Difciple, and feeing him follow Jefus in the to Jefus, Lord, and what fame Manner as he did himself, tho' he was not called to it, fays unto Jefus, Lord, what [fhall] this Man [do,] and what is to become of him? Muft he, who is now following with me, partake of the like Sufferings? 22 23 24 Jefus fays to him, Is that any immediate Concern of thine, Peter? If I will that he tarry, or continue alive, till I come in Power and great Glory to execute the Judgment I have threatened on mine Enemies, what [is that] to thee, or to any one else? Follow thou me: Mind thou thine own Duty, and endeavour to prepare for thine own Sufferings; and pry not with a vain Curiofity into fecret Events, which may befal him, or any other of thy Brethren. Now as this Answer was not rightly underftood, this Saying therefore went abroad among the Brethren, or the other Followers of Chrift, that this Difciple fhould not die (e); and the advanced Age to which he lived gave fome farther Colour for it: But it was entirely built upon a Miftake; for Jefus did not fay to him, or of him, that he fhould not die; but only, as it was expreffed before, If I will, that he tarry, or continue alive, till I come, what [is that] to thee? And this is the Disciple, who teftifies concerning thefe Things, and hath written them as above: And fince, as an Eye-Witness to them, he has not failed, in a proper Manner, to produce in the Churches the Credentials neceffary to prove the Veracity and Exactness of his Writings, we all know that his Teftimony is true, and doubt not but every candid Reader will receive it accordingly (f). IMPROVE 22 Jefus faith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. 23 Then went this Say ing abroad among the Bre- 24 This is the Disciple which teftifieth of thefe Things, and wrote these Things: and we know that his Teftimony is true. (e) This Saying therefore went abroad among the Brethren, &c.] That there was fueh a Notion and Tradition among the Antients, Fabricius has particularly fhewn. Cod. Apoc. Nov. Teft. Vol. ii. pag. 533 (f) We know that his Teftimony is true.] Grotius would argue from the Plural Number in these Words, (Annot, in Job. xx. 30.) that this laft Chapter was not written by John himself, but was added to his Gospel by fome other Hands. (See Note (a) on John xxi. 1. pag. Reflections on CHRIST's Enquiry into Peter's Love. IMPROVEMENT. 639 HAT if our Lord Jefus Chrift fhould put the fame Question to Sect. 201. us, that he did to Peter, in this remarkable Paffage, and fhould John xxi. W thus repeat it again and again? Are there none of us, who should be at 15,-17. a Lofs for an Answer? None of us, to whom he might fay, I know that you have not the Love of Chrift in you? Or are there none of us, who apprehend, that if we had ourselves been thus preffed, we could, at the very best, only have faid, Lord, thou that knoweft all Things, knowest that I cannot tell, whether I love thee, or not? Blush, and be confounded, Oh my Soul, if thou must reply with fuch Uncertainty, to a Question of fo great Importance, and in a Cafe where all the Ardor of the Heart might be fo justly expected! But are there not still some of us, who thro' Divine Grace could reply with Pleasure, Lord, thou knoweft all Things, thou knoweft, that, not- Ver. 17. withstanding all the unallowed and lamented Infirmities of our Lives, we do indeed love thee? And if we are thus really confcious to ourselves of fuch an unfeigned Affection, let it be our daily Joy, that he who implanted this Divine Principle in our Hearts, difcerns and fees it there; and knowing all Things, he perfectly knows this, however we may be fufpected, however we may be cenfured. Let us learn alfo, by what Method we are to exprefs our Love, ac- Ver. 16. cording to our Ability and Opportunity; even by feeding his Sheep, and promoting the Intereft and Edification of his Church. Let Minifters efpecially do it; and let them not forget thofe dear Creatures, the Lambs Ver. 15. of the Flock. Jefus the compaffionate Shepherd, as we fee, did not forget them; but taught his Servants, both by his Precepts, and by his Example, to gather them in their Arms, and carry them in their Bofom. (Ifa. xl. 11.) Happy are they, who, instead of indulging a vain Curiofity in Things, Ven, 21. wherein they are not at all, or but very little concerned, are fpending their Lives in fuch faithful Services; feeding the Flock of GOD; and taking the Overfight of it, not by Conftraint, but willingly; not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready Mind; that when the chief Shepherd fhall appear, they may receive an unfading Crown of Glory: (1 Pet. v. 2, 4.) A Crown, which pag. 630.) But it is plainly faid in the Beginning of this Verfe, that it was he who teftified and wrote thefe Things; and befides, that we have frequent Inftances of the like Change of Numbers, (fee Rom. vii. 14. and Theff. ii. 18.) it is evident from the Words, I fuppofe, in the next Verfe, that only One Perfon fpeaks. So that no more appears to be intended. here, than if he had faid, "We univerfally allow, that what is teftified by a credible Eye"Witness, and afferted by him under his Hand, must be admitted as a valid Teftimony, "and pafs for unexceptionable Evidence: This is the Cafe here; and therefore regard it: accordingly." |
