By the late Rev. HUGH MARTIN, D.D.
(Continued from vol. xl., page 492.)
“And he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”—Matt. xvi. 23.
Let us observe the striking contrast between this threefold rebuke addressed to Peter speaking as the old man, and the threefold congratulation addressed to him when he spake as the new man, and called forth his Lord’s approbation. For there are three points in that congratulation—(1) Thou art taught of “my Father;” in His light thou seest light; the things of God are “revealed” to thee by the Spirit of God—by the wisdom of the Spirit—not the power of the flesh. (2) “Thou art Peter;” a living stone, fitly framed into the building; falling in, by divinely-given faith, with the plan and purpose of my Father with His Church, and with me its Rock and foundation. And (3) “the gates of hell”—its councils and power—its fraud and force combined—”shall not prevail against thee.” These are the three ideas of the loving congratulation. They reappear in the rebuke. They reappear suggested by their opposites. Only they come in reverse order, the last being first, and the first last. Thus (1) Simon, son of Jonas, the gates of hell are assailing thee; Satan is snaring thee; thou art drawn over to his interest; “Get thee behind me, Satan.” But by this very rebuke the gates of hell shall be prevented from prevailing. (2) Thou art a “stumbling-stone now;” no longer “Peter,” the living stone; not fitting in with the church as built on a crucified Redeemer; not acquiescing in the plan of the building; not even acquiescing in the foundation laid in Zion, elect and precious; but seeking to overthrow that very foundation, thyself a stumbling-block, a stone of offence indeed. And (3) in all this thou hast no remembrance, no relish of my Father’s revelation to thee; thou art thwarting the unction of the Holy One, and savouring the ignorance and pride and presumption of man; taking counsel again with flesh and blood,
and seeing nothing in my cross but what flesh and blood can reveal—not the glory which my Father who is in heaven would show thee. This is a very remarkable contrast—minute, detailed, exact; and I think not forced, but organic. And it reads us two important lessons, with which we at present close.
I.—See how very thoroughly the flesh, with its dictates, is the reverse of the Spirit. Peter, as the old man, contradicts most violently Peter as the new. These two are contrary one unto the other. And the contrariety is sharp, unsparing, minute, ceaseless. The utterances of Jesus in approving the manifestations of the new life, are the diametrical reverse of His utterances in condemning those of the old. The flesh and the Spirit can never harmonise. There can be no truce between them. The war is a war of extermination. II.—See how backsliding undoes the work of grace, or literally puts back what the Father by the Spirit hath done in His people. Peter has literally back-slidden—slidden back; retraced his good way, step by step. For (1) it is not his fault if the “gates of hell” do not prevail against him; for he has accepted Satan’s temptation concerning the very foundation on which the Church is built. He has counted Christ’s cross, or Christ crucified, no foundation, but a stumbling-block. Herein (2) he has himself become a stumbling-block to Jesus, and it is of the Lord’s mercy if he ever be himself again, “Peter,” a living stone. And all this because (3) he has preferred “the things of men” to those of God; and been negligent of that illumination which the Father hath given him, and would give him more and more. He has been violating—making null and void—all those grounds on which Jesus congratulated him. He has been losing all the attainments which drew forth those affectionate congratulations. Beware of this; beware of losing what grace may have wrought. Rather “strengthen the things which remain.” “Behold I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.” Amen.