608
The Desire of Ages
of them: for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.” At
this Peter flew into a rage. The disciples of Jesus were noted for the
purity of their language, and in order fully to deceive his questioners,
and justify his assumed character, Peter now denied his Master with
cursing and swearing. Again the cock crew. Peter heard it then, and
he remembered the words of Jesus, “Before the cock crow twice, thou
shalt deny Me thrice.”
Mark 14:30
.
While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter’s lips, and the
shrill crowing of the cock was still ringing in his ears, the Saviour
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turned from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disci-
ple. At the same time Peter’s eyes were drawn to his Master. In that
gentle countenance he read deep pity and sorrow, but there was no
anger there.
The sight of that pale, suffering face, those quivering lips, that
look of compassion and forgiveness, pierced his heart like an arrow.
Conscience was aroused. Memory was active. Peter called to mind his
promise of a few short hours before that he would go with his Lord
to prison and to death. He remembered his grief when the Saviour
told him in the upper chamber that he would deny his Lord thrice that
same night. Peter had just declared that he knew not Jesus, but he
now realized with bitter grief how well his Lord knew him, and how
accurately He had read his heart, the falseness of which was unknown
even to himself.
A tide of memories rushed over him. The Saviour’s tender mercy,
His kindness and long-suffering, His gentleness and patience toward
His erring disciples,—all was remembered. He recalled the caution,
“Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as
wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.”
Luke 22:31,
32
. He reflected with horror upon his own ingratitude, his falsehood,
his perjury. Once more he looked at his Master, and saw a sacrilegious
hand raised to smite Him in the face. Unable longer to endure the
scene, he rushed, heartbroken, from the hall.
He pressed on in solitude and darkness, he knew not and cared
not whither. At last he found himself in Gethsemane. The scene of
a few hours before came vividly to his mind. The suffering face of
his Lord, stained with bloody sweat and convulsed with anguish, rose
before him. He remembered with bitter remorse that Jesus had wept
and agonized in prayer alone, while those who should have united with