herefore, misusing it. 'From
that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he
must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and
chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the
third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be
it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But 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.' St. Peter's words, in the Greek tongue,
really seem to mean that St. Peter fancied that _he_ could protect
our Lord; that he had the power of delivering him, by binding his
enemies the Jews, and loosing the Lord himself. That seems to have
been the way in which he took our Lord's words: but what does our
Lord answer? As stern words as man could hear. 'Get thee behind
me, Satan; for thou art an offence unto me.' Or, rather, thou art
my stumbling-block. So that St. Peter, while he fancied himself
near to the angels, found out, to his shame, that he was behaving
like a devil, and had to be called Satan to his face; and that while
he thought he could save the Lord Jesus, he found that he was doing
all he could to harm and ruin his master; trying to do the very work
which the Devil tried to do, when he tempted the Lord Jesus in the
wilderness. So near beside each other do heaven and hell lie. So
easy is it to give place to the Devil, and fall into the worst of
sin, just when we are puffed up with spiritual pride.

And more than once afterwards, St. Peter had to learn that same
lesson; when, for instance, he leaped boldly overboard from the
boat, and came walking towards Jesus on the sea. That was noble:
worthy of St. Peter: but he fancied himself a braver man than he
was. He became afraid; and the moment that he became afraid, he
began to sink. Jesus saved him, and then told him why he had become
afraid: because his faith had failed him. He had ceased trusting
in Christ's power to keep him up; and became helpless at once.

That should have been a lesson to St. Peter, that he was not to be
so very sure of his own faith and his own courage; that without his
Lord he might become cowardly and helpless any moment: but he did
not take that gentle lesson; so he had to learn it once and for all
by a very terrible trial. We all know how he fell;--one day
protesting vehemently to his Lord, 'Though I di