Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/198

 word of  a  woman,  from  shame  and  fear  he  denies  that he ever  knew  Him. How many  are  there  now  in  existence  who,  not  from  any  humility,  but  from  mere  apprehension of  what  the  world  will  say,  are  afraid  to  own any Christian  or  virtuous  action  and  to  profess  themselves followers  of  Christ!

II. Peter remained  in  the  same  company,  in  which  he had  first  denied  his  Master,  and  being  accused  by  others of being  Christ's  disciple,  he  persisted  in  his  denial  a second  and  a  third  time. "He began  to  curse  and  ta swear  that  he  knew  not  the  man"  (Matt.  xxvi.  74),  unmindful of  the  first  crowing  of  the  cock. Observe the different effects  of  good  and  evil  company. When Peter was with  his  Master  and  fellow  Apostles,  he  was  so  fervent as  to  offer  to  die  with  Christ,  but  in  the  evil  company in  which  he  afterwards  was,  he  protests  and  swears, that he  never  knew  the  man. Learn from  this  melancholy example  to  avoid  evil  company  and  conversation; and always  bear  in  mind  the  oracle  of  St.  Paul:  "Evil communications  corrupt  good  manners." (1 Cor.  xv.  33.)

III. Some of  the  particular  circumstances  which  attended the  fall  of  St. Peter are  recorded  by  all  the  Evangelists. 1. The  occasional  cause  of  his  fall  was  his  vain presumption and  confidence  in  himself. " Though  all men  should  be  scandalized  in  Thee,  I  will  never  be  scandalized." 2, He  neglected  prayer,  and  fell  asleep,  after his Master  had  told  him,  "Watch  ye  and  pray,  that  ye enter  not  into  temptation." 3. A  woman  was  the  instrument of  his  fall,  as  well  as  of  the  fall  of  Adam. Tremble, when you  see  the  pillars  of  the  Church  overturned  by  the voice of  a  woman. " Tarry  not  among  women." (Ecclus. xlii.  12.)  His  sin  increased  by  degrees,  passing from a  simple  denial  to  execration  and  open  perjury. Learn to  resist  the  beginnings  of  evil,  or  fatal  experience