Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/711

 punishment  which  they  had  drawn  down  on  us. Thank your Redeemer for  His  unbounded  love,  and  prove,  this  very  day,  by your  patience  and  gentleness,  that  you  love  Him  in  return.

Every wilful  sin  we  commit  is,  so  to  speak,  a blow  struck on the  Face  of  our  Divine  Lord. Whenever you  are  on  the  point of sinning,  your  conscience  says  to  you:  “Do  not  do it! God has forbidden it!”  But  then,  perhaps,  you  reply:  “All  the  same  I will do it. What is  it  to  me  that  God  has  forbidden  it!”  Do  you not see  that  to  act  in  this  way  is  to  strike  the  Face  of  God  with a blow? And if  you  go  on  to  commit  the  sin  really,  those  words of our  Blessed  Lord  are  in  truth  addressed  to  you: “Why  strikest thou Me?”  O Lord  Jesus,  for  love  of  Thee,  I will  never  more commit a wilful  sin!

ETER and  John  had  followed  Jesus  at  a distance,  even  to the  house  of  the  High  Priest,  in  order  to  see  the  end. In the court-yard  there  was  a fire,  which  Peter  approached  to  warm himself. While there,  Peter  was  noticed  by  one  of  the  maidservants of  the  High  Priest. She looked  at  him,  and  said: “This man also  was  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth.”  Peter  denied  Him,  saying: “Woman, I know  Him  not .”  Immediately  the  cock  crew.

After a little  while  a man,  coming  to  Peter,  exclaimed: “Thou also art  one  of  them.”  But  Peter  said:  “O  man,  I am  not.”  Now, after the  space  of  an  hour,  a certain  servant  saw  Peter,  and  pointing him out  to  the  others,  affirmed: “Surely,  thou  art  also  one  of  them,