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 he endured with an invincible patience and fortitude.

4. Consider, that of all which our Saviour suffered in the court of Caiphas, nothing touched him so much to the quick, as the dangerous fall of Peter, the chief of all his apostles, who had received the most signal favours from him. Who, after having boasted that very night, that although all the rest of the disciples should abandon their Master, lie would never forsake him; and that he would sooner die with him than deny him: yet see the weakness and inconstancy of human nature; at the voice of a silly maid, he forthwith denies his Master, repeats his denial a second and a third time: he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. Matt. xxvi. 74. Sweet Jesus! what is man? O Lord, look to me and support me by thy grace, or I shall deny thee. The causes of Peter's fall were, first, a secret pride and presumption upon his own strength; secondly, his neglect of the admonition of our Saviour, in sleeping when he ought to have watched and prayed; thirdly, his exposing himself to danger by running into ill company. See that the like causes have not the like effect in thee, by drawing thee also to deny, and even crucify thy Lord by sin. Learn to imitate the speedy repentance of this apostle, who immediately after his fall, going out, wept bitterly; a practice which, it is said, he ever after retained, as often as he heard the cock crow.

5. Consider how the high-priest and scribes, after having given sentence of death against our Saviour, retired to take their rest, leaving him in hands that were not likely to suffer him to take any rest. O! what a night did our Lord pass in the midst of that rabble, who, to satisfy