smite thee
on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Clearly our Lord did
not literally do so in this instance, because He saw an opportunity of
revealing to this man His true condition, and of bringing him to a
better mind. Our bearing of wrong must always be determined by the
state of mind of those who ill-use us. In the case of some we may best
arrest them by the dignity of an unutterable patience, which will bear
to the utmost without retaliation--this is to turn the other cheek. In
the case of others we may best serve them by leading them calmly and
quietly to take the true measure of their crime. In all cases our
prime consideration should be, not what we may be suffering, nor the
utter injustice which is meted out to us; but how best to save the
evil-doer, who is injuring his own soul more fatally than he can
possibly injure us, and who is sowing seeds of harvest of incredible
torture to his own conscience, in the long future which lies behind the
veil of sense.

If only we could drink in the pure love of Jesus, and view all wrong
and wrong-doers, not in the light of _our_ personal interest, but of
_their_ awful condition and certain penalty; if only we could grieve
over the infinite horror of a warped and devil-possessed soul, drifting
like a ship on fire before the breeze, straight to the rocks; if only
we could see the wrong done to our Father God and His sorrow, we should
understand Chrysostom's beautiful comment on this scene: "Think on Him
who said these words; on him to whom they were said; and on the reason
why they were said; and, with Divine power, they will cast down all
wrath that may arise within thy soul."

XXVI

How it fared with Peter

"Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple,
which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the
door, and brought in Peter."--John xviii. 16.

Remember that this very circumstantial account was given by one who was
an eyewitness of the whole scene; and who, withal, was then and in
after years the warm friend and companion of Peter. But his love did
not lead him to conceal his brother's sins. Peter himself would not
have wished him to do so, because where sin had abounded, grace had had
the greater opportunity to super-abound.

At the moment of the Lord's arrest, all the disciples forsook Him and
fled. "The Shepherd was smitten and the flock scattered." Two of
them, however, speedily recove