r of downfall. Let us
walk humbly and softly. We have a great tempter; and, in an unguarded
hour, we may stumble and fall and bring a scandal on Christ.

The next step in Peter's downfall was that he went to sleep. If Satan
can rock the Church to sleep he does his work through God's own
people. Instead of Peter watching one short hour in Gethsemane, he
fell asleep, and the Lord asked him, "What, could ye not watch with
Me one hour?" (Matt. xxvi. 40.) The next thing was that he fought in
the energy of the flesh. The Lord rebuked him again and said, "They
that take the sword shall perish with the sword." (Matt. xxvi. 52.)
Jesus had to undo what Peter had done. The next thing, he "followed
afar off." Step by step he gets away. It is a sad thing when a child
of God follows afar off. When you see him associating with worldly
friends, and throwing his influence on the wrong side, he is
following afar off; and it will not be long before disgrace will be
brought upon the old family name, and Jesus Christ will be wounded in
the house of his friends. The man, by his example, will cause others
to stumble and fall.

The next thing--Peter is familiar and friendly with the enemies of
Christ. A damsel says to this bold Peter: "Thou also wast with this
Jesus of Galilee." But he denied before them all, saying, "I know not
what thou sayest." And when he was gone out into the porch another
maid saw him and said unto them that were there, "This fellow was
also with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied with an oath. "I do
not know the Man." Another hour passed; and yet he did not realize
his position; when another confidently affirmed that he was a
Galilean, for his speech betrayed him. And he was angry and began to
curse and to swear, and again denied his Master: and the cock crew.
(Matt. xxvi. 69-74.)

He commences away up on the pinacle of self-conceit, and goes down
step by step until he breaks out into cursing, and swears that he
never knew his Lord.

The Master might have turned and said to him, "Is it true, Peter,
that you have forgotten Me so soon? Do you not remember when your
wife's mother lay sick of a fever that I rebuked the disease and it
left her? Do you not call to mind your astonishment at the draught of
fishes so that you exclaimed, 'Depart from me; for I am a sinful man,
O Lord?' Do you remember when in answer to your cry, 'Lord, save me,
or I perish,' I stretched out My hand and kept you from drowning in
the wat