"Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. 'You also were with Jesus of Galilee,' she said. But he denied it before them all. 'I don't know what you're talking about,' he said." Matthew 26:69-70
One thing that made Peter's denial so peculiarly sad, was that he had received so many special favors from Christ. He was one of three disciples who had been taken into the inner circle of friendship. The more Jesus has done for us, the worse is it for us to prove unfaithful to Him.
Another thing was that Peter had so boldly confessed Christ. It was he who said, when Jesus asked the disciples whom they believed Him to be, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" It was he who, just a few hours before his denial, so vehemently avowed his loyalty and his readiness to die with his Lord. These repeated protestations of fidelity, made the evil of denial more grievous. It is a greater sin for one who has publicly declared his love for Christ to prove disloyal to Him — than for one who has never made such confession.
Another thing that made the sin worse, was the fact that Jesus had forewarned Peter. We say "to be forewarned is to be forearmed;" but it did not prove so in this instance, because the disciple utterly disregarded the Master's warnings. We are all warned of danger — do we heed the signals?
Still another aggravation, was that it was in our Lord's hour of sorest need that the disciple denied Him. Had it been in some time of popular favor, the denial would not have been so base; but it was when Jesus was deserted, and was in the hands of His enemies. Was that a good time for the bravest disciple, the most honored friend, the noblest confessor — to turn his back on his Master?
When the shadow falls on your friend, when the tide has turned against him, when others fall away from him — is that the time for you, his long-time bosom companion, the recipient of his favors, to turn craven and desert and deny him?
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J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.