The story of Peter's fall and recovery is a striking illustration at once of the innate weakness and wickedness of the human heart and of the Saviour's patient grace and tender mercy. He is indeed the "Good Shepherd," who always goes in search of the lost sheep, and never rests until He finds it and brings it back on His shoulders rejoicing.

In connection with the faithful warning of impending danger, Jesus had given to His over-confident disciple the comforting assurance, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." How much Peter owed to that prevailing prayer of His great High Priest and ours, who can tell ? But for it, like the wretched Judas, he might have sunk into despair, and rushed headlong to suicide. When he realized the results of his treachery, the miserable "son of perdition " " went out and hanged himself." Whereas Peter, who was a true penitent, overwhelmed with a sorrowful sense of his shameful denial of the dear Master, "went out and wept bitterly." There we have the contrast between remorse, or the "sorrow of the world, which worketh death," and "godly sorrow, which worketh repentance to salvation." The Lord Jesus prayed for Peter; and so, grievous as was his fall, his faith failed not utterly and finally. Where should the best, the strongest, of us be but for the all-prevailing, never-ceasing intercession of our great High Priest ?

After His resurrection, our Lord gave evidence of His unchanging love, even for the unfaithful and the unworthy, by sending a special message to his recreant apostle. Said the angel to the woman at the sepulcher, " Go tell His disciples, and Peter, that He goeth before them into Galilee." "And Peter"! Wonderful words of grace ! A golden postscript, truly! Yes, "find him, the broken-hearted man, who so basely denied and deserted his Master; tell him that the Master lives, that He pities, that He loves him still." O, what must have been the effect of that surprising message on poor crushed Peter ! How it must have caused the tears to rain from his eyes-tears of joy mingled with sorrow, like sunbeams glinting through April showers ! He was not despised, he was not disowned, he was not forgotten, but freely forgiven! There are various kinds of forgiveness. There is the forgiveness that washes its hands of the culprit, and refuses to be further troubled on his behalf-the least estimable form of forgiveness ; and there is that which proves itself sincere by the effort which it afterwards makes to help the penitent. Such was Christ's forgiveness of Peter; and such must our forgiveness be, if we would be followers of Him.

There is no account of the first meeting between the Saviour and His penitent disciple. The hand of
Inspiration has wisely drawn the curtain of silence around that scene. We only know from the evangelist John, and from Paul in the fifteenth of 1st Corinthians, that Peter was the very first of His apostles to whom the Risen Lord appeared. But near the close of John's Gospel there is the narrative of a most memorable interview of Jesus with His once wayward but now restored follower. The place is by the quiet lake side. The time is in the gray dusk of the early morning. Peter, with several of his fellow-apostles, has been fishing all night. They are tired and hungry. With His characteristic considerateness, which never overlooked the wants of the body, their Master has provided an appetizing breakfast. After the welcome meal had been finished, "Jesus saith to Simon Peter, ' Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these ?' " Ah, once he had protested, '' Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will / never be offended"! Poor weak human nature !

" Man's wisdom is to seek
His strength from God alone,
And e'en an angel would be weak
Who trusted in his own."

That is a lesson which many a one since Peter's day has had painfully to learn. No longer boastful and self-confident, but humbled by sad experience, Peter says nothing about others to their disparagement and his own advantage. No, it is simply, "Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee." Three times the searching question is repeated, "Lovest thou Me?" It is an obvious reference to the threefold denial. The rebuke was gentle, but faithful, and Peter deeply felt it, as the Master meant he should. He is the Good Physician, and we may be certain that when dealing with a sin-sick soul, He always aims at a perfect cure. Therefore he uses a severity which is as needful as it is wise. He makes no mistakes, He never lost a case; if necessary, He will not spare the knife. Oh, do not wince or complain if you are under His skillful treatment. He hurts only that He may heal. And so Peter's wound was probed with saving result.

What now is the evidence which love thus examined, thus avowed, and thus accepted, is required to give of its sincerity ?

" Feed My Lambs." " Feed My Sheep." "Feed My Sheep." The evidence of love, then, is to be found not in sentiment, but in service. Jesus seems to say to Peter, '' Warm feelings, exalted words, loud professions, are not enough. If you do indeed love Me, as you say, show it practically by ministering to those for whom I gave my life." It was a truth which Peter needed to be taught. His was an ardent, impulsive, emotional nature. In a gush of excited feeling he had once declared his readiness "to die" for his beloved Master. He must learn that it is much more acceptable, and far more difficult, to live for Christ than to die for Him. There are some of us, too, who have to learn the same lesson. Protestations of willingness to die for a loved person or cause are cheap and common enough. A young man has been heard to say:" My mother! she is the best and dearest woman in the world:let any one dare speak a word against her:my mother, I would die for her"'! Would he? But the dear old lady does not want her boy to die for her. She only asks him to come home a little earlier at night; occasionally to go with her to meeting, and sit by her side; to show her some little attention. Such simple things display love for a mother more effectually than any amount of cheap heroics !

And so the Lord Jesus does not ask His disciples, except in rare instances, to die for Him. He asks them to live for Him. Yes, day by day, to live for Him in patient, uncomplaining, self-denying service of others-service which, if done to the lowliest in His dear name, He will accept as done to Himself. This is the proof of love. The unselfish deed of kindness, prompted by a loving heart, to a sinning, sorrowing, needy human creature is better than countless raptures of emotions which terminate in themselves. To be worth anything, these must be translated into action. "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice." The noblest hymn of praise is a Christ-like life !

" Lord, it is my chief complaint
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love Thee, and adore;
O for grace to love Thee more!"

W. F. W.