Providential Preservation of Peter When He Smote the Servant of the High Priest

    How often does the Lord preserve his people from the consequence of their ignorance in their service of him! It would, indeed, be bad for us were it otherwise. There is much evil in the best of our services. Our very zeal has in it what would condemn us. Is it not perfectly surprising that Peter escaped after striking the servant of the high priest? Why was he not cut down on the spot? Why was he not made prisoner, and tried with Jesus? And justly he would have been condemned; for he resisted the power that God had placed over him. His Master suffered unjustly; he would have suffered righteously. But he acted in ignorance of his duty; he acted out of love to his Lord. This the Lord approved, and preserved him from the consequences of his rashness and ignorance. Here we have an instance of sovereign providential restraint on the hearts of wicked men. Peter opposed the authorities, and openly drew his sword; yet there is not a hand to cut him down, while a band of soldiers are before him; nor was there a voice to bring him to judgment, though he was by several persons recognised. Jesus rules the hearts of ungodly men, as well as he guides the wheels of nature.

    From this we ought to learn, that preservation in any exploit is no evidence that God approves it. Peter was preserved, while he did what his Lord reproved.