VERS. XV.
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Lovest thou me more than these?
WHY more than these? might it not have been enough to have said, as well as these? For, what reason had he to expect that Peter should love him more than the rest did? especially more than St. John, whom Christ himself had so loved, and who had stuck so close to him?
Christ seems therefore to reflect upon Peter's late confidence, not without some kind of severity and reproof. q. d.
Thou saidst, O Simon, a little while ago, that thou wouldst never forsake me, no not though all the other Disciples should; thou didst profess beyond all the rest, that thou wouldst rather dye than deny me; thou wouldst follow me to prison, to death, nay, lay down thy own life for me. What saist thou now Simon? Doest thou yet love me more than these? If thou thinkest thou art pro∣vided, and canst hazard thy life for me, feed my sheep, and for my sake do thou expose thy life, yea and lay it down for them.
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Feed my Lambs.
If there be any thing in that threefold repetition feed, feed, feed, we may most fitly apply it to the threefold object of St. Peters Ministry, viz. the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Israelites of the ten Tribes.
I. To him were committed by his Lord the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. XVI. that he might open the door of Faith and the Gospel to the Gentiles, which he did in his preaching it to Cornelius:
II. In sharing out the work of Preaching the Gospel, amongst the three Ministers of of the Circumcision, his lot fell amongst the Jews in Babylon. James his lot was amongst the Jews in Palestine and Syria: And John's amongst the Hellenists in Asia.
III. Now amongst the Jews in Babylon, were mixed the Israelites of the ten Tribes, and to them did the Gospel come, by the ministry of St. Peter, as I have shewn more at large in another Trearise.
To this therefore have the words of our Saviour a plain reference; namely, putting Peter in mind, that whereas he had with so much confidence and assurance of himself, made such professions of love and constancy beyond the other Disciples, pretending to a wonderful resolution of laying down his very life in that behalf, that he would now shew his zeal and courage in feeding the sheep of Christ. Thou canst not, Simon, lay down thy life for me, as thou didst once promise, for I have my self laid down my own life, and taken it up again: Feed thou my sheep therefore, and be ready to lay down thy life for them, when it shall come to be required of thee.
So that what is here said does not so much point out Peter's Primacy as his danger; nor so much the priviledge, as the bond of his Office, and his Martyrdom. At last, for, that our Saviour had this meaning with him is plain, because immediately after this he tells him by what death he should glorifie God, vers. 18.