Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my
Father which is in heaven._--Matthew xvi., 17.


Christ says these words to Peter upon occasion of his professing
his faith in Him as the Son of God. Our Lord was inquiring of His
disciples, who men said He was; not that He needed to be informed, but
only to introduce and give occasion to what follows. They answer,
that some said He was John the Baptist, and some Elias, and others
Jeremias, or one of the prophets. When they had thus given an account
of who others said He was, Christ asks them, who they said He was?
Simon Peter, whom we find always zealous and forward, was the first to
answer: he readily replied to the question, Thou art Christ, the Son
of the living God.

Upon this occasion Christ says as He does to him, and of him in the
text: in which we may observe,

1. That Peter is pronounced blest on this account. "Blessed art
Thou."--"Thou art a happy man, that thou art not ignorant of this,
that I am Christ, the Son of the living God. Thou art distinguishingly
happy. Others are blinded, and have dark and deluded apprehensions, as
you have now given an account, some thinking that I am Elias, and some
that I am Jeremias, and some one thing and some another; but none of
them thinking right, all of them misled. Happy art thou, that art so
distinguished as to know the truth in this matter."

2. The evidence of this his happiness declared; viz., that God, and He
only, had revealed it to him. This is an evidence of his being blest.