130 SALMON FISHING IN CANADA. 



and brought before Caiaphas : ' And the servants and 

 officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals for it 

 was cold and they warmed themselves, and Peter stood 

 with them and warmed himself.' 



" It was, then, whilst he stood by this ' fire of coals ' that 

 Peter denied his blessed Lord and Master. It was whilst 

 he stood by this fire of coals that, the Saviour threw on him 

 that look which painting has never caught, and which 

 caused him to go forth and weep bitterly. Was not then 

 * a fire of coals,' found mysteriously kindled by unknown 

 hands on the shores of the lake, likely to recall to Peter 

 the circumstances of his apostasy ? It were hard to believe 

 that he could have looked on that strange fire, produced to 

 all appearance by a miracle of Christ, and not have had all 

 the scene in the High Priest's palace brought back upon 

 him with a sort of crushing power. Again is he standing 

 as he stood on that fatal night, and again he meets the 

 look, which, more terrible in its meek reproachfulness than 

 the fiercest glance of indignation and vengeance, convicted 

 him of apostasy and convulsed him with remorse. 



" Nothing could be better constructed to fix his attention 

 on the Apostleship than a miracle most accurately resem- 

 bling that which had first moved him to forsake all and 

 follow Christ; and accordingly, after another night of 

 fruitless toil, the net is again ordered to be cast into the 

 sea, and again encloses a huge multitude of fishes. But 

 how, upon this wild sea-shore, is he to be forcibly reminded 



