"he imagined that he was steadfast, because he experienced himself as ardent"

St. Peter "imagined that he was steadfast, because he thought of himself as [(expérimentait qu’il était)] ardent; but he did not consider that steadfastness comes from grace, and not from the efforts of nature.  [And all of this] to such a degree that, being altogether both weak and presumptuous, and duped by self-regard [(son propre amour)], he promised much, yet [(et)], overtaken by an unforeseen weakness [(surprise par sa faiblesse)], accomplished nothing.  On the contrary, he [thrice] repudiated his Master, and while the cowardice of others allowed them to avoid the shame of repudiating him by th[e shame] of flight, the feeble courage of St. Peter induced him to follow him, only to abandon him [yet] more shamefully, in such a way that it seems that his love enlisted him in a greater struggle only to cause him to fall in a manner more ignominious.
     "In this way they seduce themselves, they who love Jesus-Christ not with the emotions [(sentiments)] that he demands, that is to say, they who love not the cross; who expect from him temporal prosperity; who praise him when they are content; who abandon him on the cross and in agony.  Their love comes not from the charity that seeks God alone, but from an accommodation that they make [(complaisance qu’ils ont)] for themselves.  This is why they are rash [(téméraires, temerarious)]:  because nature is always conceited [(orgueilleuse, orgulous)], just as charity is always modest [(modeste)]. . . .  But we [will] see St. Peter’s love purified and fortified by the tears of repentance."

     Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, "Panégyrique de l'apotre saint Pierre" (c. 29 June 1661), Bossuet:  oraisons funèbres panégyriques, ed. L’Abbé Bernard Velat, Biblioteque de la Pleiade 33 (Paris:  Librairie Gallimard, 1950), 568 (561-572), translation mine.  Cf. also Pascal.  And yet St. Peter, having become humble, became therefore invincible.