every age can supply many illustrations of

No sooner had the disciples manifested alarm at the appearance of the Saviour walking upon the water, than he, anxious at once to remove their terror, addressed them in the kind and soothing accents of mercy. And what address more welcome or powerful could he possibly have adopted than this" Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." Let us attend to the interpretation which this gives to the circumstances in which the disciples were placed.

How often does it occur, that there is much less reason for the believer to be afraid, than he himself is willing to allow! The conduct of the disciples, upon this occasion, was a most correct picture of the conduct of God's believing people in every age. How weak, how timid, how fearful we are at the best !-reluctant to put our confidence in the providential care and kindness of that God, who has so often revealed himself as a Father of Mercies and a God of all consolation, and who has given such a pledge, in the gift of his own Son, that his object regarding us, is to promote our happiness for ever! We tremble at every trial, forgetting that these are sent for our good, and intended to work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory we tremble at every tribulation, forgetting that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope and we tremble at death, although the Saviour has disarmed this king of terrors of his sting, and made the hour of our dissolution the time of our introduction into peace, tranquillity, and rest. Did we look more frequently to the cross of Christ, by which he triumphed over sufferings in their most agonizing form, and by which he overcame him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, we should feel a sacred influence reflected upon our souls, sufficient to arm us with unshrinking resolution to meet even the heaviest afflictions in a spirit of triumphant joy.

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We may likewise observe how frequently it happens that the time which God selects for our deliverance, is the very time when our fears are at the highest. It was so with the disciples in the storm, and the

the same truth. At such a time. his interpositions must prove more welcome, and his mercy taste more sweet; the believer's joy will be more exalted, and his gratitude more lively and intense. And is it not well worth our while to bear with the heaviest trial, even to the last point of human endurance, in order that we may af terwards relish, with more sublime delight, the love that brings deliverance, and that our gratitude may burst forth at once into a stream of holy fervour, for such a state of feeling as this-when gratitude and joy combined, have risen to their highest elevation-is the purest foretaste we can ever have on earth, of the bliss and glory of immortal life? What a change must the glad discovery, that he whom they dreaded as a hostile spirit, was no other than the Saviour whom they loved, have produced in the minds of the disciples, when it seized upon their terror, just at the time when it was in its fullest strength, and turned it, in an instant, into ardent and energetic joy! We should then leave it to the Saviour, who consults for our happiness even more than we can, to decide upon the time of his own intervention in our behalf. It is the perfection of faith to lie passive at the feet of Jesus, patient and submissive as an infant in its mother's arms, and to have no will but his.

But is it not remarkable, that the first appearance of Christ troubled the disciples even more than the dangers of the storm? This was because it contained no more than a display of power which was not of itself sufficient to lead them to recognise him. Until he addressed them in words that proved his possession of mercy and of love, they did not know that Jesus was before them. They knew that evil spirits were endowed with a degree of power superior to that of man, but when they saw that loving kindness was combined with power, they then perceived that the person who addressed them could not have been an evil spirit. And thus it is with men in general. The noblest displays of the omnipotence of God can only terrify and alarm the sinful and the fallen. There must be pardoning mercy, mixed with power, to expel the fears and to win the confidence of guilty man. It was to meet this weakness of our ruined nature, by such

attractions as would draw us back into the paths of holiness and bliss, that God has revealed himself in the person of his incarnate Son, as "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." The gospel spreads out the love of God over the whole length and breadth of our fallen humanity, in order to lead sinners to repose with unyielding faith in its gracious announcements, and to love him who first loved us, and redeemed us from misery and wrath by the shedding of his precious blood.

When the Saviour perceived the alarm which his arrival had caused to his disciples, he "straightway spake unto them." What amazing power there is in the very sound of the voice of one we love! With what magic influence it softens down our cares, and charms our griefs to rest! We often feel this in the case of an earthly friend; how forcibly, then, must the remark apply to the case of Jesus, addressing his afflicted people in the soothing and impressive words of heavenly comfort! The presence and the voice of Christ are enough to revive the most dejected believer. Blessed be God, the loudest storm can never drown the sweet and welcome accents of his redeeming love! But it is written" Straightway he spake unto them." His tender mercy would not suffer him to keep them in suspense. Though he had left them to struggle for several hours against the outward dangers of the sea, he would not leave them for a single moment under the influence of their inward alarms, especially as these were caused by their own misapprehensions. The inward fears of the believer are far more injurious than any outward trials; for Satan, our great adversary, may take advantage of the former, in order, by means of them, to sift us as wheat, but he can never succeed against us by means of the latter, as long as the Saviour is present. The mere presence of Christ is enough to protect his people from external danger; but it requires the words of Christ, giving expression to his love in some sweet promise or assurance, to protect them from the far greater danger of their inward fears.

We may also observe, in contemplating this part of the narrative, that there can be no real comfort except in connexion with

right knowledge,—and therefore, wherever there is a want of comfort, in consequence of any defect or error in our apprehensions, Jesus corrects these, in order to give us consolation.

But let us observe the language which the Saviour employed on this occasion "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." This merciful address contained in it an exhortation to courage, enforced by the most powerful reasoning which could have been employed, even by the Saviour himself. There is no Christian who does not stand in constant need of courage, especially in the hour of danger or of trial: next to faith, courage is the most important and indispensable element in the character of the believer. Here, then, we may ascertain the way to have our fears expelled, and a joyful confidence implanted in their stead. A distinct apprehension that the Lord is with us, should dissipate every tendency or inclination to alarm, and implant a cheerful courage in our souls. In sorrow, in affliction, in the solemn hour of trouble, and in the still more solemn hour of death, let the Christian but hear his Saviour say, "It is I; be not afraid," and an heavenly calm will be produced in his soul, which an assurance of his being under the protection of all the angels of heaven could never have afforded! And Oh! how remarkable, and how expressive are these words! They are not only intended to produce confidence in the Lord's people, but they are a proof that the Lord himself entertains confidence in them; for he does not say, "I am Jesus," as he did to Paul, who had never previously known him, but he says, "It is 1," in full and implicit confidence that the very sound of his voice would lead them to recognise him. It is the characteristic of the Saviour's sheep that they know his voice, and can distinguish it from that of strangers. The disciples had so frequently heard the same voice address them in every form-in the language of command, of reproof, of expostulation, but above all, in the soothing accents of kindness and of love, that they should have easily known it.

But the words of Christ," It is I," are far more expressive and comprehensive than any others which he could have employed, for they include everything which Jesus is. He does not say, "I am your Saviour, your Master, your Friend;" but he employs the

pronoun, which includes all these. Thus he does not confine their attention to one particular view of his character, but leaves them at liberty to dwell with delight on the whole expanse of his personal glory-to ponder on his mercy, his power, his wisdom, and his love-to meditate upon his Godhead, as well as on his manhood nature and in a spirit of triumphant confidence to exclaim, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble; therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof: For the Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge."

28. And Peter answered him, and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid

me come unto thee on the water.

29. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and, beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

This portion of the narrative is very full of instruction. It relates an incident which brings into a small compass much important truth connected with the subject of Christian experience, and illustrates many principles on which the Saviour frequently acts in his dealings towards his believing people in their present state, May the Holy Spirit guide us in our meditations, and enable us to derive much spiritual profit from this portion of his own word!

We are here informed that Peter answered the Lord, and said, "If it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." How ready was this apostle to occupy the fore

most ground, and to rush into places where danger was to be encountered, without having first reflected sufficiently upon the extent of his faith, and of his confidence in the Saviour's power! In this request, there was a remarkable mixture of faith and of doubting. The word "Master" was the language of faith, but the sentence, "If it be thou," was the language of doubt, and the result was in exact conformity with this state of mind. His faith enabled him to walk for a very short time upon the water, but his doubts soon caused him to sink. Now this is a simple and affecting illustration of what the state of the Lord's people frequently is, during the time of their present experience. As a man can never act beyond the extent of his bodily strength, so a Christian can never act beyond the power of his faith. As much faith as dwells in the soul, will show itself in his outward deportment.

We have no hesitation to say that the request of Peter to be allowed to walk upon the water to Jesus, however consistent with his natural disposition, was thoughtless and incorrect. It was evidently suggested more by the doubts, than by the confidence of the apostle; it solicited a miraculous proof of what he should have instantly believed upon the simple testimony of Jesus, when he said, " It is I;" and it contained a proposal to run into danger, where no principle of obedience required his doing so. Oh! how careful should the believer be, not to covet extraordinary trials! He may glory in tribulations while they continue, and after they that I have been afflicted." But he knows are gone he may say, "It is good for me but little of his own weakness, if he desires them, or prays for them beforehand. The faith which is sufficient for ordinary circumstances, may be found to fail when dangers become more severe, and trials more acute. There is in every man, even in the most experienced Christian, unbelief enough in the bottom of his heart, ready to rise up into fearful activity, whenever any peculiar distress or difficulty calls it forth. How frequently, then, should we employ the petition which Jesus has prescribed to his believing people-" Lead us not into temptation!"

But Jesus permitted Peter to come. It may at first sight appear strange to us that he should have allowed the apostle to do what it was improper for him to desire; but he did so in order that his judgment

might be corrected by the result. There are many persons who can be taught only by experience; and therefore, much of the present discipline which the Lord employs for the benefit of his people, is constructed upon the principle of allowing them to go into danger, in order that they may have a practical proof of their own weakness, and of their constant need of his strengthening and supporting grace. But in such a case he never deserts them. He is always "a very present help in every time of trouble," ready to extend the hand of mercy in order to prevent them from sinking. Let the believer be well assured, that a knowledge of his own weakness, and of his Saviour's power, is cheaply purchased at the expense of even the severest trial.

The narrative goes on to state, that as soon as the Lord said "Come," Peter left the ship, and walked on the water for a short distance to go to Jesus, but when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. How weak and powerless is the mind of man!-how much the slave of outward circumstances, and how unable to control or regulate its own emotions! How often does it present a melancholy proof that there is but one step between faith and fear, between confidence and distrust! We see evidence of this in the sudden and immediate alteration which is here represented as having taken place in the state of the apostle's feelings. He ventured, at first, with an undaunted and apparently invincible courage, which must have filled the other disciples with amazement, upon a strange and perilous path, and then, at the very moment when his sense of safety and success should have given him an unyielding confidence, he sunk down, in the very presence of his Saviour, into the lowest depths of fearfulness and alarm. But this change is specially accounted for: it was when he saw the wind boisterous that he began to sink. He looked too much upon this, instead of keeping his eye steadily fixed upon Jesus. Had he continued to look intently upon the Saviour, he would have seen, in the encouraging smiles of his countenance, proof enough of his safety, and would have had his mind filled with a joyful and triumphant persuasion that there are none so weak that the Lord cannot strengthen them. And it is thus with every Christian: whenever he falls into a state of terror or despair,

the reason is, because he looks upon his trials more than on his Saviour. Let him, then, continually remember that he should run the race that is set before him, "looking unto Jesus," and resting entirely on his protecting grace.

But let us attend to the wonderful miracle which the Lord wrought on this occasion, in order to lead the apostle to feel that his faith was much less than he imagined it to be, in proportioning the buoyancy of his body to the strength of his faith. How often it is necessary that we should be convinced, by some practical test, of our infirmities! We are the very worst judges of our own attainments. No one, in short, can tell what the power of his faith is, until it is tried. Were we to judge from first appearances, we should have thought that no faith could have been stronger than that of Peter, yet how soon was it necessary for the Lord to say, "O thou of little faith!" Let us ask ourselves, is our faith even as strong as his? Would it be found, when tried, unto praise, and honour, and glory? Alas! if the sword of persecution were again unsheathed, or the fires of martyrdom rekindled in our land, God only knows how many or how few of his professing people would stand the test of such a fearful inquisition!

As soon as the apostle was beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" What a mercy it is that danger and distress, instead of preventing us from praying, should act as an incentive to prayer! And what a blessing, that though our faith may be failing, it never fails to such an extent as to incapacitate us from crying out, "Lord save us!" In the time of tribulation, our very fears may be sanctified, and made the means of resuscitating our sinking courage, and may even act as the breezes that waft our cries for help into the ears of our compassionate Redeemer. Although the prayer of Peter was short, yet it was earnest and expressive;-it contained an acknowledgment of his perishing state, and a distinct recognition of the power of Christ to save him. It was just such a petition as we should desire to hear ascending out of every heart. Let us here learn that it is not necessary that prayers should be long, in order to be genuine and sincere. It is far better to have great earnestness of feeling in few words, than many words and no feeling.