July 8

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it he thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. - Matthew 14:28-29.

A STORM at sea is one of the most sublime sights in all nature; hence it has frequently employed the painter’s pencil and the poet’s pen. What can be finer than the representation of David? -“They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters,-these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, because they be quiet; so he bringeth them to their desired haven.”

Matthew has furnished us with two beautiful sea-pieces: both happened on the same lake,-the Lake of Galilee. At each our Lord’s disciples were on board a vessel, and sailed at his command; in both they encountered a storm, and were dismayed. In the first storm he was with them; but he was asleep, and they went to him, and awoke him, saying, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” In the second he was absent. He had constrained his disciples to go into a ship while he sent the multitude away. “He went up into a mountain apart to pray, and when the evening was come he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea; they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straight way Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I: be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.”

The biography of Scripture is very brief, but impressive and discriminating: in no instance is this more obvious than in regard to Peter. Whenever introduced, he always appears before us in his own character; that is, with sanguine temperament and strong passions, exceedingly ardent and bold,-displaying more zeal than prudence,-speaking first and reflecting afterwards. Such men as these have their use and importance in the state or in the church; but it is not good for them to be alone; therefore we always find John accompanying Peter. Peter could animate John, and John could control Peter. The advantage of such a temper as this is to act with promptness and decision,-overcoming difficulties which others would stagger at, would reason about, consult, and hesitate, and be chilled, and turn back. The disadvantage of such a temper is this:-that it always renders the possessor liable to err on the side of doing too much, and getting into difficulties and embarrassments. This was the case with Peter, in a measure, in the instance before us; for as soon as our Saviour had said, “Be of good cheer; it is I: be not afraid,” Peter answered, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” Still, there was affection in this. It reminds us of another instance when our Saviour appeared to some of his disciples at the Lake of Tiberias. The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord; and Peter girt his fisher’s coat about him, and cast himself into the sea to go to Jesus.”

Love longs to be near the object of its affection; and as soon as he saw his Saviour, he wished to fly into his arms; but surely there was no need of such haste as this. We are not to be afraid of our trials, neither are we to seek after them. We are to take up our cross when it is in our way, but we are not to go out of our road in search of difficulties and dangers. We see, therefore, a very great difference in the first and second era of Christianity.

What God commands he will enable us to do, and he will accept our obedience. But with regard to other things we hear him say, “Who hath required this at your hands?” Our Lord told his disciples that when they were persecuted in one city they were to flee into another; and for a while they did this; but soon after we find persons longing for persecution, and anxious to become martyrs, and that their zeal required to be tempered with prudence, and soon, instead of comparative solitude and seclusion from the world, came in the doctrine of forbidding to marry, and of abstaining from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving. But, while Peter here shows his imprudence, he also shows his wisdom in asking the permission of our Lord. He would not come down till he was bidden. “And Jesus said, Come.” Why did he indulge Peter? It was to try him: and here was great faith evinced by the apostle; for when Peter heard this he immediately left the ship and went to Jesus.