Herod, and of Pilate, and of Darius, was right; if conscience were sufficient, their conscience solemnly warned them on which side duty lay. But Darius feared his courtiers, and Pilate feared the emperor of Rome, and Herod feared the opinion of those who sat at meat with him: and their worldly fear was stronger than conscience or reason. The Holy Spirit, which strengthens all who "seek first the kingdom of God," can alone endue a man with power to obey his reason and his conscience, to act a firm and consistent part, and to "overcome the world." And this it does through "the word of the truth of the gospel." "For who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" That faith alone supplies such motives and such means as effectually dispose and govern the heart, and enable it to "look not to the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." That faith alone teaches us to discern what Herod could not discern, the objects which are really to be desired and sought, and the objects which are really to be feared and avoided. LECTURE XXXVII. A MULTITUDE FED.-PETER'S CONFIDENCE. MATT. xiv. 14-36. (Mark vi. 34-56; Luke ix. 10-14; John vi. 1-20.) 14. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. 15. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart ; give ye them to eat. 17. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18. He said, bring them hither to me. 19. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. It is not, therefore, beneath the regard of those who minister in the word, to consider the bodily wants of the people under their charge. They must not be tempted to "leave the word of God, and serve tables:" but the necessities of the very indigent are almost as great an obstacle in the way of religion, as the riches of the very opulent. 22. And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 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. Peter showed here, what on other occasions appears to have been his natural character-a mixture of boldness and weakness, of sincerity and irresolution. Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. This was placing himself in a way of unnecessary trial, as much as when he followed Jesus into the high priest's palace, and mixed himself among his Master's bitterest enemies. Still, then he showed the same earnest zeal, and here he showed the same courage and confidence, which afterwards fitted him to be a main pillar of the infant church. Not being equally called for, it was followed by a check and a reproof: but it was in its nature the same faith as that which is so highly approved in Abraham, when "he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform." So Peter considered not the nature of the element into which he was venturing, but was fully persuaded of the power and faithfulness of him to whom he confided his life. In this dependence, he came down out of the ship, and walked upon the waters. Two hands upheld him; the hand of Christ's power, the hand of his own faith; neither of them would do it alone. The hand of Christ's power laid hold on him; the hand of his own faith laid hold on the power of Christ. Had not Christ's hand been powerful, that faith had been in vain: had not his faith been strongly fixed on Christ, that power had not been exercised for his preservation.2 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? "Oh the imperfect composition of the best saint on earth as far from pure faith, as from mere infidelity!" Here was a portion of the same excellence and the same weakness, which afterwards 1 Rom. iv. 19. 2 Bp. Hall. showed itself in a scene more resembling ordinary life. The same ardent zeal, which saith, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the water, said also, "Lord, I am ready to go with thee both to prison and to death." No doubt Peter thought this and meant this, as sincerely as he intended to venture upon the waves. But within a very few hours, seeing the wind boisterous, he was afraid: seeing his Master in the hands of his enemies, seeing that he exerted no power to deliver himself, “he denied him, saying, I know him not." The book of Daniel gives two well-known examples of faith, which did not fail in the hour of great temptation. Daniel himself, and the “three children of Israel," who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, were clearly called to undergo the fiery trial: and being so called, they were strengthened to endure unto the end, as innumerable others have been, animated by the same faith, and therefore supported by the same Spirit from above. It is not more needful to remark the failure of Peter's faith, than what follows, the mercy of his Lord and our Lord. Beginning to sink, he cried, Lord, save me. His faith, though feeble, was clear: he "knew in whom he had believed, and that he was able to keep what he had committed to him." And his Lord, too, knowing his sincerity, had pity upon his weakness. Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Wherefore didst thou doubt my willingness, or my power, "to deliver the |