tion, blinded by passion and party rage, denied to them, is allowed them by the more considerate judgment of an after age. And though the circle in which they labored be ever so small, "the memory of the just is blessed."

But the perfected victory of the children of God over the children of the world, lies not within the sphere of the earthly life, but beyond its bounds, in a higher future. Yes, we will frankly confess, that the whole life of the Christian remains an unsolved riddle, if there were no such future. Yet, let us never hear it urged, by way of reproach, that Christians, when they cannot establish the truth of their assertions from the present state of existence, appeal to the future. How could they do otherwise? The full justification of their faith and life lies, in reality, beyond this present state. John dies in prison by the sword of the executioner; but his soul goes to God, and receives in His Paradise the blessed reward of his fidelity; while to his persecutors, death brings only the miserable wages of their enmity against God. "For we must all appear before the judgment-scat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Then will the Lord take his faithful servants to himself, that they may see his glory, "For where I am," he says, "there shall also my servant be." But the children of the world, who have persistently resisted his call to repentance, and have persecuted Him in his church, he will give up to the tormenting darkness to which they have devoted themselves, "For," says the apostle Paul, "it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you, who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven!" Amen.

sea.

DISCOURSE XX.

THE WALK OF CHRIST UPON THE WAVES.

"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 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 straightway 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. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, of a truth thou art the Son of God."—Matt. xiv. 24-33.

As the prophets of the old covenant, my hearers, often gave a symbolical stamp to their actions, in order to portray the future and its great events to the people, as in a picture, so we see Christ also not unfrequently availing himself of the same practice. When, for example, he withered up the fig-tree, which bore leaves, indeed, but no fruit, he intended thereby plainly to indicate the impending fate of the people, Israel. For however brilliant and promising was the jubilant reception with which they received their King when he rode into Jerusalem, he yet sought in vain. among them for the fruits of a holy, earnest devotion, of an honest and faithful dependence on Him. A similar symbolical character we detect also in the transaction, whose record you have just been listening to. For though the first and most direct

lesson to be learned from the walking of Christ upon the stormtossed sea of Galilee, is the dominion which He, as the Son of God, exercised over nature; yet the fact is at the same time the token of a still greater lordship which belonged to Him, and which He has continued to exercise ever since he appeared upon the earth--I mean His dominion over the spiritual life of men. Now whilst this event, so apprehended, is full of significance for all times, it must be, to us, especially at this crisis, in the highest degree important and consoling to observe, in this picture, a vivid representation of Christ, as the ruler over all the great movements now happening. And who can fail to perceive the deep meaning which Peter's attempt to walk, like his master, upon the billows of the sea, has for us? Do we not here receive hints worthy of the most serious regard, as to the manner in which we are to conduct ourselves in this agitated time, in order to keep from sinking under its waves? In this sense, and from this point of view, we propose to make use of the events which our text narrates. Let the walking of Christ and of his disciple Peter upon the lake of Gennesareth, be the subject of our meditation. The order of the text will give the order to our dis

course.

Upon the lake of Gennesareth, we descry in the darkness of night a vessel. It bears a company which is well known to us. It is the disciples of Christ, whom their master, the evening previous, had bidden to sail across the lake alone. And does it not seem as if everything were against them, now that they are deserted by him? The lake is stirred by a violent wind, which blows contrary. Already have they struggled many hours with the waves, and still they find themselves in the middle of the sea, which at other times they have often crossed, in less than an hour.

Who among us, beloved friends, can fail to perceive that this stormy, billowy sea, is a most striking image of our time, which, in its deep and universal agitation, has hardly a parallel in the history of the human race? We are now no longer engaged in

a contest of isolated opinions and views, which indeed has always been waged. The highest principles, whose antagonism strikes its roots deep into the innermost depths of the human soul, have entered the list against each other for an irreconcilable combat, which has now for many years continued to rage. For a time, indeed, it appeared, as if the storm, at least in the civil life of the nations, had been hushed; yet it was but a deceitful appearance like that appalling stillness, which sometimes upon the sea interrupts for a moment the war of the storm, as if the elements were gathering strength for a redoubled violence. While the surface was calm, it heaved and swelled in the depths; and these wild commotions and passionate struggles, which have broken forth in our day, did they not all issue from the pregnant womb of the season just past, and thence derive their nourishment? And when we now look around us, what a spectacle does the present exhibit? Is not confusion everywhere in conflict with confusion, error with error, selfishness with selfishness? Do not corruption and mischief threaten us on all sides? Do not the powers of the abyss appear to have been let loose, to instigate men into irreconcilable hate and strife, one against the other? Oh, my friends, let us hide nothing from ourselves; thick darkness lies over our earthly future, so that no human eye can discern it. The ship of our life, of its repose and its bliss, is every moment in danger of being swallowed up by the waves or of being shattered upon unknown rocks.

Yet there, upon the lake of Gennesareth, the darkness begins to yield to the approaching light. The fourth watch is come; the grey of dawn appears; those charming heights—which toward the west encircle and crown the sea, while the craggy masses of rock towards the east grow the darker; soon will the first streaks of the morning red glide over the lake; suddenly, and together with the twilight, lo, He suddenly appears-the long wished-for master, walking upon the sea. Wonderful spectacle ! The tossing wave sustains IIis foot, as if it were the solid ground; the insurgent billows acknowledge, amazed, their

mighty sovereign, Him who once bade them "be still," and they were still. With a firm and sure step, He walks there upon the flowing element, towards the distressed boat. The towering waves may sometimes, indeed for a moment, hide Him from the eyes of his disciples, but they cannot block His path to the goal.

What then took place, Christian hearers, takes place again today. Over the foaming waves of agitated thought and feeling, which makes us fearful, he walks calmly as their Lord and Sovereign. They may rise against, but they cannot overmaster Him. They may sometimes conceal Him from the sight of his disciples, but they cannot check his course. They must at length own Him as their Master, and serve his will. Do you not see Him walking in might through the press and tumult? Is not the darkness retiring at his approach? Comes He not attended with a dusky light, with blushes of the morning glow, which proclaim the coming day? Have not thousands upon thousands of hearts been awakened out of deep sleep in the midst of this stormy time, and recognized Him as the way to the Father-as the truth and the life, and found in Him a new and nobler existence? And what wonder is it, if just now, while he is drawing near, the waves should foam more wildly, and the storm rage with greater violence? Who will think it strange if the resistance to Him and his Gospel should rage more fiercely? if men should defame and scorn all living faith in Him, either as a childish delusion, that belongs to an era long antiquated, and which mankind, now waxen mature, has outgrown, or should blaspheme and ridicule it as a hypocritical imposition? Yea, if whole nations should more and more resolutely turn away from this faith. Against the rising light, the powers of darkness, error, and falsehood, are compelled to collect their forces, in order to defend their tottering kingdom against the Stronger who comes to conquer it.

Shall we therefore fear that he will be defeated in this contest? What, my friend! Is he not Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,