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THE KING’S BUSINESS
new exercises of faith for ourselves,. and, striking out to new works of faith and love to the souls of men under our Master’s eye. “ Behold the glories of the Lamb, Amidst His Father’s throne, Prepare new honors for His name, And songs before unknown.” Peter prepared a new thing, but before he got the whole length he spoiled it. Let us begin where Peter began, and go on. It was well con ceived, it was well begun—all- com mentators to the contrary notwith standing. It is easy for us to sit at home in our quiet study, surrounded with all our books, and to say, “ This is Peter at his worst.” My brother, my sister, this applies to you. Some time ago you did something like this. You were called rash by the critics, and reckless and inconsiderate. And the trouble is that you allowed those critical voices to come in upon your own spirit and to find a re-echo in your own breast. And now it turns out that you were rash,' and reckless-, and inconsiderate, because these criticisms told upon you —because these criticisms reduced you. If you had simply allowed them to blow by you like the idle wind, you would have carried that scheme to success; and then instead of com ing round about you and saying, “We told you so; you never should have done such a thing,” we should all have been around you praising you. You have done really a great deal of damage, more than you think, but it is not because you attempted the thing; it is because y.ou did not carry it out. “ Nothing succeeds like success,” either among commentators or other people; and if you had omy done the thing well, we should all have swung round to your side, and we should all have imitated you. Do I speak to any brother today whose heart is meditating some new thing—
no idea, virtually, says Christ—and Peter so far is a proof of it—of what faith can do until we try. “ If ye had faith as- a grain of mustard seed, ye should say to this mountain, Be removed into the midst of the sea; and it would obey you.” What does that mean? I believe it means what it says. The Lord Himself is a proof o f it. He did all His work by faith. Here as a man, subject to all our limitations of time and space of a sin less kind, yet through faith He lifted Himself up, and laid hold of the eternal will, and found that nothing to Him was impossible. So with His people after their own measure. “ The works that I do shall ye do also.” A something like that with a great suddenness came into Peter’s soul. “ Why should not I go to Him?” and the work that Christ did he did also for a time. Peter walked otj the sea to go to Jesus. On this night there may come to us such an accession of faith. “ Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come to Thee on the water. Lord, show me a new thing. Give me faith in Thee. Give me strength; give me elevation. Let me see what I have never seen before. Let me bring out of the treasure- house things new as well as old.” The Master was not displeased. The Master did not, speak back quickly and say, “ Peter, Peter, thou art al lowing that worst thing in thee to come uppermost.” Nay, I believe that the Master was well pleased. The Master was glad to see the thought of such a thing dawning within His disciple’s soul, and He only uttered one word, and that was .“ Come.” “ Come to Me.” O h ! that the Church of God today, in the midst of all her distraction, might suddenly realize that there is a pathway out of it all to great success, if we would only open our eyes and have faith in God. It is time we were reaching out to
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