THE KING’S BUSINESS
697
doubt that standing there beside Jesus Peter felt differently now—glad that he had begun, and ashamed that he had so bungled the business. Let us be possessed today with the same mixed feelings. They will do us a world of good. Let us be lifted high up when we look at Christ. Let us be greatly chastened and re buked when we remember what poor use we have made of Him. Why should we be afraid ? David said it long ago— “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted within me?” Now, why? There seem to be reasons. “ Lord,' have mercy on me. Remember what a wild morning it is. See how these waves rage and toss.” Still the Mas ter dares to say, “Wherefore didst thou doubt? You had no right to doubt.” Unbelief out there in the world and out there in booksii-a spirit o f doubting—is mightily praised in these days, and gets a great deal of attention to itself. But here in the Bible it is always a stupidity—always an unreasonable thing, with nothing to say for itself when the Lord ques tions it. You do not find Peter say ing, “Wherefore did I doubt, blessed Master ?” “There lives more faith in honest doubt, Believe me, than in half the creeds.” No, he did not think of it. He said nothing. Doubt has nothing to say for itself. Oh, let us come back to unquestioning faith. Peter walk ing on the sea to come to Jesus—that is the type, that is the picture for the individual believer and for the whole Church. That is where we should be, and Christ says to us, as He said to him, “ Come;” and He says to us also, as He said to him, “ Wherefore didst thou doubt?” Receiving Jesus Into the Ship Another Gospel tells us that after
this was done the disciples were will ing to receive Him into the ship; and therein is a parable, and with that I would like to close this brief comment on this interesting part of this interesting story. There are two ways in this business. We may obey the call of the - Master tonight— “ Come to Me;” and that is His call to all hearing my voice. Whatso ever be your condition, the voice of the infinitely gracious Saviour, as He stands on the eternal shore, is— “ Come, come to Me.” May it soon fill the whole world with its music, “ Be not afraid: it is I. •Come, come to Me.” Well, but if that is too great a strain upon us—if we sit back, in our pews, as most of the disciples sat back in the boat, and feel that it is beyond us, there is another way of putting it. “ Then the disciples will ingly received Him into the ship.” Try that way. If the one way does not bring relief, perhaps the other way may. If the, active side does not, perhaps the subjective side may throw light upon the matter. Say to Christ, “ Blessed Master, come into my boat. Dear Lord, I am afraid to move. A great tempest lies upon me. I do not see how to come; but if thou wouldst come into my ship, that would be the same thing, would it not?” Then will you, where you sit, say to Him, “ Lord, come to me; Lord, speak peace” ? That is all He wants, He will answer you ; but He will stay outside if you do not want Him on board. He will not force Himself upon you; and as long as we are either affrighted or positively unbelieving, we are outside of Him, and He is outside of us. But He gives us the opportunity. As on that morning long ago, He comes tonight into this assembly and He goes right past your seat. He makes as though He would go farther, to call out your faith, to let you understand the sit-
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online