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in its control over the lower principles of the natural man. And by Peter coming down out of the ship, and walking on the water, to go to JESUS, is to be understood compliance with that in vitation; and by his further being afraid, and beginning to sink, and crying, LORD, save me, when he saw the wind boisterous, is to be understood his weak and wavering faith, together with the weak and wavering faith of all those, who are principled in the knowledge of holy things, but are not yet advanced far in the life of that knowledge, and who consequently feel alarmed when they hear and feel the boisterous wind of strong temptation.

Q. But it immediately follows, that 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- -what instruction do you learn from these words?

A. I learn first, that the BLESSED JESUS is ever attentive to the prayer of His children, and immediately supplies all their wants. I learn in the second place, that the supply of the wants of His children is always effected by an exertion of His omnipotence, represented and signified by stretching out His hand. In the third place I am instructed, that omnipotence cannot help or save man, unless it operate on the principles of his life, represented and signified by He caught him, or, as it might be better expressed, laid hold of him. I further learn, that the BLESSED JESus effects His saving and salutary purposes, in

many cases, by wholesome reproof, which leads. to serious self-examination about the cause of fear and unbelief, and is signified by JESUS saying to Peter, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And lastly I am instructed, that when the BLESSED JESUS, together with a right faith, are admitted into the knowledges of what is good and true, immediately tranquillity is restored, the wind of infernal influence ceases to blow, and there is a great calm, signified by the concluding words, that when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Q. And what do you learn from the conclud ing words in the history of this miracle, where it is written, that they who were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God?

A. According to their plain and obvious sense, these words teach that the divinity of JESUS CHRIST was again acknowledged by His followers, in consequence of His walking on the sea, and manifesting thus His power of control over the elements of nature; for it is said, that they came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God. But according to the more remote or spiritual idea, I learn from the above words, that the DIVINITY and DIVINE HUMANITY of the GREAT SAVIOUR were on this occasion acknowledged, and this by reason of the control which He exercised over the passions, the disturbances, the alarms, and the unbelief of the natural man or mind. For by JESUS walking on the sea, and supporting the

wavering faith of Peter, this control is figured and represented, whilst by the worship which was paid, and by the confession, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God, is manifestly described the acknowledgment, not only of His DIVINITY, but also of His DIVINE HUMANITY, according to which latter signification, He was emphatically called THE SON OF GOD. It is however well to be considered, that this acknowledg◄ ment was made by those who were in the ship, to instruct us in the necessity of acquiring knowledges of what is good and true from THE WORD OF GOD, before such acknowledgment can be made; for by a ship, as was shown above, are signified such knowledges.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from this miracle?

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A. I learn in the first place, from the letter of the history, an additional proof of the DIVINITY. of JESUS CHRIST, confirmed by His walking on the sea, and calming its disturbed waters. learn further, from the spiritual sense of the history, the great necessity of acquiring the knowledges of what is good and true from the WORD of God, which necessity is made known by JESUS constraining His disciples to go into a ship. I learn again the usual effect of those knowledges on the impure principles of the natural mind, in exciting disturbance, trial and temptation, expressed in the history by the ship being tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. But I learn further, to my great consolation, that the BLESSED JESUS is ever present in the midst of

such disturbance, compelling it to make more manifest His FATHERLY MERCY and DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE. From the example also of the apostle Peter, who, when he saw the wind boisterous, was afraid, I am instructed what the weakness of human faith is, unless supported by and in conjunction with a divine faith; but from the same example also I learn, that all things are possible to him that believeth, and that if human faith connect itself with omnipotence, it also can walk on the water, and go to JESUS. Again, I learn that the GREAT REDEEMER is ever stretching forth the hand of His Divine Omnipotence to succour His children in all their dangers, and to relieve them in all their fears, whilst at the same time He leads them to a diligent exploration of the causes of their alarms, by the friendly expostulation, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Lastly, I observe in the ship, which contained the BLESSED SAVIOUR and His disciples, a figure of the true church, and of every individual of the church, tossed on the boisterous waves of trial and temptation, yet riding in perfect safety and security, under the rule and government of Him, who sitteth above the water-floods, and remaineth a King for ever, be the earth never so unquiet. I am resolved therefore, through the aid of His divine favour and strength, so to apply myself to the study of the ETERNAL TRUTH, that I may find a place in that figurative, ship, and may thus be conveyed, in communion with the BLESSED JESUS and His disciples, through all the storms and tempests of

this lower world, to the haven of eternal rest in that happy world, where there is no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. AMEN.

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