had ordered the disciples to take passage for the other side of the lake, while he should send the multitude away. When the night had come on, a storm swept over that inland sea, and the ship was furiously tossed and driven. Near the morning time, their Master was seen walking upon the waters, and approaching them. They cry out in terror, "It is a spirit!" but are answered in the mild accents of their heavenly friend. Wrought up to an enthusiasm, and ready to manifest his faith in his Lord, the impulsive Simon exclaims, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water!" He who knew what was in man, and how often human faith in him would need to be tested, gave his assent to the apostle's appeal. The attempt is made, and in that conflict with the storm and heaving waves, human strength and confidence failed. Beginning to sink, the disciple cries, "Lord, save me!" The hand of compassion is extended, and the gentle reproof emphatically spoken, "O thou of little faith! wherefore didst thou doubt!" Why not hold out in thy trust, when such evidences of the Divine power are witnessed by thee? But these are the disciple's first lessons. Rescued by his Master, they enter the ship, and the tempest and the waters are stilled.

Much of the language of Jesus concerning himself and his doctrine, was figurative. His hearers, not fully comprehending it, were sometimes offended because of his sayings; many of his disciples were. On one occasion, when he had been discoursing to them of his office and kingdom, their ideas of his outward greatness were not answered in these representations which they thought they saw in his statements; they therefore went back, and walked no more with him. It was then that Jesus appealed to his chosen twelve, in the question, "Will ye also go away?" a question answered by Simon in the same readiness that led him to speak on another occasion of the character and office of his Master. Indeed, that opinion is here repeated, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life; and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." And when Jesus would set forth his future suffering and death as a part of that great work for man upon which he had entered, the affectionate disciple and friend could not endure the dec

laration. "Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee." Identified as he considered himself with his Master's cause, he instinctively shrunk from this revealment of it in the affliction and shame of the one he loved so well. He had not associated the dignity of his Master with this degradation. He lacked yet more knowledge as to the intent of the mission of his Lord; and this is implied in the words of Jesus who would impress upon him and his other disciples the necessity of their having true convictions of the nature of the kingdom which he came to declare and maintain. He would have them to know that in this new kingdom perfectness could come through suffering, and the highest honors to such as had gone through deepest humiliation for righteousness' sake. He turned and said unto Peter, "Get thee behind me Satan, (adversary) thou art an offence unto me, for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of man." Not with worldly ease and honor would the interests of this kingdom be upheld, but by sternest trial, hardest conflict-through flood and flame, and hosts of Satanic power,-and yet, to meet this force, the patience of hope, the firmness of faith, the offices of compassion and consolation, the ministries of loving kindness and peace!

The same ardor avows itself when the humble service of washing the disciple's feet was performed by Jesus. The disciple expostulated against it. "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me," is the Lord's reply. The thought of such an act was, to the mind of Peter, revolting. But when the symbolical nature of it was explained to him, then would he not only that his feet, but that his hands and his head might partake of the washing. Any thing which the Master might propose rather than that his discipleship should be denied or doubted.

And how could discipleship be more sincere, more devoted, more impervious to fear, or the usual influences. which occasion infidelity to a righteous cause? Surely, no avowals of faithfulness could have been stronger than Peter's, no demonstrations of true discipleship more convincing than his.

But his experience deepens, and the searching and sifting process goes on. We come to a period in the life of our apostle which we sometimes feel that we would be glad to

have obliterated from the annals of Christianity, if, by so doing, full justice could be done to the history and character of Christian faith. But the record is impartial. It cloaks no sins, not even those of apostles, and it has faithfully transcribed the moral delinquencies of this chief among the early followers of our Lord.

At the Last Supper we see the Master and his disciples assembled, and that commemorative rite instituted which should show forth the Lord's death till he come. In his conversation after the Supper, Jesus uttered the startling words into the ears of that little company, "All ye shall be offended because of me this night, for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.' But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee." But Peter said unto him, "Though all shall be offended, yet will not I. I will lay down my life for thy sake!" There is no hypocrisy in this utterance. A more sincere

exclamation never came from the lips of man. So he felt as his words were spoken, and so did he then understand himself, his sympathies, his resolves, his attachments to his Master's cause. And how little was he prepared at that moment to hear the words of Jesus, "Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.' And he said unto him, "Lord, I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before thou shalt deny that thou knowest me."

The disciple intended to keep the word which he had thus confidently spoken. He went forth with his Master to Gethsemane, and was there appointed by him with James and John to watch near him as he withdrew for prayer to the Father. Returning to the disciples, the Master finds them sleeping. Weariness and sorrow had borne them down. In compassionate accents rather than in the rebuke of indignation, come the significant words to Peter, as to one whose protestations of fidelity had been loudest, "What! could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak." But they do not seem to have entered into the moral realization of that hour

and place, as Jesus was held of it. Spiritually, their eyes were as heavy and their perceptions as dull as their mental and bodily activities. Had it not been thus we never should have read of the repetition of their weakness, and the coming of Jesus again and again, only to find them still in their slumbers.

Now that the traitor Judas comes with his accomplices, they are aroused from their stupor, and are ready for resistance. We need hardly say who drew the sword on this occasion and smote the High-Priest's servant in the affray. He who had been foremost to speak and act at other seasons, was so now. And his rashness called for the reproof of his Master, who restored to soundness the wounded man. So much readier is the weapon of physical defence than inward discipline to duty. He would then and thus have laid down his life for his Master. But that was not demanded. That Master reproves the offender, forbids this method of resistance, submits to be taken by the hostile force; and then it was that "all his disciples forsook him and fled."

Peter followed him afar off. He could not turn utterly away-could not yield him up entirely to the fate which seemed awaiting him. And yet, he had not strength of purpose enough to meet his Master's accusers and enemies with an avowal of his discipleship. Recognized as one of his followers, he equivocates, as the word to that effect is spoken; then he denies, as the accusation is repeated; and then, as "confirmation strong" that he is not of him, declares with cursing and swearing that he knows not the

man.

He can fall no farther. And all this-save but for Jesus' prediction-we could not have suspected of one so ready in affirming his fidelity, and sometimes so successful in proving it. But the adversary thus far has triumphed. The sifting process has gone on. What else shall come of it? Judas has betrayed, Peter denied; most of the other disciples have departed from the Holy One and Just.

But Peter has gone to a repentance such as no mere statement of the evangelical historian could bring before us. "Then Peter went out and wept bitterly." "And when he thought thereon he wept." Dr. Doddridge presumes that this signifies his habitual grief in all after life, whenever

this his darkest sin came up before him. This might or might not have been. But the tears which accompanied his repentance were most profitable, if others, also, were inevitable. If Judas for his apostacy was driven to self-destruction, Peter, for his, could enter upon the work of repentance only through bitterest and heaviest affliction.

And now the trial, condemnation, and crucifixion of our Lord come; and next his resurrection. And who find we among the first witnesses of this stupendous event-this animus-this soul-fact of the Christian faith to all the nations? The repentant Peter. It is the angel at the tomb who sends by the Marys the message bearing upon the very face of it the assurance that he had found forgiveness of him whom he had so basely denied. "Tell his disciples, and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.'

At the closing of the evangelical narrative, we find our Lord in conversation with Peter, and giving him special charge as to the apostolic work yet before him. The nature of the conversation is significant. Three times (the same in number as his denials) is the question asked him. "Simon Peter, lovest thou me?"-and as often is the answer emphatically returned-"Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." Thus ends that part of the history of the apostle given us in the Gospels.

Another scene now opens. The Lord has risen, and ascended. The apostles have taken new courage as they have found new life in their Master's cause. They have re-organised themselves, and have been endued with power from on high. It is the power of the Holy Spirit, by which the new cause is to be glorified according to the promise of the risen Redeemer. The day of Pentecost comes, and the apostles are in Jerusalem. The gift of tongues is theirs. They go forth into the streets of the city and preach Christ to those of every nation gathered there each hearing the message in his own languageGreek, Roman, Persian, African. Galilean men are thus speaking, and the hearers wonder. They talk to each other of this new advent, and find that they have been hearing the same things in their own tongues. The excitement increases. Crowds come together, and the preachers are accused of having their inspiration of new wine.