LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. of the tempefl. He had, on various occa- fions, beheld the divine power and good - nefs of his Mailer, and his fears were unreafonáble, and he was juftly to be blamed ; becaufe the fame power which had before been fo fully manifefled, and which now had enabled him to walk on the fea, was able to fupport him there, notwithflanding all the horrors of the florin. Peter might have reafoned thus, had he been in his right mind ; but his fear pre- vailed, his courage and refolution, which he depended fo much upon, forfook him, and he began to fink. Thus the Chriflian, when he enjoys the prefence of his Saviour, thinks that he can endureall things; and concludes, that his mountain Rands ftrong, and heflail never be moved : but, when affliction and trouble arife, he has very different views of things ; when great dan- gers are before him, and the boiflerous waves of difappointment, vexation, and difirefs, roar around him, he is very prone to be difheartened, and to think, that he fhall.certainly be fwallowed up, that God hath forfaken him, and will be favourable no more. Such are too often his fenti- ments, and, if the divine hand of his Saviour did not hold him up, he would, like Peter, fink in the mighty water. This miracle of our exalted Redeemer's walking on the fea, Teems to haveaflonifhed the difciples, more than any which had been before it; for, though they had fo lately feen the miracle of feeding the multitude with five loaves, it did not appear to have fuch an effè& on their minds, as this lail manifeflation of his di- vine power ; for now, with the utmoft veneration, gratitude, and joy, they came and worjhipped him, Paying, Of a truth, thou art the Son ofGod. Nor was walking on the fea, the only miracle which our great Redeemer wrought at this time-; for, we are informed by 2 103 the evangelifls, that as foon as their al- mighty Mailer, and his relieved difciple, were received into the fhip, the veffel was inllantaneoully tranfported to its in- tended port. Then they willingly received him into the fip, and immediately the /hip was at the land whither they went. It was in the country adjacent to Ca- pernaum, that our great Redeemer landed; and, as he had not been in that neigh- bourhood fince his vifiting Nazareth, the country people flocked about him in great numbers, bringing their fick and difeafed, which the Divine Phyfician immediately healed: and, as it had been a confiderable time fince he had been in that country, they crowded around him in fuch numbers, that he could not pay a particular atten- tion to every objea of diftrefs ; but they had fo great an opinion of the healing virtue, which he fo eminently poffeíl'ed, that they befeeched him, that they might only touch the hem of his garment ; and as many as touched were madeperfelìlywhole. It hath been before related, that after CHRisz had fed the multitude in the de- fert, he difmiffed them ; but, though they difperfed at his command, they did not return to their habitations: for, perceiving that the difciples were Pent to the other fide of the lake, and that Jesus flayed be-. hind, they probably concluded, that they were fent to provide neceffaries for their Mailer'saffuming the kingdom ; and, though he had modeflly declined that high dignity in the evening, they were encouraged to hope, that he would accept of it the enfu- ing day. This expe&ation, it may be fup- pofed, induced them to lodge in the foli- tary wildernefs, and filcher themfelves in cavernsof therocks and mountains, though they were very much incommoded by the raging of the florm. When morning arrived, the multitude left the places oftheir retreat, and fearched for our Redeemer in every part of' the defert
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