362 The NEW and COMPLETE LI F E 6f our BLESSED LORD foon difpelled their fears, by telling them it was he himfelf, and therefore they had no reafon to be terrified. St. Peter, who was always remarkable for bold refolutions, and>a precipitate zeal, defired his Mailer to give him leave to come tohim on the water ; and on obtain- ing permiflion, he left the fhip, and walked on the fea to meet his Saviour : but when he heard the deep roar around him, and the waves increafe, he began to be afraid; and as his faith declined, his body funk into the water; fo that, in the greateft agony, he called for affiftance to him who was able to fave : nor was his cry in vain ; the compaffionate Redeemer of mankind flretched out his hand, and again placed him on the furface of the water, with this gentle reproof, 0 thou of littlefaith, where- fore didfl thou doubt? And no fooner was the bleffed Jesus and his difciple entered into the fhip, than the winds ceafed, the waves fubfided, and the fhip was at the land whither they were going. A miracle of this kind could not fail of affonifhing the difciples, and convincing them of the divinity of his perfon ; accordingly, they drew near, and worfhipped him with this confeffion, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. Our bleffed Saviour, the next day, en- tered the fynagogue of Capernaum; and, from the miracle of the loaves, took occa- fìon to difcourfc concerning himfelf, as the true manna, and the breadwhich cane down from heaven ; opening to them the more fublime and fpiritual myfleries, and the neceffary and important duties of the gofpel. On which, great part of the au- dience, who expelled he was going to ereft a temporal kingdom, and re-eftablifh the throne of David in Jerufalem, offended at his reprefenting his dominion as entirely fpiritual, .departed from him, and came no more to hear his difcourfes. Jesus, on beholding this defelion, turned himfelf towards his difeiples, and afked them whe- ther they álfo would go away ? To which Peter replied, Lord, whither (hall we go? 2 thou haft the words ofeternal life: thy doc- trine alone can inflruét us in the paths that lead to happinefs ; and thou art the true Mefliah, the great Prophet fo fully fore- told, and fo long expelled by our nation. The Jews, who beheld with afloniflu ment the miracles wrought by the bleffed Jesus, had formed many conjectures con- cerning him: our great Redeemer was not ignorant of this ; but being willing to hear what account his difciples would give him of the various opinions of the people, afked them, what the world faid concerning him? Towhich they replied, that Tome took hint for John the Baptifl rifen from the dens ; fume thought him to be Elias, and others Jeremiah, or one of the old prophets. This account not fatisfying our bleffed Saviour, he told them that it was no wonder that the people, who had feldom feen him, fhould form various conjelures concern- ing him and the doélrines he preached ; but as they had been conftantlywith him, heard his fermons, and been fpe&ators of his miracles, it was natural to think they might form a truer idea of him ; and, therefore, afked them what they them- felves thought of him? To which Peter, in the name of the refl, anfwered, Thou art Liar, the Son of the living Gód, anointed and fet apart by the Molt High, to be'the great King, Priefi, and Prophet of Ifrael. This full and comprehenfive declaration of Peter, fatisfied the inquiry of our bleffed Saviour, who anfwered, Blíed art' thou; Simony Bar-Jonah; firJlefh and bloodbath not revealed it unto thee, but nay Father which is in heaven : that is, this faith which thou haft nowconfeffed, is nothuman, or built upon the-teftimony of man, but up-' on thole evidences and principles which Is was fent from God to reveal unto the world, and thofe great and folemn attefla- Lions he bath given from heaven to the truth both of my perfon and doétrine : thereföre, I fay afo unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build ny church, and the gates of hellflaall not prevail agaisJ it. As thy name lignifies a - rock,
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