happened, given by two witnesses, Matthew and John, who were actually present on the occasion, and by another writer, — viz., Mark, who was intimate with that very Peter who walked on the water himself.
If tlie disciples were " in the midst of the sea," and two or three miles from shore, how could they possibly have seen our Lord walking on the shore ?
If it Avas " dark " when these things happened, it stands to reason that they could not distinguish anyone on shore, even supposing that they were not two miles oflf.
If there was a heavy gale blowing, and the waves were rough, it is absurd to suppose that they could hold a conversation with anyone walking on shore.
The plain truth is that it requires far more faith to accept such improbable and preposterous explanations as these, than to take the whole account simply as we find it, and to believe that a real mighty miracle was wrought. — Unless men are prepared to say that Matthew, Mark, and John, wrote accounts of the events of this night, which are incorrect, and not trustworthy, it is impos- sible for any honest and unprejudiced person to avoid the con- clusion, that a miracle took place. — Of course, if Matthew, Mark, and John give incorrect accounts, and are not to be trusted here, they are not to be trusted anywhere, and all their records of our Lord's doings and sayings become utterly worthless. This unhappily is the very result to which many would be glad to lead us. From denying all miracles to downright infidehty is nothing but a regular succession of steps. If a man begins with throwing overboard the miracles, he cannot stop logically till he has given up the Bible and Christianity.
20. — [But he saith, It is I; he not afraid.'] Our Lord's tenderness for His disciples' feelings appears beautifully here. No sooner does He see lear than He proceeds to calm it. He assures them that the figure they see walking on the deep is no spirit or ghost, — no enemy or object of dread. It is their own beloved Master. His voice, well-known as it must have been, would, of course, help to calm their fears. Yet even that was not enough tiU Peter had said, " If it be thou, bid me come to thee."
The practical remark has often been made, that many of the things which now frighten Chrislians and fill them with anxiety, would cease to frighten them if they would endeavour to see the Lord Jesus in all, ordering every providence, and overruling everything, so that not a hair falls to the giound without Him. They are happy who can hear His voice through the thickest clouds and darkness, and above the loudest winds and storms, saying, " It is I ; be not afraid."
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It has been thought by some that the words, " It is I," might be more literally rendered, "I am," and that they are intended to refer to the name of God, so familiar to Jews, " I am." But I doubt the correctness of the idea. It is a pious thought, but hardly in keeping with the context and the circumstances of the occurrence. Our Lord desired first to relieve the fears of His disciples by showing them who it was that they feared ; and tha Greek words for " It is I," are the only words that He could well have used.
It may be noted here that there seems to be no feehng or passion to which Christians are so liable as "fear." There is none, certainly, against which our Lord so ofcen exhorts His disciples. "Fear not: — be not afraid: — let not your heart be troubled :" are very common sayings of His.
21. — [Then they willingly received... ship.] This would be rendered more literally : " Then they were willing," " they were glad, and wished." — It evidently imphes, that at first the disciples were afraid of our Lord. But as soon as they recognized Him, their fears departed; and so far from wishing to be rid of the figure they had seen walking on the sea, their great desire now was to receive Him on board.
[Immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.] This sentence either means that shortly after our Lord joined the dis- ciples in the boat they reached their destination, or that imme- diately, by miraculous agency, they arrived at the shore. There is, perhaps, no occasion to suppose any other miracle. Both Matthew and Mark distinctly say that " the wind ceased," as soon as our Lord entered the boat. The storm, according to the custom of storms on the lake, suddenly ceased, and the disciples consequently had no trouble in rowing to the shore. The wind was no longer against them; and the sea, in so small a compass as the Lake of Galilee, would naturally soon go down.
The old practical lesson still remains to be remembered. Christ's Church is now a tossed ship, in the midst of a stormy sea. The great Master has gone up into heaven to intercede for His people, left alone for awhile, and to return. When Jesus returns again to His tossed and afflicted Church, at the second advent, their troubles will soon be over. They will soon be in harbour. His voice, which will fill the wicked with terror, will fill His people with joy.
The place where they landed was evidently Capernaum, or close to it. The disccurse which follows was at any rate finii^hed (wherever it may have begun) in "the synagogue at Capernaum," and folic ws in unbrok(m succession after the events we have now been considering. The statement of St. Matthew and St. Mark,
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