Matt. xiv. 30, 31. But token he saw the ivind boisterous, he was afraid; and begiiming to sink, he cried, saijing, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, ivhere- fore didst thou doubt ?
MEN'S constitutional propensities are apt to betray them into many errors. Whatever be the natural frailties of any person, they usually form the weak part of his character even to his latest hour. The force of them is no where more strongly exhibited than in the conduct of Peter. He was of a bold, forward, confident disposition. This led him on many occasions to act with indiscretion, and often brought upon him a just reproof In the passage before us he needlessly solicited a trial of his faith, and the experiment terminated in his shame.
The account given of it in the text, leads us to observe,
I. That we should not unnecessarily expose ourselves to temptation —
[Peter doubtless was in part actuated by faith and love : but, in soliciting permission to display the grace of which he supposed himself possessed, he erred. There was no more occasion for him to venture thus upon the waters, than for any other of the Apostles to do it. And, in affecting this distinc- tion above all his brethren, he betrayed a considerable measure of pride and vain glory : and, in acceding to his request, our Lord chiefly designed to make him sensible of his own weak- ness. In fact, this attempt to display his faith and courage, was overruled for the discovering of his cowardice and unbelief, and of putting him to shame for his overweening conceit and forwardness. And thus will God deal with us, if, under an idea of our ability to withstand temptation, we expose ourselves needlessly to its assaults. Who does not see the folly of Dinah in going to visit the daughters of an heathen people, and of subjecting herself to the temptation by which she fell ? Yet is her example followed by thousands amongst ourselves, who associate with ungodly companions, and frequent places of vain amusement, and expose themselves to temptations of various kinds, under an idea that they " can take fire in their bosoms,