Vers. 45--52.-Jesus walking on the sea. L THE SERVANTS OF THE LORD ABE EXPOSED TO OPPOSITION AND DANGER IN OABBYING OUT HIS OOIIIIIIANDS. II. WITHOUT THE OONBOIOOBNESB OF Hl8 PBEBENOE DIFFIOOLTY APPEARS INSUR· MOtn."'TABLE. fil fu IS EVER AT HAND TO BLESS THOSE WHO ABE STRIVING TO OBEY HIS WoBD. IV. ,VHEN HIS BEBVANTB .ABE BEADY TO RECEIVE Hill BE WILL COME TO THEIR RESCUE, AND EVEBY OBSTACLE WILL BE OVEBCOIIIE. V. SocH TEMPTATIONS ABE INTENDED TO DISCOVER THEm NEED 01!' B1111, AND TO COh"FIBlll TllEIB FAITH IN BIIII.-M.
Vers. 45--52.-Jesus walking on the sea : interpreted of the CJhwrch. I. Ev.ANGELICAL TYPES. 'l'he vessel and crew represent the Church of Christ; the sea., the variable circumstance of world-life; the voyage, the commission of the Church from her Lord ; the storm the adverse spirit of the world; the apparition, the spiritual advent of our Lord into' the hea.ry and mind of hi.~ Church ; Capei:na,um-Christ's "own city "-thr, city of God, to which the Church bnngs all true believers. IL SPI.BITUAL LESSONS. 1. The Church of Christ, in discharge of her great mission, must be aepa:rate from the spirit of worldliness. T~e crowd left upon the darkening shore wa.s animated by the unconverted, carIUP:l _m1nd that can~ot ~der- stand the things of God; but it must nevertheless be mJillStered to. Th1e mmd ls full of unspiritual interpretations of the mission and person of Christ (cf. John vi. 14- on, v1, 1-56.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 2G3
15). But Christ himself, from whom the disciples were parted, was not yet manifo,ted to themselves as the Son of God and Saviour of the world. He was as yet, so far :is their conceptions of him were concerned, the "Christ aft.er the flesh" of whom Paul epoke, and therefore but an element or phase of that world-spirit with which he had been associated in the miracle of the loaves and fishes. These together represent, then, the forms the world-spirit assumes, and through which it endeavours to work. 2. The Ohurch'a dietreas arisea from various cawea, ezternal, and internal, but chiefly the latter. (l) The opposition of the world-spirit, increasing as the direction of the vessel becomes more determinate, and developing bitterness, fury, and persecution. Against these the Church strives. (2) Inward sourcea of disquietude and weakness. The conception of Christ carried away by the disciples was in large measure a. fleshly one, and a. worldliness struggles within the heart of believers. The first stages of Christian life in the individual and in the historic Church are marked by low ideas of the person and work of Christ, producing estrangement from him, fear, and weakness. 3. The deliverance of the Church consists in receiving Christ "after the spirit," in faith ancl communion, Thie advent is supernatural. It is out' of the eternal calm, spiritual elevation, and moral stability of the mountain of Divine communion. Advancing to and with his people through the turmoil of world-life, he is at hand to bless according to the measure of reception accorded him, ready to reveal himself to them that look for him and cry to him, and proving himself the One who "overcometh the world." Thie spiritual Christ (not an apparition, though appearing to the superstitious fear and ignorance of the Church as such) is the true, substantial, and eternal Christ, who will work out an instant and complete salvation for his people, perfecting their apiritual life, and leading them to their journey's end.-1\L Vers. 45-52.-0hrist's retirement. There are three essential elements discernible- withdrawal from man, approach to God, and return to man. l. SEASONS OF PRIVACY A.ND RETIREMENT ARE ESSENTIAL 'l'O THE SPIBITUAL WELFARE OF THOSE WHO BAVE MUOH PUBLIC LIFE AND WOBK. II. A GBEAT MINISTRY MUST BE SUSTAINED BY CONST.ANT, PROFOUND DEVOTIONS. III. THE PRAYER OF THE SAINT 1B AS HELPFUL AND NEOESSABY TO THE WELFARE OF OTHEBS .AS BIS PBAOTIOAL WORK. Or- I. DIFFICULT OF ATTAINMENT. Much publicity jarred and fretted his nature. Yet he could not be rude or unkind. The multitude mnst be sent home; the disciples required to be removed from the dangerous excitement of the scene. "Con- strained"-" sendeth the multitude away." Only Christ could do this, and at what cost I His rest must be legitimately won, and therefore n.o duty or kindness is neglected. II. A NECESSITY OF BIS SPIRITUAL NATURE. III, UTILIZED IN THE filGHEBT OCCUPATIONS, IV, BROKEN IN UPON BY llU:MAN SYMPATHIES Al'm SOLIOITUDES,-11. Vers. 63-56.-Secondary benefits of the gospel. I. THESE ARE GENERALLY ITS FIRST REOOIIIJIIENDATION, II. TnE END THEY ARE IIIEANT TO SERVE. 1. To draw men to Christ. 2. To demonstrate that the gospel-the Ghrist-blesses the whole man and the whole life. III. THEm SNARE AND DANGEB.-M. Vere. 2, 3.-Jesus, the rejected Teacher. When the evangelist states, in the preceding verse, that Jesus "went out from thence," he is referring not so much to the house of Jairus as to the town of Capernaum. Thence he went forth to the village of Nazareth, in whose fields he had often played as a child, and in whose houses and streets he had laboured as a man. In the world, yet not of it. On a certain sabbath day he preached in the synagogue (for Nazareth possessed but one), where he had worshipped in his childhood with Mary, and which he had afterwards attended as a village artisan. St. Luke records the address he delivered, in which he proclaimed himself to be the Messenger of comfort of whom Isaiah hnd spoken. 'l'his only led to his rejection and to a brutal attempt upon his life, so that the Nazarenes unconsciously 264 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [cH. u 1-5&.