The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 292

in the second watch, nor even In the third. The fourth watch had commenced, and still I saw reason to delay my coming. It was half run and more before the pr0per moment arrived. I did not postpone nor defer an instant longer than was meet. Soon as the minute-hand pointed to the right moment on the dial-plate of time, I came, and came at once, without further or any unnecessary delay. 5. God's time ia the right time. God's time is not only the right time, but the best time. By his comin" the time he did, the Saviour said in effect to the disciples, and through them ~ us when we, like them, are tossed by the down-rushing winds and the upheaving wave~ of a troublesome world, Had I come sooner, it would have been premature on my part, and not expedient for you. Had I come sooner, it would have been pleasanter, but not so profitable for you. Had I come sooner, I should have consulted your feelings more than your interests. This fourth watch, and this last part of it in particular, is the season of your extremity and the time of my opportunity. Thus it is still. When vou, reader, were saying, "Bath God forgotten to be gracious? Is his mercy clean gone for evermore ? " his grace and mercy were drawing very near. When you were ready to give up all for lost, and about sinking into despair, then the Saviour said, I have come to give you confidence, to impart to you consolation, and inspire you with hope; in a word, to impress on your heart these words of comfort that now tall upon your ears. I come, therefore, as is my custom, at the moment best for the Creator's glory and the creature's good. Further, by the words," Be of good cheer! " he reminds us of the fact that we never enjoy rest so much as after long hours of labour, we never enjoy safety so much as after a time of danger, we never enjoy sleep so much as after a day of toil, and we never enjoy a calm so much as after a time of storm. Some of us can attest this by personal experience. We have often been to sea, but only once in a storm. And never did we so thoroug'tly enjoy the land, or rest so sweetly on the shore, as after that terrible storm. 6. ..t1.pplication to ourselves. Thus will it be with all the dear children of God. After the tempests of earth, we shall enjoy the tranquillity of heaven all the more. After weary wanderings and a sorrowful sojourn in this vale of tears below, we shall relish far more keenly the rest and home above. Not only so, there is no common measure by which we can gauge the true relative pro- portions of these storms of earth and that sunshine of the skies. The great apostle of the Gentiles felt this when he said, "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a Car more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." III. TUE ANNOUNCEMENT OF OUB LORD'S PRESENCE. 1. .,t1. mistake. The announce- ment of the Saviour's presence is contained in the words, "It is I." When he did come the disciples mistook him. First they see through the gloom of night the dark object at some distance, then they discern the outline of a human figure standing out amid the darkness of the night and against the lowering sky. They never for oue moment supposed it was the Saviour. "What can that phantom form be?" they thought within themselves. They had doubtless many conjectures, but sin gave its gloomy interpretation to the scene. It is a phantom-a spirit! they said; a spirit of evil, a spirit of woe, to take vengeance on the guilty I So it was with Herod; and so it was with Joseph's brethren, as we have seen; so it wall with Belshazzar. So, too, with ourselves many a time. Not unfrequently we mistake our own best blessings; we think them distant when they are close at hand. Nay, we often mistake them alto- gether; we regard as a curse the very thing that God meant to prove a blessing. The dark cloud of his providence "we so much dread," even when it is "big with mercy," and ready to burst with " blessings on our head." We continue our mistake, until God becomes "his own Interpreter, and makes his meaning plain." It was thus with the disciples here, until Jesus revealed himself in a manner not to be mistaken, and said, "It is 1." Often and often in time of trouble, of trial, of toil, of difficulty or danger or distress, of adversity or affliction, we have said individually, "All the~e things are against me;" all these things are tokens of Divine displeasure ; all these things are messengers of wrath. Jesus draws near and whispers to the soul, Not so; that trial, that cross, that bereavement, that sickness, that distress of whatever kind, came from me; it was my doing; it was I sent it; I was the Author of it; I sought by it your good; it is I, and you are to recognize me in it; it is I. "Let not your heart be troubled~ ye believe in God, believe also in me." 2. A calm succeeds the atorm. When all is atorm around, when all is dark within, when of all human sources of consolation we ST. MARK. g 290 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [oa. v1. 1-56.