Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-08-07

BY REV. s. r. CHUBB.

an account OF the small faith OF q
disciple and it's consequences. In
the 18th chapter we have brilliant
exhibition of the magnificent faith
of Greek woman. Peter the first
the unnamed Syrophenician, the
second. Peter ought to have had
the most faith, associated as he waf
with Christ, but this woman, brought
up in heatbenism, al outcast, leaver
him SO far behind that one cannot
see Kim. For a moment let US &c
to Peter-when in the boat we
mean-and see what he does. lie
does what was foolish, at least We
think so, and arc pursuaded that he
himself thought 40 afterwards. He
should have stayed in the boat and
asked Christ to come to where be
was, not he to go to Christ. God
never meant man TO walk the water
or he would have different feet given
him. Peters feet, however large,
were not the right sort for wave
tramping. Man was never intended
to take the place of a goose or fish;
but many do much better-eat them.
Peter wanted to do what none of
the other disciples could do. He
loved notoriety; well, he got it; be-
came noted for going down. 1t was
the result of his own free will, and
in that sense he became a free-will
Baptist. But he did not think il
absolutely necessary to be immersed,
and 30 cried to be delivered from it.
Now, Peter thought it would be a
novelty TO walk water, and nice
wa, to get home in case of wreck
age. At first he went all right, but
like all spasmodic skyrockety pro-
fessors, did not long continue.
suppose it was enjoyable enough at
first to walk The yielding, waving
carpet, but when the floor seemed to
drop out, not so nice. The cause of
him sinking was in and not outside
of him. 1t was not the waves that
rose higher, but Peter who sank
deerer. Men would say Peter went
down. Christ said Peter doubted.
The unbelict was worse than the
enculfment. Had Peter been a good
Christian, and had he been drowned,
the Galilean Sea would have been
but entering into the New Jerusalem
through the water gate; but TO
doubt meant soul disaster in case of
sinking. To attribute departure
from God to the force of eircum-
stances is but to own up coward
ice as is here clearly shown
Don't blame the waves in life's sea,
but our doubling. But this cured
Peter Of attempting to walk the sea,
dry land was good enough for him
to walk on after this. He was glad
to get into the boat and stop in it
till the shore was reached. And no
doubt Peter felt cheap enough, and
would not like to be asked about his
watery exploit.
But this woman's mighty faith
stands out az triumphantly AS did
the pillar of fire with background
of midnight darkness; or the char
acter traced on the palace wall by
the finger of Him who hushed the
storm. Before her faith Peters
sinks out of sight. just as the star
pales and dies out before the sun,
left so far behind that it disappears.
No comparison twixt Peter and the
Syrphonician. But when did not
the women go ahead of men? They
did not run away from Christ as the
men did. They were not afraid to
visit the tomb; they stuck true to
the end. So this woman, in face of
ANNOUNCEMENTS gigantic, pushed
on to victory. No mean obstacles
confronted and challenged her for
conflict. She was almost almighty,
for her faith was mountain remov-
ing. Peters faith would not bear
himself up, hers was strong enough
to grasp what she would. Yes, let
us look III some VI lHc uilHCulllcs.
lst--Her nationality; her Cana
anitish origin; her former Greek
heathenish; the fact of the hatred
of the Jews toward her people;
their nonafiillauon; her presumption
and pride to approach Jew in the
road to ask u tavor. All this con-
fronted her and tried to stop her
progress.
2d-rhe silence of Christ To her
appeal was disheartening--so unlike
him to refuse mercy. Never so be
fore or after; why now! and to Il
woman? Some he helped unasked ;
see the Gsan at the pool, and he who
had withered hand. Blu: here is
silence, contempt, seemingly. How
that cuts bone deep every time it
strikes. But Christ knew she would
come out all light. She must be
immortalized mot for sinking) for
heroic overcomlngs through all
earth and heaven as a rebuke to
weak sinkers, and a help and en-