The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1892-12-08
wAIKrNa ON TIE wAtrn.

WALKING on THE WAFER.
The real error which Peter committed in
attempting lo walk on the water lies IN that
he undertook " hat the Loid did not require
oil him. No doubt he asked and obtained
his permission, but even this shows how the
Lord may permit His servants to hud the
bottom OF their own resolutions, and iu His
wi'c love teach th,m deep and useful lessons
10y Their own failures Peter assaycd love
to do bY faith what faith was quite compc.
tent To DO, had the Master needed IL and
asked u. But, taking II up Of his own mo.
uon, even with the Lords permission, the
disciple threw him,clf into circumstances of
danger and difficulty tu which his measure
OF faith proved unequal.
Iu aim at being for Christ, 10 expect 10 dc
Tor Christ what Christ has neither enioincd
nor promised. j. really not faith. but
ianauCsm. There is considerable rcscm.
b ancc between the two, on the surface.
The one has been ncaiL aud again mistaken
for the other There j. n likeness In their
tone, I'm their eafnestnCss. In their ardur,
sonnet me-, for while. in their ,iltctS hut
they arc entirely different in their source,
their principle. their results. Faith arises
out If grace. Fanaticism has It's source In
'clfFnith is ruled by the Word of the Lord !;
lnnaicism by the wish, will and impulse OF
lie creature. Faith results In solid fruits
nd works tor Christ. Fanaticism burns IT.
self out In fruitlcss fcryor, or dashcs itself
The dangers of our time lie however. for
The most part, in quite another direction.
he material and the secular have, In these
days, the most powerful sway over the
minds Of men. The spiritual j. treated n II
II did not exist NJ all. For. more frequently
than fnnaticism is mistaken for faith, i
tmth itdiculcd and run down a. fanatical.
And. in truth. all real living and working
for Christ has IN II all element of paradox,
which the world is very apt To mistake for
euihusia' m. II Is aiming IL results and cX.
peuing results which lie quite beyond the
channel OF ordinary, rational life.
incrc j. no zeal success In the work Cf
thrstS Kingdom which Is not To man a
Judgment ~ impossible rs to tread the
waves. Whcr Paul went to convert the
nations of Greece and Rome 10 the faith of
the fuCiiicd NnZaTcne, he went to walk on
the wators. All reason was against the
probability Of his success. when Luther
revived the Gospel of free grace In the face
Of the Roman hierarchy and the empire, he
vent 20 walk ON the waters. Pope. en-
pcior, princes ami churcl men were ready
io swallow him up. There il not u true
missionary abroad or true mission worker
81 Lone but goes TO seek results above
tfSur, .3v -mq;,uSils .Ass.' rJl5l. l,eVnr.' 81.
.un. IL we would truly serve Jesus and
His Kingdom. walk ON the waves we must,
ior we walk 10y faith. not by sight. Only
l,i H. guthcr from the incident in Peters eN.
rerente tlat We are TO take up our motto
from Isaiah rather thar from Peter In.
.icad o. choosing for ones self the path Of
Duiy. md saying, "Lord, lid mo come le,
us put ourselves and our service always into
His hands, Sryipg, in answer 10 his question,
who will go fer usy' Here am |: send
me- The mifac cs of our Lord John
Laidlaw, II. d.