The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-27
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON MMENTs
FOR JULY I.
Subject: Jesus Walking on the Sea-
Matt. XIV, 22-33-Golden Text: Matt
XIV, 33-Memory Verses, 25-*T-, Com
mentary on the Day's Lessou.

mentary on the Days Lesson.
%. "And straightway;pr The time haa com,
for instant action. Jesus constrained.
Commanded. The disciples seemed un
willing to 60 and leave Him alone. {l3y tn
exercise OF direct authority He cohlpellet
them to embark. Unto the other side.
Towards Capernum and Bethsaida{ Jolr
6: l6, IL. Mark 6: d.. While He sen
the multitudes away" The multitude
would not leave while the disciples wer,
present.
g. "Apart to pray" He was edpsciou
that solemn and awful crisis of His da!
with His heavenly Father He. woult
nerve His soul for the stern work of th'
morrow, and the bitter conflict of MANI
coming weeks. There on the desolate hill
top, in that. night of storm, He could gair
strength and peace and happiness pnspeak
cble. Evening was come" About Sly
o'clock. From verse 25 we see that He
must have remained in the mountain
alone with His God, far into the night.
: "a. "In the midst of the sea-" The ship
in the sea is striking emblem OF. His
church in the world. Not infrequently dc
the waves and the winds of strong perse'
ship is safe in the sea so long as the sea
does not get into the ship; and so the
church is in the world a mighty power
for good, but when the world gets in the
church it begins to sink.
25. In the fourth watch" The jews
had four watches, or periods of the night
The first watch was from six to nine
o'clock; the second, from nine to twelve;
the third, from twelve to three; and the
fourth, from three to six in the morning
1t was therefore between the hours OF
three and six in the morning tnav Jesus
appeared to them. They had toiled nearly
will always go to His disciples when they
are in trouble, and are laboring against
the waves. Walking on the sea-" He
thus shows His unlimited power. Here
are three miracles in one. First, though
at distance He knew the dis stress OF
His disciples. Second, He found them out
on the lake and probably in the midst OF
darkness. Third, He walked upon the
26. "saw Him." At last, in their worst
extremity, they saw, a gleam in the dark
ness, and an awful figure, and ,futtering
robe, and One drew near them, treading
upon the ridges of the sea, but seemed as
if He meant to pass them by; and they
cried out in terror at the sight, thinking
that it was a phantom. "Cried out" Lit
tie things will frighten US in a.. storm.
When without are fghtings,. within are
fears. Even the approaches of deliyerance
are sometimes the occasions of trouble.
27. "Straightway." Christ is anxious to
allay our fears now, instantly. as. He did
theirs. 'It is -. Nothing but the voice
they knew so we'll could, under such cir,
cumstances, have given them comfort and
courage. Those who are grie.vously tossed
with difficulties and temptations require a
When Christ rroclaims Himself in the
soul, all sorrow and fear and sin are at
% 2s. SIf it be Thou" Or, "since it is
Thou" There was no doubt expressed sg! e ssi
here. Peter knew it was Jesus" Bid Me
come" Peters fault lay in the words
"bid me-" which betray an ambitious and
over-confdent desire to outdo and outdare
the other disciples. That Peters faith
was sincere is seen Q) from the fact that
in dependence upon Jesus he left the boat,
and ~ when he vas sinking ne called on
Him for aid. :
20. "Come." Sometimes the answer is
come in order that we may know our
weakness. and have out pElde OF WISDOM on
ter's faith would fail him, but He said
Come, if thou desirest to. make the expert
ment. "Walked on the waters He
walked on the water, but he was upheld
by the divine power OF Jesus christ, not
by the water.
30. "The wind boisterous." So. long as
Peter kept his eye on his Lord he could
tread the boisterous waves in perfect safe
ty: but as soon as he began to look at
their blackness, and consider the depths
beneath him, che was afraid His faith
failed, his courage staggered, and, IN the
hurry, Of his thoughts he was seized ~ a;wl witn
sudden terror. ",Beglnnlng to sl1k.
1t was not the violence OF the wind I, or
the raging pillows which endangered his
tians are upheld, as they are saved, by
faith. Peter cast away his confidence,
which we are exhorted not to DO. Heb;
1925. When we "draw back" the Lord
has no pleasure in US. and we begin to
sink. "Tord, save me-" This prayer was
a model in many respects. /. It was di.
rect. 3. It recognized the divinity OF
Jesus. Peter would have had no, confl'
dence in Christ's ability had he not known
He was more than a mere man: 5; 1t
was personal. 4. 1t was short. II Peter
had prayed as many people DO to-day ne
would have been many .tathoms Inoer
ing to be saved. 5. 1t was. earnest and
came from the heart; he was going down; ;
in another moment he would have per-
ished. Prevailing prayer Is born OF ne
81. "Immediately." Christ will never
permit a soul to sink that is earnestly
Calling for help. "His hand" His hand
is a strong hand sure support. Little
faith" TINS was a gentle rebuke. Faith
NAV be true and yet weak. Peter hae
faith enough to bring him upon the water,
but not enough to carry him through the
pillows. We should not consider SO much
the danger to which we are exposed as the
power Of Christ by which we are upheld.
The test may be. great, but Gods grace,
sill be sufficient in every case. doubt. - .
Why? what reason had you for doubling!
Had J. not told you to come? and did you
not make the first part of the journey in
safety? and was I not right here by your your
side to preserve you? Wherefore didst
30 SThe wind ceased" This was another
miracle. All they needed was Christ on
board. The storm was over and Imme-
diately they were "at the land whittier
they went" This was still another mira
Gle. When Christ comes into the soul lie
brings peace and calm with Him. ., ~
sailors who were present as well as g. the
disciples. "Came and worshipped." They
were deeply impressed with the many
manifestations of His divinity. The day,
and night, too. had been full of proofs
that He was the Son of God. The day be-
fore He had miraculously fed the multi
tude, and had healed their sick; and now
one miracle follows another. in such quick
succession that they cannot restrain them
selves, but, il rapture Of wonder, de-
votion and reverence, ,"sthey fall at His
feet and openly declare, Ihou art the
Son of Cod" "Of truth" The fact IS
established beyond any possibility OF there
being mistake.