Passaic City record., 1900-06-30
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATloNA LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JULY 1.
Subject, Jesus Walking on the Sea.
Matt. xiv, 22-33-Goiden Text; Matt.
xiv, 33-Memory Verses, 25-g7-Com-
mentary on the Days Lesson.

! COMMANDED. ne QlsclpleS seemed un-
willing to go and leave Him alone. by the
exercise Of direct authority He compelled
them to embark. Unto the other side"
Towards Capernum and Bethsaida. John
! 6: l6, II; Mark 6: 45. While He sent
the multitudes away" The multitudes
would not leave while the disciples were
| present.
that solemn and awful crisis of His day
on earth was come, and by communing
with His heavenly Father He. would
nerve His soul for the stern work of the
coming weeks. There on the desolate hill
top, in that night of storm, He could gain
strength and peace and happiness unspeak-
-ble. Evening was come" About six
O'Clock: From verse % we. see that He
| must have remained in the mountain,
"a. ''In the midst of the sea- The ship
in the sea is striking emblem of His
church in the world. Not infrequently do
the waves and the winds of strong perse-
cutions come against the church. The
ship is safe in the sea so long as the sea
church is in the world 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 lhar Jesus
apeared to them. They had toiled nearly
will always go to His disciples when they
the the w waves. seeasi aIEins ak g on the Sea-. He
thus shows His unlimited power. Here
are three miracles IN one. First, though
T. l. e
His disciples. Second, He found them out
on the lake and probably in the midst of
darkness. Third, He walked upon the
| water.
26 "Saw Him." At last. in their worst
extremity, they saw gleam In the dark-
ness, and an awful figure, and a tiutterlng
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 phantom. "Cried out" Lit
tie things will frighten us in a storm.
When without are fightings,, within are
fears Even the approaches of deliverance
are sometimes the occasions of trouble.
81 "Straightway." Christ is anxious to
allay our fears now, instantly. as He did
theirs. 'It is l." Nothing but the voice
they knew so well could, under such cir.
courage. those who are gr1evously tossed
with difficulties and temptations require
similar manifestation of His goodness.
When Christ rrocaims Himself in the
soul, all sorrow and fear and sin are at
an end.
2s. '.If it be Thou" Or, ''since it is
Thou There was no doubt expressed
| 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 a. from the fact that
in dependence upon Jesus he left the boat,
and (2) when he was sinking he called on
90. "Come.' Sometimes the answer is
weakness and have out pride of wisdom
| brought low. The Lord knew that Pc
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 water.
80. 'aThe svind boisterous.,' So long as
tread the boisterous waves in perfect safe
| ty; but as soon as he began to look at
their blackness. and consider the depths
failed, his courage. staggered, and, in the
hurry of his thoughts, he was seized with
a sudden terror. Beginning to sink"
1t was not the violence of the wind or
the raging pillows which endangered his
life, but his lIttleness OF faith. GhrIs. Is,
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 u.s.. and we begin to
sink 'fLord, save me-" This prayer was
rect. 2. It recognized the divinity Of
Jesus. Peter would have had nc. conf
dence in Christ's ability had he not known
tie was more than mere man. 3; IL
was personal. 4. 1t was short. II Peter
had prayed as many people do to-day he
would have been many fathoms under
water before he came to the point of ask
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." tChrist will never
permit a soul to sink that is earnestly
calling for help "His hand" His hand
is a strong hand, a sure support. Little
faith" TINS was a gentle rebuke. Faith
may be true and yet weak. Peter had
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 NAV be great, but Gods grace,
will be sufficient in every case DOUBT.
| why. WnaC reason Iliu you ioi t!opocihS-
Had I not told you to come? and did you
not make the first part Of Of the s Journey RI, yin in
safety? and was l not right gni mere by alr Xour
thou doubt?
80. "The wind ceased" This was another
miracle All they needed was Christ on
board. The storm was over and imme-
diately they were sat the land whittier
they went" This was still another mira
Gle. When Christ comes into tine soul He
brings peace and a calm with Him..
33. "They that were in the ship" The
sailors who We're present as well as the
disciples Game and worshipped." They
Were deeply impressed with the many
and night, too, had been full of proofs
that He vas, the. Son Of God The day be-
tude, and had healed their sick; and now
one miracle follows another in such quick
succession that they cannot restrain them
selves, but, in rapture. of wonder, de
votion and reverence" they fall at His
feet and openly. declare th9T %h art f IT the s
| estahlished heyond any possibility Of there