who is in every sense the Saviour of His people. His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us; we perish." They were as safe with Jesus in the vessel, even when He slept and seemed unmindful of them, as if He had stood in the midst of them, and appeared as awake as they were to the fury of the tempest and to the dangers by which they were surrounded: and He taught them to believe this, when He arose at their entreaty, and when He gently expostulated with them, and said, “Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith?” He immediately after rebuked the winds and the sea; and the stormy elements obeyed the voice of their Creator -the tempest subsided : there was a great calm."

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I have often thought that we should do well, if placed in like circumstances, a storm at sea, the ship in danger, and our hearts overwhelmed with terror, to remember that the same gentle and loving Saviour, is as present with His disciples at such a season as He was on the occasion which is here recorded. Surely it is recorded, for one reason among others, to inspire a spirit of holy trust in Him, and to teach us to believe that whether asleep in the hinder part of the vessel in His bodily presence, or set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, He is ever spiritually present with His people, ever watching over them, ever mindful of them in danger, and as ready

to listen to the prayer of the believer, who by faith beholds Him in the highest heavens, as He was ready to arise at the entreaty of His disciples, and to calm at once their troubled spirits and the troubled sea. And doubtless, many a meek disciple, in the lonely watches of the night, far out at sea, and far away from every earthly haven, and out of sight of any earthly shore, has arisen at the first stirring of the awful tempest to open the holy Bible at this well-known page, and to kneel down on the floor of his little cabin, and read by the dim light of his nightlamp this short and beautiful portion of God's sacred word, treasuring up every part of the description, until the whole has become imprinted on the heart, and ready to obey the call of the memory, and impart calmness and courage to his soul amid the dangers that are nigh. And thus they that go down to the sea in ships, have been enabled to call to mind that inspiriting and gracious assurance, that although the "waves of the sea are mighty, and rage horribly, the Lord who dwelleth on high is mightier."

But we all know, that another lesson, and one of far deeper importance, is taught us, by the passage of Scripture under our consideration; and as our Lord said on another occasion, when He wrought a miracle to heal a bodily disease, that He did it in order that they might

know that the Son of man had power on earth, not merely to heal the sick, but to forgive sins, so does He assuredly teach us that the Son of man had not merely power to say, Peace, be still," to the winds and to the waves, but that He has both the will and the power to subdue the troubled and angry passions of man—the tempest within the human breast; and that at His bidding the conflicting elements shall be constrained to confess His

power.

Oh, that there were as deep an anxiety in us all to cry to Him for help when in this, the real danger to the immortal soul, and to say, "Lord, save us; we perish! Save us from ourselves-from the wild fury of our own passions—from the conflict of our own bad tempers-from all that agitates and disturbs the sweet serenity of a calm and peaceful spirit; and let there be, at Thy command, and under the constraining influence of Thy holy word, and of Thy Holy Spirit, that great calm, which Thou alone canst give, that peace which passeth all understanding."

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Are we to learn, from that part of the lovely description of the rest that remaineth for the people of God, where it is written, there shall be no more sea," that there are no storms in that blessed state? Are we not to learn, from all that we know of the revealed glories of

our heavenly rest, that angry passions and evil tempers cannot enter there, and that all who prepare in this their state of probation, for that rest of the blessed, must learn while on earth to be like the Lamb of God, and pray for that Spirit which descended from heaven upon His head in the form and with the gentleness of a dove, and abode upon Him?