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saying to him, "We have found the Messias, or Christ," he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld them, he said, "Thou art Simon, the son of Jona; thou shalt be called Cephas," which is by interpretation into the Greek, Petra, and into English, a Rock. By this manner of receiving Simon, Jesus manifested that he was acquainted with him, and had formed an estimate of his character; that he had marked him as one who was fitted by his energy and activity to establish his religion on durable foundations; that even now he intended him for a great work. The brothers may at this early period be considered as disciples or pupils of Jesus, though not yet chosen, according to the language of St. Mark, to "be with him always"; for they still continued fishermen. It is pleasant to know that the two who were first called to be disciples were united together by the tie of natural brotherhood; that the one brother led the other to the Saviour; that they pursued their simple occupation together; and that together they were called from that simple occupation to become fishers of men.

That event took place a short time after, in the following manner. As Jesus stood by the lake, surrounded by a crowd who were pressing upon him to hear the word of God, he saw Simon and Andrew, in the practice of their usual occupation, and washing their nets on the shore. He entered

their vessel, and prayed them to thrust out a little from the land, that he might the more conveniently teach the people. Then, having finished his discourse, he bade them launch out into the deep, and let down their net for a draught of fishes. It is now that we begin to perceive the ardent, affectionate, and confiding character of Peter. Though he and his companions had been toiling through the night without the least success, yet he at once consented to make another effort, in obedience to the wishes of Jesus. "Nevertheless, at thy word,'

he

says, "I will let down the net." This was no

sooner done than such a multitude of fishes were enclosed, that the net began to break, and they were obliged to call their partners, who were in another ship, to assist them, and both ships were so filled with what they drew in as to be near sinking. On beholding this, Simon Peter, ever a man of impulses, "fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." In a transport of fearful humility he beseeches Jesus to leave him, and not to stay with one so unworthy of his holy and wonderful presence. But Jesus, instead of leaving him, now gives him the call to his apostleship, saying to him, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men"; or, as the other evangelists write, applying the words to both the brethren, "I will make you fishers of men." Readily accepting the invitation

to become the constant companions of the Messiah, and perhaps secretly expecting worldly advantage from their connection with so great a personage, they straightway left all, their property, their home, and their former friends, and followed him.

Peter's character now rapidly unfolds itself; a character of strong and contrasted features; bold, honest, and vehement, and yet wavering and inconstant; now forward and daring before all his companions, and now more timid than any of them. Wherever we meet with him, it is the same Simon that we see; distinguished alike for high and generous virtues, and for faults inconsistent with those virtues, and altogether unworthy of them. Strength and weakness, courage and irresolution, impetuosity and indecision, are mixed up in his temperament in a striking and yet perfectly natural combination; and at the bottom of the whole there is a purity of feeling, and an integrity of purpose, which endear him to his Master, and fit him at last for his important destination and office.

One of the occasions which may be noticed as developing these characteristics is that of his attempt to walk on the sea to meet Jesus. We are informed that after the miracle of the loaves and fishes, which took place on one side of the lake,

Jesus commanded his disciples to pass over to the

other in a vessel, while he remained to send the multitude away. A storm overtook the ship when she was in the midst of the sea, and, while she was tossing on the waves, Jesus came to them in the fourth watch of the night, or towards morning, walking on the sea, as on dry land. At this extraordinary sight the disciples were troubled, saying, "It is a spirit"; and to such a height was their terror excited, that they cried out for fear. But Jesus immediately spoke to them, and bade them not to be afraid, for it was himself. No sooner does Peter hear his voice, than he not only dismisses his fear, but gives loose to his enthusiasm, and unwilling to wait till his Master reaches the vessel, and perhaps, too, tempted a little to display his faith, and do some great thing, he exclaims, before the others have recovered the use of their speech, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." And Jesus, knowing him perfectly, and willing at once to gratify, to test, and to instruct him, said, "Come." Peter descends from the ship, and walks towards his Master. But the storm was stronger than his trust; and when he felt himself out, so strangely and awfully, amidst the dashing foam and the boisterous wind, he was afraid, and he forgot his confidence; and his faith, which hitherto had borne him up, grew faint and unable to hold him, and, beginning to sink, he cried again, and with

the voice of despair, to Jesus, "Lord, save me!" "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" That was all the Saviour said; that mild rebuke, so unlike the denunciations which his professed followers in other ages have launched at what they have been pleased to call, but could not with certainty know to be, deficiencies of faith; that mild rebuke from him who did know all things was the only punishment for the failing faith of the disciple, "Wherefore didst thou doubt?" Wherefore, after seeing what thou hast seen, and hearing what thou hast heard, couldst thou doubt? And he raised the self-convicted man, and brought him into the ship, and "the wind ceased."

Notwithstanding Simon's occasional misgivings and temporary weaknesses, his fidelity was in the main firm and certain, because it was founded on the real goodness and tenderness of his nature. There was a time, when, as related in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, many of the followers of Jesus "went back, and walked no more with him," because he spoke to them obscurely and figuratively of his office and kingdom, and because, from what they did understand, they began to suspect that there was something much more spiritual and much less lucrative and splen

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