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CHRISTIAN GRATITUDE DELINEATED
OUR blessed Lord, after feeding five thousand men, besides women and children, with five loaves and two small fishes, sent his Disciples over the Lake of Gennesaret, whilst he dismissed the people: and then he went up into a mountain to pray. The Disciples laboured, for many hours, to reach the place of their destination; but were unable, on account of the violence of the wind. After nine or ten hours’ toil, they were still far from land (notwithstanding the lake was not above five or six miles broad;) and, behold, they see one walking upon the water, whom they supposed to be a spirit; and, filled with terror at such an extraordinary spectacle, they cried out. Our blessed Lord, however, drew nigh to them, and, in the most condescending manner, dispelled their fears, and went up to them into the vessel: and instantly the wind ceased; and they were transported in their boat, by miracle, to the very place where they had been enjoined to land. On many other occasions they were “amazed [Note: Mar_2:12.],” and “astonished with great astonishment [Note: Mar_5:42.],” yea, and beyond measure “astonished [Note: Mar_7:37.]:” but, on the present occasion, it is said they were “sore amazed within themselves beyond measure, and wondered.”
Now, we shall find it by no means an unprofitable subject for our consideration, if I shew you,
I. What we are to think of the astonishment here expressed—
I suppose that there are few amongst us who would not highly approve of it, as exactly suited to the occasion. For our Lord to come to them walking upon the sea, and in an instant to still the winds and waves, and to transport the ship, without any further effort on their part, to the desired haven, was beyond measure wonderful; and therefore we should be ready to commend the sensibility which they manifested, and the amazement which they expressed. But I am constrained to say, that their feelings on the occasion were altogether wrong; and that their astonishment, instead of being commendable, was highly criminal; since it was nothing but a compound of ignorance, and forgetfulness, and obduracy.
1. Of ignorance—
[They knew not who our Saviour was: they supposed him to be a mere man. Had they known him to be the God of heaven and earth, they would no more have wondered at his walking on the sea, or stilling the winds, than they would wonder at a man walking on dry land, and stopping a wheel which he himself had set in motion. He had indeed proclaimed himself to be God manifested in the flesh; and, by innumerable miracles, wrought in his own name and by his own power, he had proved himself to be so: but they believed him not, and could not conceive of him in his true and proper character as their incarnate God: and to this ignorance and unbelief our Lord traces the very feelings which they had shewn on a similar occasion: “How is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him [Note: Mar_4:40-41.]?” They “thought him to be only such an one as themselves [Note: Psa_50:21.];” and to that must be traced the excess of wonder which they expressed on this most interesting occasion.]
2. Of forgetfulness—
[Within the space of twelve hours from that time, they had seen his miracle of the loaves, in which they themselves had been the instruments of dispensing to five thousand men a few loaves and fishes. They themselves had seen the bread increasing in their own hands before their eyes, whilst they were in the very act of distributing it to the people; and, after having fed to the full the whole multitude, they had taken up in fragments probably ten or a dozen times more in quantity than there was at the beginning [Note: ver. 41–44.] Now, had they kept this in mind, they could never have been so surprised at his walking on the sea, or his stilling of the winds; which were, in fact, no greater miracles than that which they had so recently witnessed, and in which they themselves had borne such a distinguished part. Hence the Evangelist blames them for their conduct, and ascribes to their forgetfulness of the one miracle their astonishment at the other: “they were sore amazed, and wondered; for they considered not the miracle of the loaves.”]
3. Of obduracy—
[They had not been duly impressed with the miracle of the loaves. If they had felt as became them on that occasion, they would never have been filled with such overpowering astonishment on this. But they were in an insensible and obdurate state: and therefore the Evangelist says, “they wondered; for their heart was hardened.” in like manner, when, in the next chapter, our Lord bade them to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod,” and they understood him as giving directions only respecting bread, he said to them, “Have ye your heart yet hardened?” and then, calling to their remembrance two different seasons when he had fed immense multitudes with a few loaves, he repeated with anger that just reproof, “How is it that ye do not understand [Note: Mar_8:14-21.]?”
Thus, you perceive, if we analyze the Apostles’s feelings, instead of admiring them as suited to the occasion, we shall condemn them as altogether unworthy of their Christian character.]
For the regulation of our own conduct, let us learn from their astonishment,
II. What lessons it should teach us—
This is a subject which I consider as of very great importance to the Church of God. Were it a mere arbitrary construction of mine, it might be supposed that I carried the matter too far, and dealt too harshly with the Apostles in my censures of them. But the censure is passed by God himself: and by it he instructs us,
1. What is the proper measure of our expectations—
[We are apt, in our expectations from God, to take into consideration the difficulties that are to be surmounted, and our unworthiness of the blessing which we implore at his hands: and from these two considerations we are apt to doubt his effectual interposition in our behalf. But, instead of giving weight to such considerations as those, we ought rather to reflect on what God has done; and to make his past mercies the standard by which to regulate our future expectations. I need his power. And what proof has he given of its sufficiency for me? He has created the universe, and by one act of his power called it into existence. Then I take it as an unquestionable truth, that nothing is impossible with him, and that I can be in no state whatever in which he cannot afford me effectual relief [Note: Isa_40:28-29.]. I need also his grace. And what has he done that will give me any just idea of his grace? He has given his only dear Son out of his bosom, to assume my nature, and bear my sins, and, by the sacrifice of himself to restore me to his favour. Shall I then limit the extent of his grace to me in other matters? The Apostle says, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things [Note: Rom_8:32.]?” This argument is sound and conclusive; and precisely such as the Disciples should have used on the occasion before us: ‘We have seen within these few hours the stupendous miracle of the loaves; and, having seen that, we shall wonder at no other exercise of his power or grace that he shall be pleased to vouchsafe unto us; and least of all, when we consider that the loaves were multiplied for multitudes who had flocked to him from mere curiosity, shall we be astonished at any thing which he may do for us, his stated followers, and his chosen Disciples. Yes, brethren, we are to bear in mind what God has done, and from thence to conclude what he will do; and never to entertain a doubt but that his grace, in every possible point of view, whether as acting in us or exercised towards us, shall be sufficient for us.]
2. What is the proper expression of our gratitude—
[If God have shewn mercy to us of any kind, either in a way of providence or of grace, we are not to be wrapt in wonder, as though he had exceeded all that his proper character had taught us to expect. This would be a very unbecoming way of shewing our gratitude. Suppose a man of known piety and wealth were to relieve a poor family by bestowing on them a few shillings; and all the neighbours who heard of it were to be astonished beyond measure at this act of kindness; would their astonishment reflect any honour on the person so greatly lauded? Would it not shew, either that the persons did not know his character, or that, at least, they were ignorant of what true piety requires? If they knew the man, instead of being filled with wonder at this exercise of his benevolence, they would only say, He has acted like himself, and in a manner worthy of the high character he sustains. Thus, whatever we may receive from God, we must not be filled with wonder; but regard his mercies as a proof and evidence that He is what he has described himself to be, sovereign in the objects of his choice, and unbounded in the communications of his love. In admiration of his goodness we may abound as much as we will: indeed it is not possible to have our souls too deeply penetrated with admiring and adoring thoughts of God: the more we resemble the heavenly hosts in this respect, the better: they, both saints and angels, are all prostrate upon their faces before the throne of God, in profoundest adoration: and such should be our posture at the throne of grace, every day, and all the day long. In holy activity, too, there can be no excess: we may serve God with every faculty we possess, whether of body or soul. It is wonder only that must be excluded; because that is no better than a compound of ignorance, forgetfulness, and obduracy, and is therefore altogether unsuitable to express our unbounded obligations to Almighty God.]
Application—
1. Are any of you involved in trouble and perplexity? See in whom you have help—
[You, when proceeding in the path of duty, may meet with storms and tempests, even as the Apostles did, when prosecuting their appointed course; and you may labour both long and painfully in vain. But is therefore your condition hopeless? No: there is One who is both able and willing to save you, if only you call on him. He may appear to be far off: but he is near at hand, though you know him not; and the hour of your extremity shall be the time of his effectual interposition: yes, “He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.” But perhaps your difficulties appear insurmountable. They may be so to you; but “with Him all things are possible:” at His command the winds and waves shall be still; and all your troubles shall vanish in an instant. Be assured, that what he did for his Disciples of old, he will do for you at this day; and if only you commit your souls to him, you shall speedily be at the haven where you would be.]
2. Have any of you been delivered from trouble? Give to the Lord Jesus all the glory—
[You see how vain your own labours are; and that you may toil during your whole life in vain, if he come not to your aid. What could any of you have done to remove guilt from your consciences, or to mortify sin, and transform yourselves into the Divine image? To all eternity you would have laboured in vain to effect any one of these things. But Jesus, by his all-atoning blood, has expiated your guilt; and, by sprinkling that blood upon your consciences, has brought peace into your souls; and, by his all-powerful grace, has enabled you to overcome your spiritual enemies, and to fulfil the will of God. And, if it were allowed to us to wonder, you might well be amazed at what he has wrought for you. But in what he has done, he has only fulfilled his own office, and displayed his own proper character, as a Saviour. Give him, then, the glory of all that he has done; and “be his witnesses” to an ungodly world, that “he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him.”]