Yet the sight of the waves and the blast of the boisterous wind were too
much for him. I will tell you how I fancy it was; and I think there are
several instances of the same kind of thing in Peter's life. When he got
out of the boat, and found himself standing on the water, he began to think
much of himself for being able to do so, and fancy himself better and
greater than his companions, and an especial favourite of God above them.
Now, there is nothing that kills faith sooner than pride. The two are
directly against each other. The moment that Peter grew proud, and began
to think about himself instead of about his Master, he began to lose his
faith, and then he grew afraid, and then he began to sink--and that brought
him to his senses. Then he forgot himself and remembered his Master, and
then the hand of the Lord caught him, and the voice of the Lord gently
rebuked him for the smallness of his faith, asking, 'Wherefore didst thou
doubt?' I wonder if Peter was able to read his own heart sufficiently well
to answer that _wherefore_. I do not think it likely at this period of his
history. But God has immeasurable patience, and before he had done teaching
Peter, even in this life, he had made him know quite well that pride and
conceit were at the root of all his failures.
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