Peter's?
God and Christ cannot change, for they are eternal--the same
yesterday, to-day, and for ever; and if Christ was near St. Peter on
the lake of Gennesaret, he is near us now, and here; for in him we
live and move and have our being; and he is about our path, and about
our bed, and spieth out all our ways: near us for ever, whether we
know it or not. And human nature cannot change. There is in us the
same heart as there was in St. Peter, for evil and for good. When
St. Peter found suddenly that it was the Lord who was in his boat,
his first feeling was one of fear: 'Depart from me for I am a sinful
man, O Lord.' And when we recollect at moments that God is close to
us, watching all we do, all we say, yea, all we think, are we not
afraid, for the moment at least? Do we not feel the thought of God's
presence a burden? Do we never long to hide from God?--to forget God
again, and cry in our hearts: 'Depart from me; for I am a sinful
man, O Lord'?
God grant to us all, that after that first feeling of dread and awe
is over, we may go on, as St. Peter went on, to the better feelings
of admiration, loyalty, worship and say at last, as St. Peter said
afterwards, when the Lord asked him if he too would leave him:
'Lord, to whom shall we go? for thou hast the words of eternal life.
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