Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

230 ST. MATTHEW.
new want of grace, and new necessity for prayer.
It is of great advantage to a Christian, for God to
make him sensible, from time to time, of his natural
weakness and inability, that he may still have re-
course to his Saviour. Temptation in the elect
serves to awake their faith. Not one moment passes,
but we have occasion to say, '' Lord, save me."
** 31. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his
hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou
of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Here are a fifth and sixth miracle : Jesus holds
Peter up in the midst of the water; and knows the
bottom of his heart. Let us take great care that
we do not, like St. Peter, consider more the danger
in which we are, than the power of Christ : such a
piece of infidelity would make us deserve to be left
entirely to ourselves. His word is our light; his
hand, our strength. He permits his elect to fall,
only in order to humble them ; and by raising them
up, to increase their faith and gratitude.
" 32. And when they were come into the ship,
the wind ceased."
This is a seventh miracle. As soon as ever
Christ enters into a heart, the wind of temptation,
vanity, and uneasiness, ceases to disturb it. St.
John mentions an eighth miracle on this occasion,
(chap. vi. 2L) wherever Christ is, there is rest.
The ship represents the church, which is the house
of faith, of peace, and of God himself, but continu-
ally subject to be tossed to and fro in this
Command the winds which toss it to cease,
world.
O my
God : for thou hast full and absolute power over
them.