nger as theirs. No. It is the sense of duty,--the knowledge that they
are doing a good and a noble work in saving the lives of human beings and
the wealth of the nation,--the knowledge that they are in God's hands,
and that no real evil can happen to him who is doing right,--that to him
even death at his post is not a loss, but a gain. In short, faith in
God, more or less clear, is what gives those men their strong and quiet
courage. God grant that you and I, if ever we have dangerous work to do,
may get true courage from the same fountain of ghostly strength.

Now, St Peter's history is, I think, a special example of this. He was
naturally, it seems, a daring man,--a man of great brute courage. So far
so good; but he had to be taught, by severe lessons, that his brute
courage was not enough,--that he wanted spiritual courage, the courage
which came by faith, and that if that failed him, the brute courage would
fail too.

He throws himself into the lake, to walk upon the water to Christ; and as
soon as he is afraid he begins to sink. The Lord saves him, and tells
him why he had sank. Because he had doubted, his faith had failed him.
So he found out the weakness of courage without faith. Then, again, he
tells our Lord, "Though all men shall be offended of Thee, yet will I
never be offended. I am ready to go with Thee both into prison, and to
death." And shortly after, his mere animal courage breaks out again, and
does what little it can do, and little enough. He draws sword, single-
handed, on the soldiers in the garden, and cuts down a servant of the
high priest's, and perhaps would have flung his life away, desperately
and uselessly, had not our Lord restrained him. But when the fit of
excitement is past, his animal courage deserts him, and his moral courage
too, and he denies his Lord. So he found out that he was like too many,-
-full of bodily courage, perhaps, but morally weak. He had to undergo a
great change. He had to be converted by the Holy Spirit of God, and
strengthened by that Spirit, to have a boldness which no worldly courage
can give. Then, when he was strong himself, he was able to strengthen
his brethren. Then he was able, ignorant and unlearned man as he was, to
stand up before the high priests and rulers of his nation, and to say,
simply and firmly, without boasting, without defiance, "Whether it be
right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than