THE SEKMOtf. 127 



been utterly destitute. We need not exclude this explana- 

 tion. We may believe that it was part of the purpose of 

 our gracious and compassionate Lord, to supply the bodily 

 wants of His followers, to provide fire to warm them, and 

 food to satisfy them. But there is too much reason for 

 regarding the miraculous draught of fishes, like every other 

 miracle of our Lord's, as designed to serve for a parable, to 

 allow of our being content with an interpretation of the 

 text which would strip it of all figure, and reduce it to a 

 mere evidence of the tender consideration of Christ for the 

 bodily wants of His people. 



"There is another explanation which may suggest itself, 

 and which makes the whole transaction refer especially to 

 St. Peter. It would certainly seem as if one great object of 

 this manifestation of Christ, had been the publicly restoring 

 to the Apostleship the disciple who had so shamefully 

 denied Him, but whose repentance had been as bitter as his 

 offence had been flagrant. So soon as the dinner was over, 

 Christ addressed Peter with the question, f Simon, son of 

 Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?' And when 

 Peter had replied, ' Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love 

 thee,' Christ said unto him, ( Feed my lambs.' This 

 was, as it were, the reinvesting Peter with the pastoral 

 office, of which he might justly be thought to have stripped 

 himself when he basely, and with an oath, declared that 

 he belonged not to Christ. But Peter denied his Master 

 thrice ; and thrice did Christ now propose the same ques- 



