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.
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