Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-04-08
GODS CALL.
Not Out of Our Ship, But to the Right
Side of 1t.

Not Out Of Our Ship. But to the Right
Side of 1t.
1t is cheering thought that these
fishermen of Galilee who, after night
of unrequited toll. heard in the morn
ing the call to cast the net on the other
side of the ship. in obeying that call
were changing their attitude, but not
their business. 1t was the same old
net in hand, to be cast with equal toll
as before; the same old fishers coats
about them; the same old fishing boat
beneath them; but new, sOul-engross-
ing purpose within them, which turned
their quick steps to the other side of
the ship, and nerved their jaded selves
to fresh endeavor.
If our life employ be honorable, it is
seldom that obedience to Gods call is
summons to change of life work. To
be sure, God sometimes finds Bun
yam, with curses on his lip and tink-
ers kit upon his back, and makes him
leave his curses and his kit by the road
side of his old life, and for Christ sake
enter new and untrodden avenue of
life work
God sometimes finds Cary, q cobbier,
and a good one at that, and makes him
fold his apron and lay aside his last, that
he may become a preacher OF righteous
ness and a pioneer missionary. But
doors of Providence like these swing
on heavy hinges and have massive
bolts, and ii is rare that angels are
commissioned to open them
The rule is that the life work, if it be
honorable, which has witnessed YOUR
defeat as self-soul is to witness your
victory us Christsoul. God does not
often give Peter permission to quit
the ship, and walk upon the waves
More often Peter takes it-and Iegins
to sink.
1t will be long step toward the re-
alization of faith when the world clear
ly discovers that the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus hangs
just over the so-called low callings OF
life, and that there is in LIES every
day vocation many dark continent,
the conguering of which for Christ 5
sake, and the flooding of which with
Christ's light, is employment noble
enough to excite the envy of angels.
Are you tradesman? Your counter
is your pulpit; and standing in your
pulpit you can preach to every living
creature whose life path crosses your
own, a gospel so noble, so lofty, so ro-
bust, that the mute eloquence of the
glad tidinSs YOU proclaim will prepare
the way Of the Lord in many heart
whose deepest concern for Sunday
sermon is that it shall be done before
twelve O'clock!
A carpenter" said Socrates, "wl.c
has made up his mind to be the fx..t
possible carpenter will win the wr,.a.a
of carpentering. though it be only II
shavings." 1t is the carpenters wreath
after all which becomes the carpenters
brow, and a carpei.ter decked in the
ivy wreath of the victorious wrestler,
or the jewel-studded diadem of prince,
would appear as grotesque as would
these fishermen casting the net in dress
suits! God calls lis to serve Him IN the
life-niche wherein He has placed us.
He calls us not ont of the ship, but to
the other side.
Hearing the call, let lis GO to our life
work, however humble, so it be honor
able, and master it for Christ. Let lis
put a premium upon what in it was
below par. Make our life CLEAN and
glow with Gospel light, remembering
that God calls us, not out of our life
ship, but to the right side of it!-Chi-
cdgo Adcance-