Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-03-14
The DRAuGHT OF FISHES.
LESSON XII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH t6.
rrxt of the Lesson Luke v, 1-tt-Com-
NIT Verses s-I1-Golden Text. Luke V,
1O-Comme ntary by the Rev. ID.
NJ. StedTns.

!. "The people pressed upon Him TO hear
the Word of Go1.n Our last lesson left Him
on His tour through Galilce preaching the |
Cios,ol OF the kingdom and healing all man
ncr n sic kness and ell manner of disease |
among the people Matt. iv. D. We now |
find Him again by the sea Of Gnlilee or, Us |
it is in our lesson the lake Of Gennesaret, |
and probably at or near Capernaum, where
Peter lived. Most Of our Lords public life
was spent in thosneighborhood of this sea.
,. And saw two boats standing by the
lake but the fishermen wero gone out of
them, and were washing their nets. Two
or three of these fishermen had already been
with Jesus some time had seen His miracles
and beard His words, yet Ind not wholly
left their calling 20 follow Him.
3. "IIc sat down and taught the people out
Of the boat Having stepped into Simon's
boat He mecklv asks him to push out lit
tic from the land. aud sitting down, lie from
the boat teaches the people as they stand, an
eagerly attentive crowd, upon the shore.
1. "Hr said unto Simon, Launch out into
the deep and let down your nets for a
drnught.n Simon having kindly given the
use Of his boat. jesus viii now reward him
for it and teach him at tho same time many
things. Simon had for q little season cheer
for His work, and now this gracious Lord
and Master is about to give special attention
to Smon's work. No one ever suffered loss
bv giving attention 10 the special work of
Christ, bat multitudcs have been blessed for
time and eternity by obevin2 Matt. Vi, 30. #
yo 500 to His work He will see to Ill urncCds
better far than we could.
). Master, We have toiled all the night
and have taken nothing" So replied Simon
confessing their unava,ing toll and their
present need.
6. "And when they had this done, they III
closed a great multitude Of fishes, ard their
nets brake Whether it be great fish to
swallow Jonah, or smaller fish to bring a
piece of money, or multitudcs Of fish TO fill
these nets all are obcdent to Him who Great
ed them. and who also created Adam and
said unto him, Have dominion over the fish
of the sea-
l. They came and filed both the ships, so
that they began to sink" We are tod in tie
tenth verse that jana, and John were part
ncrs with Simon, and finding that he had
moro fish than he could manag', he called his
partners aud they found fish enough to FIJI
both the boats 10 overiiowing. Our Lord
Jesus loves to havo empty vessels, AMI rot n
few. that he may fill them. When the woman
with the POI Of oil began TO pour into the
empty vessels thc oil kept coming till every
vessel was filed. Whom Jesus fed the thou
sands they did all CT and were filed.
s depart from me, for ! am sinful
man, O Lord" This is the language Of Simon
| Peter. as seeing this great miracle he real
i;os somewhat in whose presence he stands,
and falls at Jesus knees with those words.
! This i. part Of The emp:yng process; deep
O.. Of II
SIGHT Il was So With dob. Isaiah. Daniel
| and john (5ob xiii, > q, lsa Vi >; Dan. Y. :;
! Rev i, II; and until il becomes SO with us.
| there is no prospect Of our being Iiu"h used
! OF God. Observe that the name used all
through this lesson, except IN this verse, is
not the new name, "Ccphas,' or Peter
! John j, ~, but the OLD name, indicating tic
natural man, simon, and in o"dcr TO serv-
/ ice for Christ there must be t!e constant and
persistent reckoning dead, putting OF, NOR
. tifyiug OF the Old maa with his deeds, and
| the putting on Of the uCw. that the HE of
Jesus may he manifested in these mortal
bodies Rom. vi. 6, Ii; viii, l.; Eph. iv.
22-3i; II Cor, ir. H.
o. Tor hc was astoni-hcd, and all that
were with hjm" Tie Revised Version says
that he was amazed. s. Saul OF Iarsus. when
convinced Of h, sin OH the way to Damascus
"trcmblingund Gst mi shod, said. Lord what
WIZ 4h'u nave me 10 uDf We put lor'h o"l
best eHort' IN M''t approved -asmon' ana
apor uhweariinglN Tor Inc salNa'loh OF souls
ana Tor the qulckeninS OF pelcVers, but no"
often "e nave to confess us 10 the result
nothing In some uniiNt-E way, an" per
maps through some "c4N oAl empty vessel
tae ',pN'lt OF TOD WorNs ana we al stau'
a,tonlShcd. Ol' wisdom Is coniodnded, oui
plans upset an i becomes 9.9r!2Hs'y mani
icHt that TINS IS tho hhnl OF God II We
would see the Won4ers Of ms grace, we mus
wat only upon HIM.
10. And Jesus SAID unto Simon, Fcal
not. men c2nNictcl OF siti We IAN at Je
sus ieet IA oar hciplcN'nesi and miwortaireSs
lhch 1t Is tha' we near -1ls II ear not, Oh
when we, All Unworthy, are Wiling t. baNts
selS Tor ms service tD>n. :, ~ ~; Rev. !, Il
Luxe l. IL, #h. l. Is only inc "i.linl and re
baillou' who have cause TO fear or the prou'
ana nard OF heart for thcy Shai! be broker
ana Brought down. ana Eado TO know tha
tine Most lllgh doeth according TO Lis WA
BON III heaven ana ON .Eftii, ana tuoae TIA
walk II pride he Is abe TO ahase dan. ",
Bu' from iAe ir'' 'tcaH not n Tie ~ ~
(Gon. Ky, j down 10 tho list IN Revelation