The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-10-12
Lesson for October II.

Lesson for October II.
GOLDEN TEXT -"Come ye after me. md
will make you TO become fishers OF men "
Mark 1; II.
BY Galilee.
O Galilee, sweet Galilee.
Where Jesus loved so much to be;
o Galilee, sweet Galilee.
Come sing thy song again TO me-
How like song it presents itself
this little Sea of Tiberiasl Rising
suddenly out of the heart OF
the hills, like sigh or a song OF
| the heart; fed from unseen or half
seen sources, like the hid fountains
of emotion in the soul, now gently lap
ing the sand at our feet, now bolster
Gus with waves like changing moods OF
the spirit of mankind, spreading wide
to catch the warm sunshine or be tossed
by the wind, mirror to reject both
blue sky and gray cloud. And what is
the song of old Gennesaret? 1t sings
of healing and helping hands, of feet
mighty to tread down its fury, but
beautiful to bring good tidings of
peace; it echoes and re-echoes with the
cry of evil spirits cast out, and whis-
/ pers soft, in the accents OF one who
/ said, Peace, be still, and to his own,
ut is /, be not afraid, and to the mu,-
| titude, Come"
Sing them over again to me.
Wonderful words of life.
"Tbe people pressed upon him
! This is the same word used Of the
tempest that lay" or pressed. upon
| Paul and his fellow mariners in the
midst of the storm-tossed Mediteran-
can Acts y: 20). 1t means resistless
eagerness, Importantly. The people
have always been anxious to hear
| Jesus. 1t is also the same word, in the
original, as is found at Luke %: %,
where the Jews were instant" t ey
/ pressed upon with loud voices" In
! this latter case it is the eagerness of
spite and cruelty. Ofickle multitude.
HE saw two ships standing b. the
lake" So probably did the others,
/ but Jesus saw what others did not, an
opportunity here to preach the gospel,
pulpit for its proclamation. q, that
we had eyes for such things as had
Jesus. GOSPEL wagons. gospel tents,
gospel ships. The captain of our sal
walton himself set us the fashion. And
he entered into one OF the ships and
prayed Simon that he would thrust out
little from the land" So he comes
into our crafts. our occupations. He
enters into this ship of yours to sane
tify and transfgure it; henceforth it IS
a holy thing He takes you with him
and he says, looking at our car
nal and worldly misplacements,
Thrust out Just little, out
in your capacity as fisher,
merchant, a carpenter. Out with your
ship, your shop out little more in
the sight of the people. Who knows
but that was Peters first real test But
Peter was equal to it by the power Of
God he did not finch. Out In the eyes
Of his neighbors and friends he pulled
his boat and there in the ship he sat,
Peter and his Master, while the Mas
ter taught the multitude. Yes, and
how much powerful teaching for them
there was in that dutiful bending TO
the oars, that neighbor # theirs sit
ting there on the tenches Is not this
the import of the word at Acts 4: H.,
And beholding the man who was
healed standing with them, they could
say nothing against it," They had
nothing to say.
And now is he equal to the next test?
Launch out into the deep, and let
! down your nets for draught. Just
! little wavering at the first: Master,
we have toiled all the night and have
! taken nothing" A moments trem-
bling doubt; Peters feet are slipping.
Then a look into the eyes of the Mas
ter; as it were. a hand stretched forth,
and now noble word of faith: Never
theless, at thy word will let down the
net" And now follows faiths reward:
when they had done this they en-
closed great multitude of fishes"
And their nets brake"-so did til cir
arms. They were not ready for s. CHI
I 4al, fnft
but weak at the best; Give God the
glory They had to beckon to their
partners which were in the other ship
that they should come and help them.
So be ssing spreads. Just little re-
vival interest in one church, faith
touch his garments hem, and present
" all the churches OF the community
are Juggling at the full nets-some-
thing Tor all.
$50 they began to sink" Well, new
er mind, let them sink. 1t is not tho
boats we care so much about: it is the
fish we are after The ships can be
gotten into trim shape later: just ow,
get the fish to land. Would to God
there might be some such comparison
in our fine shipping to-day, clean nets
soiled and breaking, stout, hand ONE
boats nigh to sinking. Let them GO
under, upholstery ana all; but the hSh,
the fish. Get some fish to shore! And
now the greatest result of all Peter
on his knees, so also James and John,
the sons of Zebedee, (which were part
ners with Simon. They are partners
also in fealty TO the Christ. There
they are at his feet. 1t is blunt, out
spoken John Mcneil who says of this
great haul, Then Peter tumb'ed into
the same net as the fish were in, and
the Lord got them all" And we hear
our Savior saying to those who are his
now in very truth, For henceforth.
thou shalt catch men," Verify, are
not we all part of that CATCH" IL
so, let us prove it, as did the disciples
here when they forsook all, and fol-
lowed him."
Throw the gospel seine: 60 fishing.
1t is your opportunity; here stands
Christ by the seaside, in your boat, it
may be. 1t is for you to say, Lord
will