Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-11

A Learned and Coseiss Rsvis~ = ~
Lesson for October. ~, 4, ~At
0oLDBu TEXT -4cops - after me- -
I viii make you TO become fishers Of men
Mark /; II.
BY Galilee.
o Galilee, sweet GalIlee.
Whore Jesus loved so much TO be:
Gaiilee. sweet Galileo. 80 'r
Como sing thy song again 20 pe
How like song it presents itself---
this little Sea Of Tiberias! Rising
suddenly out OF the heart F6f
the hills, like a sigh or 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 ct 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 reflect both
blue sky and gray cloud. And what IN
the song OF old Gennesaret? 1t sings
of healing and helping hands, of feet
mighty to tread Gown its fury, but
beautiful to bring good tidings Of
peace; it echoes and re-echoes withstho
cry of evil spirits cast out, and whis-
pers soft, in the accents of one who
said, Peace, be STILL" and to his own.
1T is /, be not afraid" and to the null
titude, Come"
Sing them over again to me.
Wonderful words OF life.
"Tbe people pressed upon him.
This Is the same word used Of tho
tempest that LAY" or pressed upon
Paul and his fellow-mariners in the
midst of the storm-tossed Mediteran-
can ACTS "a: 20). 1t means resistless
eagerness, Importantly. The people
have always been anxious to hear
Jesus. It is also the same word, In the
original, as is found at Luke -: %,
whore the Jews were instant" they
this latter case it is the eagerness OF
spite and cruelty. Ofckle multitude.
Atone time crying, @Hosannal Blessed
Is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord" the next shouting hoarsely,.
"Crr city him, cruelty himl" And yet
how generously and considerably
Jesus receives the people. He knew
their curiosity. their cupidity, their
slack homage, but he did not disdain
them, or ignore them, or fee from
them. He stood by the Lake of Gem
nesaret," 1t is said, knowing al, look
ing them through and through; yet
there he was standing, ready to meet
them, and talk with them, and help
whom he could.
He saw two ships standing by the
lake" So probably did the Others,
but Jesus saw what others did not, an
opportunity here to preach the gospel,
a pulpit for its proclamation. 0, that
we had eyes for such things as had
Jesus. GOSPEL wagons. gospel tents,
gospel ships. The captain of our sal
walton himself set tha fashion. And
he entered into one of the, ships and
prayed Simon that he would thrust out
q 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 1t is
a holy thing. He takes you with him
and he says, looking at our car
nal and worldly mlsplacements,
Thrust out Just a lite" out
in your capacity as q fisher, q
merchant, carpenter Out with your
ship, your shop out little more in
the sight OF the people. Who knows
Feter 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 Il theirs sit
ting there on the enches Is not this
the import of the word at Acts 4: IA,
And beholding the man who was
healed standing with them, they could
say nothing against it?" They had
nothing to say!j
And now is he equal TO the next test?
Launch out into the deep, and let
down your nets for draught." just q
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 Dyes Of the Mas
ter: as 1t were. q hand stretched forth,
and now noble word of faith: Never
theless, at thy word will let down the
net" Ard now follows faiths reward:
when they had done this they en-
closed a great multitude OF fishes"
And their nets brake"-so did their
arms. They were not ready for such
a catch. We never are. Our faith Is
but weak at the best; Give Cod the
glory. They had to beckon to their
partners which were in tho other ship
that they should come and help them"
So bio ssing spreads. Just little re-
vival interest in one church, faith "a
touch his garments hem, and present
ly all the churches of the community
are Juggling at the full nets-some-
thing Tor all. (
II Z
$50 they began to sink" Well, new
err mind, let them sink. It Is not the
boats we care so much about it is the
fish we arc 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 and all; but the fish,
the fish. Get some fish to shore! And
now the greatest result Of all. Peter
on his knees, go also JAMES and John,
the sons of 2ebedee, (which were part
ners with Simon" Thev are partners
also in fealty to the Christ. There
they arc at his feet. 1t is b'unt, ost-
spoken ohm Mcneil who say, of this
great haul, Then Peter tumb cd into
the same not as the fish were in, and
the Lord got them ALL" And we hear
our Savior saying TO tboss who are his
now In very truth, For henceforth
thou shalt catch men," Verify, are
not We all a part Of that catch. II