The Newtown bee., 1898-08-12

SERMON BY REV j. B. KETTLE OF
GREENFIELD HILL, PREACHED SUNDAY
EVENING, JULY 10, 1898.
Text, John 81 3, "simon Peter saith unto
them go fishing. they say unto him, we al
so come with thee"
When Jesus first rose from the dead
He sent word to his disc iples to go into
Galilee and there await his coming. The
| disciples at the time to which our text
| refers were waiting in Galilee for the
appearance of their Master. What must
have been their anxiety 10 see him who
few days before was dead and appar-
emily lost to them forever but who was
now alive and would soon be with them.
Their conversation turned to the expert
ences of the last few days, the crucifix-
ion and the events associated with it,
their own personal relations with Jesus.
| They tried to wait with patience, but at
the best waiting is disagreeable task, it
| is trial to even the best Of men, Rev
John MacNeil says any fool can kick aud
\ buster but it takes strong man to wait.
The soldier in the battlefield finds wait
ing the hardest part of his task, to see
| the enemy coming nearer aud nearer
| with firm step and flashing bayonet, at
times discharging shot and shell, and
| yet to wait that is task that tries the
| endurance of the bravest of soldiers.
Something Of the hardship Of waiting
fell to the disciples as they looked for
the coming of Jesus. The disciples
| were near the sea. Most of them had
spent years of their lives in that region.
The memories Of the past were fresh in
| their minds. It was hard for the impul-
| sive, restless Peter, with all the scenes
OF his former life as fisherman before
him, to be idle long, and at length he
| said, ~ 60 a fisning," and the others
equally as anxious to be doing some
thing replied "we also come with thee.'
There are waiting times for US all in
life, when the duty OF the hour is to hold
back the impulse of the moment and SIM
ply but heroically 30 wait. Fortunately
is he who while he waits has something
| with which to occupy his hand AND
mind. [ am sure if life has much mead
ing to US there comes a time when we
say with Peter II go a fishing" Most
people consider fishing as an outing for
pleasure, form of recreation, but it is
the most serious business of life. He is
indeed something less than man who
never bats his hook and goes fishing
God pity the man who glides down the
stream of life and makes no effort to
catch fish. All real earnest folk are fish
ermen, and are always trying to catch
the good fish around them.
IL catching fish great deal depends
upon
\ THE PURPOSE WE HAVE IN FISHING.
I have seen people fish, who were
much more concerned over their lunch
con than their fishing tackle. They ar
rived late on the fishing grounds, avoided
! as far as possible all exposures and hard
ships. They laughed and joked as they
| threw their hooks into the water. They
had good time, but they caught very
few fish. / have seen others fab. They
realize that the morning hours were the
| best for fishing. The made sure of their
| bait and fishing tackle, went early and
| went prepared to meet all SORTS of wealth
er and emergencies. Those who will
make unnecessary noise or hesitate be-
'ore difficulties were not allowed to 60.
They made business of fishing and re-
| turned at night with fine string of fish.
1t is always interesting to hear an old
fisherman relate his experiences. 1t
was my good fortune to meet on one of
our Atlantic coast steamers, some time
ago, a man who made fishing the BUSH
ness of his life. At first found it hard
to get him to say very much but after q
time as we had become better acquainted
he began to tell of the successes, and
failures of his work, the difficulties and
dangers of fisherman's life, of times
when he fished for days and caught moth
ing, of heavy seas in an open boat with
the pillows mountain high and the waves
like demons in their rage, when it SEEM
ed every moment as though the boat
would be swamped. He told of times
when the boats were capsized, and he |
and his companions In the face OF bitter |
cold winds were forced to hold on to the |
icy bottom of their boat with their very
finger tips, their clothes frozen stiff and |!
their bodies chilled to the bone. With |
this fisherman, catching fish was no rec /
reation, it was hard work, and he sue
ceeded only by determined purpose.
The world ID q sea full of fish. You and
1 are the fishermen. What we catch
will be determined quite largely by the
purpose we have In fishing.
IF ron DESIRE PLEASURE
you will avoid IS FAR as possible, stormy 1