Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-01-21
\ CALL TO SERVICE.
Some Helpful Lessons from the Ex-
perience of Peter.
The Double Nature of the Call OF the
Apostle-sermOn by the ..High-
way and Byway"
Preacher.

thicaSo. January IN. 1896.
TeNt:-"Wherefore the rather brethren
give diligence TO make your calling and |
election sure: for III ye do these things. |
ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall |
be ministered unto YOU abun6antly into the |
everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and
saviour Jesus Christ.'-II. Peter, l:lO
and IL.
Advice of a Neteran.-The value of
| an admonition or a piece of advice is
measured by the character and the
experience of the one from whom
such admonition or advice emanates.
| The old soldier who has been long in
the service is qualified to speak of mat
ters pertaining to the calling to which
he has devoted his life. He fully APP
preciates its dignity. he understands
its hardships and dangers. and in the
school of experience he has learned
faithfulness to its responsibilities
The story of his life is n living com
mentary on the advice which he gives;
1t Eliminates the thought and the les
son he would drive home. AS Won
| travel back over the milestones in his
| life you can read the ,etterings which
| spell out the advice he has given. Take
away the identity of the speaker and,
| though the thoughts expressed are
| recognized as self-evident truths, still
| half of their force is lost. Advice
without an experience behind il is
| like picture without a background
The coloring may be vivid and the fig
ure perfect in outline, but if the deeper
shades of the artists brush have been
| left out the effect of the painting is
ITO n vsGy great extent lost. Precept
| and example 90 hand in hand and to
| separate the Two is to do violence to
| both and To mar the individual beauty
OF each and destroy their harmonious
blending.
| Gods word is an exquisite dovet all
ing of precept and example, of eternal
truth and living expression of ( that
truth in the lives of those whose his
tory fills the sacred pages. David's
Psalms are illuminated by the expert
ences in his life which gave them birth
The teachings of Christ are reen-
forced and explained by His match
less life. His sacrificial death. His
triumphant resurrection and His
glorious ascension. The epistles of
Paul and the other apostles take on
new meaning and force as we read
them through the lives lived by their
authors. 10 is fascinating study TO
discover the experiences in the life
of Pani>or n Peter which have re-
veaId to their hearts some wonderful
spiritual trRth and to which they give
| expression their letters. Their let
tors help to1 fill out the fragmentary
account WHICH Gods Word gives to
us of their Wives, and on the other
hand the incidents in their lives which
| God has been pleased to preserve for
our edifcation are wonderful lenses
through which TO obtain a clearer and
better view of the truths to which
they have given expression.
Our text throbs with the deepest
experiences in the life of Peter. When
this aged veteran of the cross of Jesus
Christ penned its words, he was living
over again for you and for me Incl
dents which had stirred his impulsive
soul 10 its utmost depths. The silver
lining 10 the cloud of his denial which
came between his Lord and himself
! shlnes forth in our text with rare
| beauty as we hear the reinstated dis
| ciple pleading with his brethren in the
1alth to give diligence to make their
calling and election sure. The palace
OF the high priest. the questioning
damsel. the black lie and foul oath.
the reproachful look of his fettered
and soldier-guarded Lord, and his wall
OF heart anguish on the darkness of
the night air, all come crowdinp ON
| memory's canvas as he earnestly
| points out in the preceding verses the
safe and shining way along which
| there could be no such stumbling and
"A N
ence. for he says, eff We do these
| things, We shall never fall" And then
| he hears again the words of Jesus:
Feed My lambs. Tend My sheen.
Follow Me-" and he feels anew the
emotion that swelled in his soul that
| morning before Galilee's lake as he
realized that Jesus was swinging wide
the doors of His Kingdom 10 him and
| giving him abundant entrance TO the
| place from which he felt his denial
had shut him out forever. And with
| the stirring OF his soul. his faithful
| hand writes 10 you and to me that
IAN entrance shall be ministercd INTO
| you abundantly into the everlasting
! Kingdom Of our Lord and saviour.
| Jesus Christ" Our text issues NOT
from the bare, narrow walls of the
cloistcr OF a monastery. but il echoes
with the footsteps Of Peter as he
walked the streets Of Jerusalem on
| that dreadful night, as he went with
| fearful heart to the tomb on rcsur-
rection morning, and as he stood in
the presence Of His risen Lord and
received His rebuke and His forgive
ness. Surely we may wen sit in Pc
ter's school and learn the true mean
ing Of the call go service in the King
dom Of Jesus Christi
Tho CAN TO Scrvice.---Tt came ,o
Peter away back in the early days Of
Jesus ministry, when he met Him
and heard His words: Follow Me e,
IL comes 10 every soul as it meets
Jesus and Tie quicGiy calls: Follow