The Port Gibson reveille., 1905-01-19


contrast between himself and his Lord.
For He is come not to call the sef-approv-
ing in their vain confidence. but sinners
in their penitence and humility 10 better
KNOWLEDGE Of themselves and Of Him. He
who could see where the fishes swarmed in
their multitude IN the hidden deep knew
also tAe inDermost heart Of His disciple.
and saw under All his frailty the hrmness
Of bis rOcklike c0nstancy and the hxity OF
his nascent faith. No man need eSnect
Christ to leave him because he knows HIM
self sinful The moment when he Is most
painfully and abasinR.y conscious of hs
weakness and inferioritv Is the instant ~
His disciples experience when Jesus -
snrest to turn encOuraeer and restorer OF
His own. When we are determined to say
the worst Of ourselves He Is busy making
the hest Of us. When we think. such =
our sense of unworthiness. that fle and
we must part company, then lie y most
resolved never to leave nor 20 iorsake iis.
"Fear not" rings ont His word Of cheer.
"This is thesbeginning Of richer life md
wider service Henceforth thou shalt catch
men." For the knowledge Of self and the
distrust Of self IL arouses. and the know
edge Of Christ. with the confidence IN
Christ II awakens - these are the hrst
shoots os spiritual growth and the brst
foundation stones in the edifice OF dis
GIUlr = uttIUiHtrrs lFlNAAAhA
is the condition OF ministerial effective
ness. It Is the man who knows he is not
fit to minister whom Christ can make 20.
Therefore. when the boats with their
marvellous freight Of fish, bad been brought
to land, did Jesus ask OF Peter and his
mariner that surrender Of themselves 70
service. which involved the separating Of
themselves from every other interest ana
occupation TO exclusive and continuous
a =. - nv,I -
slant work for others. under Ills direc-
ton. Then and there. as one OF four did
Simon Peter make that supreme renuncia-
tion. which. hccarse it was made at MS
own command. and was the manifestation
OF faith. and the proof of iOve. the Lord
accented. and forever after blessed: "Ihey
forso0k all and followed Him." lt was a
sacrifice Of conservation which only those
who have done the like ere tt or compe'
tent to judge. III We are ready to nut oar
selves in Peters place. to face the indeter-
inmate future rs he faced it, that day: to
think of the kind Of interest IN his hus,-
ness q man of such energv must have had,
and the enthusiasm FOR his occupation as
fisherman which evidently, to the last. ne
felt. IL we arc observed to note the latent
evidences in the gospel story that the busi-
ness hitherto had fourished and pros
pered, so that Peter and his associates
UWPH IN f0NnIOfNs UUtANltUH VII
at least Of cOrlnetence, estimated by the
stardards Of that land and age--then we
shall know what venture ~ taith and cN-
preston os confidence in his Lord Peter
made when he let al for Christ. giving I'M
the chance of future rains and binding
himself to the sqerifeial nse OF present
nossessious for tie common good. u :
freauentlv said. disparaqng,y, ot Peter ;
remuneration of the world and IT'S good;
"It was little al that he 'eit :. and
Peter has been criticised, Tor himself re-
ferrinQ at later dav. to the sacrifice he.
with others. now mane-"a boat. few
nets. dirty and Cd. an occuDation esue-
ciallv iaborious and in some features o. lt
reDe,lant to men OF ordinary retirement.
was what he left we ara tod. Well! ner-
hans IL was so: more like'~ it was other
wise. Rut whether the ca were little or
much. pete~ left it: eft it instantly, utter,
" and without regret. We transferred
bimscf IN profoundest faith and livehcst
gratitude To Iesps Christ ard His service
e~elusivelv forever. For Christs sake,
the worl-'s sake. the worlds sake. he re-
nounced his former life and ambitions. -
oive himspf end al he had Unreservediv
to Jesus Christ. And Christ welcomed.
anplauded and hos abundant.y rewarded
the sacrifice. 1t is a surrender not asked
of every disciple. but in proportion rs any
disciple cporoxmates its spirit o. iaitl
and consccration. in chat measure VII he
realize his comuletast spiritual Iite II ,s
sacrifice comn,cter even than is esked oi
everv Iiscipie called to IN exclusive MN
istrv: but only TO the degree tnat the m'u-
istcr Of Christ can detach himself from the
world and its spirit Of gain rett'ec. VIII
his largest spiritual power ard widest ~
fuonce he realized. Here sta~cs Peters
noble examnle OF renunciation Tor Chrlsts
sake. upon the paees o. scriptnre. cunmon-
i1q us all. from our vain seeking Tor ma
teria rood as the all Of life; and iron our
to keep what We have. go.ten
a. exclusively as our own. Christa dlsc''
Mes belong 20 Christ. and al they have y
His: whether they are called 70 use IL an
in His more immediate service or rot.
Let every servant of Jesus beware OF los
ING lis life in the effort to cave and cher
ish II ''For what is a man pro tied II ne
shall gain the whole worll and lost ms
soul?"
Surely the incentive to such sacrifices II
not wanting in the light OF Pcsers suoSa-
ouent career. On that later day, when the
rich Young ruler had gone away sorrowins
because he had great possessiors' ana wa
therefore unwilling to make the renuncla,
ton. which. in his case. Jesus bad asked
20 save lin from the cancer OF ayarice,
which was eating ont his life, Simon Peter,
after the Lord had discourscd lite on
the deceitfulness and hindrancc q riches
undu.v loved. said. so, we have ieft our
own and followed Thee" Whereupo1
Jesus replied, "Verily I Say unto you,
there is no man that hath LETT house. OF
wife cr brethren, or parents. OF ehhoreh;
for the l,inc6om of Gods sake, who sha
At receive manifold more in this timei
and IN the world to come eternal lltc.
And has not that promise been aoundanc
II fulfilled in Peters ccses One thinks
not 20 much cf the eternal Ci.tnctlon that
has come to him in the veneration OF mu..
tudes who think of him as the foremost
apostle Of the church: nor Of 2 nem9r'2l
to bis name so magnificent IS that WilSn
rcars its lofty, graceful dome = thc 10
man sl,v. hut Of the unfolded fulness ol his
cDiritual life as registered n eis eplst.e5i
Of the influence he has e-eTteo rpon men
from the Pentecost onward: a that necu'
liar efluence OF hc,D end cheer which ne
ever has exhaled through his individual
nee1 for rainful discipline and his equally
realization Of E purified ana
ennobled character, grown strong and lux
uriant out OF the very soil of its many IN
6rmitiee. Surely the remuneration OF Sr
mon Peter was not in vain. either Tor nim-
self or for the world. What tnat ittie
life Of his might have remained to be. OF
deteriorated 10 become, in its narrow Sy.
rian round, il he had refused the call ol
Christ. who can adequately say But the
imagined contract between what he would
then have been and what he now Is sui-
ices to move Us tn the swifs acceptance
Of every proposal Christ makes to rs, and
the speedy answer to every call OF His for
ourselves aud our service. at whatever
nresent cost that answer must bc.given.
Seeing Christ.