The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-01-19


righteous self-depreciation will be overpow-
erine,y strong. But never vet did Jesus,
never will He answer accedng:y the de-
spairing. desperate cry of a soul thus
searched and scorched by the sense OF the
contrast between himself and his Lord.
For He is come not to call the self-approv-
ing in their vain confidence, but sinners
in their penitence and humility to better
KNOWLEDGE of themselves and OF Him. lie
who could see where the fishes swarmed IN
their multitude in the hidden deep knew
also the innermost heart of His disciple,
and saw under all his frailty the tirmnesss
of his rocklike constancy and the tixity OF
his nascent faith. No man need expect
Christ to leave him because he knows hlnl-
self sinful. The moment when ne IS most
painfully and abasing!y conscious OF nls
weakness and inferiority is the instant IN
His disciples experience WREN Jesus -
surest to turn encourager and restorer OF
His own. When we are determined to say
the worst of ourselves He is busy ma king
the best of us. When we think. such -
our sense of 'unwortbiness. that He and
we must part company, then He is most
resolved never to leave nor to torsake us.
"Fear not" rings out His word Of cheer;
ssThis is the beginning Of richer '!te ana
wider service. Henceforth thou shalt eaten
men" For the knowledge of sell and the
distrust of self it arouses. and the knowi-
edge of Christ, with the confidence IN
Christ it awakens - these are the hrst
shoots OF spiritual growth and the nrst
foundation stones ir the editlce OF a o's-
ciple's usefulness. Spiritual sens't.Veness
is the condition OF ministerial enectlVe.
ness. 1t is the man who knows ne IS no'
fit to minister whom Christ can make So.
Therefore. when the boats with their
maryelou: freight of fish, had been brought
to land, did Jesus ask Of Peter ana ms
mariner that surrender of themselves TO
service. which involved the separating OF
themselves from every other interest ana
occupation to exclusive and continuous
companiopship with Christ. and 20 con-
slant work for others, under His dlree,
ton. Then and there, as one OF tour, aid
Simon Peter make that supreme renunr'a-
tion. which, because it was made at ms
own command. and was the manifestation,
of faith. and the proof of love, the . 1;ord
accented, and forever after blessed: Ihe9
forsook all and followed Him.; 1T was
sacrifice of conservation when only those
who have done the like are tit or compe'
tent to Judge. If we are ready to put our
selves in Peters place, to face the indeter-
inmate future as he faced it, that day: to
think of the kind of interest in his bus,-
ness man of such energy must have hao'
and the enthusiasm for his occupation as
fisherman which evidently, to TIM. last. ne
felt: if we are observed to note the latent
evidences in the gospel story that the busi'
mess hitherto bad hourjshed and pros
nered. so that Peter and his associates
dwelt in comfort, bordering on the edge,
az least. of competence, estimated by the
standards of that land, and age-then we
shall know what venture of faith and ex-
preston of confidence in his Lord Peter
made when he left all for Christ. giving up
the chance of future gains and binding
himself to the sacrifcial use OF present
possessions for the common good. IL IS
frequently said, disparag1ngiy, OF feterI
remuneration of the world and it's ,goo5;
ssTt was a little all that he 'eft, and
Peter has been criticised, for himself, re-
ferrine. at later day, to the sacrifice ne.
with Others. now maGe-"a boat, few
ness. dirty and o;d. an occupation esoe.
cialIv laborious and in some features OF It
repellant to men Of ordinary refinement
was what he left. we are told. Well! per
haps it was so: more likely it was other
w;se Rut; whether the "all" were little or
much. Peter left it: left it instantly. utter,
" and without regret. He. transferred
himself in profoundest faith and hveEest
rratitude to Jesus Christ and His service
Exclusively, forever. For Christs sake,
the works sake, the worlds sake: ne re-
nounced his former life and ambitions. to
give himself and all be had unreserVediv
to Jesus Christ And Christ welcomed;
applauded and has abundaptiy rewarded
the sacrifice. It is surrender not asked
Of every disciple, but in proportion as anv
d;sc;nie aporoximates. its spirit OF faith
and consecration, in that measure viii he
realize his completest spiritual! !life- 1t IS
sacrifice completer even than is asked or
every disciple called to an exclusive min
istry: but only to the degree that the MN
ister of Christ can detach himself from the
world, and its spirit of gain .getting, Will
his largest spiritual power and widest m
fiuence be realized. Here stands Peters
noble example of remuneration for Christ
sake, upon the pages of scripture, summon
ing ms all. from our vain seeking for ma
terial good AS the al of life; and from our
disposition to keep what we have gotten
as exclusively as our own. Chrlsts dlscl'
pies belong to Christ, and all they have y
His: whether they are called to use 1t all
in His more immediate service or not.
Let every servant of Jesus beware OF los
ish it. "For what is man prohted II re
shall gain the whole world and lost his
Surely the incentive to such sacrifices IS
not wanting in the light of Peters suose-
ouent career. On that later day, when the
rich Young ruler had gone away sorroowlng
because he had great possessions, and was
therefore unwilling to make the renunela,
tion. which, in his case. Jesus bad asked
to save him from the cancer OF avarice'
which was eating out his life. Simon Peter,
after the LORD had 6iscoprsed little on
the deceitfu]ness and h:ndrance OF riches
unduly loved. said 10, we have LETT our
own and followed Thee" Whereupon
Jesus replied. "Verily I say unto. you,
there is no man that hath left house. OF
wife. or brethren, OF parents. or children;
for the kingdom of Gods sake, who shaa
not receive manifold more in. this time;
and in the world to come eternal life.
And has not that promise been abundant
" fulfilled in Peters case? One THINKS
not so much of the eternal distinction that
has come to him in the veneration OF mu::-
tudes who think of him as the foremost
apostle of the church: nor OF a memorial
to his name so magnificent as that when
rears its lofty. graceful dome to the 10
man sky, but of the uufolded fnlness OF his
spiritual life as registered II his eplsties;
Of the influence he has exerted upon men
from the Pentecost onward: OF that necu-
liar efluence of heio and cheer which he
,@sSoV