Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-01-19

sell sinful Inc moment WHEN lie IN hoee
painfully and abasingly conscious OF his
weakness and inferiority is the instant in
His disciples experience when Jesus ls
surest to turn encourager 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 is
our sense Of unworthiness, that He and
we must part company, then He is most
resolved never to leave nor to torsake us.
Gear not" rings out His word OF cheer;
This is the beginning of richer life and
wider service. Henceforth thou shalt catch
men" For the knowledge of self and the
distrust of self it arouses, and the knowl'
edge of Christ, with the confidence IN
Christ it awakens - these are the iirst
shoots of spiritual growth and the first
foundation stones in the edifce of dis
ciple's usefulness. Spiritual sensitIveness
is the condition of ministerial effective.
ness. 1t is the man who knows he IS not
fit to minister whom Christ can make So
marvellous freight Of fish, had been brought
to land, did Jesus ask of Peter and his
partner that surrender of themselves to
service. which involved the separating OF
themselves from every other interest and
occupation to exclusive and continuous
companionship with Christ. and to con.
slant work for Others, under His direc,
ton, Then and there, as one OF four, did
Simon Peter make that supreme renuncia'
ton, which, because it was made at ms
own command. and was the manifestation
of faith, and the proof of love, the Lord
accented, and forever after blessed: "They
forsook all and followed Him." 1t was
sacrifice of conservation which only those
who have done the like are fit or compe'
tent to Judge. If we are ready to put our
selves in Peters place, to- face the 'ndeter'
inmate future as he faced it, that day; TO
think of the kind Of interest in his busii'
ness man of such energy must have mad.
and the enthusiasm for his occupation as
fisherman which evidently, to the last, he
felt; if we are observed to note the latent
evidences in the gospel story that the bust
ness hitherto bad fourished and pros.
pered, so that Peter and his associates
dwelt in comfort bordering on the edge,
at least. of competence, estimated by the
standards of that land and age-.then we
shall know what venture OF faith ana 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 sacri6cial use of present
possessions for the common good. 1t IL
frequently said, disparagingly, of Peters
remuneration of the world and its good;
at was little all that he left" and
Peter has been criticised, for himself, re-
ferring, at later day, to the sacrifice he.
with others, now made-"a boat few
nets, dirty and old, an occupation esSpce.
cially iaborious and in some features OF It
repeilant 10 men of ordinary refinement.
was what he left, we are told. Well! per-
hans it was so: more likely it was other.
wise, But whether the "all" were little or
much. Peter left it; left it instantly, utter.
" and without regret. He transferred
himself in profoundest faith and lveiest
gratitude to Jesus Christ and His service
exclusively, forever. For Chrlst's sake.
the works sake the worlds sake, he re-
nounced his former life and ambitions, to
to Jesus Christ And Christ welcomed:
anplauded and has abuudant'y rewarded
the sacrifice. II IS a surrender not asked
Of every disciple. but IN proportion as any
discjp,e apuroxmateS its spirit OF iMth
and conserra ton III that measure VIII ne
realize his completest spiritual lie II IS
sacrifice comp,eter even than Is asked ut
every disciple called to an exclusive MN
strv: but only to the degree that the MN
ster Of Christ can detGCh himself from 'NH
world and Its spirit OF gam getting, VIII
his arrest spiritual power and widest nv
Duonce be realized. Here stands Peter
noble example OF remuneration Tor tfrlSt
sake. upon the pages of scripture, summon
ing us al. from our VAN seeking ter ma
teral good as the all OF life; and from our
disposition 70 keep what we nave g2tlen
as exclusively q, onr Own I mrs, u"C:
r'eS belong 10 ,hnSt' ana al, theN N.Y. :,
HIS: whether they are ca''ea - uHe J, a.
in HIS more immediate service oI rDs'
Jet every servant o, Jesus beware ~ loS'
ing his HE IN the effort TO save ana nv
ISL it. For what Is a mar, p'onlrh " nv
shall GAIN the whole Woriu ana 'oSV HIS
sonl!'
Surely thc ,ncentiye 20 snrm saerln,TS
not wanting N tie hight ct ie'er sun.
Cuert career On that later ndy' Wnen wv.
rich young ru,"r mad gone away sorl9"l'H
because he had great possessions ana WAS
therefore unwIihrg to make the reh"ny'',
ton. which, IN his case, Jesus mad as
to save Mm from the cancer Oh ayS'.1y'
Which was eating ont hls ne. SIMON ielel'
niter the Lord had dIscoIrsed i!tte on
the deceltfuhcss and mndrdnce o, rlcheS
rndu,y loved said. 10, we nave Ieit our
own and followed Thee. Nheteunon
Jesus replied. "Ncnv say unto YOU,
tlcre is no man that hath lett hnuSe' OF
vile CT brethren, or parents. or chlIaren;,
far tire kingdom OF God sake, VINO shal'
Ut receive manifold more III lhIS unic;
AID has not that promise been ABUNDANT
!, fulfilled III Peters case oho th,uhs
not 30 much OF the eternal distlncuon lnaC