The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-02-08

surest 10 turn ~encourager and restorer N1
HS own. When We are determined to say
the worst of ourselves He is busy making
the hest Of rs. When We think, such ls
our sense of unworthiness. that He and
we must part company, then He Is m5se
resolved never 20 leave nor to torsake Us.
Fear not" rings out His word OF cheer;
"This is the beginning of richer HE and
wider service. Heneeforth 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 trst
shoots 0; spiritual growth and the hrsS
foundation stones in the ediice Of a ois-
ciple's usefulness. Spiritual sensit,veness
is the condition OF ministerial effective,
ness. 1t is the man who knows he Is not
st to minister whom Christ can make So.
Therefore. when the boats with their
marvellous freight OF fish, had been brought
to land. did Jesus ask Of Peter nj ms
mariner that surrender OF themselves TO
service. which involved the separating OF
themselves from every other interest ana
occupation to exclusive and continuous
companionship with Christ. and 20 con-
slant work Tor others, under HIS dlrec,
ton. Then and there. as one OF Jour, dld
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 alter blessed: "lheV
forsook all and followed Him" 1t was a
sacrifice OF conservation which only those
who nave done the like are fit or compe'
tent to Judge. II we are ready TO put our.
selves in Peters place, to face the lndeter
inmate future as he faced it. that nay: TO
think OF the kind Of interest IN his 5nS,,-
ness a man of such energy must have nad,
" --llz-. -. he noa,1ToatINn az
fisherman which evidently, to tine last: ne
felt: il we are observed to note the latent
evidences in the gospel story that the busl'
ness hitherto had hourished and pros
pered. 80 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 a venture OF faith and eA-
preston of confidence in his Lord feter
made when ne left all for Christ. giving up
the chance OF future gains and oinclng
himself to the sacrificial use Of present
possessions Tor the common good. it IS
frequently said. disparagingly.. OF Peters
remuneration of the world and it's good;
1T was a little all that he eft" and
Peter has been criticised, for himself. re-
ferring. at a later day. to the sacrifice he,
with others. row rnade--"a boat. a rev
nets. dirtv and old. an occupation esDe.
ciallv laborious and in some features OF It
repellaut 10 men of ordinary refinement
was what he left. we are told. Well! ner.
hans It was so: more likelv it was other.
wise. But whether the "all" were little or
much. Peter left it: eft it instantly, utter,
w and without regret. He transferred
himself in profoundest faith and hve!l?sst
gratitude to Jesus Christ and HIS service
Exclusively, forever. For Christ's sake,
the works sake, the worlds sake. he re-
pourred his former life and ambitions TO
give himself and all he had unreservediY
to .Jesns Christ. And Christ welcomed;
aDplauded and has abundant.y rewarded
the sacrifice. 1t is a surrender not asked
Of every disciple. hut in proportion as any
disciple approximates its spirit OF ialth
and conservation in that measure viii. ne
realize his completest spiritual lie. 1t is a
sacrifice completer even than is asked OF
every disciple called to an exclusive MN
istry: but only to the degree that the MN
lister OF Christ can detach himself from the
world. and it's spirit OF gain getting. VIII
his largest spiritual power and widest IN
fuence be realized. Here stands feters
noble example. Of remuneration for Chrlsts
sake. upon the pages of scripture. summon
ing us all. from our vain seeking Tor ma
terial good as the all Of life; and from our
disposition to keep what we have gotten
as exclusively as our own. ChristS d'sct
nles belong to Christ, and all they have is
His: whether they are called to use it all
in His more immediate service or rot
Let every servant OF Jesus beware OF los
ing his life in the effort to save and cher
ish it. For what is a man prohted II NJ
shall gain the whole world and lost hs
soul?" -.
Surely the incentive to snch sacrifices ls
not wanting in the light of Peters subse
ouent career. On that later day, when the
rich young ruler had gone away sorrow1nG
because he had great possessions, and was
therefore unwilling to make the renuDcla,,
ton, which, in his case. Jesus had ASKED
to save him from the cancer OF avarlce,
which was eating ont his life. Simon Peter.
after the Lord had discoursed a little on
the deceitfulness and hindrance OF riches
unduly loved. said. 10, we have left our
own and followed Thee" Whereuron
Jesus replied, Verify I say unto you,
there is no man that hath left house. or
| wife. or brethren, or parents. or children:
for the kingdom OF Gods sake, who shall
not receive manifold more in this time,
and in the world to come eternal hte.'
| 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 mul
tudes who think of him as the toremost
| apostle of the church: nor of a memorial
| to his. name so magnificent as that which
rears its lofty, graceful dome to the 10
| man skv, hut oil the unfo'ded ~fulness OF his
| spiritual lie as registered in his episties:
| of the influence he has exerted upon men
| from the Pentecost onward: Of that pecu
| liar efHuence of help and cheer which he
ever has exhaled through his .individrai
need for painful discipline and his eG1ualiy,
triumphant realization of a purified and
| ennobled character, grown strong and INK
| uriant out of the very soil of its many in
frmities. Surely the remuneration of s.
| mon Peter was not in vain. either for him
| self or for the world. What that. little
| life of his might have remained to be, OF
| deteriorated to become, in its narrow Sy:
| rian round. if he had refused the call OF
Christ, who can adequately say? But the
| imagined contrast between what he would
| then have been and what he now is sui
fees to move us to the swift acceptance
of every proposal Christ makes to MS, and
the speedy answer to every call of His fol
| ourselves and our service, at whatever
| present cost that answer must be given,