The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-10-25
ST. PETER s EXAMPLE
Pev. Or. Talmage Speaks on
Making Trials a Blessing
Why the Apostle After the crueiiiN''n
Desired 70 Co A-fshing--t Was
His Return 90 Daily Duties
and Youthful Habits.


spiritual blessings if. instead of giving
way to hopeless depression, we sho"
fortitude by the faithful performance Of
our daily duties is the teaching of this
sermon. The text is John xxi 8, 81 80
a-hshlng"
A great tragedy seems to associate
itself with the scene in which 1t took
place. If we witness a railroad COLI
sion or O carriage accident or o. tragic
death Of any kind we cannot pass the
nlace IN which it occurred without have
ing the sad event recalled to the mem-
ory Especially IS this the case when
the tragedy Involved the death of one
we loved. II you lived I'm another part
Of the country. would you not at once
want to 90 home and stay among 'A-
home scenes and try to blot ont tle
hideous spectacle which you had nceA
COMPELLED 70 witnossi Wen, that is
inst what Peter and some Of the dis
c.Y'es did after Jesus was laid away
in f.o tomb COME" they cried 30
esch other. let us get away from this
cruel city of Jerusalem. Let us go back
20 Caluee. near where we were born
and where we lived when the dear
7 ord called us 90 leave OUT nets and
teeome fishers Of men," So they pack
ed I'D their belongings and started
north for the Zebulon hills They tun
oI their backs upon the great walled
I'm capital and the temple and sought
tbe scenes Of their childhood and of
their early communion with Christ
Methints I can see them now walk
inr along The sun was shining just
as BRIGHT then as during some of the
walks they had taken with him. The
birds were singing just as sweety. It
was the spriugtime. All the flowers
were IN fun bloom-the Wild flowers
which Jesus so loved. The sheep were
pasturing upon many hills. The grass
WINS green and soft AS the weary
travellers rested for the lunch hour u
did seem as though nature cared not
whether its Creator was living or dead.
Oh their hearts were so crushed and
beeduc' Tie farther they got away
from Calvary the more their grief
seemed TO bow them down. The hard
est times of sorrow DO not come dur
inr the hours OF the funeral but after
ward. Then the house IS so lonely
the arms so empty, the loved voices so
strl. Everywhere the pilgrims went
they could see bis dear face and hear
him speaking. Christ a score Of times
had Travelled with them over this same
road and rested by these same springs.
When they reach home the same un-
utterable grief abides with them. They
fry TO cheer each other up. but 1t is no
use. One afternoon toward evening as
the sun was sinking I'm the west these
disciples are again gathered together
TO talk over the past. ! hear the rough
brusque. impulsive Peter speak up. lie
saws. "Alen. ] cannot stand this any
longer. Every time think of his
trial and death l hear myself denying
him. Then / see that sweet face turn-
Cd in pity upon me-. as when the cock
crew twice. I must do something to
rouse myself out of these recollections
of the past Tn go a-fshing." With
that Peter starts 90 find his OLD boat
and his nets. And AN the other disci-
ples say. 1--WE also go with thee"
They descend the hills 20 the pebbled
beach. They got ont the old oars.
They an the bottom Of the boat with
the nets. on they pull As ] see that
boat going farther and farther away
from shore I see Christ the loving
Christ watching his dear disciples.
They cannot see him, but be sees them.
Some practical gospel truths arise n
my mind as I think Of the impu.sive
words Of this most human of ali the
apostles when he said. 81 20 atshine.
and the other disciples answered we
also 20 with thee"
Peter starting for the nets ON The
sea Of Galiloe. shows. in the first place.
the never ending grip the habits of
early youth take upon our minds and
hearts What we Learn before fifteen
years Of age we seldom forget You
have often heard Of old people coming
10 their second childhood. This means
that when the hair Is white and the
step lndrm an aged man may forget
what he did IN his twenties and thIr-
ties and IN his middle life. but DEE rare
liz forgets what he did as little child.
lie may forget HIS wife and children
but. as rule. he never forgets bis
mother and father and brothers aud
sisters. IL is no unusual sight TO hear
an old man calling bis SONS and daugh.
tiers by the names of bis brothers and
sisters and p'aiutively talking TO DIS
wife as though he were q little child
addressing his mother The places an
old man dreams about most are the
scenes Of his early boyhood. the brook
which ran through hts fathers mend
ow lan0s. the ola schoOlhouse where he
studied his primer, his old trmdlo
bed the nuts he used 70 crack and tha
red apples DE used % eat on winter
evenings before the cracking logs of
the old family lre>lde
Mr. Moody emphasized this truth in
another way He said: "The older
grow the harder IL IS for me 90 learn
Scripture. As O preacher I ann cone
tinually committing to memory new
Bible texts and chapters. yet very
soon forget them But the Scripture
verses which ] learned at my mothers
knee / have never forgotten. THE ies
sons which she taught me are more
and more wildly recalled by my mind
Therefore Il is very important that
PARENTS train ND their children Alright