The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-27

Los Angeles, Cal, October 2O-That the heaviest sorrows and trials of life may be transformed into the greatest spiritual business if, instead of giving way to hopeless depression, We show fortitude by the faithful performance of our daily duties is the teaching of this sermon. The text is John xxi. 5, T go a-fshing.e
 great tragedy seems to associate itself with the scene in which it took place. If we witness a railroad colli- sion or carriage accident or tragic death of any kind we cannot pass the place in which it occurred without hav- ing the sad event recalled to the mem ory. Especially is this the case when the tragedy involved the death of one we loved. If you live in another part of the country, would you not at once want to go home and stay among the home scenes and try to blot out the hideous spectacle which you had been compelled to witness? Well, that is just what Peter and some of the dis ciples did after Jesus was laid away In the tomb. Come" they cried\ 10 each other; ..let us get away from this cruel city of Jerusalem. Let us go back to Galilee, near where we were born and where we lived when the dear Lord called us to leave our nets and become fishers of men," So they pack ed up their belongings and started north for the Zebulon hills- They turn ed their backs upon the great walled in capital and the temple and sought the scenes of their childh ood and Of their early communion with Christ.
 Methinks I can see them now walk ing 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 sweetly. It was the springtime. All the flowers were in full bloom-the wild flowers which Jesus so loved. The sheep were pasturing upon many hills- The grass was green and soft. As the weary travellers rested for the lunch hour 1t did seem as though nature cared not whether it's Creator was living or dead. Oh, their hearts were so crushed and bleedingl The farther they got away from Calvary the more their grief seemed to bow them down. The bard est times of sorrow do not come dur ing the hours of the funeral, but after ward. Everywhere the pilgrims went they could see his 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.
 Peters First Impulse.
 When they reach home the same un- utterable grief abides with them. They try to cheer each other up. but it is no use. One afternoon toward evening, as the sun was sinking in the west these disciples are again gathered together to talk over the past. I hear the rough, brusque, impulsive Peter speak up. He says. Men. I cannot stand this any longer. Every time I think of His trial and death I hear myself denying Him. Then 1 see that sweet face turned in ynitu yrla In -px4Y twice. I must do something to rouse my self out of these recollections of the past. I'll go a-fishing." With that Peter starts to find his old boat and his nets. And all the other disciples say, We also go with thee"
 They descend the hills to the pebbed beach. They get out the old oars. They fill the bottom of the boat with the nets. Off they pull. AS I see that boat going farther and farther away from shore see Christ, the loving Christ, watching His dear disciples. They cannot see Him, but He sees them. Some practical gospel truths arise in my mind I think of the impulsive words of this most human or all the apostles when he said. g"I go a-fshing,' and the other disicples an swered, We also go with thee."
 Peter, starting for the nets on the Sea of Galilee. shows, in the first place, tho never-ending grip the habits of early youth take upon our minds and hearts. What we learn before 15 years of age we seldom forget You have often heard of old people coming to their second child hood This means that when the hair is white and the step infirm an aged man may forget what he did in ilis tWenties and thirties and in his middle life, but he rarely forgets what he did as a little child. He may forget his wife and chil- dren, but as a rule he never forgets his mother and father and brothers and sis ters. It is no unusual sight to hear an old man calling his sons and daughters by the names of his brothers and sisters and plaintvely talking to his wife as though he were a 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 his fathers meadow lands. the old school house where he studied his primer. his old trundle bed, the nuts he used to crack and the red apples he used to eat on win ter evenings before the cracking logs of the old family flresde.
 Mr. Moody emphasized this truth in another way. He said: The older I grow the harder 1t is for me to learn scripture As preacher I am continually commit ting to memory new Bible texts and chap ters, yet I very soon forget them. But the scripture verses which I learned at mothers knee I have never forgotten The lessons which she taught me are more and more vividly recalled by my mind. Therefore it is very important that pa- rents train up their children arght for God They should early get them in the habit of going to church and to Sunday school They should teach them the beau tiful stories of the Bible. They should instill in them the duties of helping those