The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-03-25
SUNDAY WAS AN
INTERESTING DAY
First Baptist Church Crowded Sunday
Morning and Evening to Hear
Evangelist Mcconnell
Preach.
LAST WORDS OF JESUS
Way to Prove Love for Christ Is to
Open Your Heart and Receive
His Sweet Benedicton-
Music Feature.


ing and evening at the First Baptist
church yesterday and the main audi
forum and Sunday school room was
crowded to hear this great evangelist.
II may truly be said that DR.. McCon-
nell is one of the finest speakers ever
heard in revival work and those who
have not taken advantage of this OPP
portunity to listen to him have de-
priyed themselves of great blessing.
The following is an extract from Dr..
McConnelrs morning service:
invite your attention to text we
should pay great attention to. We
are always supposed to pay a great
deal of attention to the last words Of
a friend, and while the words of this
text are not the words of Jesus be-
fore He died, they are His words af-
ter He died, after He had lain in the
tomb and been resurrected. The
disciples, before they knew Jesus had
been resurrected went down to the
lake to fish and Jesus appeared on
the lake shore and gave them COM
mandment He had dinner on the
shore ready for them.
so when they had dined, Jesus
sayeth to Simon Peter, Simon, son OF
Jonas, lowest thou me more than
these? He saith unto Him, Yea,
Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.
He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith unto him again the second
time, Simon. son of Jonas, lowest
thou me? He saith unto him, Yea,
Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.
He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time,
Simon, son of Jonas, lowest thou me?
! Peter was grieved because he said I'M
to him the third time, lowest thou me
And ne said unto him, Lord, thou
knoWest all things; thou knowest that
love thee. Jesus saith unto him,
Feed my sheep"
Why did Jesus say three times to
Peter Lowest thou me?" | think lie
general idea is that Peter had denied
Jesus three times just before this
and it was meet that he should avow
bis love for Jesus three times. This
may have something to do with it,
but am convinced there is deeper
reason for this three-fold question.
Peter loved Jesus as genuinely as
any disciple Jesus had take no
stock in the Interpretation of Peters
conduct that makes him out coward
and a knave. The fact is, he didn't
understand and Jesus knew he didn't.
He had said to him Before the cock
crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice. >
Peter was SO full Of Jealous courage
mat when the mob attacked Jesus in
the Garden, Peter seized a sword and
whacked fellows ear off. Jesus
undid what he had done: He healed
the ear Peter had severed. Peter
was confused; he did not know what
'c do The rest of the disciples turn.
ed and ran and Peter ran after them
but he never lost sight of Jesus. He
watched where they took Him; he
crowded in closer than anyone else
SO ne could keep his eye on Jesus
someone accused him of being one
OF the followers of Jesus, but he de
MED 1t, because he did not want to
ne thrust out Of the temple. Peter
had been fisherman and it is easy
lor fisherman to lie. Someone else
made the same accusation and again
Peter denied 1t. Again, some one
SAD His speech betrays him. and
refer, rather than be thrust out of the
temple, began to swear and then ii
was that he heard the sound Jesus
hsd foretold. He heard the cock
crow Then Jesus turned and looked
at him and when Peter saw that look
Ne went out and threw himself on the
ground and wept bitterly. He was
conscious of the fact that he had
gone astray. have no power to ex
press that agony that tore Peters
heart out yonder in the dark. What
must have been his feelings as he
heard the bowling of the mob that
look his Lord to the hill of Calvary
what must have been the feeling in
me heart of this man who loved
Jesus?
He got back with the disciples