The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-15
DR. STUART HEARD
 BY LARGE NUMBER OF TRAVELLING MEN
Minister Said 'Drummers Used to Be Considered Rough Characters, But Now They Are Clean
 Business Men

for them.
 { ''What a blessing it would be to the pulpit if we could wash the starch out of it. said pr. Stuart as he opened his
 discourse. eve used to think of the drummer in connection with flask O. whisky and some rough stories ana con sidered him a pretty tough character hut now you find in him clean business man. and they are spreading the good things of this world over the land, aid ing in many causes in just such man. ner that no other class of men could do.
 Taking his text from Luke, V; io-ll: "Henceforth they shalt catch men; "They forsake all and follow him"
 Dr. Stuart said:
 Jesus lad met his forerunner, John the Baptist, on the shore Of the Jordan. He had received water baptism at the hands of this young prophet of God. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove had rested upon him, and the voice from heaven had proclaimed him the Son of God.
 TWO of this little fishing company, as disciples of John, were present and wit messed this wonderful scene. The next day they followed the Master and spent part of the day with him. They hurriedly brought Peter, the other member of this fishing party, Jesus looking upon him and seeing the wonderful elements in him, changed his name and called him rock.
 ALONE WITH GOD
 aAfter this interview with the three members of this little fishing party, He
 retired to the wilderness. spent sea son alone with God, returned to Nazar- eth, his old home and preached in the synagogue. Rejected by his home people, He came to Capernaum, sought the. house of this great fisherman, whom He had met and called a rock. He found Peter 8 mother-in-law sick with fever, restored
 her to health, enjoyed the hospitality of the home. In addition to his miracle He
 gave the group that gathered about him
 the wonderful message of life, ana
 walked down toward the sea. The in- habitants of Capernaum who had heard of his miracles and had heard wonderful
 words from his lips, followed HNn in throngs to the seaside. Peter, who was the host, welcomed Him to his boat.
 which Jesus used as his pulpit from which to preach to the great throng on the shore. At the close of the wonderful sermon He said to Peter and Andrew: Row out into the sea and we will catch some fish
 "CATCH MEN"
 "He directed the journey, halted the ship at the spot, directed them to let down their nets and marvellous sur prise They dropped { 1t in school ot fish, and as they lifted it they had more fish than their vessel would hold. They called their companions from another ship, and both ships were filled almost to the sinking point, and went dipping to the shore. Jesus turned to Peter and said in the language of my text: From henceforth thou shalt catch men, Fol low me-. Peter forsook all and followed him.
 we have here the crisis in a man s life, turning from lifetime business,
 the breaking of every former relation in business and social life, the entering upon a new programme. Note that 1his change comes at significant hour of his life. He had just witnessed the greatest success in his secular business. He had made the largest drive ever re-
 corded in tho history of fishing on tho
 blue sea. He had made this success in the presence of hundreds of people, and
 had secured the finest business adver- tisement of his life.
 OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS
 He had made the friendship and formed an alliance with a most marvel ous character, a man who could direct his ship, and tell exactly where to drop the not to capture school of fish. With this man as director, and with his skill
 to drive them on the sea. here was an combination ever effected on the sea of Galilee. Think of the firm, Jesus, who could locate the exact place to drop the net; Peter and Andrew, who were the most skillful fishers upon the sea; here is q chance for a partnership to corner on the business. stock the market and make the business success Of lfe In
 the face of this marvellous business op- portunity. Jesus asked him to beach his boat, drop his net leave all in the hands of servants without even marketing this
 wonderful catch, and follow Him into this new and untried field of fishing for men l without money, friends, organization or any visible equipmentx for success ex- oept the author of the wonderful words which were spoken from the prov of his vessel an hour ago. Wonderful crisis!
 The strange man! Wonderful doctrine! A doctrine preached from the prov of the fisherman's boat, reversing with a single message the trend of human thought, and human action, for hundreds of years. Here on this Gali1ean shore is born the aitruism which has revolution
 ized the march of the earth The altruism that puts man above business, char acter above money, eternity above time, the salvation of an immortal soul above the accumulation of wealth, the kingdom of the Master above the world.