_And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon Him to hear the
Word of God_
THE GOSPEL AND THE MASSES
What could have been the wonderful secret power by which the great
Prophet of Galilee drew all men after Him?
1. One simple and very intelligent element in it was the way in which
he reco... [ Continue Reading ]
_And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon Him to hear the
Word of God_
THE GOSPEL AND THE MASSES
What could have been the wonderful secret power by which the great
Prophet of Galilee drew all men after Him?
1. One simple and very intelligent element in it was the way in which
he reco... [ Continue Reading ]
_Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught_
OUT OF THE DEEP
I. RECALL THE HISTORIC EVENT.
1. It is not work that tries men and women, half as much as it is the
disappointment which unsuccess brings.
2. The best and only real recreation which any soul can find is that
which c... [ Continue Reading ]
_Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:
nevertheless, at Thy word--_
OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD OF CHRIST
How very much may simple obedience partake of the sublime l Peter here
appeals, quite naturally, to one of the grandest principles which rule
among intelligent beings, and to... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when they had thus done, they enclosed a great multitude of
fishes, and the net brake_
THE DESPONDING ENCOURAGED
I. IS DISCHARGING THE DUTIES OF LIFE OUR BEST ENDEAVOURS MAY APPEAR
FRUITLESS. Always discouraging to toil without success: in learning,
business, religion. Our failures often aris... [ Continue Reading ]
_When Simon Peter saw it he fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart
from me_
WHAT IT WAS THAT PETER SAW
To understand the action and the words of Simon Peter, we must know
what it was that he saw.
The place was the shore of the Lake of Galilee, and the time was early
in the first year of the ministry... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men_
FISHING FOR MEN
To be good fishermen we must be--
I. ARDENTLY ENAMOURED OF THE FISHING.
II. INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED WITH THE FISHES. In following the analogy,
we may observe that, because of his acquaintance with the fishes, the
fisherman knows--
1.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when they had thus done, they enclosed a great multitude of
fishes, and the net brake_
THE DESPONDING ENCOURAGED
I. IS DISCHARGING THE DUTIES OF LIFE OUR BEST ENDEAVOURS MAY APPEAR
FRUITLESS. Always discouraging to toil without success: in learning,
business, religion. Our failures often aris... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold a man full of leprosy_
THE LEPER CLEANSED
I. LEPROSY AFFORDS A STRIKING REPRESENTATION OF THE CHARACTER AND
CONSEQUENCE OF SIN.
1. This spiritual leprosy has rendered all our race unclean in the
sight of God and in the judgment of His holy law.
(1) It shuts us out from His presence,
(2)... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold a man full of leprosy_
THE LEPER CLEANSED
I. LEPROSY AFFORDS A STRIKING REPRESENTATION OF THE CHARACTER AND
CONSEQUENCE OF SIN.
1. This spiritual leprosy has rendered all our race unclean in the
sight of God and in the judgment of His holy law.
(1) It shuts us out from His presence,
(2)... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness and prayed_
JESUS PRAYING
What were the special reasons which led our Lord at this time to go
away for prayer.
I. THE NEED OF INWARD REFRESHMENT OF WHICH HE MUST HAVE BEEN
CONSCIOUS.
1. Christ was full of the truest, tenderest sympathy.
2. His sympat... [ Continue Reading ]
_A man which was taken with a palsy_
CARRIED BY FOUR
I. THERE ARE CASES WHICH WILL NEED THE AID OF A LITTLE BAND OF WORKERS
BEFORE THEY WILL BE FULLY SAVED. Yonder is a householder as yet
unsaved: his wife has prayed for him long; her prayers are yet
unanswered. Good wife, God has blessed thee with... [ Continue Reading ]
_And saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom_
A PUBLICAN
Publican was the name given to an _employe _of low degree, whose duty
it was to get in the tribute money.
He was the agent of the farmers-general, great personages who lived by
their depredations, after the publicans th... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Levi made Him a great feast in his own house_
LEVI’S FEAST
Text shows our Lord a guest at a great feast at which a company of
publicans and others sat down with Him.
Our Lord’s example applicable to us all. That which Christ did
always, His servants cannot be justified if they never do--the... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the scribes and Pharisees murmur_
THE FRIEND OF SINNERS
We cannot wonder at the scribes and Pharisees asking this question.
I think that we should most of us ask it now, if we saw the Lord Jesus
going out of His way to eat and drink with publicans and sinners. Make
merry with them He could no... [ Continue Reading ]
_They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick_
THE SOUL’S MALADY AND CURE
The occasion of the words is set down in the context; Levi was called
from the receipt of custom (he was a customhouse man), but Christ
called him, and there went out power with the word, “he left all,
ro... [ Continue Reading ]
_I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance_
THE SIN HEALER
This conduct of Christ was not official or symbolic.
It was His feeling as very God that led Him to this course. It opened
to the world the very Divine nature. A disposition to heal men of sin
is a greater manifestation... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they said unto Him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and
make prayers?_
CHRISTIAN MUTUAL TOLERANCE
The whole passage illustrates the breadth and tolerance of our
Lord’s teaching. He is claiming for His disciples that their
spiritual life be left to unfold itself naturally, that they be... [ Continue Reading ]
_No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old_
THE PATCHED GARMENT
We appreciate easily the offensiveness of what is incongruous.
It is fatal alike to beauty, to symmetry, and to effectiveness. A
sparrow is not as beautiful as a bird of Paradise, yet the little
brown bird is a pleasant sigh... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from
them_
DUTIES ARE NOT TO BE PRESSED INDISCRIMINATELY ON ALL PERSONS AND AT
ALL TIMES
Our Lord makes fasting a duty, but, nevertheless, He excuses the
children of the bridechamber while the bridegroom was with them, and
then gives,... [ Continue Reading ]