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THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES.

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up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask Him, Who art Thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed Himself to His disciples, after that He was risen from the dead.

St. Peter and the sons of Zebedee had left their nets three years before to follow Christ, and did not take them up again during His ministry. But while they were waiting for Him now in Galilee, they went out again fishing, with four of their fellow disciples. All night they caught nothing, and in the morning light One stood upon the shore as if He wanted to buy, and asked whether they had caught anything. When they said No, He told them to cast on the right side of the ship. They did so, and found it so laden with fishes that they could not draw it up. Who first saw the hand of Christ in this? It was St. John, the beloved disciple. He said, 'It is the Lord.'

But if St. John knew his Master first, St. Peter was the first to go to Him. He could not bear to wait for the drawing up of the net and the bringing the boat to land. He put on his upper garment, girt it closely to him, leapt into the sea, swam or waded to the shore, and came to our Lord Jesus first.

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What did they find on reaching the shore? fresh wonder. There was a fire kindled on the shore, and a meal prepared for the weary hungry fishermen. The gracious Hand, that had so often fed them, had spread a table for them in the

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wilderness. Could they doubt whose Hand it was? No-though a change had passed over His risen body, they knew it was the Lord.

The Apostles must have looked back from this miraculous draught of fishes to the former one at the beginning of Christ's ministry. We too ought to look from one to the other, and compare the two miracles. Then, the disciples were only told to cast the net into the sea: now, they were told to cast it on the right side. Then, the net brake because it was so full of fishes: now, 'for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.' Then, the net was emptied into the ship: now, it was drawn to land. Then, the ships were ready to sink with their burden: but it was not so now. Then, nothing was said of the number of the fish or of their kind: now, the exact number is given-an hundred and fifty and three, all great fishes. The first miracle describes the Church Militant, the Church as we now see her, gathering in souls from the wide world. The second miracle tells of the Church Triumphant, after the resurrection, bringing them to the eternal shore.

John and Charles Mozley, Printers, Derby.

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