him and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a 44 " And he preached in the draught. synagogues of Galilee. d Mark i. 23.-| Or, Away.-e ver. 41.-f Ps. xvi. 10. Dan. ix. 24. ch. 1. 35.-g Mat. viii. 14. Mark i. 29.-h 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have Mat. viii. 16. Mark i. 32.-i Mark i. 34; & iil. 11.- toiled all the night, and have Mark i. 25, 34. ver. 34, 35.- Or, to say that they knew him to be Christ.- Mark i. 35.-m Mark i. 39. See § XXIX. Matthew VIII. 14-17. And § XXX. Matthew VIII. 28-34. CLXVI. CHAP. V. 1—11. Christ teacheth the people out of Peter's ship: in a miraculous taking of fishes,sheweth how he will make him and his partners fishers of men. AND it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. C a Mat. iv. 18. Mark i. 16.-b John xxi 6.-c 2 Sam. vi. iv. 20; & xix. 27. Mark i. 18. ch. xviii. 28. 9. 1 Kings xvii. 18-d Mat. iv. 19. Mark i. 17.-e Mat. READER. -The people pressed upon him to hear the word of God.-As the sun, in his first rising, draws all eyes to it, so did this sun of righteousness, when he first shone forth into the world. His miraculous cures drew patients, his divine doctrine drew auditors, both together drew the admiring multitude by troops after him. And why do we not still follow thee, O Saviour, through deserts and mountains, over land and seas, that we may be both healed and taught? It was thy word that when thou wert lift up, thou wouldest draw all men unto thee. Behold, thou art lift up long since, both to the tree of shame, and to the throne of heavenly glory! "Draw us, and we shall run after thee." Thy word is still the same, though proclaimed by men; thy virtue is still the same, though exercised upon the spirits of men. O give us to hunger after both, that by both our souls may be satisfied! Our Saviour did not check the unreverend thronging of the people, but rather encourages their forwardness. We cannot offend thee, O God, with the importunity of our desires. It likes thee well, that the kingdom of heaven should suffer violence. Our slackness doth ever displease thee, never our vehemency. -HALL. He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake ; but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.-Even those nets that caught nothing must be washed, no less than if they had sped well. The night's toil doth not excuse the day's work. Little did Simon think of leaving those nets which he so carefully washed; and now Christ interrupts him with the favour and blessing of his gracious presence. Labour in our calling, how homely soever, makes us capable of divine benediction.HALL. And he entered into one of the ships, &c.-The throng of auditors forced Christ to leave the shore, and to make Peter's ship his pulpit. Never were there such nets cast out of that fisher-boat before. While he was upon the land he healed sick bodies by his touch; now that he is upon the sea, he cured sick souls by his doctrine; and is purposely severed from the multitude, that he may unite them to him.-HALL. no sooner. And when he had left speaking, he saith unto Simon, launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.-Simon hath done this service to Christ, than Christ is preparing for his reward.— It had been as easy for our Saviour to have brought the fish to Peter's ship, close to the shore; yet as choosing rather to have the ship carried to the shoal of fish, he bids "Launch forth into the deep." In his miracles he loves ever to meet nature in her bounds; and when she hath done her best, to supply the rest by his overruling power.-HALL. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all night, and i have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.-The night was the fittest time for the hopes of their trade: not unjustly might Simon misdoubt his speed by day, when he had worn out the night in unprofitable labour. Sometimes God crosseth the fairest of our expectations, and gives a blessing to those times and means whereof we despair. That pains cannot be cast away which we resolve to lose for Christ. O God, how many do I see casting out their nets in the great lake of the world, which in the whole night of their life have caught nothing! "O ye sons of men, how long will ye love vanity, and follow after lies?" Yet, if we have thus vainly misspent the time of our darkness, let us, at the command of Christ, cast out our new-washen nets; and our humble and penitent obedience shall come home laden with blessings.-HALL. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.-What a difference there is betwixt our own voluntary acts, and those that are done by command; not more in the grounds of them than in the issue. Those are ofttimes fruitless; these are ever successful. Never man threw out his net at the word of his Saviour, and drew it back empty. Who would not obey thee, O Christ, since thou dost so bountifully requite our weakest services ! It was not mere retribution that was intended in this event, but in struction also: this act was not without a mystery. He that should be made a fisher of men shall, in this draught, foresee his success. "The kingdom of heaven is like a draw-net cast into the sea, which, when it is. full, men draw to land." The very first draught that Peter made, after the complement of his apostleship, enclosed no less than three thousand souls. O powerful Gospel, that can fetch sinful men out of the depths of natural corruption! O happy souls, that, from the blind and muddy cells of our wicked nature, are drawn forth to the glorious liberty of the sons of God !-HALL. And they beckoned unto their partners, &c.-Wherefore hath God given us partners, but that we should beckon to them for aid on necessary occasions? Neither doth Simon slacken his hand because he had assistants. What shall we say to those lazy fishers who can set others to the drag while themselves look on at ease, caring only to feed themselves with the fish, not willing to wet their hands with the net? What shall we say to this excess of gain? The nets brake, the ships sink with their burden. O happy complaint of too large a capture! O Saviour, if those apostolic vessels of the first rigging were thus overlaid, ours float and totter with a ballasted lightness. Thou, who art no less present in these ships of ours, lade them with an equal fraught of converted souls, and let us praise thee for their sinking!-HALL. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, 0 Lord. It had been pity the honest fisherman should have been taken at his word. O Simon, thy Saviour is come into thine own ship to call thee, to call others by thee unto blessedness; and dost thou say, Lord, go from me? As, if the patient should say to the physician, Depart from me, for I am sick! It was the voice of astonishment, not of dislike; the voice of humility, not of discontentment: yea, because thou art a sinful man, therefore hath thy Saviour need to come to thee, to stay with thee; and because thou art humble in the acknowledgment of thy sinfulness, therefore Christ delights to abide with thee, and will call thee to abide with him. No man ever fared the worse for abasing himself to his God. Christ hath left many a soul for forward and unkind usage: never any for the disparagement of itself, and entreaties of humility.-HALL. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not.-O my soul, be not weary of complaining of thine own wretchedness; disgrace thyself to him who knows thy vileness; be astonished at those mercies which have shamed thine ill deservings. The Saviour hath no power to go away from a prostrate heart. He that resists the proud, heartens the lowly. Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.-Lo, this humility is rewarded with an apostleship. What had the earth evermore glorious than a legacy from heaven? He that bade Christ go from him, shall have the honour to go first on this happy errand. This was a trade that Simon had no skill of it could not but be enough to him that Christ said, "I will make thee;" the miracle shewed him able to make good his word. He that hath power to command the fishes to be taken, can easily enable the hands to take them. The world is a sea; souls, like fishes, swim at liberty in the deep; the nets of wholesome doctrine draw up some to the shore of grace and glory. "Who is sufficient for these things?" This sea, these nets, the fishers, the fish, the vessels, are all thine, O God; do what thou wilt in us and by us! Give us ability and grace to take; give men will and grace to be taken; and take thou glory by what thou hast given.-HALL. HYMN. Be with me, Lord, where'er I go, Prevent me, lest I harbour pride, Lest I in my own strength confide; Shew me my weakness; let me see, I have my power, my all, from thee. O may I ne'er my silence break, Unless inspir'd by thee to speak; Then let such power attend my word, That all who hear may seek the Lord. Assist and teach me how to pray, § CLXVII. CHAP. V. 12—17. Christ cleanseth the leper; prayeth in the wilderness. 12 ¶And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy : who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst "make me clean. 13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will : be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. 14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, "according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them: 15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 16 ¶And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. 17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every men 18 And behold, brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21" And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? " Who |