(143-147) ZION’S been thanking our heavenly Father and you over and over again (nor do I consider it a vain repetition) for those helpful. solicitous word. I am so rejoiced to believe that the Lord is directing your mind to the upbuilding of the “little flock,’ and we are getting in each issue of the Tower just what each mdivulual cese requires. T read with pleasure and profit often these hymns in “Zion’s Glad Sengs.” We are still having severe trials in a business way, and also on account of the truth, but we have plucked from the Vor XXIL_ WATCH TOWER ~ ALLEGHENY, PA. MAY 1, 1901 “LOVEST THOU ME MORE THAN THESE?” ALLEGHENY, Pa orchards God’s precious promises, hope, love and patience and. as a result, thank God. are still pressing on toward the mark of love, the perfection of character which is most pleasing to our Lord. My prayer for all the saints is that nothing shall hinder or separate us from the love of God, but that we may come off more than conquerors through him who hath loved us. With much love from Brother Raymond, myself and the brethren here, T vemain, vous in the one Faith. Mrs G. B. Raymonp,—New York. No 9 Joun 21:15-22.—May 5. We vow come to our Lord's fifth manifestation of him-elf after His 1esurreetion-——some would sav the seventh, not counting. as we do that om Lord's manifestation to Mary was the same referred te m Matthew as his appearance to “the women.’ and that his showing himself to Peter was in the walk to Emmaus. All of these manifestations, whether we count them four or six, oceurted within the first eight days arter om Lord's re urrection—on the two first-day. or Sundave and were in or near Jerusalem What we designate the tifth appeirance was m another part of the country altocether—in Galilee—and was probably at least two weeks later No account is given of the doings of the apostles in the interim) but we can surmise them. They probably waited in e\pectation at Jerusalem over the third and possibly over the fommth Sunday after the resurrection, and were disappeinted that our Lord made no further manifestation. They then remembered, perhaps, the message which Jesus had sent by Mary. that he would ineet them in Galilee. Tiaving no business further at Jerusalem, and their Master and leader having thus disappeared, “changed,” so that altho they beheved lnm to he no longer dead he was invisible to them except as he would appear for a few moments talkine to them, and again disappear indefinitely, they were at a toss what to da, and decided to return to their home countis on the Sea of Galilee. More than this, as aetive men in the prime of hfe, ther must be doing. Several of them had heen fishermen, and Jesus had called them from their nets to be “hshers of men” and they had left all to follow him; but now thes could no longer follow him. Everything was changed when he was changed, so far as they could sce. They could not catry on the work longer, for what could they preach Plow could thes tell others of their hopes in a King who had been crucified, and whom they, altho he was risen, could no longer see nor pomt out to others? They had not set recaived ther new commission: nor were they quite ready for at Tt is not surprising that under these circumstances seven of them with one consent, under the lead of Peter. determined to reengave in the fishing business This was the one busiress in Which they had experience, and that only three years lefore, They fished with nets, and the habit seems to have hoon to do the fishing at night This was the very occasion Fesus was waiting for lle wished the disciples to reach the extromitys of thinking and reasoning on the matter of his resurrection and what they should now do, in order that they might be prepared to receive definitely and protitably the in~tructions he had to give respecting their future course. The reactionersy tendency to turn from preaching to the fishing business would be sure to come. and he considered it expedient that it should come while he was with them, that they nicht be profited to the utmost in respect to it. Now that thes had reembarked an the fishing business the time had come for our Jord to demonstrate to them two things: (1) That he had a massion for them to perform in connection with the fishing for men which they had not yet accomplished, and which his death and resurrection would not interfere with. hut rather stiunulate and iake really effective. (2) It would enable him to demonstrate in a most practical manner that the divine power by wineh he had hitherto provided for their necessities and had at times fed multitudes, was still his. and would he continually exereised in their interest if they would continue to obey him {t as interesting for us to note thus that while our Lord was invisible toe the disciples they were visible to him, and all of ther plans. arrangements and doings were fully known to him. and he was ready to take advantage of every circumstance and to make all things work together for their good. Thus, bs amiraculous power exercised in some manner un known to us, he hindered fish from going into their nets that night. They, not knowmg the true situation, were no douht greatly disappointed, grieved, vexed, at their poor success, and perhaps classed it as a part of failure and tribulation which had in some respects followed them ever since they had espoused the cause of Jesus. And there is a lesson here for each and all of the Lord’s people today: We know not what is for our highest welfare. Sometimes those things which we crave and desire to grasp, considering them to be good, might really be to our disadvantage. Blessed are they who are able by faith to pierce the gloom of every tmal and difficulty and perplexity, and to realize that “The Lord knoweth them that are his,” and that he is causing all things to work together for their good. So it was with the apostles their disappountment became a channel of blessed instruction In the dawn of the morning Jesus appeared to them as a man, standing on the seashore. He called out to them to mnquire if they had any fish, as tho he would purchase = They replied that they had toiled all night and caught nothing The stranger then suggested that they cast the net on the other side of the ship, and so humbled were they by their disappointment that they did not stop to argue the question and to declare that they were old experienced fishermen, and that they did not know if he had any experience whatever they merely concluded that as they had been lifting and casting the net all night they might just as well do it again, and thus demonstrate to the stranger that there were no fish in that vicinity. But behold! immediately the net filled with great fish, so that these seven strony men (Peter, Thomas. James, John, Nathanael, and two others whose names are not given) were unable to draw it and were obliged to drag it ashore. Immediately the disciples grasped the thought that the stranger on the shore was Jesus, and none of them more quickly than loving John. The devoted and impulsive Peter whose heart still burned as he remembered the Lord’s words, and perhaps as he remembered also his own weaknesses in connection with our Lord’s last night of earth-life, could not wait for the boat to take him to the shore, but swam,—apparently fearing lest the Master should disappear again before he would have another opportunity to see and converse with him. When the disciples got to shore with their net full of fish they found, not only Jesus, but a fire and fish thereon already cooked. Here they had the lesson that under the Lord’s care and supervision they could either be successful or unsuccessful in the fish business, and that he had the power. not only to give them fish in the ordinary way, but to provide cooked fish by miraculous power if it better served his purpose so to do. They breakfasted with Jesus, for they knew him—not by any marks of nails, but by the miracle which he had performed. We read rather peculiarly, “None of them durst ask him, knowing it was the Lord;” they were so sure that it was he that they could not think of even seeming to question the fact by inquiry. The conversation while they breakfasted is not recorded, the Evangelist coming directly to the important words by our Lord addressed to Peter, the senior and leader of this new fish-business partnership. He addressed Peter, not as he had been accustomed, by his new name, Peter, but by his old name, Simon, possibly as an intimation to Peter that be had not manifested in the last few day the rock-hke qualities impled in his surname and was now inclined to leave the work for the Church for secular business. And the inquiry was most pointed, “Lovest thou me more than these””’ —boats, nets, fishing tackle, ete.? You started out to be my disciple, and now I ask the question, In which place is your heart—with me in the service of the kingdom, or in the fish business? Peter’s answer was prompt, “Lord, thou knowest [2806]
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