The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 44

I. THAT HONEST WORK FITS FOB HIGHER DUTIES. Those who are indolent in the world are not of great use in the Church, If men are not fit for ordinary work, they seldom a.re fit for Christ's service. Our Lord does not call the indolent resthetes, who would gaze on a lily for hours in II languid rapture, but he summons men with capacity, self-rule, vigour, and tact. God has ever chosen such. If he would have a lawgiver, be calls one who is o.s diligent o.mong the sheepfolds in Midian as he bad been in the scbool11 of Egypt. If be would tell the world of his future kingdom, he inspires e. statesman like Daniel, who already has upon him the cares of a great empire. If he would spP.ak burning words to his people, he summons to his service the herdman who drives his cattle home in the gloaming down the hillside of Tekoa, So here, Christ calls Matthew from the receipt of custom, and these four fishers from their boats. In the daily plod, in the monotonous. round of life, above the whirr of human traffic, a voice speaks, saying," Come ye after me." II. THAT DIGNITY AND BLESSING ABE TO BE FOUND IN DAILY TOIL. Toil, once a curse, has been transformed by Christ Jesus into work which is a source of blessing to the world. In nature we can only regain a wilderness to order and beauty by unremitting toil; and only by long labour do we repossess ourselves of rule. The exquisite flowers in the hothouse are signs of human skill as well as of God's gift. The rich harvest-fields, which whisper of abundance, are nature's response to work. Wherever idleness is supreme, fertile lands become the lairs of wild beasts, and man, who was appointed to regal right, starves amid profusion. Besides, work is good for society, as it was good for those disciples to be thrown together so as to share perils and successes, for thus mutual love and confidence arose. Society is most compact and stable when built upon a foundation of industry-every class recognizing its dependence on anolher, as stones in the living temple. That home is the happiest, too, in which self-indulgence is a. stranger, and where mutual sympathy is felt in the efforts of all. Ill. THAT IN ORDINARY OCCUPATIONS WE MAY REALIZE THE PRESENCE OF CHRIS~ His sympathy with the busy none can question. He himself spent more time in ordinary work than in public teaching. He gave his presence to his disciples (both before his resurrection and after it) when they were on the lake working for a living. Still he is to be found, not in the dreams of the mystics or in the cell of the hermit, so much as in the heart of him who must be busy with the world's work and yet prays to be free from its spirit. Conscious of his nearness, we shall not do our work care- lessly ; we shall not lower the standard set before us in his Word; we shall never shrink from rebuking wrong-doing, even when it is customary; and there will be constant joy within our hearts amidst all turmoil, so that we can say," I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Beware of going steadily on with work without any thought of Christ, as if self was your king and the world your home. You may prosper so greatly that others will envy your skill and "good luck;" but the day of reckoning will surely come; the law of retribution will not sleep. Reaping only what you have sown, your largest gain \\"ill prove your deepest loss. IV. THAT CHRIST IS CALLING ALL TO LOFTIER SEB'nCE. It ls necessary to labour for the supply of physical wants, but there are other and higher responsibilities resting upon us as parents, employers, teachers, and friends. ·with wonderful condescension our Lord describes the nature of his service, by figures drawn from the scenes with. which his hearers were most familiar. If people followed him for the sake of the bread which perisbeth, he spoke to them of the" Bread of life;" and if a woman was drawing water at the well, he spoke to her of" living water." He led the Magio.ns to him by "a star;" and taught these fishermen by their fishing, telling them tho.t hereafter they should "catch men," not, indeed, for death, but for life. This was a beautiful image for all time. The sea represents the wide world, which seems dark and deep o.s we stand on the fringe of its mystery, wonderingly. The fish are emblematic of those lost to the sight of some in the higher world, as they wander amid oozy weeds and treacherous rocks. The net pictures the truths and warnings of the gospel, which lay hold on men, o.nd, gathering them together, raise them into a new element, in which they can only live when they ho.ve a new life. As "fishers of men," we want patience and hope, for we know little or nothing of the result of tho toil as yet. We only kuow that the net is cast, but the draught is not yet counted upon the ~liure. It is OLii'6 t.J  40 'l'IIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. }4:ARK. [oe. L 1-45,