"Ne1erthelcss nt thy word." Is not the word sufficient? The improbabilities are 1111 o• the one side. The time for fishing has psscd. All night, 11nd nothing; what could there be in the morning? "Nevertheless at thy word." "Lord, wl,at wilt thou hnvo me to do?" (2) Its power, not in the worker and not in the net. The worker had utterly failed; B charm might have been attributed to the net--the net was broken. No; the sufficiency is of God. The one human condition is an absolute self-resignation. " There is a Stay-nnd we are strong; Our Master is at hand.'' "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come on you." (3) Its nature. 'l'he fisher caught, and lying on the shore. This is the parable. The work is to catch men. 'l'he power is with the Spirit; but he calls for the hand to cast the n,·t. This fishing for men is a holy art, in which the fishers must be trained. When the three thousand were added at Pentecost, Simon saw again the miracle of Gennesaret, heard anew the loving voice, "Fear not; from henceforth thou sh:ilt catch men." (4) The co-operation to which it summons. When Simon's boat is full, he and AndrelV beckon to James and John, their partners in the other ship, to come and help them. Is not this a hint as to the evangelical alliance which should distinguish all in the various boats that fish the sea? Why should they ply their task as rivals? Why should they envy the good estate, the success of any boat? Where Christ can be clearly seen, where the power is manifestly his, forbid that narrow jealousies hinder the recognition of the work. Verily there is need for all willing-hearted workmen, and there is enough and to spare for all the boats. If only the aim were simply to catch men, not for the boat, but through the boat for the Lord. how different would be the aspect of Churches and ministries! 3. Finally, an action which manifests the eternal loving-kindness. To obey the Master is no thankless service. Leave the net; yes; but we follow him to whom the spacious sea belongs. Could the brethren whom he called doubt that he was able to make all grace abound always in all things? Have not we the certainty that there is a love which sees llll aa " We watch our nets alone In drenching spray, and driving shower, And hear the night-bird's moan"? We toil; let us ask our hearts if they have been satisfied. How many confess, even in the midst of abundance, that the toil has been only "vanity, and a striving after wind" 1 Nay; but let Christ enter the life, let him be the LeaJer and Commander, let him indicate whether the net should be cast; then shall the emptiness be filled out of an infinite fulness.
Vers. 12-26.-The power present to heal. In the setting forth of facts, there is another principle of guidance than chronology. We may group them around some thoughts with the view of illustrating the meaning and scope of the thought. On this principle let us regard the events related from the twelfth verse to the twenty-sixth. What they evidence is the power of the Lord that was working in Jesus as a power of healing. Strange, blessed things we shall see to-day. I. ,'l'HE WORK OF SALVATION AS REALIZED IN THE LEPER. (Vers. 12-14.) He is "full of leprosy," a mass of corruption, dying bit by bit. Notice the cry of this miser- able outcast. When the father of the epileptic child met the Lord on his descent rrorn the Mount of Transfiguration, the voice of his agony was, "If thou canst do an, thing, have mercy on us and help us." Jesus replied," If thou canst believe, all things ars possible to him that believeth." He had not yet got to the mountain of faith, and the father says with tears, "Lord, I believo; but oh, help me to that mountain-height, help thou mine unbelief." This wretched leper is already on the mountain hei~ht. It is not, "If thou canst," but" If thou wilt." '!'he Jewish proverb was, "As God sends the leprosy, so God alone can heal it." God is in this Jesus; therefore h~ can. Such was the logic. How he had seen the secret of the Lord, we do not know; but the tru~t w,Ls his-it had been sown iuto his heart in the urgency of his need. Now, rnark tlrn response. Sometimes the Lord seems to tarry. But in this case the way is quite rll&dy for the blessing. "We are never told," says Dr. Farrar," that there was a 122 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [on. v. 1--39.