Слике страница
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore but the disciples 'knew not that it was Jesus.

d

them, 'Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6 And he said unto them, • Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now

when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he

was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

1

11 Simon Peter went 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.

12 Jesus saith unto them, "Come and dine. And none of

5 Then Jesus saith unto the disciples durst ask him,

Who art thou? knowing that it thou shalt stretch forth thy was the Lord. hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

[ocr errors]

14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.

He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

18 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old,

m

19 This spake he, signifying

by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple "whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry 'till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and "we know that his testimony is true.

[ocr errors]

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, 'I suppose that even the world itself could

not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

a ch. i. 45.-6 Mat. iv. 21.-e ch. xx. 14.-d Luke xxiv. 41. || Or, Sirs.-e Luke v. 4, 6, 7.-ƒ ch. xiii. 23; & xx. 2.-g Acts x. 41.-h See ch. xx. 19, 26.-i Acts xx. 28. Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 25 ; & v. 2, 4.-k ch. ii. 24, 25; & xvi. 30.-ch. xiii. 36. Acts xii. 3. 4.-m 2 Pet. i. 14.— n ch. xiii. 23, 25; & xx. 2.-o Mat. xvi. 27,28; & xxv. 31. 1 Cor. iv. 5; & xi. 26. Rev. ii. 25; & ii. 11; & xxii. 7, 20.-p ch. xix. 35. 3 John 12.-q ch. xx. 30.-r Amos vii.10.

READER.-Lovest thou me? In all

love, three things are necessary; 1st. Some goodness in the object, either true and real, or apparent and seeming to be so: for the soul, be it never so evil, can affect nothing but what it takes some way to be good. 2nd. There must be a knowledge of that goodness; for the most excellent things, if altogether unknown, affect not. 3rd. There must be a suitableness or agreement of that good thing with the nature of those, which should affect it; otherwise indeed, how good soever it is, it is not good to them.-LEIGHTON. Let me beseech you strictly to examine your own souls, enquire what it is that they chiefly wish, hope and desire; whether they give chase as it were to every painted fly; whether, "forsaking the fountain of living waters," they are digging for themselves "cisterns" of clay, and these leaky too, with great and unprofitable labour. O wretched deceitfulness of every earthly hope, which mocks and deludes us so much the more in proportion to the extravagance of its promises! Blessed are they and only they, who fix their eyes and their souls above, and say with the Psalmist, "Lord, I wait on thee, my soul doth wait, and in thy word do I trust:" and as elsewhere, "and now, Lord, what wait I for,

my hope is in thee." Happy they who have quitted all those low desires and pursuits, which are unworthy of a generous and immortal spirit, and have fixed their love on one whose heart and hopes are set upon that one, in whom all things excellent meet and centre. A cheer

ful joy always shines on their face, nor do their cheeks glow with the shame of repulse and disappointment. While we are wandering hither and thither, in the vicious and perplexed pursuit of flattering objects; what frequent lamentation, what fond complaint of delusive fortune, and the tragical outcry of grievous and painful wounds! What crowds of fears and cares divide the mind, and hurry it now one way and now another! But when we fix our hope and our heart on the only support, on the only true and all sufficient good, all is safe, and the soul treads firm as it were while the whole globe trembles. Let external things be borne this way or that, there is peace within; nor, when all methods have been examined, can any other be found for the establishment of the mind, than that it should lay all its stress upon the one immoveable and immutable rock.-LEIGHTON.

Blessed soul that can say, Lord, thou seest that I desire nothing but thyself, (as Peter said, Lord, thou knowest I love thee,) all the corners of my heart stand open in thy sight, thou seest if there be any other desire or expectation but to please thee; and if there be any such thing in me, (for I see it not,) I pray thee, discover it to me, and through thy

My

grace it shall lodge no longer. heart is thine alone, it is consecrated to thee, and if anything would profane thy temple, if it will not go forth by fair warning, let it be scourged out by thy rod, yea, any rod whatsoever it pleaseth thee to choose!-LEIGHTON.

Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep.The great principle of fidelity and diligence and good success in the great work of the ministry is love; and the great spring of love to souls, is love to him that bought them. He knew it well himself and gave us to know it, when he said, Simon, lovest thou me? feed my sheep! feed my lambs! Deep impressions of his blessed name upon our hearts, will not fail to produce lively expressions of it, not only in our words and discourses in private and public, but will make the whole track of our lives to be a true copy and transcript of his holy life; and if this be within us, any sparks of that Divine love, you know, the best way, not only to preserve them, but to excite them and blow them up into a flame, is by

the breath of prayer. Oh prayer! the converse of the soul with God, the breath of God in man returning to its original, frequent and fervent prayer, the better half of our whole work, and that which makes the other half lively and effectual, as that holy company tells us, when, designing deacons to serve the tables, they add," but we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and the ministry of the word."-LEIGHTON.

HYMN.

Hark, my soul, it is the Lord;
'Tis thy Saviour; hear his word;
Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee,
Say, poor sinner, Lov'st thou me?

I deliver'd thee when bound,
And, when wounded, heal'd thy wound;
Sought thee wand'ring, set thee right,
Turn'd thy darkness into light.

Thou shalt see my glory soon,
When the work of grace is done;
Partner of my throne shalt be ;-
Say, poor sinner, Lov'st thou me ?

Lord, it is my chief complaint
That my love is weak and faint:
Yet I love thee and adore;
Oh for grace to love thee more!

COWPER.

THE END.

PRINTED BY BINNS AND GOODWIN, CHEAP STREET, BATH,

« ПретходнаНастави »