Luke 5:6-11 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.… Our subject is perseverance in duty in the absence of seeming success. 1. Illustrate it by the circumstances of our earthly life. Let duty always take precedence of pleasure; let recreation never be thought of till it is fairly earned: let no engagements be entered into beyond what can be met, and no expenditure be indulged in beyond a man's income. Let no neglect of our own prudence, and our own duty, be excused by the idle plea of relying upon God's providence without ourselves exercising the self-help on which God's providence is conditional. On such principles, as a general rule, success will reward effort, and the net judiciously cast will not fail to enclose the fish. There are, of course, exceptions. Without any fault on the part of the workman his labour may be in vain. What shall those do who may truly say, "we have toiled all night," &c.? Give up in despair? Nay. Let down the net again. 2. Apply this to higher industries. The case of a soul seeking heaven. The work of preacher, Sunday-school teacher, Bible-woman, tract-distributor, Christian missionary. (Newman Hall, LL. B.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.WEB: When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking. |
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