In this paragraph, we have an account of a miracle wrought by our Lord and Savior.
"And Simon, answering, said unto him: Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. As if Simon Peter had said, "We can never cast the net under more discouraging circumstances; for we have toiled, labored hard, and labored thus for a long time-toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless, at thy word—nothing else could persuade me; but since it is thy word, I will let down the net."
The sentiment to which your attention is invited is this: that our rule of duty, under all circumstances, is not our own feelings, or the evidence we may have of certain and immediate success; but the commandment, or the revealed will of God in his word. In discussing this subject, I design:
I. To show that men sometimes act with reference to religion as if their own feelings were the rule of duty.
1. Sinners act as if their feelings were the rule of duty, when they make a want of feeling a reason why they do not attend immediately to the subject of their soul's salvation. Now, this is no reason why they should not attend to religion. They ought to have feeling—it is a great sin to be without feeling on such a subject as this. God blames the sinner, in his word, for being thus without feeling. "But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath." This is what a want of feeling leads the sinner to; he treasures up for himself "wrath against the day of wrath."
2. The people of God act as if their feelings were
