SERMON I.

THE OBLIGATION LAID ON A CHRISTIAN TO FOLLOW CHRIST.

(ST. ANDREW'S DAY.)

ST. MATT., IV., 20.

"They straightway left their nets and followed Him."

THE festival of St. Andrew takes the lead of all the other feasts of Saints, because he was the first to follow Christ. "Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him." This is the brief account of the call of St. Peter

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and St. Andrew as given by St. Matthew, but from the Gospel of St. John we find that this was not the first call. The first occurred somewhat earlier. St. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, and when he heard the Baptist proclaim that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he followed Him, but, says St. John, "He first findeth his own brother, Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus."

After this first introduction to Christ, Andrew and Peter seem to have gone to their usual vocation, waiting for Him to begin His ministry and formally summon them, and this is what He did, when they were fishing. They at once recognised Him of Whom John the Baptist had spoken, and they left their nets to become, under Him, fishers of meu.

St. Andrew we may then regard as the first Christian, and for this reason he heads the glorious company whom we commemorate during the Christian year.

We also bear along with him the honour of being Christians, and being enrolled among Christ's followers, but whether we leave all for His sake,