ecognized
Him. He called to them again, saying: "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." They did as directed and
the result was so surprizing as to appear to them miraculous; it must
have aroused memories of that other remarkable draught of fishes, in the
taking of which their fishermen's skill had been superseded; and at
least three witnesses of the earlier miracle were now in the boat.[1382]

John, quick to discern, said to Peter, "It is the Lord"; and Peter,
impulsive as ever, hastily girt his fisher's coat about him and sprang
into the sea, the sooner to reach land and prostrate himself at his
Master's feet. The others left the vessel and entered a small boat in
which they rowed to shore, towing the heavily laden net. On the land
they saw a fire of coals, with fish broiling thereon, and alongside a
supply of bread. Jesus told them to bring of the fish they had just
caught, to which instruction the stalwart Peter responded by dashing
into the shallows and dragging the net to shore. When counted, the haul
was found to consist of a hundred and fifty-three great fishes; and the
narrator is careful to note that "for all there were so many, yet was
not the net broken."

Then Jesus said "Come and dine"; and as the Host at the meal, He divided
and distributed the bread and fish. We are not told that He ate with His
guests. Everyone knew that it was the Lord who so hospitably served; yet
on this, as on all other occasions of His appearing in the resurrected
state, there was about Him an awe-inspiring and restraining demeanor.
They would have liked to question Him, but durst not. John tells us that
this was the "third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples,
after that he was risen from the dead"; by which we understand the
occasion to have been the third on which Christ had manifested Himself
to the apostles, in complete or partial assembly; for, including also
the appearing to Mary Magdalene, to the other women, to Peter, and to
the two disciples on the country road, this was the seventh recorded
appearance of the risen Lord.

When the meal was finished, "Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?" The question, however tenderly
put, must have wrung Peter's heart, coupled as it was with the reminder
of his bold but undependable protestation, "Though all men shall be