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ing. The Bible will furnish us w ith plenty of bait. Some portions will do for some men, o th er portions for other men. Some will be hooked easily and quickly; others will have to be played for a long time. There are many kinds of hooks and lines and rods. P ishing is an art. There is always something new to be learned about th e business. When we are not busy fishing, we must be mending our nets or getting bait. Be on the lookout for opportunities to speak to men! (4 ) Patience. No one will make a successful fisherman w ithout th is quali fication. The wind is wrong one day—• w ater too rough the next— w eath er too cold the next— b u t keep a t it! Let patience have h er perfect work. (5 ) Perseverance. Sometimes men have fished season a fte r season for a certain fish. Often men have failed re peatedly w ith certain tackle, b u t they keep on, try again, and keep on trying. A good fisherman studies fish, knows th e ir tra its, tim es and seasons, h a b its,’ where to find them , w hether in shallow or deep w ater. Skill comes from prac tice. (1 Cor. 9 :20-22). “And unto th e Jews I became as a Jew , th a t I m ight gain th e Jew s; to them th a t are under tlie law, as under th e law, th a t I m ight gain them th a t are under th e law; To them th a t are w ithout law, as w ithout law (being no t w ithout law to God, b u t under th e law to C h rist), th a t I m ight gain them th a t are under the law. To the weak became I as weak, th a t I m ight gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, th a t I m ight by all means save some.’’ Study th e New T estam ent illu stra tions, and see how different men were reached. W hat has been done, can be done. W hat ought to be done, m u st be done, and you m ust do it. You are called by your Lord to do it. If God is pledged
to anything, it m ust be to soul-winning. ( 6 ) Courage. It will tak e courage to tackle some kinds of fish; be brave, life is full of h ard things. To testify, to ta lk personally to people, to tell the story in public,— whichever it may be will call for a courageous heart. (7) F inally,—F aith . You m ust be lieve th a t men can be caught. You must have confidence in your call and in Him who has called you. You must go where fish are. You will not find many of them in the church,— bu t in th e school, in the home, in th e shop and office, on th e stree t car, in your daily occupation, you will find them . In your own neigh borhood, in th e city, in th e outlying dis tricts, in th e regions beyond,— th ere are m ultitudes. This is a call for abdication,—-deny yourself, su rrend er all, leave all, give up your dearest project,— forsake all and follow always. I t is a call to activ ity,— catching men, getting a t it, com mencing, doing it now, today, a t once. It is a call to assertion,— announce yourself a follower, a fisher of men, a serv an t of Jesus Christ; le t everybody know where you stand, and stand be fore everybody. If you are no t catch ing men, you are not following. Don’t be afraid to look th is fact squarely in the face. PRACTICAL POINTS (1 ) When Christ came th e day dawned upon a d ark world. (2 ) The call of Christ is a summons to service. (3 ) Catching men is a divine art. Are you an artist? (4) The sem inary can make thecflo- gians, b u t only th e Saviour 'can make soul-savers. (5 ) Who forsakes all and follows Him will find fishing a splendid sport. ( 6 ) The sea is a type of th e w orld; its shores, th e two eternities. (7 ) The church is the boat,-—ini the sea b u t not of it. ( 8 ) The n et is the means of grace,—-
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