Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1901-02-09

torn TO pieces by being entanglsd with
other nets. IL il a sad sight to see
fishermen Sighting about sea room
and pulling i'm opposite directions. each
TO get his net. both nets damaged bv
the struggle and losing all the fish.
in this land. where there are more
than 100000 people. there are at
least 30.0O0.000 not in the Sunday
schools and churches. In such an At
lantic ocean of opportunity there Is
room for all the nets and all the boats
and all the fishermen and for millions
more. There should he no rivalry be-
tween churches. Each one does
work peculiar TO itself. But there are
cities in this country where there is
now going on an awful ripping and
rending and tearing OF fishing nets.
Indeed ali over Christendom at this
time there is gerat war going on
between fishermen. ministers against
ministers.
Now. l have noticed a man cannot
Ash and fight at THE same time. He
either psgiects his net or his musket
IL IS amazing how much time some OF
the fishermen have 20 look after other
fishermen. IL is more than can Go
70 take care OF my own net. You see
the wind is just right. and Il is such
good time for fishing. and the fish are
coming in 80 rapidly tba; | have 10
keep my eyes and hand busy. There
are about 200. 600 600 souls wanting 70
get into the Kingdom OF God. and IL will
require al the nets and al the fisher
men OF ChristenCom 10 safely land
them. Oh. brethren Of the ministry.
let Us spend our time in fishing in
stead OF fighting. But IL angri,y jerk
my net across your net. and YOU jerk
your net angriiy across mine. we Will
soon have two broken nets and no fish.
The French revolution nearly DESTROYED
the French fisheries. ard esiastical
war Is the worst thing possible while
hauling souls into the kingdom Ny
friends I notice I'm the text that Ia mes.
the son OF Zsbedee. and John. his
brother. were busy at men6iug some
BODY c,se's nets. and rather think that
we Who are engaged in Christian work
in this opening century viii require
al our spare time 70 mend our own
nets. Coo help us In the important
duty,
Tn this work OF repair we need 20
put into the nets more threads Of com
mon sense. When we can pre- sent reli-
zion a. great practically We Wi.
catch a hundred souls where now we
catch one. Present religion as an in
te-ectuality ana We wi.l fai,. Out IN the
Fisheries there are set across the wa
tcrs what a-e called gill nets. and the
fish put their heads through the meshes
ard fheu cannot withdraw them be-
cause they are caught los the Cills.
But gill nets cannot be % any service in
religious work. Men are never caught
Tor the truth by their heads. il is by
the heart OF not at all. No argument
ever saved "a man AID TO keen anaiN sis
ever brough, a man into the Kingdom
% God Heart work. not head work.
Away with Your gill nets, sympathy.
helpfu.ness. consolation. love. are The
names OF come OF the threads that We
need 20 weave in onr gospel nets when
we are mending them.
When Nou are mendiug your ret for
/ This wide. deep sea OF humanity. take
cut thar wire thread OF criticism and
| that horsehair thread 60 harshness
and put in S0ft siiSen thread q Chris
tian sympathy. Yea. when YOU are
meu6ing your nets tear out those old
threads OF gruiTness and weave in
few threads Of poiifeness and geniality.
IN the house Of God let all Christian
faces beam with "a look that means
welcome. Say good morning" TO the
stranger a. he enters your pew and at
the close shake hands with him and
say: How did YOU ike the music p
/ Why. ven would he 10 that man panel
| 81 the coor o. Heaven; You would be TO
! him note OF the doNology that ser
apis sing when a new soul enters Heav-
en-. have in other DAYS catered
pew ia church. and the woman
81 The other end OF the pew looked at
me- as much as TO say: How dare YOU =?
| This is my pew. and pay the rent for
| it," Well ! crouched in the other cor
ner and made myself as small as pos
sible and felt as though ] had been
| stealing something. So there are peo-
/ pie who have sharp edge 10 their re-
| ligiOu. and they act as though they
thought most people had been elected
20 be damned and they were glad Of H.
Oh. let US brighten up our manner and
| appear n gentle manliness or LADY
| hood.
Again. in mending our nets we need
| also 20 put in the threads 81 faith and
| lear out all the tangled meshes Of I'M
belief. Our work Is succe ssful accord
/ ing 20 our faith. The man who be-
/ .ieves IN only half Bible or the Bible
10 spots. the man who thinks he can
not persuade others. the man who
halis. doubling sbou; this and doubt
mo about that will be a faiiurs in
| Christian work. Show me the man who
rather thinks that the garden of Eden
may have had an allegory and is not