The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-03

your own home if you would plead Alright
for Christ IN the pulpit. The mother
cannot become a fisher of men and lead
her children into spiritual lives unless she
herself has experienced this divine inspi-
ration. The Sunday school teacher can
not lead his class to the feet Of Christ
unless he himself has first been baptized
by the Holy Spirit. The minister cannot
truly preach Christ unless he has first
take Christ into his own heart and life.
Peter and Andrew became gospel fisher
men because they themselves had first
seen the Masters face and obeyed his
voice when he said, Follow me, and
will make you fishers of men"
The Importance of RevivaIs.
People nave oA.en asked me whether l
believe In revival of religion OF course
1 do Every one Of the different Protes-
tant denominations has been started I'M
der the influence of a. revival. Nearly all
the mighty men of God, past or present,
have con--ssed the Saviour through the
influence which has directly or indirectly
come from some revival. But re-
yival services can do harm as
we'll as good. When great num-
Der of sinners are brought TO
Christ through the influence of a revival
and then neglected. nobody looking after
the converts, nobody caring for them, no.
body trying to have them identified with
a Sunday school class a prayer meeting,
or Christian Endeavor Society or Chris
tian work of any kind. there is an awful
lack somewhere. 1t is all important to
lead men to Christ, but it is also impor-
tant not to let them backslide by neg
lecting them after they have once been
brought to the feet of Christ.
A few years ago In Neuchatel, Switzer-
land, number of Christian men and wo-
men got together for an interesting ex-
pertinent. They meant to see what per-
sonal work among the criminal classes
might do for the Master. The criminal
records of that country showed that 66
\per cent of all criminals liberated from
the penitentiary usually returned to
crime and ultimately went back to the
convict cells to serve out a second and
third term. So these Christian men and
women put into practice this plain, sim
pie plan: Whenever a criminal was in
generated some one ofstheir number was
detailed to look after the convict. In
sense he was the prisoners guardian.
This gospel fisherman would visit the cell;
he would pray with the prisoner; he
would send him books and give him adj
vice, and when that convict had served
his term this Christian guardian would
find him work and set him upon his feet
Did this gospel plan work? The records
of that county of Neuchatel proved that
by this gospel process the number of the
returned convicts was decreased over 80
per cent Instead of 6s per cent of crimi-
nails being returned to the penitentiary
for second term there was only Il per
cent. So 1t is not only important. for the
gospel fisherman to bring souls to Christ,
but 1t Is also important to have the new
converts interested in and identified with
Christian work. When an immortal soul
is brought to the mercy seat, the true
work for the gospel fisherman has just
begun. If sinner is allowed to confess
Christ and then on account of indffer-
ence of so-called Christian friends allow
ed to drift back into sin, his last condi-
ton is worst than the first.
Under the Masters Eye.
But the true gospel fisherman is always
working under the Masters eye whether
Christ's face is visible to him or no. At
ter Peter and Andrew became Christ's
fishermen he never left them. One night
when these brethren. with John the Be-
loved, who was also a fisherman, and
some of the other deciples, were tossing
about on Lake Galilee they thought they
were going to be drowned. but Christ was
watching their struggles, and in the
fourth watch of the night, or just about
8 o'clock in the morning, Jesus was seen
walking toward them upon the waves
Of Lake Galilee. And, after the cruel
fixion, when Peter and his brethren
went back to their old avocation Of fish
ing, Jesus again appeared unto them by
the shores of Lake Galilee and told them
to cast their nets upon the other side of
the boat The true gospel fisherman can
feel that Christ is always ready to help
him; that Christ will always come to
his rescue when the waters of truoble
begin to roll too high and the mists are
settling too thickly around the gospel
lifeboat
Christ's care for his gospel fishermen
is a constant and tender care. In the
Scotch fishing villages the mothers and
wives and daughters illustrate by beau
tiful custom which prevails among them,
their care for their sons md husbands
and brothers who have gone off to fish
When the fogs settle down upon the
coast and the lighthouses can no longer
be seen, the women go and sit upon the
rocks. When the returning fsnermen be-
gin to approach the shores and while
yet unseen, they start fishers song
The loved ones waiting upon the rocks
listen until they hear the familiar notes
waited through the fog. Then the moth
ers and wives and daughters and sweet
hearts also begin to sing, and the fish
ermen, hearing the voices of their loved
ones, know which way to steer. So when
the gospel fishermen in times OF trouble
calnso Christ he always answers their
call. And the Saviour's voice, sounding
clear amid the voices of the loved who
have gone beyond, will ultimately guide
the gospel fishermen from the troubled
sea of life into the great harbor of eter-
nal peace.
Are you and willing to become gos-
pei fishermen? Are we ready to be one
purposed Christians, ready to be fear
less, ready to be spiritually inspired, to
become Christ's fishers of men? Are we
ready to surrender ourselves body, nina
and soul to the service OF the Lord.