Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-08-02


balls ofathose islands killed and ate the
first missionary who had been sent
there by the London Missionary So
ciety. Immediately after that event
this missionary, then young man. ap-
piled for appointment to the post or
danger. He went forth with his young
bride to what most Of their friends
thought was certain death. When the
ship dropped anchor in the harDor OF
Suya. the native chief sent out word,
"Give us another missionary, and we
will make meal out of him." In the
face of that threat and Of all these
dangers the young missionary and his
bride dlsembarked. For ten long years
they never saw the face OF white
man, except when the missionary sup
ply boat made it's biennial visit. The
young missionary's children were Dorm
there. in the woods. Two Of his chill
dren died because he had no proper
medicine. He lived there alone with
his heroic wife until he transformed
the whole island. Such is the career OF
one heroic gospel fisherman. Are you
and | ready TO be as brave for CHRIST
as were that noble missionary and MS
devoted wife? Are we ready to be in
spired with that holy fearlessness and
disregard of ourselves that we may
save souls for Christ wherever we can
find them. which all Christ's fishers or
men should show in his service!
The true gospel fisherman must be
spiritually n strong man. Peter anu
Andrew. to whom Christ spoke. were
net fishermen. | think they rarely, II
ever. fished with line or pole. They
were in all probability the kind or
fishermen you perhaps have seen OH
the Massachusetts coast. There the
fishermen fasten their net to stakes
that have been driven into the ground
and the tops Of which can be seen
, above the surface Of the sea. They were
nhysically strong men. else they coulo
not have handled and set the nets. or
they may have been fishermen VINO
watched the surface of the sea. just
as the fishermen used to do along the
Long Island coast. Then. as soon as
the sea would be rufiled by the schools
OF swarming fish, the signal flag would
he lifted. the fishermen would gather
upon the beach, and the longDoat'
| filed with the piled up net, would be
launched. Then the fishermen on shore
would hold a rope attached to one enc
Of the net. and the boat would be
, rowed out around the school OF fish,
Then. when the whole net had been
paid out" the boat would approach
the shore. the other end Of the net at
tached by a rope to the stern. Then
the men would begin to pull the ropes
at either end of the net, dragging the
fish nearer and nearer inshore until
at last they would capture the whole
school. Yes. those fishermen had to be
physically strong men. Their nerves
had TO be steady, their muscles hrm
or they could never have dragged II
those heavy nets burdened with many
fish.
A Strong Spirit Needed.
The true gospel fisherman must be
spiritually. as well as Physically q
strong man. The gospel net of faith
is q wide net. long net. heavy net
and unless supernatural power D'
given to the gospel fisherman he VII
never be able to han,.lc it. How coulo
Charles G. Finney have been able tC
lead thousands and tens Of thousands
of immortal souls to Christ unless h(
had been spiritually strong man. II
his own strength rs gospel fisherman
he could do nothing. but with Chris
he could do all things. To show now
absolutely Mr.. Finney depended upor
divine strength for the handling OF th'
gospel net. one of my old PittsDurt
elders used to tell me of remarkable
scene he once witnessed in a New
York theater. Mr.. Finney was preach
ing there, and the building was packed
with people After the noted e9ngel
ist had been speaking about ten MIN
utes. he suddenly stopped and said
Brethren. the Holy Spirits influence
is not here today. We must get the re
enforcement Of the divine power. els
we are helpless. Let US pray witt
that he knelt upon the stage. and HI
prayed until the audience was melte'
to tears. He prayed. and such wa
the reinforcement of divine strength
at that meeting that the gospel ne
gathered the sinners in by the scor
and by the hundreds. although during
that entire service Charles q. tinne.
did not preach another word. H
simply prayed peadingly prayed
How could John or Charles Wesley, o
George Whitefeld. or George Muller
or D. L. Moody ever have handled tn
gospel net as he did unless he ha
been spiritually inspired and strength
ened, unless he had been a man OF dee
faith and fervent prayer?
The Christian believer must be spil
itually inspired if he is ever to becom
q successful fisher of men. My mothe
used to impress this thought upon m
all my life, anG especially did she tr
to do so after lIad entered the gospt
ministry. There was hardly a lette
! which she sent to me after my ordinf
J ton that did not read like this: m
dear boy, 1t is important for you to b
, mentally equipped for your churci
But, remember, true gospel ministe
is essentially one who is inspired b
the Holy Spirit You cannot lead soul
, to Christ unless you yourself are d
yinely inspired. You cannot lead soul
; to Christ unless you have been muc
in communion with God. unless muc
= upon your knees in prayer. You mus
plead at the mercy seat In your ow
home If you would plead Alright fc
| Christ in the pulpit" The mother cal
not become a fisher Of men and lea
her children into spiritual lives unles
she herself has experienced this dlvin
inspiration. The Sunday school teacl
! er cannot lead his class to the feet {
Christ unless he himself has first bee
baptized by the Holy Spirit. The mil
, lister cannot truly preach Christ unles