The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-02
Symbol of Fisherman.

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DR.. Bowerman took as his text Luke V, .,
wherein during the tale of the draught of
the fishes the apostle says, NeVerthe-
less, at thy word l will let down the
net" The following is a resume of the
general lesson which he drew flOm the
gospels text:
From the beginning of Christianity the
symbol of the fisherman's craft has ever
been used in evangelical activity. The
symbol of the old testament is Jehovah as
Israels shepherd and was not changed Dy
Jesus, but was added -. Judaism lived
for itself as under the special favor and
guidance of Jehovah for its own blessing
and comfort While Jesus is the Lord
and the Shepherd ne early begins to IN
struct his disciples so that they may
come to a consciousness that their pur-
pose and work is to be for the world.
This receives peculiar siSrifieance when
we remember that IN the early days on
the manuscripts embroidered upon the
winding sheets of the early Christian dead
was the sign of the fish. The cabalistiC
word that was passed from Christian TO
Christian was icthus' (fish), being formed
from the initials of the different names
OF Jesus used in the Scriptures-lesus
Christ the Son of God is Savior. 1t
points back, not as in Judaism, to Abra-
nam, but to Adam, the head of cur mortal
humanity. Still further do we see this
when we remember that in the symbolic
language of prophecy Israel Is always the
earth, the gentiies are the waters AID
in the waters are the fish-ChriStS words
are marvel ously full OF meaning
Goes to the World.
For henceforth thou shalt catch
men, First, then, there is the call TO
reach beyond the launch. Judaism want
ed the world to come to il. The world did
not come. Christ goes to the world. And
the church only fulfills the Master
spirit as it goes out to the flsh-the men
that are in the nations. In its going out
- I'D h. of 2 a n IL
to be seen. 1t is not to be miniStered unto
that is Pharaiseeism; that is the spirit
of the hierarch-but it is to minister unto
The principle of the golden rule is not to
think how a thing is to affect self, but
to think how it is to affect another Sec
ond, it will be noted that the right side
of the boat is specified. There is a divine
plan and an orderly method in all Cod
works in this world and an equally or
derby spiritual development Christ gave
to the church the promise of the molly
spirit. The Greek name for church, &c
clesia,' is suggestive in view of the words
of the fishermen, 'Ye are called out To
be called out of what? The answer is,
Out OF the world. For the fish, the
earth, is & new element. The man of the
world who comes for the first time into
personal relations with Jesus Christ is in
a new element The transition Is as
broad as from the natural into the spirit
ual He came out because he was called
The call is by the spirit and by the
word. Today the call is by the church
Thirdly, the nets were full This, in
the light Of history, is extremely sugSes-
tive.
"The church overran pagan Rome. II
was because she was missionary. When
she lost the missionary spirit, lusted for
power and interfered in the affairs OF
state she prepared the way for the dark
ages The reformation was only saved
by the fact that a few souls caught again
the master spirit and launched out into
the deep and cast their nets into the wa
tiers. We have the story of the MOraviJn
missions, the marvels of john Patton 5
work in the Hebrides, of Clougg and the
Lone Star in the Telegu, of Judson In
Burmah, of Williams in the Islands of
the sea, but time forbids enumeration Of
them all. They were only the fuifillment.
They cast bread upon the waters and II
returned to the church an hundredfold.