Morning, October 8
Go To Evening Reading
“Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”
Luke 5:4
We learn from this narrative, the necessity of human agency . The draught of fishes was miraculous, yet neither the fisherman
nor his boat, nor his fishing tackle were ignored; but all were used
to take the fishes. So in the saving of souls, God worketh by means;
and while the present economy of grace shall stand, God will be pleased
by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. When God
worketh without instruments, doubtless he is glorified; but he hath
himself selected the plan of instrumentality as being that by which
he is most magnified in the earth. Means of themselves are utterly unavailing . “Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing.” What was the reason of this? Were they not fishermen plying their
special calling? Verily, they were no raw hands; they understood the
work. Had they gone about the toil unskilfully? No. Had they lacked
industry? No, they had toiled. Had they lacked perseverance? No, they
had toiled all the night . Was there a deficiency of fish in the sea? Certainly not, for as
soon as the Master came, they swam to the net in shoals. What, then,
is the reason? Is it because there is no power in the means of themselves
apart from the presence of Jesus? “Without him we can do nothing.” But with Christ we can do all things. Christ’s presence confers success . Jesus sat in Peter’s boat, and his will, by a mysterious influence, drew the fish to
the net. When Jesus is lifted up in his Church, his presence is the
Church’s power—the shout of a king is in the midst of her. “I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.” Let us go out this morning on our work of soul fishing, looking up
in faith, and around us in solemn anxiety. Let us toil till night
comes, and we shall not labour in vain, for he who bids us let down
the net, will fill it with fishes.