HURLING THE HARPOON

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 27, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 21.

HURLING THE HARPOON.

A sailor who had just returned from a whaling voyage was taken by a friend to hear an eloquent preacher. When they came out of the church the friend said:—

“Jack, wasn’t that a fine sermon?”

“Yes, it was ship-shape; the water lines were graceful; the masts raked just high enough; the sails and rigging were all right, but I didn’t see any harpoons. When a vessel goes on a whaling voyage, the main thing is to get the whales. But they don’t come to you because you have a fine ship. You must go after them and harpoon them. Now, it seems to me, that a preacher is a whaleman. He is sent, not to interest or amuse the fish by sailing among them, but to catch them. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I will make you fishers of men.’ Now, how many sermons like that do you think it would take to convict a sinner and make him cry out, ‘What must I do to be saved?’”

The friend said: “But, Jack, people nowadays don’t like to be harpooned. They like to listen to such expositions. Surely it is a grand thing to attract such an audience to hear the gospel.”

“To hear about the gospel, you mean. I don’t object to the doctor’s exposition and illustration. As I said before, they were all ship-shape. But the trouble was when he sailed to the fishing ground and the whales had all gracefully come to the surface, instead of manning the boats and striking for a haul, he made a polite bow and appeared to say: ‘I am very glad to see so many whales. I must not do anything to hurt or frighten them; hope they will admire my ship and all come again on my next voyage.’ Do you think the ship-owner would send such a captain to Bering Straits a second time? Read in Acts the report of Peter’s first gospel sermon. He begins with an able exposition of Old Testament prophecies in regard to the incarnation and resurrection of Christ, and the outpouring of the Spirit, and then, when he had gained the attention of the crowd, he charged home upon them the words of ‘Jesus, whom ye have crucified.’ That was hurling a harpoon.”—Homiletic Review.