FISHING FOR SOULS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 2, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 22.

FISHING FOR SOULS.

A POOR, half-clad boy was fishing for trout. With amazing success he kept drawing in the fish. A student sat upon the hillside watching the boy. He returned to his boarding house, and in a half hour was back at the stream, adjacent to the boy, having with him new fishing tackle, with modern appliances, excellent bait, etc. The student threw out his line, but did not get a single bite. He changed his position closer to the boy, fished another hour, and no success whatever. He then drew near to the side of the creek, seated himself upon a convenient rock, and patiently held his fishing rod, now and then examining his bait, until all the afternoon had passed away, and he caught nothing.

Just as the boy was about to leave with his, "big haul," the student exclaimed:—

"My young fellow, how is this? I've caught no fish, and yet I have splendid tackle. How is it that you, with your rude fishing pole and twine string, catch the fish?"

The boy replied: "It is not my old fishing rod, nor twine string, nor the bait, nor the hook, that made the trout bite; but I kept hiding myself under the bushes while I was fishing. The fish will not bite, and you won't catch 'em, so long as you don't keep yourself out of sight."

The illustration and application of this incident is a peculiarly suggestive lesson for those who are "fishers for men."

One may have culture, intellectual endowments, style of address, elocution, reasoning powers, rhetorical attractions, and admirable gifts, winning much attention to themselves and wonderful words of encomium and praise about themselves, yet prove to be dead failures so far as winning souls to Christ is concerned.

In all work for Jesus, reader, "keep yourself out of sight." Let the people see Jesus only.—Selected.