Spurgeon: October AM
* 10/08/AM
"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 unskillfully?
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.