e to
stand in the way of confessing your fault, and changing your opinion,
when you are given reasonable grounds for so doing.

XLII.

_THE SECRET OF SUCCESS._

5th Sunday after Trinity

S. Luke v. 5.

"We have taken nothing; nevertheless at Thy word, I will let down the
net."

INTRODUCTION.--S. Peter and the other Apostles had been fishing all
night, and had met with no success at all, then Jesus entered into the
boat of Simon, and bade him launch out and let down his net. S. Peter
did not hesitate. He had met with no success when fishing in the
night, nevertheless now, at the word of Christ, he fishes again, and
this time the net encloses a great multitude, so that the net breaks.
No doubt our Lord desired to show those who were to become fishers of
men that there were two ways of doing a thing, and that one way would
be successful and the other would not.

If they were going to become fishers of men, they must try to catch
them by carrying Christ, _i.e._ a Christlike spirit, with them, and the
spirit of Christ is love and gentleness. If they were to be successful
in winning souls, they must have a loving zeal, and that would gain
more than hard work without love.

SUBJECT.--We are all of us, in our several callings, fishers of souls.
Of course, especially are the clergy fishers, but not they only, every
man who loves God must seek to win souls for God, every man who is in
the net of the Church must seek to draw others into the same net. If
the fisher is to be successful, he must fish in the spirit of Christ,
that is, actuated by love, and must deal gently with the souls he
desires to gain.

I. I say, we are all fishers. Those of us who are parents desire to
draw to Christ the souls of our children, those who are masters, the
souls of their servants. The husband seeks to win the wife, and the
believing wife the husband. "What knowest thou, O wife," says S. Paul,
"whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man,
whether thou shalt save thy wife?"

The servant seeks to win the fellow-servant, the labourer in the field
has the welfare of his fellow-labourer at heart, and seeks to draw him
to God. It was Cain who said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" And the
same isolating, selfish spirit is in those who take no interest in
those they associate with, and do not seek their good.

I was much struck last spring with something a gentleman said to me,
who had been a good deal in Am