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their business and invested capital; their father, the claims of home and loved ones. It is
well to count the cost, and to impress upon enthusiastic volunteers that there is a cost:--
"He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that
loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not up his
cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10: 37, 38).
These four disciples left their all and followed Him. This leads us to the second
symbol--that of the "follower". These men were ordinary fishers, putting into practice
the age-old lore of their craft, handed down from father to son, and supplemented by
experience. But to become "fishers of men", they must first be "followers of Christ".
Moses had to leave Egypt and all its learning, and exchange it for the life of a desert
shepherd before he was fit to be entrusted with the leading of Israel.
Earlier in this article we suggested, and we believe with truth, that much that belonged
to our previous mode of life, our upbringing, temperament, opportunities and training,
can be laid upon the altar of service, consecrated to the Lord, and remodeled for His use.
We must not, however, forget that there is also much of the old that we must leave behind
as we follow Him. We must be prepared to find our knowledge and experience of no
value, and must sometimes, contrary to all our instincts, "Launch out into the deep".
Let us conclude by recording this incident as a supplement and corrective to that of
Matt. 4::--
"Now when He had left speaking, He said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and
let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto Him, Master, we have
toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the
net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their
net brake . . . . . When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart
from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord . . . . . And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not;
from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land,
they forsook all, and followed Him" (Luke 5: 4-11).