Henry Clay Fish (1820-1877) - the 18th and last essay in A Noble Company, volume 10

Although Fish died at the age of 57, he used his time well while he lived. . . As a student he covered his own expenses while remaining on top of his studies, employing himself in the work of ministry while preparing for the pastorate. He served the Lord as a minister of the gospel for over 35 years, the majority of which were spent at one church, thus weathering the difficult seasons of ministry while experiencing periods of revival. He used his gifts of preaching and writing to exhort and instruct others in the faith, leaving behind numerous books that remain relevant for ministers and lay persons. . . Fish’s words in his Agent’s Manual of Life Assurance form an appropriate summation of the vigor with which he himself lived: “Write it down as a rule, that no man ever does much who is not enthusiastic in his profession or business—who does not think his enterprise, whatever it be, the greatest, or at least one of the greatest, and most important in the world. Only then are his energies untiring. Only then does the fire in his own soul kindle upon the souls of others.” --Anthony Chute