Ten Sermons, Collection of sermons · Sermon 9
I will make you Fishers of Men.
SERMON IX.
MATT. iv. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.
And Jesus walking by the Sea-side, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a Net into the Sea: (for they were Fishers.) And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straight-way left their Nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the Son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their Father, mending their Nets: and he called them. And they immediately left the ship & their father, and followed him.
In the three Chapters before, S. Matthew relates the Conception, Birth and Infancy of the Lord Jesus: In this he relates the beginnings of his manifestation. Presently after he had been declared the Son of God by a Voice from Heaven, that he might approve himself such, he was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness, to that hard conflict with the Devil, whom he foiled, and presently he was attended and served by Angels. This was in Judaea, where hearing that Herod had cast John into Prison, he went out of his reach into Galilee. From that time (saith the Evangelist in the words before my Text) Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
All that goes before, is but an introduction to this, which is the Orient of his manifestation. This beginning of his preaching was before he had any Disciple. He that had lately given the foil to the Devil without any help, was able to destroy his works alone. He that had lately been served by Angels, might have used their ministery for the great work which he had in hand, if he had stood in need of help. But because he had made himself a man to converse with men, and to instruct and redeem them, and had but a short time to stay among men; he would have men about him, by whom he might propagate his doctrine among men, especially after his departure.
To that end he chose Disciples to attend him and learn of him; Persons whose memory is venerable in all Ages, as having deserved this testimony from their facred Master, Luk. 22.28. You are they that have continued with me in all my temptations; And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, That you may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
His call of the first four is related in the words which I have read unto you; In which (without nicety of distinctions) you have four things to consider, 1. The persons called, Simon Peter and Andrew brothers, that were about their work, casting their Nets into the Sea; and two other brothers, James and John, of the same trade, that were mending their Nets. 2. Christ's call to them, Follow me. 3. What he called them for, To make them Fishers of men. 4. Their readiness to obey, they left all and followed him.
The occasion of his choice of these men was this: That Jesus walking by the Seaside, saw these two pairs of brethren at their work; If we may call that occasion which was not casual, occasio à casu, for there is no doubt that Jesus walked on that Sea-side, purposely to meet these men, and make them follow him. Certainly such an important occurrence as the meeting of these four men, which he made afterwards main Pillars of his Church, was appointed by a wise forecast and holy providence. Let us meditate on his wisdom in addressing himself to these men, and choosing them for his work.
It is a great point of the policy of Princes to choose their Servants well, and give them imployments adequate to their several capacities. It is not so with God, who hath not good Servants, because he hath made a good choice, but because he hath made them good; And if they shew any ability in his service, it was he that endowed them with strength for the imployment. But although it cannot be said that our Saviour chose able labourers for his great work, but rather that he hath made them such; we may commend the wisdom of his choice upon another account, because he chose them of a condition and trade of living suitable to the work which he would employ them in. Consider in the choice of these two pairs of brethren, first that condition which they had common with their fellow-disciples, and that which was more peculiar unto them.
First then Christ chose them poor, no better than Fisher-men, the others much about that rank, of a low condition. For which we apprehend these reasons.
1. Because they were to lead the way to others unto the Kingdom of Heaven, and therefore had need to be best disposed to enter into it themselves. Now Christ declareth that a rich man hardly gets into the Kingdom of Heaven; For riches make men proud, dainty, lovers of the World, and intangled with cares; Palates forestalled with false dainties relish not the bread of life. The full soul loatheth the honey-comb, Prov. 27.7. Indeed the fault of all this is not in the riches but in the men; And riches do good or evil, prout est animus qui eas possidet, as the mens spirits that possess them are disposed. Yet because in themselves they are a burden, and few have the strength to bear them so, as not to be distracted with the cares which they bring along with them, from the care of God's service, and minding the things that are above, they do more often harm than good.
You will say, Christ might have chosen rich men, able to bear the burden of wealth, and tend his service withal, or made them such by choosing them. So he might, and so he hath made many, who being yet more humble and pious than great and rich, have consecrated their Wealth and Power to the building of God's Temple, and promoted his service and glory with a high hand. But there was no use of such men at that time for the work which the Lord Jesus had in hand: For being come himself in the form of a servant, and made himself of no reputation, because there was need of humility both in mind and condition to bring a remedy agaisnt pride, the first sin and root of all sins; it was fit he should have about him men of the same humble condition, that without distraction he might go thorough the whole work of his meritorious humility, even so far as to humble himself to the infamous death of the Cross. When Peter dehorted him from yielding himself to be killed by the Priests of Jerusalem, it was a high scandal unto him, and he answered him, Get thee behind me Satan, Thou art an offence unto me: How many of those offences should he have met with? how many Satans, disswaders from his saving design, if he had had about him a company of Nobles and great men of the World for his Disciples? Such an attendance had been altogether unsuitable to his work; The Disciple is not above his Master, nor the Servant above his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple, that he be as his Master, and the Servant as his Lord, saith he himself, Matth. 10.24, 25.
Besides, 2. the Son of God was anointed to preach the Gospel unto the poor, or unto the meek, Isa. 61.1. the Original word signifies both. Our Saviour expresseth both, when he saith, Matth. 5.3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Some rich in Lands and Money are poor in spirit by their meekness; But that meek disposition, apter to receive the Gospel, is not so ordinary among persons of high birth and breeding, as among men of a plainer sort, who have fewer provocations to pride, and little matter at home for the love of the World.
Now since it was so ordered by God's providence, that the Gospel should be first preacht unto the poor, poor men were fittest to announce it. Had he sent men of greater rank, his own sentence had not been effected, that the kingdom of God cometh not with observation: There was need for that work of persons that made little shew and great effect, fittest to deal with the poor, with whom they were mingled and sorted already by their condition, that the poor might have that promised preheminence to be the first-fruits of the Gospel.
For the same reason he chose not the learned and the Philosophers, but men without scholarship, foreign, as the Scribes and Pharisees term Peter and John, Act. 4.15. unlearned men and idiots in their account. And truly these Fisher-men understood little more than steering their boat, mending their nets, and casting them into the Sea, when Jesus called them to follow him. That order of God's wisdom is fully exprest by St. Paul, 1 Cor. 1.27. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; And base things of the world, and things that are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. In which words two causes are given why God made use of unlettered men for the first great conquest by the preaching of the Gospel; The one, that they knowing their weakness and by whom they were acted, should attribute all the glory of their atchievement unto God; The other, that their opposers which were all that was eminent, learned and politick in the World, should be stricken with a greater amazement and confusion, seeing all their strength foiled by weakness, and their learning by ignorance.
The conquest of Gideon over Midian was somewhat like it, when a handful of men, none of the valiantest, with earthen pitchers and candles lighted within, discomfited a numerous Army of Infidels; For what were the Apostles but frail earthen Vessels, bearing the light of the Gospel; by vertue of which light, not their own, they got that victory over the kingdom of darkness? which all the infernal powers shall never recover, though they struggle never so much, and afflict those which to this day bear the same victorious light.
Had God done this great work by persons of exquisite learning and subtilty, the praise had been ascribed to their great parts, not to God; all men being prone to fix their contemplation upon the second causes, and look no higher.
But when men not taught in any School, converted men by 5000. at a time, and confuted Scribes, Pharisees, Doctors of the law, and the most learned of a learned age, with evidence of spirit and power; then was it manifest, that those Teachers were taught by God, and that not they, but God by them was teaching and acting.
And the like was proved by those great and publick Miracles, whereby God gave credit to their Doctrine. Then might all exclaim, Digitus Dei hic est, This is the singer of God, which doth these great works. Verbum Dei hoc est, This is the Word of God which is attended by these great works. The weaker the Instruments are, the more is evident the vertue of the Agent.
From that which these four Disciples had common with their Colleagues, look upon that which was peculiar to them. It was not at a venture that the first four whom Jesus chose for the service of the Gospel, were two pairs of brethren, and all four partners, and mutual helpers in their trade. For Christ would teach all that labour in the Gospel, that they ought to be brethren in love, as they are brethren in office, and joyn with a holy correspondence and mutual help in the work of the Lord.
Observe also, that they were of a laborious trade of life, and Christ chose them when they were at their work, to prepare them, and those that should serve in the Gospel after them, not to think that they are called to idleness, but to work.
And their occupation to provide food for the body, was to them a preparation to a better function, which provideth food for the soul.
To look to their trade of life more literally, It is evident that their trading upon the Water made them fitter for their Master's service: For besides their Fish which he often fed upon, their Boats were a great conveniency to him, who lived by the Sea of Tiberias, and had several occasions, and sometimes urgent necessities to pass from one shore to the other.
But to look to a higher concernment, He chose them Sea-men, because the Church which they should convert by their preaching, was to be of a floating condition, beaten with Winds and tossed with Waves. They were to be sent upon the great Sea of the World. So the Nations of the World are called in many places of Scripture, as Rev. 17.15. The Waters which thou sawest, are peoples and multitudes and nations; and Ps. 124. the multitudes rising against the Church are called the streams and the proud waters. Upon that stormy Sea the bark of the Church is tossed, between Persecutions on the right side, and temptations on the left; the first being like eminent Rocks, the second like hidden Shelves. To steer our course between these, there is need of the Spirit of God to be our Pilot; and the Church hath need of skilful Pilots to steer it. Neither was it without mystery, that Christ chose men that understood how to steer a Bark, to make of them Pilots to sit at the stern of the Church, that afterwards out of their first trade of steering of a Fisher-boat, which requireth industry and watchfulness, they might get instructions to use the like care in the steering of the Ship of the Church in the Sea of the World.
Greater instructions we may get out of their trade of Fishermen, to which our Saviour alluded, calling them to make them fishers of men. But we must consider before, that commanding and effectual Call of their Master, Follow me.
This was not the first acquaintance of the Lord Jesus with Simon and Andrew. We read, Job. 1. that Andrew having heard John the Baptist, whose Disciple he was, saying of Jesus, Behold the Lamb of God, followed Jesus; And finding his brother Simon, he brought him to Jesus, who gave him the name of Cephas or Peter. Neither likely was this his first acquaintance with James and John, for they were his Kinsmen. But this was the first time that he commanded them to follow him.
Although this Call hath a manifest relation to the work of the Ministery, yet by this Call he doth not confer upon them a mission to the work, but a command for them to come and bind themselves Prentices to learn of him to become fishers of men. Their Mission or Commission to cast the Net of the Gospel you have, Matth. 10. when calling his twelve Disciples, whose names are there set down, he commanded them, v. 7. Go preach, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. And it is observable that then, and not till then they are called Apostles in the History of the Gospel, by St. Matthew and St. Luke. Before they are called Disciples, and to be Disciples they are called by Christ in my Text.
The Calling and the Mission are confounded in the ordinary language. For when they speak of questioning a Minister's Calling, they mean questioning whether he be lawfully sent or no. But these are different things; for the Mission consisteth in the commission given to the Minister by Authority, an authority inherent to every Church that keeps the Apostolical Institution: But the Calling, to speak precisely, is within a Man's breast, and consisteth in two things; The one, if a man find in himself such abilities of Nature and Grace, as may be useful for the edification of the Church in the exercise of the holy Ministery; The other, if the same man find in himself a sincere fervent desire to imploy these abilities in that holy service. So that one may have the Calling and not the Mission, and another the Mission and not the Calling.
But it is ordinary in these days to have neither, and yet intrude into the function, when a man mistakes a turbulent fancy and an intemperate tongue, for abilities of Nature and Grace; and an itch of contention and separation, for a sincere desire to consecrate his abilities in God's service: And those he styles his Calling, and to that pretended Calling he confines his Mission, despising that of the Church. Whereas there is no surer mark that a Man is not called by God to the holy Ministery, than his despising the Mission of the Church; for God calleth Ministers to edifie the Church, not to hate it and give scandal to it.
Certainly the Call from God is so far from exempting a man from the Mission of the Church, that it obligeth him to take it. Act. 13.2. after that the Holy Ghost had said to the Prophets and Teachers of Antioch, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them; These Prophets and Teachers laid their hands on them and sent them; The Mission of the Church followed upon the Call from God, and so it ought to be still.
It behoveth every one that comes to demand the Mission of the Church, to examine himself seriously before, whether his great Master hath said to his heart, Follow me, and learn of me to be a fisher of men; Whether he find himself both enabled and disposed to serve God for God's sake, and so sanctified as to have no greater ambition than to be one of God's faithful messengers, truly resolved to advance to his power the work of the Gospel with life and doctrine.
He that finds in himself those dispositions which cannot come but from God, let him desire the Mission of the Church, and crave God's blessing upon it. Let him go on couragiously in his good purpose; And he shall find in God's service perfect freedom; He shall find in God's tabernacle a sure fortress, and after a faithful service, he shall enter into the joy of his Master.
We will leave the Workmen to examine and fit themselves, let us look to the work; Christ calls his Disciples to learn of him to be fishers of men.
St. Luke chap. 5. relating this passage more at large, gives us a great light to look into Christ's intention. He tells us the very occasion of it; That Christ having preacht from Simon Peter's Fisher-boat to the people on the shore, said unto him, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering, said, Masters, we have toiled all night and have taken nothing; Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had thus done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake. And they beckened unto their partners that were in the other ship (James and John) that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him at the draught of fishes which they had taken. And so was also James and John the Sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
Some ingenious godly men have well observed, that the Lord Jesus by this plentiful draught of fishes would recompence Simon for the use of his Boat: But that which is most observable in this occurrence is this, That this great fishing immediately after Christ's preaching, and immediately before he called these Disciples to be fishers of men, served to make them understand, if not then, yet afterwards, that God would extend a great blessing upon their labour in his word, and give a miraculous success to the Net of the Gospel in their hands. Also that labouring in the Ministery without Christ's appointment, is but toiling in a dark Night to no purpose; but he that lets down the Net at Christ's word, shall find an effectual blessing.
Compare this passage with another after the resurrection of Christ. The same Disciples went a fishing, and that Night they caught nothing: But in the Morning Jesus stood on the shore and bad them to cast the Net on the right side of the Ship; which when they had done, they took with one draught an hundred and fifty-three great fishes, and for all there were so many, yet was not the Net broken. And that was the last meeting of Christ with his Disciples; for after a short conversation with them, he departed and went up to Heaven. Who sees not that these two passages were thus made answerable the one to the other, for the same intent in both? In the first, when Christ called Peter and his fellows to learn of him the trade of spiritual fishing, he made them take a great draught of fishes, and upon that told Peter, that he would make him a Fisher of men: In the last when he gave his Apostles their largest commission, and sent them to preach to all Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, he made them inclose a great multitude of Fishes: And both for this end, to incourage them in the work of the Ministery with assurance of success, and let them know, that God sent them into the wide Ocean of the World to inclose a great multitude in the great Net of the Gospel.
But at the first time Christ being yet in the state of infirmity, and the Disciples beginning their Prenticeship; the net brake: But at the last meeting Christ being declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, and the Apostles indowed with a great measure of GOD's Spirit; and upon the point to receive more, the net brake not. So the first time Christ taught them what they must do, They must fish Men for God; and together put them in mind of their infirmity, the Net brake: But the second time he taught them what they might do, They may go about the work of fishing of Men with confidence, The Net will not break; God will do with them and by them exceeding abundantly more than they are able to speak or think.
So in this fishing of Men the Sea is the World, the Net the Gospel, the Fish Men, the Fishing, Preaching the Gospel; He that makes the Fishers skilful and the Fishing effectual, Christ himself. A word of each of these.
We have considered before the Nations of the World in the notion of a Sea. It is the style of Scripture. A Sea, where there is a perpetual ebbing and flowing of customes and businesses, where Tumults and Wars are waves which break one another; And the passions of Great men, and the speeches of seditious Orators, are the winds which stir up those waves.
In that Sea men are like Fishes, that come up with the Flood, and return with the Ebb, and are carried to and fro by the Tides and storms of publick fancies and agitations. Yet some are swimming against the stream as the Trouts, out of ambition, peevishness and singularity. There, as in the Sea, great Fishes destroy the small, and many times the small destroy the great; we have felt it by experience; as the Sword-fish destroys far greater Fishes than himself.
Many Monsters there are among those Fishes, prodigies of cruelty, hideous creatures that live on mischief and prey. Some love to swim in the top of the Water, snuff up the Water and blow it up, love to shew themselves and keep a great coil: Others keep in the bottom, and have a sordid nature that loves the mud. There is an innumerable variety of those Fishes. And it were easier to tell the several natures and shapes of Fishes, than the several inclinations of Men more different than the Faces. And that makes fishing of Men a hard trade.
For as all Fishes are not to be taken the same way, no more are Men. And I fear that we that are called to be Fishers of Men, do not study enough the mystery of it. We learn general rules of Divinity, and a most holy and saving doctrine; But who studies so to set it forth, as thereby to catch Men? Who labours for the gift of discerning the spirits? Who understands by what handles Mens souls are to be held and drawn? Who studieth which are the easiest avenues of the several spirits, and which way they may best be won? A skill in which Satan excelleth, and maketh great progresses by it. And we should be ashamed that Cheaters should be so skilful in catching Men for their private lucre, and we so unskilful and remiss in catching Men for God and their own salvation.
It must be acknowledged that such as have seen the World, and have known many Men and businesses, have a great advantage for this holy fishing, if withal they be truly sanctified and skilled in the ways of God. But what! The most sufficient are deficient in that knowledge of Men, when they come to apply it to this spiritual fishing: For whereas most Men use a Vizard of hypocrisie in their dealings one with another, they put on a double Vizard in their dealing with their Pastor, because their carnal mind is enmity against God. And when their consciences are searched, they would tell him, as Ahab to Elijah, Hast thou found me mine enemy? but that they know that godliness hath the general praise, though not the love, in the World; and they will make a gain of a shew of godliness.
Besides, God himself makes an Apology for our deficiency in the knowledge of Men, Jer. 17.9. The heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked, who shall know it? And God himself answers the question in the next words, I the Lord search the hearts. Searching the hearts is a work for God, not Men.
This also I will say for us, that whereas the principal art of Cheaters, who are the great Men-catchers, is to take every Man in his humour, we can but seldom make use of that invention, as St. Paul did, who was weak to the weak, strong to the strong, Jew to the Jews, Philosopher to Philosophers, wherefore he saith to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 12.16. that he had caught them with guile. But there are so many vitious humours to which cheating Catch pooles do readily condescend, and to which the holiness and rigidness of divine wisdom cannot bow, that we cannot but come short of the craft of this World in the trade of fishing Men.
Well, since we want industry, at least let us not want fidelity; And since our most ordinary fishing lyeth not in singling the several Fishes, but in casting the Net of the Gospel into the wide Sea among Fishes of all sorts, we will cast the Net: Some fishes will creep into the mud, those are the covetous Misers; Some will break thorough the Net, those are the stubborn untamed Atheists; Some will stay in the Net a-while and then leap out, those are the Apostates: We cannot help it; We can but cast the Net, God bless the fishing for his glory and Mens salvation.
But then we must be sure to cast the right Net, the true Net of the Gospel, not that of humane inventions. The true Net of the Gospel is a contexture of the Articles of Christian faith, and the commandments of God, woven together into a strong Network, so equally, that none may hope to be saved by believing without doing, or by doing without believing. To the bottom of the Net the threatnings of the Law must be tyed, as Lead to hold it down; and to the top the Promises of the Gospel, as Cork to hold it up, that the Souls may be kept in both by fear and hope; rejoycing in God's mercy, and withal dreading his judgments. It is so that the true Net of the Gospel must be ordered, and with this or nothing, Souls are fished for God.
But the Devil hath his Nets also, whereby he fisheth more effectually than the Disciples with the Net of Christ. For besides his ordinary snares of unlawful profit and pleasure, whereby he doth professedly draw Souls from God, there are counterfeit Nets which under the title of Gospel and Religion are catching at Lands and Chests. With such Nets the Pope for many Ages hath inclosed the whole Sea in a manner, and so doth still; And hath turned Peter's Fisherboat into a Galley of Pirates. That way he hath fisht Crowns and Provinces, and incredible Masses of Treasure; And sub annulo Piscatoris, under the title of a Fisher, he hath made himself Monarch of Monarchs.
Yet, blessed be God, a great stop was put to his fishing in our Father's days, when the true followers of him that makes his Disciples fishers of Mens Souls, not of their Lands and Purses, have cast the right Net of the Gospel, and got out of the Usurper's Net great Kings and Kingdoms, Princes and States, besides other Multitudes that would live within Christ's Net, though under the Cross; And though they were so many, yet was not the Net broken.
But we may say with sorrow, that since those great draughts, the fishing of the Gospel hath proceeded very slowly in these parts, whether it be for the untowardness of the fish or the unskilfulness of the Fishermen, or the sinfulness of both. The sinful World is unworthy to become the prize of Christ. Master (may we say after Simon) we have toyled all night, and have taken nothing: Yet let us say also with him, Nevertheless at thy word we will let down the Net. We will toyl again and again, and never leave till thou bless our fishing. But whilest Christ's fishing advanceth little in this European World, his Net is inclosing great Provinces in both the Indies. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, unto them hath the light shined. Greater fishing of Men hath not been since the Age of the Apostles. So much ought to be the joy of our hearts, and the matter of our praises to God and his Christ our common Saviour, and of our prayers that he inclose the whole World within his Net.
For it is he only that must make his Disciples Fishers of men, both giving them the skill to set the net right, and bringing himself the fish into it. Our part then, as many of us as are called by Christ to this fishing, is first to call upon his assistance, acknowledging our unworthiness and incapacity for such a great work. Lord, who is sufficient for these things! Endow us with thy strength from above. Make us fishers of Men. And as we work by thy command, let it be also by thy vertue.
Then let us fall to work. Which (passing by the many counsels of prudence for catching of men, of which all are not capable) consisteth in these two main things, good doctrine and good life. Let him that will fish men for God be the first caught, expressing by his sincere, diligent and hearty setting forth of the Gospel, and framing his conversation according to it, that he is perswaded of the holiness and excellency of the doctrine, as the sure and only way of vertue, happiness and glory. Let him take heed while he goes about to catch the fish, that he be not caught himself by the fish. For as the fish Torpedo casts a benumming venom, which creeping up the Fisher's rod numms the Fisher's hand, arm and brains, and sometimes makes him fall and perish in the Sea; so Satan makes these fishers of men to meet with tempting objects and seducing conversation, whereby (without a help from above) their piety and zeal may be benummed to their perdition. Neither is it unusual that the strength of the fish hath pulled down the Fisherman into the Deep. Against such and other difficulties, he that sent his workmen to the work, will strengthen them, if they cast the Net at his word, if they go a fishing for God, not for themselves, and are zealous of God's glory, not their own.
The example of these first Disciples presents another duty to their successors. They left their Ship, their Nets, their Fish, their Father and all, and followed Christ. That this binds not to a literal imitation, their very example sheweth it; for they made use of their Ship and their trade again, and no doubt but the old Zebedee took care of the fish lately taken. But this was an image of that they did afterwards. For it was not long after the resurrection of Christ, when they gave quite over their old fishing Trade, and turned fishers of men only. Andrew set up his fishing in Scythia; Peter in Pontus and Bithynia; James at Jerusalem; John in Asia; and made those great prises, whereby the Church has been propagated to this day.
Certainly this Fishing of men requires a whole man. When any thing of this World hinders us from it, it must be left, be it never so dear: And we ought to take a dligent care, that the Accessories joyned with the function, may ever be helps to it, never hindrances; Else it were far better to be without them.
But after that Christ hath done his part to make his Ministers fishers of men, and the Ministers their part to fish for God; The part of the people is requisite to yield themselves heartily to be taken for Christ. For let no soul deceive himself, saying, I am within Christ's Net by my very birth; I was born in the Church, and received again into the Church by my Baptism, therefore I belong to Christ, and I am safe enough. My brethren learn by Christ's Parable, Matt. 13.47. that by reason of that occasional being in places where the Gospel is preacht, the Gospel is compared unto a Net cast into the Sea gathering of every kind, good and bad. And that when the Net is full, it is drawn to the shore, and the good Fish in gathered into Vessels, and the bad is cast away. This is plain enough. Yet Christ himself adds the moral of the Parable, So shall it be at the end of the world; And death is the end of the World to every man. The Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just; And shall cast them into the furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Let this fill us with a godly care and fear, for the time draws nigh when God shall send his Angels to draw the Net to the shore, who will lay the good Fish into God's Vessels, and cast the bad away. Then shall the faithful Fishers enter into the joy of their Master; And with them they that were so taken for Christ, that they have taken Christ for their portion. Consider what we say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things.
The End of the Ninth Sermon.