A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, Book 3 · Part 4 · Subpart 3
The Word of God compared to a Net.
Mat. 13.47.
Again, the Kingdom of God is like a Net cast into the Sea.
SOme understand by the Net, and Kingdom of Heaven, that our Saviour intends the Church; others the Gospel. It may have respect to both, but in my Understanding it is more clearly applicable to the Gospel.
Parable.
A Net is made or prepared, as a convenient thing to catch Fish.
II. A Net is made use of by skilful Fishers; it requires Wisdom rightly to use it, to the End it is appointed. A Fisher uses oft-times much Policy and Craft, in putting in, and drawing of his Net.
III. A Net is cast into a Multitude of Waters, at an Adventure, the Fisherman not knowing whether it may catch many, or few, or any at all.
IV. A Fisherman works hard with his Net, sometimes a great while together, and catcheth nothing.
V. A Net takes Fish of every sort, some great Ones, and some little Ones, some good, and some bad; as 'tis express'd in this Parable.
VI. A Net takes Fishes out of their own natural Element; and as soon as they are taken out of the Water they dy.
VII. A Net takes or compasses sometimes a Multitude of Fishes at once. When Simon Peter put in his Net at the special Command of Jesus Christ,Luk. 5.6. he enclosed a great Multitude of Fishes.
VIII. A Net, tho it be cast into the Sea, and has taken many Fishes, yet 'tis not known of what kind or sort they be, until the Net is drawn up.
IX. After the Fisherman hath drawn his Net about so long, that he concludes it hath taken all it is like to enclose and compass in, he then draws it to the Shore, and severs the Good from the Bad; the Good he puts into Vessels, and the Bad he throws away.
Parallel.
THe Gospel or Word of God is appointed to catch or convert the Souls of Men: Fear not, Luk. 5.10.from henceforth thou shalt catch Men.
II. The Word of God is made use of by skilful and able Ministers; and it requires much spiritual Wisdom, rightly to use it for the Conversion of Sinners. Paul being crafty, tells the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 12.16.He took (or catched) them with Guile.
III. The Gospel is preached by a faithful Minister to a Multitude of People, (who are compared to Waters in many Places of Scripture) and yet he knows not, when he preaches, or casteth his Net in, whether he shall take many or few Souls, nay, whether one Sinner shall be reached or converted thereby, or not.
IV. So a Minister sometimes labours a long while together, and takes much Pains in preaching the Gospel, and yet converts not one Soul;Isa. 53.1. Who hath believed our Report? &c. They may sometimes say with Peter, We have laboured all Night, and have taken nothing.Luk. 5.5.
V. So the Gospel-Net takes hold of some of every sort and degree of Men: Some great and honourable, rich and mighty in the World, tho not many such; some little Ones, such as are mean and poor in the World. Again, some great and notorious Sinners are taken, such as Mary Magdalen and Paul were, before converted; and some that are not such great and capital Offenders: For tho every Man is a great Sinner in a proper sence, yet comparatively some are greater, or more guilty and prophane than others: And there was a Woman in the City, that was a Sinner: Not but that all the Women in the City were Sinners, but this Woman was a notorious one, or one noted and eminent for Wickedness. Also the Gospel and Church of God takes some bad Professors, and counterfeit Christians, as well as such as are sincere.
VI. The Gospel or Word of God, the spiritual Net, takes Sinners out of their natural Element; and as soon as they are savingly taken thereby, they die to Sin, and to all sensual Objects, and carnal Delights of the Flesh, and this World, and to their own Righteousness, Rom. 6.2, 6, 11.
VII. The Gospel-Net also sometimes takes hold of, or encloseth many Sinners at one Cast. At one Sermon three thousand Souls were converted, by that glorious Preacher,Acts 2.37, 40. and famous Fisher of Men, the Apostle Peter.
VIII. So the Gospel and Church of God, tho it takes many Souls, yet 'tis not fully known of what sort they be, until the Time comes that Christ draws the Net up.
IX. The Gospel and Church of God having taken many Sinners, or all being brought in, that are to be taken by this spiritual Net, Christ will (as it were) at the last Day draw it to Shore, and then he will sever the Good from the Bad, the Sheep from the Goats, the sincere Ones from Hypocrites; and the one shall be saved, atd the other thrown away, viz. be damned. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Net that is cast into the Sea, that taketh of all sorts, which when it is full, Mat. 13.47, 48, 49.Men draw it to Land, and gather the Good into Vessels, and cast the Bad away: So shall it be at the End of the World: The Angels shall go forth, and separate the Bad from the Good, and shall cast them into the Furnace of Fire; there shall be wailing, and gnashing of Teeth.
Parable.
A Fisherman has one Net prepared to take small Fishes, and another to take great Oone.
II. A Net many times proves defective, and comes to be broken, and by that means the Fisherman loses hir Draught of Fishes.
III. A Net takes Fishes out of their own natural Element, to their great hurt, the Fisher's design in taking them, being to kill and destroy them.
Disparity.
THe Gospel or Word of God is but one and the same Net, which takes the great and small Metaphorical Fishes.
II. There is no Defect in the Word, the Gospel-Net is never faulty, nor is it from thence so few Sinners, or spiritual Fishes, are taken; but rather from themselves, and Satan,2 Cor. ….3, 4. who endeavours to obstruct (as much as in him lies) their being taken thereby.
III. The Gospel-Net takes Sinners out of their natural State, viz. Ways of Sin and Wickedness, for their great Good and Advantage;Isa. 55.3. Prov. 8.55 Prov. 22.4 Joh. 3.36. Rom. 8.1. it being the Design of God, and his Servants, the Ministers of his Word, to save their Souls alive thereby.
Inferences.
THis Parable informs us, how useful the Gospel, and the Ministry thereof is, to take and gather in Souls to Jesus Christ.
2. Moreover, That all who seem to be wrought upon by the VVord are not sincere Converts; a Net takes bad Fishes as well as good.
3. It also shews us what will become of the false Professors at the last Day. The bad Fishes shall be cast away; the rotten and unsound Professor, as well as the openly profane Person, that never made any Profession, shall be both cast into a Furnace of Fire, there shall be wailing, and gnashing of Teeth.