6+6 fpirituall Fi/hing. Thep}caching of the..Gofp'eltis liketoaNet; firf, in the gcneralldrift an.1 vie t the vie of a Net, is to takefifh, the drift of Preaching is tobring in foules.Seëond ly,intheorderingofit :It is notthe net lapped vp together that bringcthiu the dtaught,buthaledout at length,and fpred forth thatencloferh the fiRrit is the opening andvnfolding ofthe Gofpell, the{retching it out by preachingwhich Bothencompaffe foules,There may a filh or two hang in the natbeing let downon a haape,but thatis a chance,and is nowife aduenmring. The word read,andfo brought in(as it wert) ingrolfe, may (by the mercyof God) take Come ; but wehaue no warrant from henceto make a.rule general. Again, irisreed thatthe net be firong,otherwife the greaterkindwill break through,and makeall the labour & charge to be in vaine,fo it ismeete that the Dobìrin bewel ftrengt honedout of theWord o fGod,that it be well proued, that it bewell preffedandapplyed,tlratthe confciences ofthe hearers maybee eonui&ed,and that they may fee it is God,and not manwith whom they haue to doe. For a man (hail meet withmany frowardand wilfull and violent na- tures,that milnot beheld ire, but with they fcele themfelues within the net,wil JtPCal.tt.3. cry;Leivs break! theirbaadr and ragtheir corabfraaevsk; fo that euen a kind of violencemay be vied tokeepe them from deflru&ion. Thirdly,in thefueceffe of it r Many a draught the poore Fifher.manmakes and takethnothing,yet he leauethnot off : Many a time is the net of preaching (hot-forth, and yet none conuerted thereby; fo it pleafeth Godto excerci re the patience ofhis fernants: yet fil theworke mugbe followed,and the Lords leafure mil be waitedfor, Qfteh dot thenctindole many-,whichyet after brcakeavray, and many are at hall drawn inby thepower of the Gofpel,which yet afterwards flidebacke, nod retume againe to their o ldprofaneneffe. There is much brought in in the Net;which yet isgood for nothing when it is got : There come in frogges,and weeds,ane, a greatdeale oftrafh,whichin theend is call away,rhough for the loneof the fi(h there wereno little paints in drawing it in :fo, as it is (hewed, (Math. r 3,47.&c.many Hypocritesiand reprobatesare gathered intotheout- ward locictyofthe Church by preaching,andfo are let alone like weedesvn- tillihe slay ofharu_fk,tAfeirb.r3. 3c. Thusas our calling is to befi(bers; fo our Net isPreaching. ThePre. Ir fhcwes plainely,that all the enemiesand aduerfariesofPreaching,aree. nemies ro the good and faluation ofinensfoules.This isthe Net,and without this I will not feare tofay,that Purelymen (hall perilla in their linues.The Di- ue11 that great hunter after foules,labourethbyhis infiruments,euen with the very fpiritofhisbelli(irpolicy,to difgrace thiscourfe,tofe.ppreffe it, toput it downe,todrawmen from affeCting it. He knoweth it to be the means toa- bridge hiskingdome,hee feáreth thepulling offoam foule or other out ofhis clutcherateuerySermon; Letvsnot fufftr our felues to bee cozened by his wiles. Let me that am aMini(lerremember the Seruice Iam called to,euen to catch raen,towin routes:let me be euer plying thisbulnege;and you(Beloteed) when the Lords Net is cart inamongyou, runne not from it,grudge not at it, preffe and Niueto be broughtwithin the compaffeofit, otherwife you (hall continue within the leaofthis worldRill, and (hail neuer be Caued.Filhes doe die if they be taken;wecannot efcapeeternall deathifwee benotcaught. The hooke may be (harpe, butthebake isfweer; and itwill feeme a yoke to our nature, tobe knit vp (as in aNet)and to be refrained from ourowne won- ted carnali liberty; but letvs looke to the end, which is the faluationofour Souks, CERT.flINE
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