therefore lay aside their work. So may preachers preach long, and yet
fish, and the fish slight it, and pass under it; there are some pieces of lead put to it, to hold it right in the water, that it may be before them as they come. So lest invitations and promises of the gospel be slighted, there must be used some legal terrors and lawthreatenings to drive the fish into the net. You see then that both law and gospel are to be preached, the law assisting the gospel-net, which makes it effectual; the law being a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.
(9.) The meshes must not be over-wide, lest the fish run through. So neither must your doctrine be general, without particular application, lest you be no fisher of men. Indeed men may be the better pleased, when you preach doctrine so as wicked men may run out-through and in-through it, than when you make it so as to take hold of them: but be not a servant of men.
(10.) Neither must they be too neat and fine, and curiously wrought, lest they hold out the fish. So have a care, O my soul, of striving to make by wit any fine and curious discourse, which your hearers cannot understand. Of this more afterwards.
5. Fishers observe in what places they should cast their nets, and where they may expect fish. So do you, O my soul, observe where you may catch souls. There are two pools wherein the net should be set.
(i.) In the public assemblies of the Lord's people. There it was that Lydia's heart was opened. The pool of ordinances sometimes is made healing water to souls pining away in their iniquity.
(2.) In private conference. Many times the Lord is pleased to bless this for the good of souls. Some have found it so. But more of these things afterwards, when I come to following Christ.
6. Lastly, Fishers may toil long, and yet catch nothing; but they do not therefore lay aside their work. So may preachers preach long, and yet not catch any soul, Isa. 49:4, and 53:1; but they are not to give over for all that. O my soul, here you are checked for your behaviour at some
times under the absence of Christ from ordinances, when you have been ready to wish you had never taken it in hand. This was my sin: the good Lord pardon it. It becomes me better to lie low under God's hand, and to inquire into the causes of his withdrawing his presence from me and from ordinances, and yet to hold on in duty till he be pleased to lay me by. Have a care of that, O my soul, and let not such thoughts and wishes possess you again. Forget not how God made you to read this your sin, in your punishment, Diary, Nov. 13, 1698. Hold on, O my soul, and give not way to these discouragements. You know not but Christ may come and teach you to let down the net at the right side of the ship, and you may yet be a fisher of men. Trust God you shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance as you have done, and perhaps for some souls that you may be yet honoured to catch.
And thus I have briefly considered these things. But the main question that I would have resolved is, How may I come by this art? what way I shall take to be a fisher of men? how I may order and set the net, that it may bring in souls to God? this the great Master of assemblies sets down in the first part of the verse. Whence, Observe, 2. O my soul, that the way for me to be a fisher of men, is to follow Christ. What it is to follow you, O Lord, shew me; and, Lord, help me to do it.
Here two things are to be considered.
I. What following Christ supposes and implies.
II. Wherein Christ is to be followed.
I. What following Christ supposes and implies.
Firsts It presupposes life. A dead man cannot follow any person; a dead preacher cannot follow Christ; there must be a principle of life, spiritual life in him, or else he is nought. Therefore have I said and maintained, that a man cannot be a minister of God, though he may a minister of the church, without grace in his heart. This is a spiritual following of Christ; and therefore presupposes a spiritual and
heavenly principle. Tell me then, O my soul, what state are you in? You were once dead, that is sure, Eph. 2:1, dead in trespasses and sins. Are you raised out of your grave? have you got a part in the first resurrection? has Christ breathed on your dead and dry bones? or are you yet void of spiritual life? are you rotting away in your iniquity? What say you to this? If you are yet dead, your case is lamentable; but if you are alive, what signs of life are there to be seen in you? I have my own doubts of this, because of the prevailing of corruption: therefore I will see what I can say to this.
1 A man that has the Spirit has life, Rom. 8:2, 9; but I think I have the Spirit: ergo, I have life. That I have the Spirit, I conclude from these grounds following.
(1.) I have light that sometimes I had not. See John 14:26, "The Comforter — shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatever I have said unto you." I see now otherwise than sometimes I saw. Once was I blind, but now I see, though I see but men as trees. Once was I darkness, but now am I light (though weak) in the Lord. This light makes me see,
[1.] My former darkness, the sad and miserable state that once I was in, ignorant of God, Christ, and religion, save going to the church, and keeping from banning and swearing, &c, which I was restrained from, from a child. This makes me see my present darkness, 1 Cor. 13:12. How little a portion do I know of you, O God? My knowledge is but as the twilight.
[2.] It lets me see my heart-sins, my imperfections and shortcomings in the best of my duties; so that God might damn me for them. The hypocrites say, Why have we fasted and you see not? etc., Isa. 58:3. It lets me see the wanderings of my heart in duty and out of duty, yea, the the sinfulness of the first risings of lust in my heart, Rom. vii., and is still discovering the baseness of my heart unto me, so that I am forced to think and say, that at the best I am unclean, unclean.