counfelling, comforting, and inftructing one another, and to the best of our Knowledg and Power helping forward the Salvation of all Men.

Now when he had left fpeaking, he said unto Simon, launch out into the Deep, and let down your Nets for a Draught: When he had ended his Difcourfe, he put Peter upon the Bufinefs of his Calling; and being a Fisherman, he bids him put forth into the Sea, and caft out their Nets for a draught of Fishes: whereby he fhew'd his Approbation of Mens Diligence and Industry in their feveral Stations and Callings, willing them carefully and feasonably to follow the Business of them, that they may receive a Blefling from their honeft and innocent Endeavours.

But Simon answering, said unto him, Master, we have toil'd all the Night, and have taken nothing. His bad Succefs had mightily difcourag'd him, and made him backward to the ufing of any farther Endeavours. Moft Men are unwilling to labour in vain, or to follow Business, when they fee nothing comes of it; but this is many times thro their own Folly and Default, they have not things fo foon: and in that measure and quantity that they expect, and so cease their Endeavours after them.

Some lay afide their Prayers, because they do not find a prefent Answer to them; and others neglect and refufe to labour, because they do not inftantly reap the defir'd Fruits of it: whereas by a little Patience and Perfeverance in their Duty, they may obtain more than they could reafonably expect; For we shall reap (faith the Apostle) if we faint not. And fo it prov'd in this Cafe: St. Peter felt fomething of this Impatience and Diftruft, and by the fruitless Labour and Toil of one Night, was almost difcourag'd from any farther Attempt, till awaken'd by our Saviour's Call, he renews his Endeavours, and falls to his Work again; Nevertheless (faith he) at thy Word, I will let down the Net. Chrift's Word quicken'd both his Diligence and his Hopes; and that made him readily obey it, by letting down his Net, which he had wash'd and prepar'd for a better Opportunity. But what was the Effect of this chearful Compliance? Why, that the next Verse tells us, When they had thus done, they enclos'd a great Multitude of Fishes, fo that their Net brake. We fhall lofe nothing by obeying and trusting our Lord; yea, we fhall be infinite Gainers by both. For the Difciples here who had toil'd all Night, and caught nothing, no not fo much as

one

one fingle Fifh; by believing and doing as Chrift contmanded them, took up fuch vaft Numbers of Fishes as brake their Net, tho before wash'd and mended for the Draught: A feafonable Encouragement to all Chrift's Servants to go on chearfully in the Duties of their respective Callings; not to defpond after fome unfuccessful Toils and Trials; nor to defift from the Works of their Vocation for any feeming Difcouragements or Disappointments they may meet with in it.

But what did the Difciples do upon this extraordinary Draught of Fishes, and the breaking of their Nets? Why, They beckon'd to their Partners, which were in the other Ship, that they should come and help them, and they came and filled both the Ships, fo that they began to fink. They were more opprefs'd now with the Number and Weight of the Fish taken, than they were before with the want of them; and therefore call'd to their Companions for Afliftance, under the Burden of their Abundance. They beckon'd to the Partners in the other Ship to come and help them, not in their Poverty, but their Plenty, to fhare in their Profperity, and to ease them of fome of the Care and Trouble of it. To which they readily came, as moft Men are willing to repair to and partake of Plenty; the Rich have many Friends, and they that have Store of Provifions, fhall ne ver want Company to receive and confume them. When they, in the other Ship, came to thefe Difciples, they found them labouring under the Burden of Affluence and Plenty, which was fo great, that they could not well bear nor manage; for they found the number of the Fish taken at one Draught fufficient to fill both the Ships, and the Weight of them great enough to fink both the Veffels. Profperity is fometimes more dangerous than Adverfity, and more are overwhelm'd with Plenty, than are funk with Poverty. A Heathen could obferve, that few Men can nalawéwσai péjav odor, digeft great Profperity; it exposes to Difficulties and Dangers, that are not easily conquer'd; and more Men perish by Luxury, than pine away by lack. The Difciples here were in greater Danger by the Fulness, than they were by the Emptiness of their Veffels; they who before fwam about with Pleafure, were here finking with Preffure, and call'd for Affiftance, not fo much in time of Need, as in time of Abundance. Now here we may remark two or three things, that may be worth Observation:

(1.) That

(1.) That our Saviour fuited his Miracles and wonderful Works to the Employments and Neceffities of those, with whom he had to do; as being more likely to work upon them, than fuch as had no Reference to either. Chrift having here to do with Fishermen, whom he was about to convert, and call to be his Difciples, he thought he could not do better with them, than to take them in their own way, and by a miraculous Draught of Fishes, especially at a time when they could take none themselves, to convince them of his Divine Power: By this they perceiv'd him to be Lord of the Sea, as well as Land, and that he had all the Creatures in both at his Call and Command, and could bring them together at all times and places, both when and where he pleafes. By this aftonishing Draught of Fishes, he caught the Difciples too, and enclos'd them in the fame Net: a Draught it was, far above and beside their Expectation, and fuch a one as they knew nothing but the commanding Power of God was able to bring to pafs; and this gave them fuch a convincing Evidence of his Meffiahfhip, that they ever after devoted themselves to his Service, as we fhall fee after. Again,

At another time, we read that Peter feeing our Saviour walking on the Sea, as on dry Ground, and that too in a great Storm, entreated that he might come to him on the Water. Chrift calling him to him, he went out of the Ship, and walked on the Sea to meet his Mafter, who to try his Faith, permitted him to fink a little under Water which made him in a paffionate Fright to cry out, Lord Save me whereupon Chrift took him by the Hand, and fet him again on the Top of the Water, with this mild Rebuke, O thou of little Faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? At which Peter and all that faw it were astonish'd at the Miracle, and brake out into this Confeffion; Of a truth thou art the Son of God; Mat. 14. 32, 33.

Thus having to do with Seamen and Fishermen, he treated them with Arguments taken from their own Calling and Element, and convinc'd them of the Divinity of his Perfon by Miracles done in and upon the Sea: For they were all amaz'd, when they faw the Winds and the Sea obey him, and that he commanded not only the Fowls of the Air, but the Fish of the Sea, and whatsoever paffeth through the Paths of the Sea.

And as he accommodated his Miracles fometimes to Mens Callings, fo did he at other times to Mens Neceffi

ties, which are apt likewise to make deep Impreffions upon them. So when great Multitudes that followed our Saviour in the Wilderness, were in great want, and almost famifh'd with Hunger, he multiply'd five Loaves and two little Fishes to the feeding of five thousand Men, befide Women and Children; and when they were all filled, there was more left than was at firft fet before them. Which Miracle fo aftonish'd them, that they all cry'd out, Of a truth this is that Prophet, that was to come into the World. This is the firft Remark on this Miracle. The

(2d) Is, from St. Peter's and the other Difciples complaining of their bad Success, we may obferve the Pronenefs of Mankind to murmur and diftruft God upon very flight Occafions: we find here that when Jefus bid Simon to launch out into the Deep, and to caft out their Net into the Sea, he reply'd that he had done that already, but in vain, and had been fishing all the Night to no purpofe; and if they could not fucceed then in the Night, the most proper time for that Employment, there can be but little Hope of fpeeding better now, it being probably high Noon: as if Chrift would put them upon Labour in vain, and could not give Succefs to the Work which he fets them about. Many are apt to diftruft and complain without a Gaufe, the Ifraelites were ftill murmuring and complaining, though they were daily fed with Manna and Quails in the Wilderness: and too many ftill, upon every little Appearance of bad Weather, are apt to defpond and murmur, as if they were to be ftarv'd and undone; which is a great Dif truft of God Almighty's Providence, and highly provoking to him.

(3.) We may obferve hence, that tho good Men may be liable to thefe Defpondencies, yet by a little Confideration they foon deliver themselves from them. We find here that St. Peter was almost discourag'd by the bad Success of one whole Night's Labour, yet nevertheless at Chrift's word, he let down the Net; and his Obedience was well rewarded, for the Net immediately enclos'd fo great a infomuch

Multitude of Fishes, that it began to break great a

that they were forc'd to call to their Partners, that were in a Ship hard by, to come in to their Afliftance; and both the Ships were fo deeply laden, that they could hardly keep them from finking: An Example great enough to keep us from finking under any Difappointments in the Vol. IV. Part 2. N

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way of our ordinary Callings, and to encourage us to go on in them according to God's Word, and by waiting God's time, we fhall find a Blefling ample enough to reward all our Industry.

But to go on to the Effect of this Miracle: How did Peter behave himfelf upon the fight of this miraculous Draught of Fifhes? Why, the next words tell us, that when Simon Peter faw it, he fell down at Jefus Feet, faying, Depart from me, for I am a finful Man, O Lord! He was fo furpriz'd at the Sight, that, reflecting on his former Dif truft and Backwardness, he thought himself unworthy of his Prefence; and fo, with a profound Humility and Dread, defir'd him to depart from him: for he was aftonished (fay the following words) and all that were with him, at the Draught of the Fishes that they had taken : meaning, that what he faid before of his departing from him, proceeded not from a Defire of being rid of his Company, but from a Senfe of his own Sinfulness, that made him unworthy of it, and a certain Dread and Amazement, which the Sight of the Miracle and his Prefence had wrought in him. The Glory of his Perfon, and the Greatness of his Power had fo dazled and confounded him, that he was not able to bear it, and therefore threw himself down at his Feet, and pray'd him to go from him.

In the fame degree of Aftonishment were also James and John, the Sons of Zebedee, who were Partners with Simon; being all ftruck with the fame Admiration and Amazement at the Luftre of his Perfon and Actions.

But to remove St. Peter's Fears, and to deliver him from his Aftonishment, Jefus faid unto Simon, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch Men: Be not frighted or difmaid, for I have higher and better Work for thee, more happy and honourable Employment to fet thee about; for thou fhalt no longer bufy thy felf in catching filly Fifh, but thou fhalt catch Men, and bring great Shoals of Converts and Profelytes into thy Net: and these too fhall be caught, not as the Fifh are, to their Destruction, but they fhall be taken and kept alive, and nourish'd to eternal Salvation. From henceforth he dealt no more with thofe mute and filly Animals, but convers'd with Men, bringing them in to the Obedience of the Gospel, and catching their Souls to eternal Life. And this miraculous Draught of Fishes, which he faw done before him, was but an Emblem or Prefage of a richer and more plentiful Prey, that he fhould have in

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