INTRODUCTION. $ 



templation ; that they were Men of mild, 

 fweet, and peaceable Spirits. Thefe our 

 bleffed Saviour, who loves to plant Grace in 

 good Natures, chofe to call from their irre- 

 proachable Employment of Fifhing, and con- 

 ftitute them his Difciples, enabling them to 

 follow him, and to do Wonders. Nay, thefe 

 four Fifliermen had a Priority of Nomination 

 in the Catalogue of his twelve Apoftles, which 

 are reckoned, i. St. Peler^ 2. St. Andrew^ 

 3. Sc James^ 4. St. John^ and the reft in 

 their Order. And when our bleffed Saviour 

 went up into the Mount, and left the reft of 

 his Difciples, chufmg only three to bear him 

 Company at his Transfiguration, thofe three 

 were all Fifliermen. Nor do we want Argu- 

 ments to make it believed, that all the other 

 Apoftles, after they became Followers of 

 Chrift, became alfo Fifhermen : For it is cer- 

 tain that the greater Number of them were 

 found together Fifhing by Jefiis after his Re- 

 furre(ftion, as it is recorded in St. Jolnfs Gol- 

 pel. '■' 



It has been judicioufly remarked, that tho* 

 God every where infpires the Matter of the 

 facrcd Writings, yet he fuffers the holy Pen- 

 •men to exprcfs his Will in fuch Stile and Me- 

 taphors as their former AfFecStions or Practice 

 had made familiar to them. Thus Solomon^ 

 for Example, who before his Con^verfion was 

 remarkably amoroi]s,after hisRepentance wrote 

 that fpiritual Dialogue, or holy Love-iong, 

 thQCatakksy betwixt God and his Church-, in 

 B 5 which 



