The First Day 37 



First, that tye never reproved these, for their em- 

 ployment or calling, as he did the Scribes and the 

 Money-changers. And secondly, he found that the 

 hearts of such men, by nature, were fitted for con- 

 templation and quietness ; men of mild, and sweet, 

 and peaceable spirits, as indeed most Anglers are : 

 these men our blessed Saviour, who is observed to 

 love to plant grace in good natures, though indeed 

 nothing be too hard for him, yet these men he chose 

 to call from their irreprovable employment of fish- 

 ing, and gave them grace to be his disciples, and to 

 follow him, and do wonders ; I say four of twelve. 



And it is observable, that, it was our Saviour's will 

 that these, our four fishermen, should have a priority 

 of nomination in the catalogue of his twelve Apostles, 

 as namely, first St. Peter, St. Andrew, St. James, and 

 St. John ; and, then, the rest in their order. 



And it is yet more observable, that when our 

 blessed Saviour went up into the mount, when he 

 left the rest of his disciples, and chose only three to 

 bear him company at his Transfiguration, that those 

 three were all fishermen. And it is to be believed, 

 that all the other Apostles, after they betook them- 

 selves to follow Christ, betook themselves to be 

 fishermen too ; for it is certain, that the greater 

 number of them were found together, fishing, by 

 Jesus after his resurrection, as it is recorded in the 

 twenty-first chapter of St. John's gospel. 



And since I have your promise to hear me with 

 patience, I will take a liberty to look back upon an 

 observation that hath been made by an ingenious 

 and learned man ; who observes, that God hath been 

 pleased to allow those whom he himself hath ap- 

 pointed to write his holy will in holy writ, yet to 

 express his will in such metaphors as their former 

 affections or practice had inclined them to. And 

 he brings Solomon for an example, who, before his 



