38 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



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 

 themselves to follow Christ, betook themselves to be fisher- 

 men 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 21st chapter of St. John's Gospel, ver. 

 3 and 4. 



And since I have your promise to hear me with patience, I 

 will take the 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 appointed to write his holy will in holy writ, yet, to ex- 

 press 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 conversion was remarkably carnally 

 amorous ; and after, by God's appointment, wrote that 

 spiritual dialogue, or holy amorous love-song, the Canticles, 

 betwixt God and his church ; in which he says, his beloved 

 liad eyes like the fish-pools of Heshbon. 



And if this hold in reason, as I see none to the contrary, 

 then it may be probably concluded, that Moses, who I told 

 you before writ the book of Job, and the prophet Amos, who 

 was a shepherd, were both anglers ; for you shall, in all the 

 Old Testament find fish-hooks, I think, but twice mentioned : 

 namely, by meek Moses, the friend of God, and by the humble 

 prophet Amos. Concerning which last, namely, the prophet 

 Amos, I shall make but this observation ; that he that shall 

 read the humble, lowly, plain style of that prophet, and com- 

 pare it with the high, glorious, eloquent style of the prophet 

 Isaiah (though they both be equally true), may easily believe 

 Amos to be, not only a shepherd, but a good-natured, plain 

 fisherman. Which I do the rather believe, by comparing 

 the affectionate, loving, lowly, humble, epistles of St. Peter, 

 St, James, and St. John, whom we know were all fishers, 

 with the glorious language and high metaphors of St. Paul, 

 whom we may believe was not. 



And for the lawfulness of fishing : it may very well be 

 maintained by our Saviour's bidding St. Peter cast his hook 

 into the water and catch a fish, for money to pay tribute to 

 Csesar. 



