Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 4:19

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you Fishers of men.

Here was their Call to the Office of Apostles. It is observable that Gods Calls of men to places of Dignity, and Honour, and his appearances of Favour to them, have ordinarily been when they have been busied in the honest Imployments of their Callings. Saul was seeking his Fathers Asses, David keeping his Fathers Sheep, when the Lord called them to the Kingdom: The Shepheards were feeding their Flocks, when they had the Revel[illegible: 1 letter]tion of Chri[illegible: 2 letters], he calleth four Apostles from their Fishery. Amos from amongst the Herdmen of Tekoah, Matthew from the rece[illegible: 1 letter]t of Custom, Moses when keeping Iethroe's Flock, Exod. 3.2. Gideon from the Threshing floor, Iud. 6.11. God never incourageth Idleness, but despiseth not Persons in meanest Imployments. Follow me, that is, to return no more to your Imployment. [I will make you Fishers of Men] Here is the work of Mini[illegible: 2 letters]ers set out, to gain Souls to God, they are not to Fish meerly for a Livelihood, much less for Honour and applause to themselves, but to win Souls to God, and are to bait their Hooks, and order the[illegible: 1 letter]r Nets to this end▪ which they will never serve, if eitheir by general Discourses, they make the Maskes so wide, that all will dart through them, or if by their Wit, and Learning, they make their Discourses so fine, and curious, that few or none of their Hearers can understand them. Nor will all our Art make us Fishers of Men: I will make you (saith Christ) Paul may plant, and Appollos may water, God must give the increase: But yet we must order our Nets rationally, and probably in order to our end, and without that, cannot expect Gods blessings. Nor were the Apostles presently to enter upon the work of the Ministry, but first to follow him. And indeed such should all Gospel Ministers be, in the choice of Matthias, Peter limited the People in their Election, to those that had accompanied with them all the time, the Lord Iesus went in and out amongst them, Acts 1.21. other Ministers commonly prove Fishers for something else not for the Souls of men.