Church History: In the parable itself. We note:
1. The world is a vast sea, and the children of men are things creeping innumerable, both small and great, in that sea, Psalms
104:25. Men in their natural state are like the fishes of the sea that have no ruler over them, Habakkuk 1:14.
2. The preaching of the gospel is the casting of a net into this sea, to catch something out of it, for his glory who has the
sovereignty of the sea. Ministers are fishers of men, employed in casting and drawing this net; and then they speed, when at
Christ's word they let down the net; otherwise, they toil and catch nothing.
3. This net gathers of every kind, as large dragnets do. In the visible church there is a deal of trash and rubbish, dirt and
weeds and vermin, as well as fish.
4. There is a time coming when this net will be full, and drawn to the shore; a set time when the gospel shall have fulfilled
that for which it was sent, and we are sure it shall not return void, Isa 55:10-11. The net is now filling; sometimes it fills
faster than at other times, but still it fills, and will be drawn to shore, when the mystery of God shall be finished.
5. When the net is full and drawn to the shore, there shall be a separation between the good and bad that were gathered in it.
Hypocrites and true Christians shall then be parted; the good shall be gathered into vessels, as valuable, and therefore to be
carefully kept, but the bad shall be cast away, as vile and unprofitable; and miserable is the condition of those who are cast
away in that day. While the net is in the sea, it is not known what is in it, the fishermen themselves cannot distinguish; but
they carefully draw it, and all that is in it, to the shore, for the sake of the good that is in it. Such is God's care for the
visible church, and such should ministers' concern be for those under their charge, though they are mixed.
The first part of the parable is obvious and plain enough. In the explanation of the latter part of the parable, we see gathered in the visible church, some of every kind: but the latter part refers to that which is yet to come, and is therefore more particularly explained, Matthew 13:49-50. So shall it be at the end of the world; then, and not till then, will the dividing, discovering day be. We must not look for the net full of all good fish; the vessels will be so, but in the net they are mixed.
Two things will happen at that time:
1. The distinguishing of the wicked from the righteous. The angels of heaven shall come forth to do that which the angels of the churches could never do; they shall sever the wicked from among the just; and we need not ask how they will distinguish them when they have both their commission and their instructions from him that knows all men, and particularly knows them that are his, and them that are not, and we may be sure there shall be no mistake or blunder either way.
2. The doom of the wicked when they are thus severed. They shall be cast into the furnace, Note, Everlasting misery and sorrow will certainly be the portion of those who live among sanctified ones, but themselves die unsanctified. This is the same with what we had before, Matthew 13:42. Christ himself preached often of hell-torments, as the everlasting punishment of hypocrites; and it is good for us to be often reminded of this awakening, quickening truth.
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