in, it neutralizes at once, by its soft nutritious properties, the baneful effects of error, and at the same time brings the truth of God more prominently forth, thus the instruction or food becomes wholesome and sound. From this sacred vessel, the Word of God, all our spiritual food must be extracted.
April Twelfth.
THE FISHING NET.
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind."—Matt. xiii. 47.
THE Lord would not have likened the kingdom of heaven to a net cast into the sea, which after gathering of every kind, was drawn to shore, where an examination was made of the fish,—unless instruction of a most serious nature were involved in the parable. The net is not said to be filled with one kind of fish, but with all varieties—of every kind. These, after examination, are reduced to two classes, good and bad; the former are gathered into vessels, the bad cast away. The net is here put to signify the universal doctrine of the church of God; for this makes no interior discrimination, but readily encloses all sorts and conditions of men, as the net did good and bad fish. The mere acknowledgment of doctrinal truth is the same in both the good and the evil. All who appear in the same net, or, as to profession, acknowledge the same doctrine, are nevertheless not of the same quality as to holiness of life. It is well to consider that although the many are called; few, are chosen. (Matt. xx. 16.) The many are the professors of doctrine—the few,
