“Therefore they Sacrifice unto their Net, and burn Incense unto their Drag.”
By J. Clarke
The allusion conveyed in this passage is doubtless to a practice common among the ancient Pagan nations, those adjacent to the sea coast, of paying devout worship to the nets which they used in fishing. Occasionally, when the nets were spread upon the shore to be dried, they would sacrifice to them, and pay them divine worship, thus hoping to secure to themselves success in their labors, and thus to propitiate the favor of the gods as they believed. People now would look with contempt upon such a wicked farce; nevertheless, perhaps there is something in the practice of modern, and enlightened and even devout people, almost if not quite as ridiculous and wicked. Every division (almost) of the professed church, has its net and drag (that is its institutions, periodicals, &c.) Now it is right for a fisherman to have a net and drag; of course he must have them, but he need not worship them. It is God alone can give success. But it is so natural to stop short of the Great First Cause. We are too prone to take pride in our colleges, our ministers, our churches, or our paper, or something else, and thus rob God of the glory due to him alone. Oh let us beware of the snare of Satan, and while we value, and pray for the success of our Sabbath and Advent paper, let us look beyond the means used to the Great First Cause for final and sure success. J. CLARKE. Portage, Wood Co. Ohio.