THE WORD OF GOD COMPARED TO RAll'L Book Ili: MET APH 0 R. abroad fo plentifully, that all and every Part of the Field which they intend to fow, may be fawn there– with. PAR ALL EL. And how plentifully was this fpiritual Seed dif" perfed by the Apofl:les 2nd Servants of Chri!l: ~ 'I'hey wem every where preaching the Word. Which is come unto you, as it is in all the World, and brings forth Fruit, as it doth alfo in you, fiuce th< Day )'e he,~rd of it, and knew the Grace of God in 'l'ruth, Col. i. 6. METAPHOR. I. SOME Men, either through ,want of Judgment or to fave Charg;e, fow bad Seed, fuch as will )lOt bear much Fruit, although the Ground whereon it is fown be never fo good. ll. No Seed that Men fow can be at all fnutful, or yield increafe, except the Plqugh go before to break up the Ground, which the Seed cannot do of itfelf by any Art of Man. , Ill. ManyMenhavefowedgood Seed, and that upon good Ground, and it hath taken Root, and Aou– rilhed, and yet by fome Accident or other, they have had a bad Harveft, brought but little Corn into the Barn, or fometimes none at all, Hag. i. 6, 9· IV. The Seed which Men fow is not quickened, except it die, 1 Cor. xv. 36. , . D I S P A R I T Y : I. BUT the Seed of the Word of God is good Seed, and was never fown into good Ground, that is, a good and honefl: Heart, but it took Root, and became fruitful, as all true Be– lievers have experienced. II. But the \Vord of God, throuah the miahty Operation of the Spirit, is not o~ly Seed,'\ut alfo the fpiritual Plough, by which the fallow Ground of the Heart is broken up, and made fit for itfelf to fii1k into, and take deep Root there. . Ill. But nevet' was the Seed of God's Word fown in a good and honefl: Heart, takino- Root there, and flourifhing, but a bleffed Har~eft al– ways followed; nay, though they fow in Tears, they fhall reap in Joy : He that goeth forth, and weepeth, bearing precious Seed, jhall doubtlefs come again with rejoicing, bringing his Sheaves with him, Pfal. cxxvi. 5, 6. IV. But the Word of the Lord dieth not, but liveth and abideth for ever: 'l'h~ Words that I Jpeak unto you, they are Spirit,· and they are Life, John vi. 63. t N F E R E N C E ~ I. IT may inform us, that the Caufe why fame Per!Ons fall away, and tum with the Dog to his Vomit, and with the Sow that was wajhed, to her wallowing in the Mire, is, becaufe they were never fmcere, nor upright in Heart. The bond\ and upright Soul falls not away, cannot fall fo as never to rife again, but brings forth Fruit t\) everlafl:ina Life, as our Savior clearly fhews. JI. 0 cl1en letMen andiVomen take heed to their own Hearts, and fee whether they were ever throughly broken in the Sight and Senfe of their Sin. The Word· and Gofpel muft firfl: b~ a Plough unto them, to break up the fl:ony and fallow Ground of their Hearts, before, like Seed, the Word can be recetved by then1. Ill. Remember, that notwithfl:anding a poor Soul may meet with many Storms,. and ao through much Difficulty and Trouble, both within and without, rife early, and fie down late, whilfl: he keeps his Hand on the Lord's Plough, in this Seed-time of the World, yet the Haryeft will make amends for all: You that haveJawed in 'I'ears,· jhall reap in Joy. Nay, the Day is at hand, wherein both the Sower and the Reaper ·lhall rejoice together. THE WORD OF GOD COMPARED' TO RAIN. My DofJrine jhall drop as the Rain, &c. Deut. xxxii. z. SIMILE. 1. RAIN is the immediate and proper Work of God; He r,ives us Rai11 [ro1u Hea~·en, and PARALLEL. I. THE Word of God, and the .Bleffings that attend it, are all from God, it is he that aHkes the divine Rain to fall upon Mens Souls ? you·
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