BookiV. MINISTERS COMPARED To PLANTERS. 8z7 META PI-I OR. all the Goods of the Houfe, and Charge of the Family. PARALLEL. Branch and Part of it, cafled the l'vfyfleries of God, which is of inefl:imable Value. 2. The whole Church ; they have the Care and Charge of the whole Family or Houfhold of God. 3· They have the Care and Charge of Mens Souls committed w them. See Watchmm. III. It behovetl1 a Steward to be faithful in all Things, fecking the Honor of his Lo1 d ; They ought to be much in their Bufinefs, not leavina it ro oth~rs, that are not experi~nced in it, nor careful to look after it; nor leave their Maf– ter's Bufincfs, to mind and look after their own. Ill. So ought e·.·cry Minill:cr of Chrifl: to be faithful in all Thinp, wholly fl:udying the Profit, Honor, and Intere!t of the Lord JeitJS. They ought continually to be abour his Affairs, nOt leave the Management of the Church, and Con– cerns of the Miniitry, l1ke f<>mc felf-feeking Priefts of our Days, to others, who are unexperienced, negligent, and worfC; to tOliow their own Con– cerr.s, and livi11g in Eafe and Pleafure, purfuing after the Riche~ ;!nd Vanities of the \Vorld, mat· rering not whether Chrift be honored or no, or whether his lntere!t link or fwim, fo thac Things go \Vel! with chem, and they rhrive in the World. There are too many fuch in rhi1 Day, io that we may well lay with the Apoftk, AllJeek their own, and none the Things that nre Jefus Chrifl's. IV.· Stewards give DireCtion 10 all inferior Officers, and others in the Family, about their refpeCtive v;ork and Butintls. V. Stewards mull: expeCt to be called to an Account, and if un– faithful, are frequently put our of their Sceward01ip: Give an account of thy Stewardjhip, for thou mayefl );e no longer Ste·:;;ard, Luke xvi. 2. IV. So Miniil:e" give DireCtions to the Dea– cons, and other Membc·rs of Chrifl's Church, how to difcharge their Duties in their refpetl.ive Places, &c. V. So all the Minillers of Chrift mull: expeCt to be called to an Account : The Time is earn– ing, when Chrifl: will reckon with them; and happy will they be, that have their Accounts m give up with J oy, to whom the Lord J efus will fay, Well done, good and faith/Ill Ser·vant, &c. MINIsTERs C01dPARED TO pLANTERs. I have planted, and Apolio watered, &c. Now he that plantetb, and he that watereth, art one, I Cor. iii. 6, 8. G 0 D is the chief fpiritual Planter, Ifa . v. 7· lx. 2 r. and Ixi. 3· Matt. XI'. 13 None but he can implant a Principle of Grace in the Sinner's l-Ieart; it is his pro– per ·work to rake us out of the old Stock and Root, and plant us into the New. But !orafmuch as thefe Things are a!ferteci by the Preaching of the VVord, Minifl:ers are called Planters: I ha've planted, &c. 1 Cor. iii. b. They are bur under or fubordinate 1.Jlanters and \Vaterers, to TOll xvE,z~(J~1x, him that givts-tht lncr~are, 'viz. Jeho"'vah. MET A PH 0 R. I. A Skilful Planter is a curious !\.ruit, one that knows the .Nature ofTree•, Plants, and Seeds. He is fkilled in Setting, lngrafting, lnnoculation, or Grafcing with the Scion. II. A Planter hath fit Tools or lnil:rumenrs to do his Work withal, ~~iz. a Spade, a Knife, &c. without which he can do r.othing. Ill. A Planter knows, that un– til the Ground he is to plant, be PARALLEL. I. so an experienced and able Minifter of the Gefpel JS a vay fkilfu I Perfon, one that hath Knowledge of grc1t Myfh:ries, bmh of Nature and Grace: He knows the State of Man in the fir!l: Adam, that old Stock ; and alfo the Nature of Planting, or Grafnng into Jefus Chrift, how and which \'.ray it is, and mllft be done. ll. So Miniftcrs of Ci>rift have fit Inttruments to work with, viz. the Gofi>el, which is called the ingrafted Word, i. e. an lnftrument or Means by which Souls arc planted, or grafted into Chriit, by the Help of the Holy Ghoft, without which they can do nothing. Ill. So Miniftcrs know, unlefs the Hearts of Sinners are dug by the powerful ConviCtions of 3 the
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