Book IV. MINI STER S COMPARED T O PLANTE RS. METAPHOR. PAR ALL EL. 'l'his doth the Soul's Union with 'Jcfits Jbew, And where and how theft heavenly Plants do grow. VliT. A Planter fometimes plants a whole Vineyard, with the Help and Aflillance he hath from others. IX. A Planter's Work, like other Laborers, is very hard; they oft-times fweat at it, fpend and wafle rhetrdelves; they find fame Ground very rocky, and difficult to dig up, and to manure. X. A Planter doth not only plant, but alfo water his Plants, that ·they may grow and thrive the better. VJil. So a painful Minifter may, nay, and has planted a whole Church by the Help and A!lifl– ance of the Spirit of God, yea, fevera1 Churcl1e~, as St. Paul, and others we read of, &c. IX. So is the Minifter's Work a very hard and !dborions Work; no Digger or Planter works harder, or rakes more Pams, than fame faithful Planters, or Preachers of the Gofpel ; they fre– quently fweat at their \Vork , as we have el(ewhere !hewed, and by their Study and great Labor, wa!le their frail Bodies. Some Sinners have rocky Hearts. X. So godly Minil\ers do not only preach, whereby Souls are planted by the heavenly Doc– trine; but al(o pray for lncrca(e, whereby their Plants arc watered : I bavc pla~~ted, and Apollos watered. What Paul plants, Apo!los comes i!fter and waters with his Dothine, that dropped like Dew. Ndther is he that plantetb, any thi11g, nor he that watereth, but God that givetb the [ncreaft, 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7· XI. He that plants a Vineyard XI. So a faithfu l Miniftcr, or fpirirual Planter, with his own L abor, ought to be ought to eat of the F ruit of that Church or Vine– allowed w eat of the Fruit thereof; yard he hath planted, or doth keep, prune, and and :, would be accounted a ftrange manure; that is to fay, to be fed and comfortably Thing, !hould he be denied it. maintained by them. Tf/bo goetb a Warfare at his own Charge at any Time? Wbo planteth a f/ineyar.d, and eateth not of the Fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a Flock, and eatetb not of the Milk of tbe Flock? Say I theft 'l'hings as a Man, or faith not the Law the fame aljo ? &c. If we have [owed unto you fpiritual 'l'bings, is it a great Thit!g we Jbou!d reap your·camal Cfhings? 1 Cor. ix. 7, 8, 11. XII. Pbnters greatly rejoice to f~e their Plants thrive ·.and grow, .and their Labor profper. X Ill. Planters do not only take delight in planting, in the Spring, and other fit Seatons ; but do aJ(o take core of the Plants at fuch Times when it is Winter, left the Froft and Cold flJOu]d fpoil their Growth. XII. SoMinifters rejoice to fee Saints orfpiritual ,Plants grow and thrive in Grace, and true Holi– nefs : I have 110 greater 'Joy, thmz to fee my Father's Children walk in the '!'nab, 2 Jah;z iv. X Il l. So fpiritual Planters, Chrifl's faithfu l Minifl:ers, do not only t3ke Delight to labor in Chrift's Vineyard, to plant and graft when the Sun or Spring·Seafon of Providence !hines upon them, but endure the fharpefl: Storms of Perfecu– rion, in the taking Care of rhofe render Plams, who by reaion of the !harpeft \Vinter, may be in greatefl Danger. XIV. Planters have been, and XIV. So Mir.ifl:ers have been, and are great are greatly infirumental for the Belnflnm>ents of much Good and Benefit to the nefit and J\dvamage of the Place Place or Country where God hath bleft their La– or Country where they dwell, by bars, by planting Churches, who have fent forth the Vineyards, Orchards, and Garfuch F ruit, that many thereby have been made dens they have planted. fruitful in Gr.:ce a11d Holinels. \Vhat fpirirual .Profit have thefe After-ages reaped by the Labors of thofe that were at firft, and thofe th..t followed after, as Planters in God's Vine– yard! of which the holy Scripture, and other H;ftories give a full Account. So that \Vord is fulfilled , 'Others·have labored, a11d ;•ou are rr.tered i11to tbeir Labors, i. c. we r:ap the Benefit of thofe that were Planters before u,, as others may reap the Benefit of the Labors of fuch as arc now entered into the fatne \Vork, that the Generation th'!t ,js to come may,praife the Lord. I N F E R E N C E ~ J. WHAT Grace and Glory is this, 0 Saint, that' God hath conferred on thee, in taking thee out of that wild, dead, and barren Stock, and planting thee into 10 B that
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