The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

Apollo watered.

Appolo watered.

This is the second main particular of the ministerial employment of Church-Officers, To water, [Greek or Hebrew]; he doth a little alter the metaphor, for that is properly to give beasts water, yet as those that have plentifully drunken, are said, irrigari, so to give to drink, may be said to water. The Metaphor is taken from plants to mans soul, as the Garden is, of a wilderness, planted with sweet and precious herbs; but this is not enough, it is afterwards to be watered, else all will immediately decay: So it is here. Though we have received the principles of Christianity, and are settled therein, yet if there be not continual watering, and pains taking, the Church of God will presently become like a wilderness. No Church is like Paradise at first, which being once planted needed not any water from Heaven, but rivers came from the midst of it, to water it, and make it fruitful. So that to water, is no more, then to use all those ministerial helps, that Christ hath appointed, that the spiritual seed once sown, may grow up to a plentiful crop. God, Isa. 5. compared his Church to a Vineyard, which when he had bestowed much cost on, and for their unfruitfulness was resolved to destroy it, then, among other things, he commanded, That the clouds should not rain on it. So that for God to deny spiritual watering to a people once planted, is a sad forerunner of future desolation. The Doctrine is,

This is the second main particular of the ministerial imploiment of Church-Officers, To water, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; he doth a little alter the metaphor, for that is properly to give beasts water, yet as those that have plentifully drunken, are said, irrigari, so to give to drink, may be said to water. The Metaphor is taken from plants to mans soul, as the Garden is, of a wildernesse, planted with sweet and precious herbs; but this is not enough, it is afterwards to be watered, else all will immediately decay: So it is here. Though we have received the principles of Christianity, and are setled therein, yet if there be not continual watering, and pains taking, the Church of God will presently become like a wildernesse. No Church is like Paradise at first, which being once planted needed not any water from Heaven, but rivers came from the midst of it, to water it, and make it fruitfull. So that to water, is no more, then to use all those ministerial helps, that Christ hath appointed, that the spiritual seed once sown, may grow up to a plentifull crop. God,