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

But God gave the increase.

We have (out of the former part) handled the two-fold ministerial Employment of Church-Officers, to Plant and Water: We continue a further amplification of the peculiar Operation, attributed unto God in all this; with that opposite distinction. But God gave the increase. The Metaphor (as you have heard) is taken from natural things, where though the industry and skill of the Gardener and Husbandman is required, yet God gives all the Increase: (As is more to be showed.) Now, this followeth, à minori ad majus: If in natural things, the Husbandman cannot make an Apple or Cherry, or the least grain of Corn; much less in spiritual things can he make the nature of Grace and goodness. He cannot work the heart to believe, though he make a sound in the ear. Yea, it's good to observe, that God in this spiritual industry, doth more give the Increase, then in natural. For in all the fruit and profit of natural things, God doth not exclude nature from some kind of co-efficiency, as the earth hath some inward power to help to the producing of the fruit thereof: But in this spiritual increase, God doth wholly exclude all natural ability. Grace doth not fructify by the Ministry, as Herbs and Corn do in the ground; for, the ground is the Mother, and hath a kind of vivifical influence into them. But here, God works all and solely. So, that neither the Ministry without, or the natural power and freewill of man within, hath any joint efficacy with God. And although the Apostle saith, We are workers together with God, 2 Cor. 6.1. that is not to be understood of the immediate ⟨p. 90⟩efficiency of grace, for that cometh from him only, as the Beams of light comes immediately from the Sun: But in respect of the outward Ministry, they make the external application of the remedy; but the power of grace, giveth the quickening. Even as men may say on the contrary by sin, Original corruption, that plants sin; temptations, they water it, and the Devil, he giveth the increase. So then, it's not the learning, the eloquence, the efficacy of the Ministers words, but Gods secret and invisible power, which doth accompany it, that makes a glorious change. From whence observe what was formerly taken notice off, but further to be enlarged.