Husbandry spiritualized, or, The heavenly use of earthly things consisting of many pleasant observations,…

Rain is necessary at Seed-time, to make ready the earth, §6to receive the Seed▪ Psal. 65. 9, 10. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it; thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water; thou preparest them co•n, when thou •ast so provided for it; thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly, thou settest the furrows thereof, thou makest it soft with showers, thou bl•ssest the springing thereof. And this the Scripture calls the former rain. And as this is necessary about Seed-time, so the latter rain is as needful about •a•ing time, to disclose the ear, and to bring it to perfection; both these are great blessings to the earth, and conduce to a plentiful harvest, Joel 2. 23, 24. Be glad then ye Children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former and the latter rain in the first month, and the floors shall be full of ⟨p. 85⟩wheat, and the faces shall overflow with wine and Oil. Thus the Gospel hath a double use and benefit also. It's necessary as the former rain at Seed-time, it causes the first spring of grace in the heart, Psal. 19. 7. And there could be, (in an ordinary way) no spring of grace without it, Prov. 29. 18. And as this former rain is necessary to cause the first spring of grace, so also it hath the use of the latter rain to ripen those precious fruits of the Spirit in the souls of Believers, Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13. He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Were all the elect converted unto God, yet still there would be a necessity of a Gospel Ministry.