Exposition of Job 35-37

ELihu having shown in the two former verses, how much himself was affected with what God then did, or with what himself was about to say concerning the doings of God; having also called upon others for due attention, and labored to make the same impression upon their spirits that he found upon his own; he proceeds to speak to the special matter.

First, To the works of God in those terrible fiery Meteors, Thunder, and Lightning, which he doth in the three verses now under discussion; and then goeth on to speak of other wonderful works of the wonder-working God, in the following part of this Chapter, as was before shown, in laying open the whole.

This verse holds forth the divine guidance of those things which seem most remote from any guidance; He directeth it under the whole heaven. Here we may consider,

First, In whose hand this guiding power is; He, that is, God directeth it.

Secondly, how far he guideth, or the extent of his guiding power; 'tis not limited, but universal, far and near, even under the heaven, and to the ends of the earth.

There is some variety, as of reading, so of interpretation, about this verse, arising from the various significations of that word which we render directeth; there is a threefold sense given of it.

First, As taken from a root which signifieth to press or sqeeze, and so 'tis applied to the pressing of grapes, which causeth the juice or liqour of them to flow out: And upon that consideration the seventh month of the year, our September, hath its name among the Jews from this word; because then the Vintage being ready, the ripe Grapes are gathered and pressed into Wine. From this notion of the word, some render the text thus, he presseth or dissolveth it under the whole heaven; that is, God presseth the Cloud as a bunch of Grapes is pressed (these Intepreters make that the anteced • nt to it, he presseth it, that is, the Cloud) and so causeth it to rain. 'It is God who presseth and (as I may say) squeezeth the Clouds by his power, and then showers fall down and distil upon the ea th u • der the whole Heaven. That's a t • u • h, and some-where else spoken of in this book, whe • e we read of God's melting or pressing the Clouds as we do a bunch of Grapes or a spung, so causing them to give forth rain.

Secondly, Others derive the word from a root that signifieth to behold attentively, to behold and consider: Thus the latin translator renders it, he considereth under the whole heaven; that is (according to this interpretation) there is a Providence of God, a wise and an unerring Providence of God at work in all places, he considers and takes notice of all things under heaven, the least motion of the Creature falls under his inspection, He beholdeth, or considereth under the whole heavens; that's a truth also; yet, I conceive (with others) the Grammar of the Text will not well comply with this reading: Therefore

Thirdly, I conclude our own translation most suitable both to the Original text, and to the scope of this whole Chapter. Now, according to our rendering, the word comes from a root which signifieth to set a thing right or strait, and from that a person who is right, a man of a right spirit, who squares and orders his actions by a right rule, and to a right end, is expressed ( Chap. 1.1.) where Jobs character is given by this word, A man perfect and right, we say, upright, that is, a man that hath right aims, and walks by a right rule. Moses (Deut. 32.15.) calls the people of God (collectively as one man) Jeshuru • , that is, a people that are or should be right and upright with God. Thus here, he directeth it, that is, God doth, as it were, by a strait line, level or take his aim, when he dischargeth the Thunder in the Cloud: As he that dischargeth his gun, small or great, or shoots an arrow, levels and directs it at a mark, so the Lord directeth it. What is this it? 'It is plain, by what followeth in the latter part of the verse, where the Lightning is expressly mentioned, that he means the Thunder or the Thunder-bolt, for the Clouds are, in that case, charged with bolts: we have had many dreadful instances, as well in ancient Histories, as in our own time, of Thunder-bolts like Bullets shot from the Clouds. As if Elihu had said, whither-soever the Thunder-bolt goeth, to what quarter of the world soever 'tis designed, it receives commission and direction from God, what to do, and where to fall, whom it shall smite, or what mark it shall hit; He directeth it under the whole heaven,

Naturalists define or describe Ligh • ning thus; 'It is a bright shining, caused by exhalations fired in and violently breaking out of the Clouds. The Hebrew is, his light. The Sun is the fountain of Light, and that is eminently God's Light; but the Light here spoken of, is not the ordinary Light shining in the Air, by the rising of the Sun; this Light is Ligh • ning, which is a sudden flas • ing or breaking forth of light from the Clouds; as when a gun is fired or discharged, a light flasheth from it; such is that which Authors of all sorts call Lightning, and here the Scripture calls his Lightning. At the 3d Verse the Thunder was called his Voice, the Voice of God; and in this, the Lightning is called his Lightning; Elihu appropriates it unto God himself, his Lightning. This Lightning hath more than light in it, it hath heat and fire in it; though we do not always feel it, yet many have, the effects of heat and fire appearing sadly upon them. And this is such a fire as water cannot quench; and therefo • e we often read in Scripture, of Lightning joined with the Rain ( Psal. 135.7. Jer. 10.13. Jer. 51.16.) which may be remarkit as one of the wonders of it. There is a second, that the Lightning is said to fall from heaven. When the disciples brought a report back to Christ what g • eat things they had done, what conquests they had got over evil spirits, Christ answered ( Luke 10.18.) I saw Satan like Lightning fall from heaven. Lightning falls from he • ven; for though Lightning of its own nature (being fiery) should ascend, yet it descends through the power of God. Naturalists observe it as a wonder, that the Lightning should descend: Seneca demonstrates, it could not be, unless there were a divine power in it, that the Lightning should come down from heaven; and as Elihu said before, he directeth it, or the Thunder, under the whole heaven; so we are here to take up that word again, and say, He directeth his Lightning

Here is the act, and the extension of the act, to the ends of the earth; the Heb • ew is, the wings of the earth, so the word is used ( Gen. 1.21.) God created great whales, &c. and every winged fowl. The ends of the earth are called the wings of the earth, because they are the farthest out-stretchings of the earth; as a bird when she flies stretcheth out her wings to the utmost. They are also called, The corners of the earth (Ezek. 7.2.) Thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel: an end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land; the Hebrew is, upon the four wings (or ends) of the earth; as if he had said, an end is come upon the East and West, North and South. These four wings, or extremes of the earth, are the same which Christ called the four winds (Mat. 24.31.) where speaking of the Resurrection at the last Judgment, he shows how all that are raised shall be brought to one place or general Session, and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, that is, from the four ends, corners, skirts, or wings of the earth. The utmost extremity of a garment or of a land, according to the Hebrew, is called, the wing of it. Now forasmuch as Elihu represents God, thus directing both the Thunder and Lightning,

Observe first;

Thunder and Lightning go the way which God appointeth and chalketh out to them; they move not of themselves, they move not whither men or devils would have them, but whither God would have them. The Devils, I grant, have great power in the Air, yet 'tis limited by, and wholly subordinate to the will and power of God. As the reasonable creatures and their motions, that is, the motions of Men and Angels, are under the direction of God, as Jeremiah speaks ( Chap. 10.23.) It is not in him that goeth to direct his own steps. The Hebrew useth a word there which may be rendered to prepare, to establish, or to confirm, neither of which are in him that goeth; we render it according to the present text, it is not in him that goeth to direct his own steps; who directs them then? It is God that directs the steps of man. It is not in the power of man to direct his own steps, he is not able to do it; and besides that, he hath not the liberty or privilege to do it, he may not do it, he ought not to do it; 'tis the duty as well as the safety of man to leave the direc • ion of his ways and steps to God. 'It is God that directs the steps of man, yea, the indirect steps of man are under the mighty power of God; the very wanderings of men are under the guidance of God; the motions, yea commotions, the actions, and the most disturbed actions of man are under a most certain disposure and disposition of God: When men do they know not what, God knows and orders what they do. Now (I say) as God directs reasonable creatures, men or angels, so unreasonable creatures in their motions; the motions of the beasts of the earth, and the motions of the birds of the air, are all directed by God; yea, the motions of the very inanimate creatures, of those that have no motion in or of themselves, but whose motion is by some outward violence and pressure put upon them, even their motion also is directed by the hand of God. Thunder and Lightning are inanimate lifeless creatures, they have no motion of their own, but by impression and violence, yet God directs their motion as truly, as he doth the motions of those c • eatures which move by the most deliberate actings of their own will, reason, and understanding. What is there so violent in its motion as Thunder? What is there so swift in its motion as the Lightning? of which Christ being about to give his people warning, not to believe those deceivers, who say, Lo here is Christ, &c. saith (Mat. 24.27.) For as the Lightning cometh out of the East, and shineth even unto the West, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be; that is, as the Lightning instantly passeth from one part of the heaven to the other visibly, so shall the coming of the Son of man be, a sudden, swift, and visible coming • ; Ye shall not need to go into corners to show or see him, for he shall come as the Lightning discovering himself to all by the brightness of his coming. There was such an apprehension of the swiftness of the Lightning among the Ancients, that though the Latin word signifying to Lighten, is accented long, yet because Lightning is so swift in motion they were wont to pronounce it short; Lightning being so quick and active, they thought it was not suitable to draw it out in speaking by a long pronunciation. But though Lightning have such a violent and swift motion, yet 'tis under God's command and direction, and it shall make no more haste than God will. An arrow flies with a very violent and swift motion, yet it is God that directeth the arrow, he di • ects it more than the man that shoots it; and when a shot is made, as we say, at random, God then di • ects it; as in that notable history of Ahab, when he, against the counsel of God given him by Micaiah, would needs go up to the battle at Ramoth Gilead (1 Kings 22.34.) the text saith, There was a man who drew a bow at a venture, we put in the Ma gin, He drew a bow in his simplicity, he had no special inten • ion against Ahab, he did not aim at Ahab when he shot his arrow, but God car • ied it to the right mark, to fulfil that which he had determined and spoken concerning Ahab; yea, he directed it not only to the right man▪ but to the right place, the joint of his armor. When in battle, arrows, and darts, and bullets are sent forth, as so many thunder-bolts, the Lord directs them and hands them whither they shall go, whom they shall hit, and where. God also directeth the thunder-bolts of his Word, where and whom they shall hit. And (to the point in general) that the Lord hath a guidance over those things that are most contingent, we may see in that of Moses, when he gave a Law from the Lord about the man that goeth with his Neighbor to cut Wood; If (saith he) the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbor that he die, he shall flee into one of those cities and live▪ (Deut. 19.5.) The reason of this Law is expressed ( Exod. 21.13.) because in such con • ingent cases God delivers him into his hand; the man had no intent to hit his Neighbor, but fetching a blow, the head slieth from the helve, and both hits and kills him; and to show that this contingency was ordered by God, the text saith, God delivered him into his hand.

And forasmuch as God hath such a power over the motions of the creature, it may be matter of comfort and encouragement to us, not only with respect to Thunder and Lightning, that we should not fear them, as the heathen, who neithe • know nor fear God; but we may take comfort from hence also, with respect to the most violent and hurried motions that we see here below. When we find men acting like Thunder and Lightning, without deliberation, when they are all in passions and perturbations, yet let us know, these violent mo • ions shall not fall anywhere by chance or hap hazar • , nor by their own • way, but as God appoints and over-rules them; they shall either fall quite besides the mark which men aimed at, and so do no hurt to any, or if they do, God orders what hurt they shall do▪ He directeth it under the whole heaven. Let us carry this conside • ation always with us, and it will be a g • eat stay to our minds in all the violent motions of the creature.

Again, • rom the extent of this divine direction or providence of God, as to these things; He directeth it under the whole heaven, and unto the ends of the earth, that is, everywhere;

Note;

His orde • s go forth into all lands, his dominion is under the whole heavens and unto the ends of the earth ( Psalm. 65.5.) He is the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the Sea. God is not helpful to his people in one place of the e • rth, and not in another, or helpful to them upon the earth, and not upon the Sea, but to the ends of the earth, and upon the broad sea he is their confidence, that is, they may con •• de and trust in him wheresoever they are. Hence that expostulation in the prophet ( Jeremiah 23.23.) Am I (saith the Lord) a God at hand, and not a God afar off? Some would circumscribe and limit the Power of God, as if being a God near at hand he could not be a God afar off too, or to those who are scattered to the ends of the earth. But while he puts the question, am I a God at hand and not afar off? he puts it out of question, that he is a God afar off as well as at hand. The Syrians said & pleased themselves in their conceit (1 Kings 20.28.) The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys; therefore they would change the battle, as if he could order things here and not there; but all shall find & feel him (as they did) a God both of the hills & of the valleys, a God both of the Land and of the Sea, a God both at hand, and afar off. It is said of the Empire of the Sun ( Psal. 19▪ 6.) his going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto tke ends of it, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof: much more may I say of the Empire of God, his going forth is from one end of the earth to the other, and there is nothing hid from his wisdom and government. One of the Ancients gives his sentence clearly with this truth; He (saith he) that ruleth in the highest heavens doth not forsake the ends of the earth, he is everywhere present, and everywhere alike present; though the places are unlike, yet the presence of the Lord is a like when need requires it. That's further matter of comfort, that under the whole heaven and unto the ends of the earth we may find the Lord ready for us, and disposing all things, not only for good, but for the best. He directeth it &c.

There is another reading of these words, some give it thus; after him a voice roareth, That is, after his command; God willing and giving forth an order for it, a voice roareth, that is, at his command or word the voice roareth, or followeth. As if the scope of Elihu in this Text, were to show, that neither Thunder nor Lightning stir a foot or hairs breadth, till they have a word from God, as indeed they do not. For, though Thunder and Lightning may be called God's Ushers or Heralds that go before him & proclaim his approach ( Psal. 18.12, 13, 14.) yet they follow and come after him; They go before him as to action, yet they come after him as to commis •• on, they go not till he saith go, or hath given them commission to go. That's a profitable reading of the words.

Our translation saith, after it a voice roareth, that is, after the Lightning, or as soon as it hath Lightned a voice roareth. Our experience teacheth us that Thunder followeth the Lightning; which we are not to understand according to the nature of the thing, for so Thunder and Lightning are, as it were, born and brought forth together; there is no difference between them at all in time, but there is a difference as to order, at least as to order in our apprehension; and so the one may be said to come after the other, the Thunder after the Lightning; as when a gun, lesser or greater, is discharged, if you are at a distance you may see the fire a considerable time before you hear the report, and possibly the bullet hits the mark before the sound hits to the ear, though the discharge be made in a moment; which some say is because the eye is a quicker sense than the ear, but rather, because light doth in a moment strike through the air, but the sound comes by certain circuits, & fetcheth a longer compass before it comes at the ear, as hath been touched lately before, as also at the 26 verse of the 28 chapter. And besides this, or any other reason of the thing in nature, constant experience teacheth us that we see the light first and then hear the voice; and therefore Elihu speaks here very congruously to both, After it a voice roareth. And as the reason of this in nature (as was shown) is that more speedy passage of the light through the air than of the sound, so a moral reason may be given of it, which take in this observation.

When you see Lightning you say there will be Thunder by and by; as natural Lightning gives warning of Thunder, so God gives warning from his word, and providences, when a Thunder-clap of judgment, in any kind, is coming. God never sends a judgment, but we hear of it before we feel it; God speaks before he strikes ( Matth. 24.) Behold, I have told you before. Lightning tells us Thunder is at hand. God doth not use to strike his people with a Thunder-bolt, before he hath given them notice by a flash of Lightning; indeed judgments always surprise the wicked; how much Lightning soever hath been dashed in their eyes, yet the Thunder comes unawares. The day of the Lord will at least come as a snare upon all carnal men, though they have had frequent calls to prepare for it. God in the course of nature teacheth us the course of his providence, Lightning gives warning that Thunder is coming, and happy are they who take warning by his Lightning, and so escape the stroke of his Thunder; after it a voice

It hath been already shown that Thunder is the voice of God; here Elihu tells us what kind of voice it is, it roareth. The word signifieth the roaring of a lion, 'tis also applied to the roaring of the Sea, that's a dreadful roaring. Naturalists tell us there are several sorts of Thunder; every Thunder is not a roaring Thunder, they give five or six gradual denominations of Thunder;

First, There is a shreeking or crashing Thunder.

Secondly, There is a hissing Thunder, as when red hot iron is put into water.

Thirdly, There is a cracking Thunder, as when a bladder is broken, or a chesnut in the fire.

Fourthly, There is a rumbling Thunder. We sometimes hear only a rushing in the clouds, no crack of Thunder breaking our.

Fifthly, There is a roaring Thunder, as this text speaks, a voice roareth.

Sixthly, There is a whispering Thunder, I may call it a kind of silent o • still-voiced Thunder; possibly that was such spoken of (1 Kings 19.12.) After the fire, a still small voice. As also that when Jesus Christ was baptized by John in Jordan (Matth. 3.17.) And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased; 'It is conceived, that voice came in a still whispering Thunder. Such doubtless was that Thunder ( John 12.28, 29.) when Christ prayed, Father, glorify thy Name; then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. At the hearing of this voice, the people that stood by, said that it thundered, others said, that an Angel spake to him. This voice was an articulate sound coming with the Thunder; and the Hebrew word which we commonly translate voices, signifieth thunder. The Jewish Writers tell us that ( Bath col) the daughter of voice (which they reckon the only way of divine revelation, left them after the Babylonish Captivity) was the will of God made known to them immediately from heaven by this sort of Thunder. Thunders and voices are often joined in the Book of the Revelations (Chap. 4.5. chap. 8.5.) implying, the revelation of those prophetic wonders, was made by Voyces accompanied with Thunder. And thus those two texts which seem contradictory may be reconciled, Act. 9.7. it is said, They who journeyed with Paul, stood speechless hearing a voice. But ( Act. 22.9.) Paul saith, They saw indeed the light and were afraid, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. The voice which they heard in the 9th Chapter was the voice of Thunder, and the voice which they did not hear the 22d, was the distinct articulate voice of Christ, saying, Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou me?

From this consideration of God's gradual speaking to us in the Clouds, we may be led to consider how gradually he speaks to us in the Ministry of his Word; there he speaks sometimes whisperingly, gently, he at first awakens the ear a little, but at last he roareth with his voice. If we will not hear, he hath louder and louder voices, which we shall hear whether we will or no. At the giving of the Law ( Exod. 19.19.) The voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder. There are different degrees in the loudness of the voice when God speaks to his people. We should take warning by the light that shineth, we should hear the smallest voice, the first whisperings of God, and not put him to his roaring voice. God is said to roar out of Zion (Joel 3.16.) yea, many times he roareth upon Zion, because of the disobedience and negligence of the Citizens of Zion. After it a voice roareth, the words that follow speak the same thing,

This is the first time that we have the word Thunder expressed in the text, though the sense of the whole place speaks thunder. The word which signifieth Thunder, signifieth any great noise or dreadful cry ( Ezek. 27.35.) ( Psal. 96.11.) it signifieth also the voice of any one that complaineth or bemoaneth his or her condition, or that is troubled or fretted at the crossness of relations: It is said of Peninnah, she provoked her (that is, Hannah) sore (or, as the Margin reads it, angered her) for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb: The word is that of the text, to make her thunder, or to cause a tumultuation in her spirit, like that in the Clouds, when heat and cold contend for the masteryes.

Thunder is so unquiet and tumultuous, that anything which is so, may by a figure be called Thunder. The text speaks of proper Thunder; and if we inquire among Philosophers about the nature and generation of Thunder, some tell us briefly, Thunder is a crashing or cracking noise made by the stroke of enclosed fires breaking through the louds. Or thus, Thunder is a dreadful sound in a thick Cloud, caused by the hot and dry exhalation shut up in the bowels of it, which seeking passage out makes its own way with mighty violence.

But though the matter here treated upon by Elihu be philosophical, yet I must remember that mine is a Divinity, not a Philosophy Lecture, and therefore it may suffice me to touch these things, and leave the Reader, who desires to know more of them, or of other mysteries in Nature, to seek his satisfaction in those learned Authors who professedly handle this subject of Thunder; and shall here only take notice that Elihu doth not only say, He thundereth, but He thundereth

That's an explication of he roareth. The voice of his excellency, is his high voice. The word signifieth pride, because they that are in high places are so apt to be proud, or because high-mindedness is the same with pride. Proud men think themselves higher than their brethren, as Saul was above the people by head and shoulders; therefore the same word signifieth pride and light. The Lord thundereth with the voice of his highness or excellency of his greatness.

The Septuagint saith, He thundereth with the voice of his reproach, or with his reproaching voice. A man that is angry pours out his displeasure in reproaches upon such as have provoked him. God knows how to Thunder just and deserved reproaches upon provoking sinners. The Scoliasts explain that translation of the seventy, with the voice of his reproach, thus, with • r by a voice fall of threatening; and 'tis a truth, the mouth of God is full of threatenings, and his heart of indignation, against presuming sinners. We may put all these together, yet I conceive our own reading most suitable; He thundereth with the voice of his excellency, like a great Commander in war, of whom God speaks ( Job. 39.25.) in the most high-strained, rhetorical description of the strength and courage of the horse; He smelleth the Battle afar off, the thunder of the Captain, and the Shoutings. When an Army is engaged in Battle, there is not only a thundering of the Guns, but of the Captains and Commanders, they speak highly, they thunder with a voice of their high courage and excellency; much more doth God in the day of his Battle thunder with the voice of his excellency.

Hence note;

And doth he not often so it in his works of Providence, whether for the Salvation of his faithful people, or for the Destruction of his enemies? I shall not stay upon this point, having met with matter of the same purpo • t more than once before. He thundereth with the voice of his excellency,

'It is questioned, who are meant by them, He will not stay them; Some understand the rain and showers, which usually follow upon, or after a great thunder; and we commonly call them thunder showers. Others understand the Lightning and the Thunder; as if he had said, When God's purpose is declared that there shall be lightning and thunder, he will not stay them, or take them by the heel, as the word properly signifieth: whence Jacob had his name, because when Esau was coming into the world, Jacob took him by the heel, as if he would have stayed or stopped his birth, at least have got into the world before him; and therefore Esau said ( Gen. 27.36.) Is he n • t rightly called Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times. Which some render according to the letter of the Text, My brother may well be called an Heeler, for he hath heeled me these two times. In this sense the Lord will not stay the birth and breaking forth of these terrible twins, Thunder and Lightning. Lastly, learned Junius refers them to the Lightnings only, rendering, He doth not defer them, when his voice is to be heard; which he thus expounds, He sends lightning before, foretelling thunder will follow. But I conceive the former exposition more clear, which refers this not staying, or he will not stay, both to thunder and lightning, in consort or together.

Hence note;

He will not take thunder and lightning by the heel, when he hath bid them go. We have a parallel sense to this, c • ncerning the thunder and lightning of divine Judgments ( Zeph. 2.1, 2.) Gather yourselves together, O gather yourselves together, before the decree bring forth. As if he had said, If once the decree bring forth, if once God declare that wrath shall come, there is no recalling of it, He will not stay it when his voice is heard; for then ( Isa. 43.13.) The Lord will work, and n • ne shall let him; he will not stop it himself, and none else can. Thunder and lightning shall come; whosoever stand in their way must down. And as none can lett God by power, so none shall lett him by prayer, if once he be resolved, ahd hath sent forth his decree; therefore do not provoke the Lord to give out the word, for then your case is desperate. There's no opposing the work of God, or God in his working. He will not stay them when his voice is heard.

Consider how often this word is repeated, He roareth with his voice, He thundereth with the voice of his excellency, and here, He thundereth marvelously. This may teach us, First, (which hath been noted before) that the works of God in nature are to be heeded. Secondly, that we are very backward to heed them. Thirdly, this is so often ascribed to God, least we should think that thunder is only a work of nature.

The words may be read, God thundereth marvels; 'tis in the plural number: We render well, God thundereth marvelously; but there is a greater Emphasis, taking it in the plural number, God thundereth marvels. Consider thunder and lightning in a proper, or in a metaphorical sense, there are many marvels or wonders in them. Naturalists observe many marvels in natural thunder and lightnings; these sometimes melt the sword without hurt to the scabbard; dissolve the metal, not consuming the purse; break the bones, and not the flesh; these spoil the Wine without staving or breaking the cask; kill or stifle the child in the womb, and not the mother. God thunders marvelously in these things.

Again, how many marvelous Judgments hath God wrought by thunder! how often hath he destroyed the enemies of his people, and the blasphemers of his great Name, by thunder and lightning from Heaven! Anastatius the Emperor, an Eutichian persecutor of the Orthodox Christians, was slain by thunder. The History of the Church, speaks of a Christian Legion or Brigade of Christians in the Army of Aurelius the Emperor, who earnestly prayed (the whole Army being in a great strait) that God would appear for their help, and the defeating of the enemy; whereupon the Lo • d sent rain for their relief, as also thunder and lightning, by which the enemy was discomfited and destroyed: whereupon that Legion was called, The thundering Legion. When Julian the Apostate, merely to despite the prophesy of Christ ( Mat. 24.) who had said of the Temple at Jerusalem, there should not be left one stone upon another; Julian, I say, in despite of this prophesy, yea, to despite it, gave command for the building of the Temple at Jerusalem, and upon his command there was a great quantity of materials brought together for that purpose; but the Lord seeing the pride of this enemy, sent a marvelous thunder, with an Earthquake, which not only amazed the workmen, but scattered those materials, & put a stop to the work.

Now as there are many marvels wrought by natural thunder and lightning, so also by that which is spiritual. Nor will it be unuseful for us to consider them upon occasion of what is said of natural thunder in this Scripture.

God thundereth marvelously in the dispensation of his Word, or in his dealings with the souls of sinners, to bring them home to himself, and to turn them from their sins. We may (not excluding the proper sense) profitably expound the whole 29th Psalm in this spiritual sense; wherein the Lord under the Allegory of a terrible thunder-tempest, seems to give a prophetical description of his mighty power in propagating the Gospel to the ends of the earth; which goeth not out as an empty sound beating the air, but with wonderful efficacy, convincing the world of sin, and of their need of Christ to save them from their sins. And to show that this is the scope of the Psalm, David begins it with a strong exhortation, ( v. 1, 2.) Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give ye unto the Lord glory and strength: Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. As if David had said, O ye, the mighty Princes and Potentates of the world, who in most places and times have contemned God and his holy worship; and being yourselves either irreligious, or engaged in a false religion, have used your power against, and hindered the progress of the Gospel, and the advancement of true religion; I advise and admonish you to lay down that spirit, to embrace th • Gospel, to love the power of godliness, to propagate the true knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to encourage the faithful dispencers and professors of it, both by your favor and example, worshiping the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

If any should ask, Why is the Lord to be so worshipped? why must he have such high honors from those that are high? what doth he in the World which calls for such adoration? David answers Meteorologically as well as Theologically, he answers from the Clouds ( verse. 3.) The Voice of the Lord is upon the Waters, the God of glory thundereth; the Lord is upon many Waters; The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of Majesty. As if he had said, Although the Lord Jesus Christ will not set up an outward, pompous, political Kingdom, such as that of Cyrus or Alexander, &c. yet by the Ministry of the Gospel he will erect a spi • itual Kingdom, and gather to himself a Church, that shall abide forever, out of all the Nations of the earth: For the Gospel shall be carried and preached to, not only the people of Israel, the Jews, but to the Gentiles all the world over, that the minds of men may be awakened, enlightened, and moved with that unheard of Doctrine of Salvation by Christ, which had been hid from Ages and Generations.

And though many shall be hardened against, and oppose that glad-tidings, yet because the God of glory thundereth, that is, because the voice of the Lord is powerful and full of Majesty; he accompanying the Ministry of the Gospel with power and terror like that of Thunder, home to the Consciences of men, for their conviction and conversion, therefore it shall do great and glorious things, subduing the greatest and stoutest sinners to the obedience of his Will. This Thunder will cast down the strong holds of sin, and everything that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, (2 Cor. 10.4, 5.) This is it which the Prophet David intendeth (according to this allegorical interpretation) by the effects of Thunder, elegantly expressed ( verse. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) The Voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars, yea, the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon; that is, proud and high-minded men, who are (in their own conceit) as tall as Cedars, these he will make to see that they are but shrubs, these he will humble and break • heir hearts by true repentance, for the pride of their hearts, and all the abominations of their lives. Further ( verse. 6.) He maketh them also to skip like a Calf, Lebanon and Syrion like a young Unicorn; that is, the Lord by his thundering powerful voice, first, will make them skip as frighted with fear, and secondly, as revived with joy. Yet more ( verse. 7.) The Voice of the Lord divideth the Flames of fire; that is, will send and divide to everyone as they need (1 Cor. 12.11.) the holy Spirit, who is compared to and called Fire ( Mat. 3.11.) and who came as with a Thunder-storm of a mighty rushing wind, and with the appearance of cloven Tongues, like as of fire, and sat upon each one of the Apostles, (Acts 2.2, 3.) Nor did this Voice of Thunder, accompanied with divided fl • mes of fire, reach Jerusalem only; for, as it follows ( verse. 8.) The V • ice of the Lord shaketh the Wilderness, the Wilderness of Kadesh; that is, the Lord by the voice of the Gospel shall go forth with power to those Gentiles, who are like a wilderness, barren o • goodness, and unmanur'd in spirituals, though they dwell in well-governed Cities, and are well-furnished with Morals. It shall go forth also to those Gentiles who inhabit wast wildernesses, and are not so much as reduced to civility: These wildernesses the thundering voice of the Lord hath shaken heretofore, and doth shake at this day, and will yet further shake, that the fullness of the Gentiles may come in. Many of these wildernesses hath the Lord turned into fruitful fields, and pleasant lands, by the voice of the Gospel sounding among them. For in these wildernesses (as it followeth verse. 9.) The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve; that is, they that were as wild, as untaught and untamed as the hind or any beast in the forest, he brings to the sorrows of thei • new-birth, to Repentance and Gospel-humiliation: And in doing this He (as the Psalmist goes on) discovereth the forests, that is, opens the hearts of men, which are as thick set and full grown with vanity, pride, hypocrisy, self-love, and self-sufficiency, as also with wantonness and sensuality, as any forest is over-grown with thickets of trees and bushes, which deny all passage through, till cleared away by cutting down or burning up; Such an opening, such a discovery doth the Lord make in the forests of men's hearts, by the Sword and Fire, that is, by the Word and Spirit of the Gospel; and when all this is done, the forest becomes a Temple, and as that verse concludes, In his temple doth everyone speak of his glory. And if the floods of ungodliness rise up against this people, whom the thunder and lightning of the Gospel have subdued to Christ and framed into a holy Temple, then the Psalmist assureth us ( verse. 10.) The Lord sitteth upon the flood, that is, 'tis under his power, he ruleth and overruleth it: yea, The Lord sitteth King forever, and ( v. 11.) The Lord will give strength to his people, the Lord will bless his people with peace. Thus the Lord thundereth marvelously and these are glorious marvels which he thundereth; he converts sinners. The thunder of the Gospel frights them out of sin, and the grace of it gives them peace.

Thus, though I like not their way who are given to allegorize the Scriptures, yet, I doubt not but we may make a profitable use both of this and many other Scriptures by way of allegory. This being an undeniable truth, which is the ground of it, That the Lord puts forth, as it were, the power of Thunder and Lightning in the preaching of his Word, these two things are to be marked.

First, That Thunder and Lightning are a kind of Word of God to us, they tell us (though confusedly, yet plainly enough, for the conviction and condemnation of gainsayers) there is a God; the greatest Princes of the world have taken notice of Thunder and Tempest that there is a God over all, governing all; nor needs there anymore teaching than that to condemn Atheists and Mockers at Religion. We say proverbially of some men, who make a rude noise, they are so loud that we cannot hear God Thunder for them; yet know there's no noise can so drown the voice of God's Thunder in the Clouds, but it will condemn all that hear it not, so as to acknowledge God in it.

Secondly, We should mark, that as Thunder and Lightning are a kind of Voice or Word of God to us, so the Word of God, or the Voice of God, speaking in his Word, is a kind of Thunder and Lightning to us, very mighty, very powerful, even clothed with an irresistible power and might. And therefore if we take the Prophet David in 29th Psalm before mentioned, speaking, in the former part of it, of the effects of Natural Thunder only; yet toward the close of the Psalm, he applieth it to the Word of God, while he saith (v. 9.) And in his Temple doth everyone speak of his glory; that is, the Word and Ordinances of God, ministered in his Church, or Temple, will put everyone to acknowledge and speak of the glorious Power of God, even much more than the mighty Thunder which soundeth in our ears, or the subtle Lightning which flasheth in our eyes. There is a far more royal power in the Thunder of the Word, than in the word of Thunder; This terrifyeth only to Conviction, but that terrifieth to Salvation; for after God speaks terror there in his Threatenings, he speaks comfort in the Promises; and when he hath affrighted us with a sense of our sins, and of his wrath due to us for our sins, as with an horrible tempest, he presently refresheth us with the gentle gales of revealed g • ace, and with the pleasant amiable Sun-shine of his favor by Jesus Ch i • t. And therefore in respect both of the Natural and Spiritual Thunder, considered in the circumstances and consequences of it, Elihu might well conclude, as he doth, in the last words of this Verse and matter,

We may take these words, not only as intending the great things of the Thunder, which indeed are such as we cannot comprehend; but, as a transition from Thunder, to those other great things that God doth, set forth in the latter part of the Chapter.

God doth the least things, but he can do great things, he doth great things

The Hebrew is, He doth great things, and we know not; which may be expounded two ways.

First, We know not, that is, we take no notice of them. God doth great things, and we are very backward to consider them.

Secondly, We know not, that is, he doth such great things, that let us consider and study them as long as we will, let us break our brains to find out the greatness of them, yet we shall never find it out; He doth great things that we cannot comprehend. The text is clear, and the sense profitable in either Interpretation • ; he doth great things which we do not consider, or he doth great things, that when we have considered them, and done the most we can, we cannot come to the full knowledge of them. Naturalists speak much of the causes of these things, yet the clearest sighted among them, could not see the bottom of them, nor reach the utmost reason of them. Great things doth he, which we cannot comprehend.

Hence note;

He is the great God, so great that doing great, things is no weariness 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 to him. T • e t • xt doth not say, h • hath done great things, o • he will do great things, bu • , he doth grea things, he is always doing g eat t ••• gs; and 〈◊〉 is a po • nt improvable for the comfort of the people 〈◊〉 God. When a great matter is to be done, we say, who shall do it 〈◊〉 when we are in great troubles and dangers, we s • y, who shall deliver us? If small matters be to be done, we think we o • o • her men like ourselves can do them; but when great m •••• rs are to be d • ne, we hardly believe, that God can do them for us; yet 'tis all one with God whether the thing be great or little that is to be done, if he please to undertake the doing of it. It is questioned ( Amos 7.2.) By whom shall Jacob ar • se, for he is small? They looked to this and that creature, and saw Jacob so small and low, that they thought he could never rise again; but remember Jacob's God is great, and he doth great things, this great thing especially, to raise them that are low and small. Whatever your condition is, remember God is great, and can as well do great things as little, as easily make a world as give you a morsel of b • ead; there is nothing hard to God; He doth great things, and (according to the strictness of the Hebrew text) we know not, that is, we consider them not, we take little notice of them.

Hence observe;

When God thunders ma • vel • , we know them not, we lay them not to heart. The Prophet ( Isa. 5.12▪) showeth how busy the ca • eless Jews were in their mi • th and jollity, but they regarded not the work of the Lord, neither considered the operation • f his hands. When God is doing g • eat thing • , o • e man is getting wealth, another taking his pleasure, but they regard not at all, or have very little regard to what God is doing.

Again, from our reading, Great things doth he, which we cannot comprehend,

Note;

As it is our sin that we take not pains enough to know the great things that God doth; so God doth things so great, that when we have done our best, or, after all our pains, we cannot know them fully: though we know their outside, yet little of their inside, though we know their effects, yet little of their causes and contrivances. To know a thing, is to know it in the causes of it, to see the reason of it. A man knoweth not the things that he knows, till he seeth the reason of what he knows. How little doth man know of, or see into the reason of the great things that God doth? How little do we see of the marvels that are in the works of God? The love of God passeth knowledge (Ephes. 3.19.) Though we labou • to know it (and 'tis our sin that we labor not more to know it) yet we cannot, it surpasseth all our knowledge. And as that love of God, which is the first mover of all the good and great things that he doth for his people, ••• seth our knowledge, so the things that are the effects of that love to his people are so great, that they pass our knowledge. Hence we may infer these two duties.

First, Let us be much in the admiration of the great things that God doth. Where knowledge ends, there admiration should begin. It was a shame for a Philosopher to admire, because he was supposed to know the whole compass of nature; but 'tis no shame for a Christian to admire, there being many things, not only in the • pecial dispensations of grace, but in the common dispensations of providence, which he cannot know comprehensively, the whole compass of which he cannot grasp or take in with the best of his understanding.

Secondly, Let us take heed of censuring the works of God. Some are very bold in passing their Verdicts upon the great things that God doth; this, and that is not so well done, this and that might have been otherwise done. The great things which God doth please not many men if hey hit not their interest, how apt are they to find fault; But seeing God doth great things that we cannot comprehend, let us take heed of censuring any of the great things that God doth; no man should judge or censure that which he doth not, cannot know, and fully understand: But usually they who understand things least, censure them most, and they are most apt to judge, who have the weakest judgments.

ELihu having set forth the wonders of divine power in Thunder and Lightning, gives us other instances, to the same purpose, in this context.

First, In the Snow.

Secondly, in the Rain. And he describes the Snow and Rain three ways.

First, By pointing at their Author or producer, in the 6th verse [He] that is, God, of whom he spake in the close of the former verse.

Secondly, He showeth the way or manner of their production [he saith] 'tis done by a word, or command, that is, by a word of command; he saith to the Snow, he likewise saith to the small Rain, and to the great Rain of his strength, be ye on the earth.

Thirdly, He discribes the effects, or consequences, at least, of Snow and Rain; and those are of two sorts.

First, What respects man, at the 7th verse, He sealeth up the hand of every man, that all men may know his work. Th re we have the first effect, the sealing of man's hand, together with the design or intent of God in it, that all men may know his work.

The second effect respects the beasts of the earth, at the 8th verse; then, that is, when God hath commanded the Snow and the Rain to be on the earth, then the beasts go into dens and remain in their places. Thus w • may conceive the parts and general scope of these three verses,

That causal particle [for] in the front of this verse, imports a reason, or an account given in these words, of what was s • id before at the 5 ^th verse, God doth great things which we cannot comprehend; then presently followeth, for he saith to the Snow, &c. As if Elihu had said, not only are Thunder and Lightning, but Snow and Rain to be numbered and reckoned among the great and marvelous works of God; for he saith to the Snow.

That is, as hath been shown already, he commandeth. What God saith, shall be, must be, his words are laws, he saith to, or commandeth the Snow. Not only doth God give commands to rational creatures, men & Angels, but to mere sensitive creatures, the beasts and to senseless creatures, to vegetives or plants, yea, to inanimates, to things without any life at all, such are Snow and Rain; yet, as if Snow and Rain had an ear to hear, & an understanding to mind a command from God, the text represents God speaking to these,

The Snow falls in silver showers every year, and covers the face of the earth; All men behold it, but few understand either what it is, or why it is sent. Take this brief description of it from the School of Nature.

Snow is a moist vapor, drawn up from the earth, to, or near, the middle region of the Air, where it is condensed or th • ckned into a Cloud, and falls down again l • ke carded wool, sometimes in greater, sometimes in lesser flakes.

Snow and Rain, are made of the same matter, and have their breeding in the same place, only they differ in thei • outward fo • m, as is obvious to the eye, and their season; Rain falleth in the warmer seasons, the Clouds being dissolved into Rain by heat, or when the cold is more remiss; Snow falleth in the sha • per seasons, the Cloud being • hickned by the cold. Hence Solomon's come • a • ison ( Prov. 26.1.) As Snow in Summer, so honor is not co • ely for a fool. Snow is a goodly white robe upon the Winter-body of the earth, or upon the body of the earth in Winter; yet how unseemly is it upon the body of the ear • h in Sum • , hiding and obscuring, as well as hurting, that which is the natural beauty and ornament of it; Thus honor is a precious robe, yet no way fitting the back of a foolish or undeserving person. Snow is very improper and unnatu •• l in Summer, because the coldness of it hinders the ripening of t • e corn, and other fruits of the earth: And therefore when Solomon saith ( Chap. 25.13.) As the cold of snow in the time of Summer, so is a faithful messenger to him that sendeth him. His meaning is no • , that the falling of • now is either come • ortable or seasonable in the time of Summer, but that snow gathered in Winter, and reserved (as the custom is in hot countries) till Summer, being put into drink do • h exceedingly cool it, and so refresheth those who are ready to faint wi • h heat.

But not to go further from the Text in hand; we see that Snow and rain have the same original, both being formed out of vapors. As in man's body (who is a little world) from the Stomack there ri • e up vapors to the Head, which by the coldness of the brain are changed into, and sent back again in Rheumes and Catarrs: So vapors drawn up from the Earth into the Air, are sent back in Snow and Rain. Solomon desc • ibing the infirmities of old age, alludes to this, while he warns the young man, that thus the Cl • uds will return after the Rain (Eccl. 12.2.) which may be understood either more generally of that succession of troubles to which old age is subject, or more particularly of Rheum and Flegm wherewith old age is molested; the defluxion of the Rheum being as the Rain, and the gathering of new matter, which continually distilleth from the Head upon the Lungs, being as the returning of the Clouds after the Rain. He saith to the Snow

The place where Snow is generated is in the Air, from thence it receives a command to dispatch itself to the Earth, and there to abide; He saith to the Snow, be thou on the Earth, that is, cover the face of the earth, be thou as a mantle upon the earth, or as a white sheet spread over the whole face of it, until I call or take and dissolve thee into water. The same command which is here thee off expressed concerning the Snow, is also sent forth to the Rain; He saith to the Snow be thou on the earth,

That is, he saith to the small Rain, do thou descend upon the earth. By small Rain is meant any gentle Rain, softly and sweetly dropping and de • tilling out of the Clouds. Now as God orders this small Rain, so likewise, as it followeth,

The whole O iginal Text, which we render the small Rain and the great Rain of • is strength, hath a great Elegancy in it, word for word t • us, He saith to the shower of Rain, and to the shower of Rains of his strength. The word Rain in both is the same, only the former is in the singula • , and the latter in the plural number, which heightens or increaseth the sense, as Critics and Grammarians tell us, and therefore we render small Rain and great Rain; to which Elihu gives this further addition in the clo • e of the verse, The great Rain

Of whose strength? surely of the strength of God; as if God did in some • Rain put forth his mighty st • ength, and make bare his own Arm in the showers which he sends upon the earth. The great Rain of his strength is that violent Rain which comes forth from God and shows forth to us the great strength of God: For neither of those two Epithets sm ••• and great are expressly in the Tex • , yet b • th the scope and Grammatical const • uction of the words justify that Translation, A shower of Rain in th • singular number implying a mild gente Rain, or, as we call it, a small Rain; and a shower of Rains in the plural number implying a continued, vehement, fierce Rain, or as well call it, a great Rain, especially having that remarkable adjunct following, of his strength. When the Lord p omised to give showers of Rain for the a king ( Zach. 10.1.) he meant a plentiful strong Rain; by which also he intended to signify the abundance of spiritual gifts and graces, which he would pour down upon the Church. So much for the opening of this verse, For he saith to the Snow, be thou on the Earth, likewise to the small Rain, and to the great Rain of his strength.

First, From the cau • all pa • ticle, for, which referreth to the former words, God doth marvelous things which we cannot comprehend, for, he saith to the Snow, and to the small Rain, &c.

Observe;

W • a • more common than Snow and Rain? and yet, as common as they are, they have wonders in them. Some of the Ancients h • ve observed many Wonders in the Snow, such as these.

Fi •• t, That being in its own na • u • e so extremely cold, yet it is formed in that p • rt o • the Air which is comparatively near the ea •• h, and so hath mo • e he • in it.

Secondly, That Snow being so exceeding cold, do • h yet by God's Command fall in some very h • t Countries, even in the hottest of Summer. Geog • aphers tell us of Snow in many places of Tartary, which are extremely hot.

Thirdly, they give this as a Wonder, That whereas it never Snows at all upon the Main Ocean, yet there is an Island spoken of by Pliny, called ( Nivaria from Nix) the Snow Isle, which, though compassed with the Sea, is always covered with Snow.

Fourthly, this is given as a Wonder, That Snow being so apt to melt by heat, yet Mount Aetna, which is full of Sulphur, and casts out flames of fire continually, hath the Head of it hidden continually under or covered with a Cap of • now.

Fifthly, That in some places Worms are bred and live in the Snow of a fiery color.

Sixthly, That the Snow, though it be very cold and chilling, hath in it a fecundating or fattening power, as to the earth, is also wonde • full. Snow is a great cherisher and nourisher of Plants and Trees, of Corn and G • ass; and therefore David saith ( Psal. 147.15, 16.) He giveth Snow like Wool, and hoary Frost like ashes. There are three things considerable in Snow, for which it is compared to Wool. First, for the whiteness of it. Snow is white as Wool; Snow is so exceeding white, that the whiteness of a Soul cleansed by pardoning Grace, in the blood of Christ, is likened to it ( Isa. 1.18.) and the latter part of the same verse intimates, that the whiteness of Snow bears resemblance to that of Wool. The whiteness of Snow is caused by the abundance of Air and spirits that are in that pelluvid Body, as the Naturalists speak: Any thing that is of a watery substance being frozen or much wrought upon by cold, appears more white. And hence it is that all persons inhabiting cold Climates or Countries, are of a whiter complexion than they who inhabit hot.

Secondly, Snow is like Wool for softness, 'tis as pliable to the hand, as a Lock or Fleece of Wool.

Thirdly, Snow is like Wool (which may seem strange) with respect to the warmness of it. Though Snow be cold in itself, as I said before, yet it is to the earth as Wool, or as a woolen cloth or blanket, that keeps the body warm. Snow is not warm formally, yet it is warm effectively and virtually, and there • ore is it compared to Wool; and for that respect also the hoary Frost is said to be like ashes, in the same place of the Psalm: Ashes are warm, Frost is cold, yet that is a known expression, burning cold, that is, there is an effect in Frost, in the hoary Frost, of heat; things are kept warm by that which is contrary to warmth, Frost and Snow. Naturalists have beat their Brains, but can assign no satisfying reason of these things, and therefore we must ascribe them especially to the power and wisdom of God. These particulars laid together are a sufficient witness, that even Snow and Rain a e to be reckoned with, and numbered among the wonderful works of God.

Hence Note, Secondly;

And as himself can do what he will by his word, so he can make the creature do what he will by his word. This goodly Fabric of the World was made by his word, and all the creatures in the world will presently act upon a word from God ( Psal. 33.9.) He spake and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast; God's saying is doing. This is a point of high consolation to all the people of God; whatever their affliction is, God can command them out of it; whatever their wants are, God can command a supply for them. He that saith to the natural Snow and to the Rain, to Stormes and Tempests, be ye upon the earth, can also say to the Snow and Rain, to the Stormes and Tempests of trouble, be ye not upon the earth; He can do or undo, by his word, as himself pleaseth. 'It is also matter of great terror to all that rise up against, and disobey the word of the great God; for though they 〈…〉 they see nothing at hand to interrupt them, nothing to check them in the way of their lusts, though they look upon themselves beyond the • each of d • nger, yet 'tis but a word speaking from God, and they are wrapped up in Snow, and hurrican'd with a Storm and Temp • st; He saith to the Snow, &c. This irresisible force of a word f • om God, was n •• ed also upon those words in the 9th Chapter ( verse. 7.) He c •• mandeth the Sun and it riseth not. The Sun will not appear, or 〈◊〉 will hide itself in an Eclipse, or Cloud, and da • ken the whole ea •• , if G • d do but give a command.

Thi dly, t • ke the point yet more strictly and restrainedly, as here in the text, He saith to the Snow and to the Rain.

(Psal. 147.15, 16.) He send h forth his commandment upon earth, his word runneth very swiftly; that word refers to the particular matter in hand, as appeareth in the very next Verse, and the two which follow; He giveth Snow like wool, he scattereth the h • ar Frost like ashes, he casteth forth his Ice like mo • sels &c. David applies the swift running of God's word to these things; and how swiftly these run on his errands we may see (1 Kings 18.44.) For whereas there had been no rain for three years & a half, according to the word o • El • jah the P • ophet, God did but say to the Rain, come, and it came; and though E • ijahs Servant, at first, saw a very small appearance of it, only a Cloud like a man's hand, yet presently the whole heavens were masked over with Clouds, and there was a mighty rain, The great rain of his strength. Rain, and Snow, and Vapours quick • y fulfil his word (Psal. 148.8.) God is the Lord of hosts, and these creatures are his host, these as well as men and ang ls are his hosts ( Psal. • 4.10.) Who is this king of glory? the Lord of hosts is the king 〈◊〉 glory; and 'tis the great glory o • God, • hat he hath such ho •• s at his command: None of the P • inces o • Powers of this woe l • have any such; How long may they send their commands to the Snow before it will come, or to the Rain before they can get a drop of it! neither the one nor the other will stir at the command of man, but at the command of God they haste away.

And if when the Lord saith to the Snow and to the Rain, come, and they come, abide upon the earth, and they abide there, how will this reprove and condemn thousands of the children of men, to whom the Lord speaks and speaks again and again, he sends out his commandment, and his word runs very swiftly to them, yet they stir not, they move not! Surely Snow and Rain will rise up in judgment against those, to whom the Lord hath said, do this, and they did it not, to whom the Lord hath said, do not this, yet they did it. The word represents all sorts of Creatures below man, as well as the Angels above man, readily obeying the command of God, to teach man how readily he should obey his commands, and how greatly he shall be condemned if he do not, and that not only by the Angels in heaven, but by the Snow and Rain that fall upon the earth.

Fourthly, From the destinction which is here made of the rain, the small rain, and the great rain of his strength,

Note;

If it be a small, gentle, soaking rain, it is because God hath spoken to the small rain to go; if it be a great, a violent, a smoking rain, a rain of his strength, it is because God hath said to the great rain, go: We are not to stick in second causes, but to have our hearts raised higher, both as to the rain itself, and to the proportions of it. He maketh small the drops of rain, as 'tis said at the 27th Verse of the former Chapter, and he can make great the drops of rain, of the drops of rain g eat; he can cast the rain into what mold he pleaseth, great or small; it shall be a sweetly-distilling rain, or it shall be, as Solomon speaks, a fiercely sweeping rain (Prov. 28.3.) where he compares the poor man that oppresseth, to a sweeping rain. God hath sweeping rains, and as 'tis said ( Ezek. 13.13.) overflowing showers in his hand; and he sometimes sends, not a watering shower, not a refreshing or comforting shower in mercy, not a shower to enrich and fatten the earth, but an overflowing shower to drown the earth and destroy the fruits of it in his anger; and this is true, whether you take the shower properly, or metaphorically. If you take the shower properly for that which falls from heaven, he sends the refreshing, & he sends the overflowing shower; or if you take it metaphorically (a shower may signify any kind or degree of judgment) he can send one judgment which shall be as small rain. and he can send another which shall be as great rain, as the rain of his strength, an overflowing shower: He can send forth (as that allusion is used, Jer. 12.5.) his footmen, and he can send forth his horsemen, greater or lesser Judgments, as himself pleaseth; he proporti • ns and cuts them out according to his own infinite wisdom and righteous will.

Lastly, From these words, He saith to the snow, abide on the earth, or be thou on the earth, stay there, and so to the rain,

Observe;

When he saith, be ye upon the earth, upon the earth they will be, until the same power that sent them, fetch them back again. These hosts are like a well ordered and well disciplined army, wherein Soldiers sent out by the order of their General or superior Officers, must stay at their post where they are appointed, they must abide, till called off, upon pain of death: Be thou there, saith the Commander to his Soldier, be thou there till I fetch thee off; and when, after signal given, the battle begins, the Soldier never leaves charging or pursuing the enemy, till the trumpet sound a retreat. So 'tis in this case, God saith to the Rain, be upon the earth till thou hast wrought my purpose and done all my pleasure, and there it is.

Thus we see the efficacy of God's command upon these Me • eors, the Snow and the Rain; now follow the effects, or what comes of it.

First, we have that effect which respects man;

He, That is, God,

Sealing, in Scripture, hath a threefold signification.

First, It notes the hiding of a thing, or the keeping of it secret and close; that which is sealed, is also concealed ( Isa. 8.16.) Bind up the Testimony, seal the Law among my disciples. There is a time wherein God commands the Law to be sealed, and the Testimony to be bound up, and that is a very sad time; for though there are various apprehensions about the meaning of this command given the Prophet, yet the most probable intendment of it is, that God would not have him lose anymore time in dealing with those faithless and profane scoffers of his message, but reserve those sacred mysteries, as secrets, to be communicated only to the faithful, who would with due reverence and faith religiously receive them. Seal the Law among, or for my disciples, that is, such as desire to learn, or have been taught and learned of me, and by learning are become spiritually skillful and learned, as the word is rendered ( Isa. 50.4.) Woe to sinners when the Testimony is bound and the Law sealed; which is the import (I conceive) of that place in the same Prophet ( Isa. 29.11.) And when in the Revelation (Chap. 4.1.) a Book sealed with seven seals was shown to John, he wept ( verse. 4.) because no man was found worthy to open, and to read the Book, &c. implying, that the Book was full of divine secrets, hidden from the eyes or understandings of men, and so must have continued, if the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, had not prevailed to open the Book, and to lose the seven seals thereof. Sealed things are hidden things. Is not this (said the Lord, Deut. 32.34.) laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? That is, is it not kept close and hidden there? are not their cursed treasures of sin laid up among my righteous treasures of wrath? The Church ( Cant. 4.12.) is called, a Fountain sealed, because the waters by which she is refreshed and made fruitful are a hidden thing to the world, or because the Church must keep herself apart and distinct from the profane and unbelieving world. That's one thing, we seal what we would hide or keep close.

Secondly, the word importeth sometimes, to finish or complete a thing. When a Writing is perfected then we seal it, when a Letter is made up we seal it; to that purpose the word is used ( Dan. 9.24.) Where the Prophet speaking of Christ's coming in the flesh, and what he should then do, saith, He shall finish transgression, that is, he shall complete, by the sacrifice of himself, all the sacrifices for transgression. Christ had no hand in any transgression, as to the doing of it, but in this sense he finished all transgression; that is, he finished the sacrifices of atonement for transgression, that so our transgressions might not be charged upon us. Further, that word, as there used, may very well bear the first sense of sealing; He shall seal transgression, that is, he shall cover or hide our transgressions, for that is the effect of the Mediatorship of Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, To seal a thing is (in common sense) to confirm it ( Jer. 32.10, 11.) I (said the P • ophet) subscribed the Evidence and sealed it; that is, I confi • med it and made it good in Law. Now when 'tis said here, He se • leth up the hand ef every man, I conceive we are to take it in the first sense, that is, he hideth or shuts up every man's hand. The hand is the chief instrument of working, and therefore to say, God shuts up or seals the hand, is an elegant Metaphor, signifying that God puts a stop or stay to, or that he takes men off f • om their work. If a man's hands be bound or sealed up he cannot use them.

But how doth God seal up the hand of every man, of every working man or laborer? By the Snow and by the Rain, saith Elihu; because when God sends abundance of Snow upon the earth, or when he sends the great Rain of his strength, men cannot work; in a deep snow, or in a great rain, without doors, Laborers are hindered from their labor: And hence anciently, Winter had this title given it, dull or sluggish Winter; because in the extremity of winter weather, many men are forced to sit (as we say) with their hands in their pockets, or folded under their arms. He sealeth up the hand of every man, that is, by tempestuous and fowl weather, he binds their hands and presseth them together as with a Seal.

The Hebrew is, In the hand he will seal, or, sealeth every man. From which strict reading, some have made a very impious interpretation of this Text, thereupon grounding that (as most use it) most unwarrantable Art of Chiromancy, as if God did put certain Lines, Prints, or Seals upon the hand of every man, from whence it may be collected and concluded, what (as some call it) his Fortune or Destiny will be in the world. Which, as it is an opinion wicked in itself, so altogether hetrogeneal to this place, the tendency whereof is not to show how things shall work with men hereafter, but how they are often hindered or stopped in, or from their present work.

There is yet another reading of the place, thus, He sealeth up every man with strength. The word which we translate hand. h • y translate strength, and refer it to God; he with streng h, or by his mighty power shuts up every man. The word hand may be rendered strength, because by the hand men act violen • lie and put forth their strength. And God may be said to show his strength in • o so • t and fluid a thing as snow and rain, that thereby he may give proof, how easily, or with how small a matter in appearance, h • can stop any man from his work and purpose. There is a truth in this • eading, but I rather take the words as they stand in our translation, not as noting the hand or power of God sealing men, but • ods sealing the hands of men, putting them off from or besides their labor. Thus by Snow and Rain he sealeth or shutteth up the hand of every man; and why so? the reason is given in the next words,

God by extraordinary Snowes and Raines stops men from their work. But what, Is it that they should be idle? No, but that they may know his work. Whose work?

Some understand it of man's own work; As if the meaning were this; God stops men a while from further or present work, that they may take a view of their past works; or he takes them off from their civil works and employments, that they may employ themselves in considering their moral works; as the Prophet admonished the Jews ( Isa. 1.5.) Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. Another Prophet reproved them for the neglect of this duty ( Jer. 8.6.) No man saith, what have I done? The Lord often brings his people to hard sufferings that they may know their own doings or works. This is a profitable sense; yet I rather conceive that the work here intended is God's work, and so I shall prosecute the words, That all men may know his work.

This woe • k of God may be taken two ways.

First, More st ictly; thus God by rain shuts up the hands of men from their woe • k, that they may know, those extraordinary storms of Snow and Rain, which drive them in from their labor, and shut up their hands from working, are his special work. Great Snowes & Raines declare to all men the great power of God, who doth not only astonish men by terrible thunder and lightning, but can by Snow and Rain (his much weaker weapons) put them beside their purpose, and stop their work.

Secondly, Take his work more largely; God sealeth up the hands of men, that they having a vacancy from their own work may consider his; he doth as it were force them from what they were doing or intended to do, that so they may have leisure to take notice of what he hath done, That all men may know his work.

Hence note, First;

He, when, and as he pleaseth, can seal up the hand of every man. If God hath a mind to work, none can lett him ( Isa. 43.13.) Who can seal the hand of God? I may say also, whose hand cannot God seal? How easily did the Lord seal up the hand of the the builders of Babel (Gen. 11.7.) They were hot upon a mighty work; but God by confounding their tongues, sealed their hands, and they (as 'tis said, v. 8.) Left off to build the City.

Secondly, When the text saith, God sealeth up the hand of every man, that all men may know his work,

Observe;

When the hand of God is lifted up some will not see it, they are not only backward to see it, but opposite to the seeing of it; and though others do not set themselves against, yet they do not set themselves to the knowledge of his works. 'It is a great and common sin, our not studying to know the works of God; we should study the works of God as much as we do the word of God; we should study both his work of Creation, and his works of Providence, whether works of Mercy, or of Judgment; we should endeavor to know all his works.

From the universality of the expression, that all m • n may know his work,

Note;

They whose business and labors lie in fields, the Plow-men and the Vine-dressers, he would have them know his works, as those special works of his, the Snow and the Rain, so his works in general. The meanest of men cannot excuse their ignorance of the works of God, seeing the Text and Point tell us, God drives them many times out of the field, home to their houses, and will not let them do a stroke of work more abroad, on purpose that they might know his work.

Hence note, Thirdly;

It is a great part of our wisdom to answer the designs of God in all his providences to us. We seldom think what God intends by a wet day, by a rainy day, by a tempestuous day, we little think the aim of God in calling us from our works, is to call us to the consideration of his work. Some men would never find a time to bestow their thoughts upon the works of God, if God did not take them off from their own work; they would never be at leisure, if he did not give them a leisure, a vacation time, and as here in this text, seal up their hand. God hath various ways to take men off from the hottest pursuits of their own works; he takes many off from them by sickness, he binds them as prisoners to their beds; others are taken off from their own business by proper imprisonment, and restraint of liberty; and why? what is the reason of this? is it not that they may know his work, that they may well consider the dealings of God with them? A sick bed is a School, and so is a Prison, where we should study both the Word and Works of God. Let us remember, whenever God takes us off from our Callings by sickness, or restraineth our liberty by imprisonment, his gracious purpose is, that we may know his work. Possibly when we had liberty to go about our own work, we could find little, or would not find much leisure to meditate upon the works of God. Well, saith God, I see I must take you off from your works, else you will never be Students in mine. That's the effect of Snow and Rain, with reference to man, He sealeth up the hand of every ma • that all men may know his work.

But here we have another effect, with respect to beasts.

There are two words in the Hebrew which signify bruits, or beasts. The word here used properly signifies wild beasts, the other tame beasts, such as are for our use, and brought up to our hand. The text intends the wild beasts, the beasts of the forest, the beasts of prey, they go into dens, these seek shelter in snow time, or when the great rain of the strength of God falleth upon the earth. The Psalmist ( Psal. 104.20.) describes the beasts ordinarily going out of their dens when the night comes; Then (saith he) all the beasts of the forest go forth. Here we have the beasts, whether night or day, driven to their dens by a storm, or by the Snow; then they go to their dens and places of shelter, or, as we speak, to Covert. The word rendered Dens, signifies a place of ambush, or of lying in wait; such are the dens of wild beasts; as it is said of the wicked ( Psal. 10.9.) He lieth in wait secretly, as a Lion in his den, to catch the poor, &c. It is this word. Such kind of retreats have the wild beasts, they have their dens, which are all • o places to watch for their prey: And as they often go to their dens upon choice, or of their own accord, so they are sometimes driven to them (as in the text) for shelter against a storm. Then the beasts go into dens,

They not only go into dens, but there they remain, they keep home, the storm keps them in. As when the flood of waters, the great rain of God's strength, was upon the earth, Noah was shut into the Ark, and there he remained ( Gen. 7.) he did not only go in, but stayed in till the flood was asswaged; so it is said here of the beasts, they remain in their places, they will not budge nor peep out till the storm be over.

Hence note, First;

Those creatures which live only a life of sense, yet partake somewhat of reason, at least, they act according to reason; they are sensible of what God doth, though they know not that he doth it. And is not this a great reproof to those, who are not only not sensible of, but slight those • everer dispensations of God? how beast-like are those men, who have not so much sense of the dealings of • od as the beasts have! who though they have a knowledge beyond bruits, yet they use their knowledge no better, no nor so well as bruits; and so they are either (as the Prophet saith) brutish in their knowledge, or as the Apostle Peter (2 Pet. 2.12.) They are as brute beasts (in human shape) made to be taken and destroyed. How can they avoid being taken and destroyed by the judgments of God, or as Elihu expresseth it, by the great rain of his strength, who take not so much notice of them, as to see their danger and get into a hiding place? For,

Secondly, When the beasts go into dens and remain in their places, what is it that moves them to it? Surely 'tis to be (as we say) out of harms way.

Hence note;

Great snowes and rains of strength are dangerous or g ievous to beasts, therefore they avoid them; they will not stand in the open air while a storm lasts, if they can help it. Beasts will save themselves as well as they can; and if so, then take these two Inferences from it.

First, For our instruction. We are sent to school by God himself more than once to the beasts and creeping things of the earth. Solomon sends us to the Ant, a creeping thing, he bids us consider her ways, and be wise. Elihu, in this text, sends us to the wild beasts of the earth, to Lions and Bares, to Tigers and Wolves, and bids us consider their ways and be wise. Here is matter of instruction for us; What is that? Get out of harms way, make haste out of danger; when the cold Snow comes, and the great Rain of the strength of God, take heed you be not found abroad without a a shelter. Surely God who hath provided dens for the beasts, and places for those wild creatures to hide themselves in, hath not left us without a niding-place, when the great rains of trouble fall, or threaten to fall. God invited his people of old, where to look for and whither to go for shelter in such a rainy day ( Isa. 26.20.) Come my people, enter thou into thy Chambers, and shut thy door about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over-past. For, Behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. As if he had said, Hide yourselves till the storm be over, till the great rain of my streng h be gone. God, who hath put an instinct into the creatures to go to their dens, to their places in a stormy season, doth specially call to men, and among men, specially to his own people, when 'tis a time of indignation, to go into their Chambers and hide themselves till it be overblown. Do not stand out in the rain, do not stand in the storm, get into your chambers; what are these Chambers? surely not the chambers of our houses, they are poor refuges, the rain of his strength will break or soak into those chambers, how well soever roofed or ceiled. The chambers in which the people of God are called to hide themselves, are God himself; the Power of God, the Faithfulness of God, the Truth of God, the Goodness of God, in these Chambers he calls his people to hide themselves. Solomon assureth us ( Prov. 81.10.) The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it and is safe. As God hath taught the beasts to run into their dens, so he instructs us in his Word to run into his Name, as to a strong tower, where we may be safe. David said ( Psal. 57.1.) Under the shadow of thy Wings shall be my refuge until this calamity be over-past; That is, I will put myself under thy protection, while the stormy showers last. The Hen g • thereth her young ones under her wings; so would Christ the Jewish Nation, both for comfort and safety, and they refused him; What followed? The next verse tells us, Desolation. What could save them when the Roman Eagle spread her wings against them, who would not come under the wing of Jesus Christ! ( Matth. 23.37.) 'It is not any worldly refuge, not any arm of flesh, but the shadow of the Lord's wings that can hide us in an evil day from the evil of the day. They who get and keep close to God by Fai h, need not fear the worst storms which this world can raise against them.

And hence, let sinners in general take warning; suppose you should live all your days in this world without a storm, I mean, without any outward trouble, yet remember, there will be a stormy day, the day of the great rain of the streng • h of God will come, he will rain down vengeance upon all the ungodly in that day; Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest in that day (Psal. 11.6.) Therefore see that you have a refuge against that day, when many shall (as it is said, Rev. 6.) Call to the rocks, hide us, and to the mountains, fall upon us, cover us from the presence of him that sits on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. Although we should have prosperity or fair weather as long as we live in this world, yet there is a day of wrath coming; be not then to seek of a hiding place, which is only to be had in and by Jesus Christ; He is the man chiefly intended by the Prophet ( Isa. 32.2.) That shall be a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest. If you are without him in that day, you stand naked to the wrath of God, and that will quickly soak into you, or sink you forever.

Secondly, As the beasts going to their dens for shelter, may instruct us, so it may reprove and upbraid us, and it will be at last a dreadful reproof, upon all that are backward in this thing, to provide themselves of a Covert against the Storm. The Jews (as hath been formerly touched) were upbraided with the Crane, the • urtle, and the Swallow, because they knew the time of their coming ( Jer. 8.7.) They knew when such a Country would be unfit, or unsafe for their stay, and therefore they removed to places more comfortable to, and commodious for them: But (saith he) my people know not the judgment of the Lord. As if he had said, my people have not so much wit or fore-cast as the Crane, and the Swallow, they know not what is good and safe, much less, what is best and safest for themselves; let it snow and rain never so fast, either they stand it out and out-dare it, or they seek such coverts from it, as cannot be a covering to them.

'It is said, the very Vermin, Mice and Rats, will (by a natural presage) come out of a house that is ready to fall. They are more senseless than Mice or Rats, who hasten not to a place of safety, when they perceive the foundation of that sinful State wherein they stand, sinking, and the walls cracking on every hand. How faithless then are they, how presumptuous and senseless who hasten not out of Babylon, when they hear the Scriptures of truth saying not only that Babylon shall fall, or is falling, but, as of a thing already done and past, Babylon is fallen, is fallen! Is it not dangerous to stay in a falling house, in a house which shall so certainly fall, that 'tis said, and said again, 'tis fallen, 'tis fallen. O take heed of a hard heart when you hear of a falling house, or of a storm ready to fall upon your heads. When God threatened Pharaoh to bring a storm of hail upon the land of Egypt (that was indeed a rain of his strength) a mighty rain of hail, the text saith ( Exod. 9.20.) He that feared the word of the Lord amongst the servants of Pharaoh, made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses; but they whose hearts were hardened, let them stay abroad, and so they perished. Sinners, you hear of a worse storm of hail threatened than that which fell upon Egypt, even the great rain of the strength of the Lord's wrath, revealed from heaven against you; shall the beasts in such a day of distress go into dens, and remain in their places, and do you think to abide the day of the Lord's terrible coming? Do you think to stand it out when he appeareth? The Prophet foreshowing the day of Christ's first coming in frail flesh, said ( Mal. 3.2.) Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiners fire, and like fullers sope. Now if the day of Christ's first coming was such as sinners could not abide, when he came only with refining fire to fetch out the dross of their sins, and purge away their corruptions, shall sinners (impenitent and unbelieving sinners I mean) presume that they shall be able to abide or endure that day of his second coming, when he shall come with consuming fire to punish and take vengeance on them for their sins! Away with these vain confidences, which (as the Prophet told the Jews, Jer. 2.37.) the Lord will certainly reject, and in which you can never prosper, and go into those holes of the rock, the wounds of a crucified Savior, in which, and in which only, you may be safe and saved forever, from the Snow and great Rain of God's strength, the power of his anger, which none know at present ( Psal. 90.11.) but all must feel, who are not sheltered from it by Jesus Christ, who delivereth us from the wrath to come (1 Thes. 1.10.)

ELihu having spoken of Thunder and Lightning, as also of Snow and Rain, with their effects upon man and beast, at the 6 ^th , 7 ^th and 8 ^th verses last opened, he in the 9 ^th and 10 ^th verses speaks of the Winds, with their effects; first, Cold▪ Secondly, Frost: or, first, of the Wind; secondly, of the Cold; and thirdly, of the Frost; and then at the 11 ^th verse, of the wonderful works of God in disposing and dispersing the water in the Clouds, for the refreshing of the earth by Rain in its season.

In the 9 ^th and 10 ^th verses (I say) he discourseth of the Winds; and though there be four Cardinal or principal Winds, the East, West, North and South, which are subdivided into thirty-two Winds according to the Mariners Compass, yet here Elihu treats by name of two Winds only, the South-Wind, and the North-Wind; which two are often and eminently spoken of in Scripture; which two, as they come from directly contrary Points in the Heavens, so they produce contrary effects, famously known among men, on earth. And therefore, I conceive, Elihu gives instance only about them, as being more generally taken notice of.

The word which we render the South, properly signifieth a Chamber, an inner Room, or secret place, a Chamber within a Chamber, which is the most private, retiring Room or Chamber. Gen. 43.30. Judge. 16.9. 2 Sam. 13.10. 1 Kings 20.30. Cant. 3.4. We say, Out of the South, &c. And the Reason why the South is expressed by that word which signifieth a secret Chamber, is, because the South Pole is scituate or placed in the most secret part of the World, as to them who inhabit Northern Climates; they who live nearest the North Pole, are farthest removed from the South. And as the same word in the Hebrew Tongue signifieth the South and an inner Chamber, so at the 9 ^th Chapter of this Book ( verse. 9.) we read of the Chambers of the South. The Septuagint • ender, He bringeth the Wind, or Whirlwind, out of his Cellar. Cellars or Store-hou • es being secret places, and removed out of sight, for the keeping of Goods and Wares that are laid up there; and it is elegantly expressed, that Winds come out of Store-houses, as if God did lay them up, till he hath • ccasion to draw them forth, and use them.

Some render it by a general word, Out of a secret place cometh the Whirl wind.

We say best, Out of the South; First, because it is expressly opposed to the North in the Text; Secondly, because Southern Winds are the strong • st and most vehement Winds, as the No • thern are the coldest. For though we find by experience, that strong Winds blow from all Quarters of Heaven, yet usually the South brings forth the strongest Winds; and therefore in Scripture a sudden and violent Wind is called a Whirl-wind out of the South. When the Prophet would describe an unavoidable coming of Judgment, he saith ( Isa. 21.1.) As Whirlwinds in the South pass through, so it cometh &c. And again ( Zech. 9.14.) The Lord God shall blow the Trumpet, and shall go with Whirlwinds of the South. Both places expressing it, according to what was most usually and commonly known, great Winds coming out of the South. That place ( Psal. 126.4.) is rendered by • ome (not as we, Turn again our Captivity, O Lord, as the Streams in the South, but) Turn again our Captivity, as Storms or Whirlwinds in the South. The Church prayed that God would make some sudden change of things, like that made by Southern Storms and Whirlwinds. Yet we are not to understand it, as if all Southern Winds were Whirlwinds or tempestuous; favorable refreshing Winds come from thence sometimes, as may be collected from the 17 ^th verse of this Chapter, and from Canticles • he 4 ^th , verse the 16 ^th , and as is expressed ( Acts 27.13.) The South-Wind blew softly. So that Elihu speaks of what is often and usually done, not of what is always done, when he saith, Out of the South cometh

That's wind with an addition, a Whirlwind is more than an ordinary wind. Wind is one of those Meteors, which God the Author of Nature hath provided for the use of man: It is called by one of the Ancients, the agitation or flux of the Air. Much might be spoken about the natu • all causes and matter of winds, but I shall not insist upon that. A Whirlwind is a tempestuous wind; the G eeks have a special word for it, and so have the Latins, both importing violence, or that which troubles and turns all upside down, and throweth everything out of its place: Such a boisterous • hing is the Whirlwind, 'tis a tossing, tumbling, breaking, disturbing wind; this Whirlwind

It cometh. A like or the same expressi • n is applied to the Sun, ( Psal. 19.3.) He hath set a Tabernacle for the Sun, which is as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a Race. As the Sun cometh every morning out of his Chamber by God's appointment; so doth the Whirlwind at special times appointed by God. 'It is fitly said such fierce and un • uly winds come forth, for they are as it were kept fast in prison till God takes off their Bonds, and opens their Prison-door, and then out they come furiously and boisterously, to do the work God hath commanded and designed them to. Out of the South cometh the Whirlwind.

When Elihu saith, The Whi • lwind, the great Wind cometh out of the So •• h, he doth not express, yet in • imates, who it is that brings the W • i • lwind out of the South: The Whi lwind cometh, but it doth no • come before it is sent. The sco e o • Elihu all along is, to show the mighty power of God in ordering and disposing the Meteors, and among them, these mighty winds.

Hence No • e;

He is the Au • ho • of them▪ he is the disposer o • them, he rules their most unruly motions. The H • athen Poets • eign d a god of the winds, whom they called Aeolus, wh • was Pictur'd or Sta • ued puffing the winds out of hi mouth. But 'tis Jehovah who hath the winds in his power, the winds and the Whirlwind. Neither the Heathen god Aeolus, nor the god of this World the Devil, nor the Devils of this World, Witches and Conjurers, have any power of their own over the least breath of wind, either to raise or lay it. Agur describing the Excellency of God, both in himself and in his working, saith among other things ( Prov. • 0 4) He gathereth the Wind in his Fist; implying, tha • God h • th the • inds in his hand, even as a man carrieth a thing in his hand, or holdeth it in his Fist, keeping it there, or letting i • out at pleasure o • as he listeth. ( Psal. 135.7.) He bringeth t • e Wind out of his Treasure. We read the same in the P ophet ( Jer. 10.13. Je • . 5.1, 16.) These Treasures out of which God b • ings the win • , • ome call the Secrets of Nature, or secre • natural Cau • es; but I conceive 'tis an allusion to the Customs of men, who lay up things useful in private places, that they may have them at hand when occasion calls: Christ teacheth us, in imitation o • them, to get and keep by us such Treasuries of saving Truth ( Math. 13.52.) To be sure, God hath the winds ready, he hath a s • o e and stock of them, which upon any occasion he can b ing forth.

God makes a twofold use of the winds, or, there are two general purposes, for which he b ings them out of his Treasures. First, for good; Secondly, for hurt to the Woe • ld: First, in Mercy; Secondly, in Judgment.

Fi • st, God b • ings them fo • th out of his T • e •• ures in a way of Mercy, and for good to M • nkind. And there is a sixfold good or good use, for which God b • ing • the winds out of his Treasure.

First, to cleanse and • u • ge • he Ai • ; the • efore, by some, the winds are called The Brooms of Heaven When the Ai • is corrupt and foul, God sweepeth it by these Brooms. And we find, when Judgment is threatened, a negative is put upon the wind as to this use, ( Jer 4.11.) A dry wind of the High Places of the Wilderness, toward the Daughter of my people, not to fan or to cleanse, &c. Implying that one merciful use of the wind • , is to fan and to cleanse the Air, as Co n is fanned and cleansed.

Secondly, God brings the winds out of his treasure to temper the Air. Wh n the Ai i • cooled by a gentle B i • ze, we count i • a mercy in ho • seasons. And such is the goodness o • God, that in t • ose places where the heat is most troublesome, there are many cool B • iezes. We read ( Gen. 3.8.) of the cool of the day, or (as the Margin hath it) the wind of the day, implying that the extreme heat of the day is usually asswaged and cooled by the wind. The Prophet ( Jer. 14.6.) describing a time of drought, saith, The wild Asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like Dragons. To snuff the wind in time of drought, is a great refreshing; wind refresheth the body as well as food, and 'tis some refreshing in famine, or want of food.

Thirdly, The wind is a Rain-bringer. We say when the wind riseth there will be rain. Thus (1 Kings 18.45.) before the mighty rain which Elijah foretold, we read of a wind; The Heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. When Elisha told those three Kings distressed for want of water, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water (2 Kings 3.17.) he thereby implied, that wind is the ordinary fore-runner of rain. We, indeed, translate ( Prov. 25.23.) The North wind driveth away the rain; yet we put in the Margine, The North wind bringeth forth the rain. It is true of both; the wind scattereth and driveth away the rain, the wind also bringeth rain.

Fourthly, The wind causeth vegetables to flourish. A sweet gale of wind is not only good for man and beast, but for the grass, and for the herbs, for plants and trees, the blowing of the winds maketh them flourish; in allusion unto which the Church speaks ( Cant. 4.16.) Awake, O North wind, and come thou South, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out; that is, that my Graces, my faith in thee, 〈◊〉 love to thee, &c. may put forth and appear. The spiritual wind, the breathings of the Spirit, draw forth spiritual fruit from the heart, and in the life of believers, as the natural draws forth the natural fruits of the Earth.

Fifthly, The winds are beneficial and helpful for the drying up of the waters, they make the earth clean as well as the air. It is said ( Gen. 8.1.) • fter the whole world was drowned, God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged. The wind is a dryer as well as the Sun.

Sixthly, There is a great use of the winds, as to artificials. What mighty things are done by the wind? By it, Mills are turned to grin'd Corn a Land, and Ships are moved to carry bo • h Men and Merchandiz • at Sea; there were hardly any passing from Nation to Nation▪ 〈◊〉 dis-joined by water, but by the advantage or help of winds; by the help of winds Merchants bring treasure and precious things from one end of the earth to the other. These and many more are the common benefits of the winds, for which the Lord brings them out of his treasures.

Secondly, The winds have their evil effects, God sends them sometimes for a pl ••• e, o • in a way of Judgment.

Fi • st, Winds 〈◊〉 ••• ect the air; the Lord can send, as a cleansing, so a co ru • ting • ind.

Secondly, As wind b • ings rain, so it hinders or blows away the rain.

Thi dly, The Lord sends the wind to break and overthrow all that st • nds before it. What doth not the whi • lwind overthrow? Houses and Trees at Land are blown down; Goodly Ships at Sea, richly laden, have been sunk and over-set by tempestuous winds. God sent a whirlwind out of his treasure, which caused the Mariners in Jonah to cast their Merchandize into the Sea, and Jonah himself too. What cross and tempestuous winds did the Apostle Paul meet with in his voyage to Rome (Acts 27.)

Further, That the Lord bringeth the winds out of his treasure, is matter of great comfort to all that have an interest in the Lord; He can command the winds for them, and against their enemies; the wind cometh out of his Chamber, and it shall do as he commandeth. It is said ( Nahum 1.3.) The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind, and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet: That is, he ruleth whirlwinds, he walks in and works by the whirlwind, and by storms. And as we may take it properly, so metaphorically; that i ••• in the most tempestuous dispensations and providences, when the world is, as it were, in an Haricane, as boisterous winds in some places are called. In the greatest concussi • n • and confusions, whether of things or persons, the Lord carrieth on his work in a regular course. As the great tossings of the air by natural winds, so the greatest tossings of affairs by the st • ong and various passions of men's spirits in the woe • ld (which we may call civil winds, yea whirlwinds) are unde • the ordering of divine power and wisdom. The Prophet ( Isa. 17.13.) admonisheth the wicked to take heed and give glory to God: For (saith he) the Nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters; But God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. A rolling thing is unsteadfast at all times, and a whirlwind will make that roll and tumble which is very steadfast; it maketh Trees to shake, it maketh strong Towers tremble: Now if the whirlwind causeth things that are fixed and strong to shake and move, what will it do to those that are light and unfixed, rolling things! That which is (as men judge) fixed and steady as a Rock, shall be as a rolling thing before the whirlwind of the Lord's displeasure. The Margin of our Bibles calls this rolling thing, Thistle-down. We know what the down of a Thistle is, which at • ome seasons of the year falls off, and is the lightest thing imaginable. When there is not a breath of wind stirring, the Thistle-down will stir, roll, and move from place to place; what then, think you, will become of Thistle-down before a mighty wind, a whirlwind? The wicked shall be as Thistle-down before the whirlwind; but the people of God need not fear, for (as 'tis said of the Sea, so of the wind) his way is in it, he rules the proper, and he rules the metaphorical whirlwinds, which toss and tumble the state and affairs of this world. To close this matter,

We may take notice of several wonderful things in and about the wind; and because Elihu ranks this among the great works of God, who doth marvelous things which we comprehend not, not only in Thunder and Lightning, in Snow and Rain, but in the winds, the • efore I will reckon up seven wonders which peculiarly concern the winds.

First, This is considerable, Th • t there is scarce any Country but b • eeds some wind or other, which blows most there, and exerciseth a peculiar force upon it; these are called Provincial Winds. The North-west wind (saith Pliny ) is proper to the Athenians, other parts of Greece having little acquaintance with it. The North-east wind afflicts Calabria. And that several other winds, are congenial to other Countries, whereof some are benign and favorable, others vexatious and uncomfortable to them, may be seen in the Authors quoted in the Margin.

Secondly, 'It is a wonder that the same wind in one Country causeth fair weather, in another rain and storms.

Thirdly, That the same wind is in one place very healthy, and in another causeth sickness by corrupting the air, and so the blood and spirits of men. A learned Author saith, when- ever the South wind bloweth in such a Country or City, the people fall sick.

Fourthly, That's also observable, that some winds are hot and dry, others cold and moist, according to the temperature of the places from whence they come, and thorough which they pass to us.

Fifthly, 'It is marvelous that in some parts of the world, the wind blows constantly one way; such are called trade winds. Expert Sea-men know where to fetch a wind, when once they get to such a point they never miss it. The Etesian winds are famously known in History, blowing out of the East or North-east yearly at one time, for the space of forty days together; these Cicero called Anniversary winds.

Sixthly, Yet in most places nothing is more inconstant than the wind; inconstancy itself is Embleamed by the winds. No man knoweth when or where to have them certain for an hour; Hence we say, Take the Wind while it serveth. Wind and tide tarry for no man.

Seventhly, That's also wonderful, That winds blow at once from contrary points, North and South, &c. at the same time. Daniel (Chap. 7.2.) saw in a vision the four Winds striving together upon the Sea; All the winds were let loose together, contending (as it were) for victory. Naturalists dispute and question whether contrary winds can blow at once; Aristotle, the great Philosopher, affirms they cannot, because (saith he) the one must needs beat back the other. That's true; yet, what hinders but that for a time there may be such a conflict or battle fought between them, as may extremely trouble both the air and waters, and shake vehemently such things as stand in their way on earth? The Natural Historian reports, That two considerable Cities in the Corinthian Bay, were suddenly swallowed up by the Sea, which inundation was caused by the fierce blowing of the North and South wind at one and the same time. Out of the South cometh the whirlwind,

The Hebrew is out of the scattering or fanning Winds cometh cold; M ^r Broughton renders, And cold from the fair weather-Winds. Our translation determines it.

Common experience teacheth us, that the Northern coasts are cold, yea the coldest coasts: The eoldest freezing winds come out of the No • th, as the strongest out of the South. Here is North and South, and here are the several effects of them; the South breaths warmth, and the North cold.

Hence Note;

Now the South wind bloweth, and then 'tis warm, anon the N •• th wind blows, and then 'tis cold. God hath his special store-houses for heat and cold, he brings cold out of his Northe n storehouse, and not only heat but whirlwinds out of his storehouse in the South. Cold is disposed of by God as heat is, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the hurt of the creature. Cold is both needful and hurtful; cold is needful to the body of man, and cold is needful to the body of the earth; therefore God hath that in his t • easure to se • ve the uses of man with. Changes from heat to cold, set forth, First, God's power; Secondly, His care: If the air were kept always at one rate, or in the same temper, neither windy nor sto • my, neither very hot nor very old, we possibly would like it better, but it would be worse for us. Changes in • he air are so useful, that nature could no • be well preserved without them; we would have all things alike, we would have it always warm weather, always fair, but God seeth 'tis best for us, there should be changes in natural things for our natural good. It is also best for our spiritual good to have providential changes. God seeth it needful to leave us sometimes under clouds and da • kness, to bring cold as well as heat out of his treasures, to send us chilling times as well as springing times; cold is as good for our inner man as heat, storms as calms, foul weather as fair. Now for a season (saith the Apostle, 1 Pet. 1.6.) if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. The coldness of the air kills the weeds in our grounds, so doth the cold of affliction and tribulation the weeds of corruption in our souls. Seasonable cold makes trees and plants more fruitful in their seasons: The cold nipping frosts of affliction, dispose our souls (through the blessing of God▪) to a gracious fruitfulness in every good word 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 and work. We would always have it spring and Sun-shine, peace and safety, but God knows it must be otherwise; perpetual shining and fair seasons are reserved for Heaven. While we are on Earth the cold of adversity is as advantageous to our spiritual condition, as the coldness of the air is to ou • natural. Out of the South cometh the whirlwind, and cold out of the North.

In the former part of this verse, we have the supreme cause of frost, and in the latter an effect of it. By the breath of the Lord frost is given, or, he giveth frost by his breath. The Hebrew is active, we translate passively.

That is, God breathing or blowing; not that the Lord useth breathing or blowing properly, he is a Spirit: But the Lord is said to breath or blow when he commands the wind to blow or breath. The winds are called God's brea • h, o • spirit. Some of the Hebrew Doctors, understand nothing else but his bare will and command, or the intimation of his mind to have it so; but I rather take it for the frost-making winds which are sent by God. By the breath of the Lord, that is, when the Lord appoints and orders cold winds to come out of his treasure, when the Lord gives out the word of command, cold winds issue forth, and then frost appears. David affi • mes in general, ( Psal. 33.6.) By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made, and all the Host of them by the breath of his mouth. The Heavens and their Host • , all the powers and virtues of them, all the influences and • fficacies of them are given out by the breath of the Lord. And among other things that are given by the breath of the Lord

Frost is cold in excess, frost is great cold; every cold is not freezing cold. The word which we rend • frost, i • o •• en rendered ice, and it cometh from a root which signifieth to m • ke bald because frost and ice cover the grass (which is to the ground as hair to the head of man) and so make the su face of the Ea • th smooth like a bald head. Frost also makes the surface of the Earth, not only smooth, but bright and shining like a bald head. By the breath of the Lord frost is given.

Hence Note;

Changes in the air, as well as changes in the estates, lives, or hearts of men, are from the Lord ( Psal. 147.17.) He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes: He casteth forth his ice like morsels; who can stand before his cold? It is God's ice and his cold as well as his rain or his Sun-shine. When the Psalmist saith, He scattereth the frost, he casteth forth his ice, he saith the same thing in substance which Elihu doth here, By the breath of the Lord frost is given: There is a continual dependence of all creatures in their motions and operations, as well as in their beings, upon the will of God, 'tis by his word that frost is given. Some deny the working of the first cause with the second cause • , any otherwise than as God once gave them a working power, and conserveth that power once given them. Whereas indeed God hath not only given a general power to the creature, not only hath he said, There shall be frost sometimes, and heat sometimes, and fair weather sometimes, but whenever the heat or cold or frost come, they come by a particular order from him. As all things, men especially, have their being in him, so their working and moving from him; and that not only because he makes us in general, working, moving creatures, but as to every special work and motion. This the Prophet asserts, while he puts those reproving questions ( Isa. 10.15.) Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. Living and natural creatures move no more without God, th • n artificial and lifeless instruments (such as the axe and saw, the rod and staff) can move themselves without the hand or help of man. By the breath of the Lord frost is given,

This is an eff • ct of the former. Frost drinks up the waters, and so straitens them: some-define ice, which is made by the frost, to be store of water in a little room, or narrow compass. Every years experience tells us, that the waters are pinched with the frost. Waters which were out before a frost, are fetched in or contracted by the frost; hence 'tis said ( Chap. 38.30.) The waters are hid as with a stone, which is of the same sense with this express • on, The breadth of the water is straitened; God brings the wate • s into their old bounds, or into narrower bounds than before, by frost. From this effect of frost, that the breadth of the water is straitened by it,

Note;

'It is so in natural things, 'tis so also (to mind the reader of that occasioned this note) in spirituals and morals. Take coldness as it is an ill disposition, or an indi • position upon the heart, it straitens us, as to the doing of any good; fo • , as Christ hath foretold us ( Mat. 24.12.) that because iniquity shall abound (in the latter days) the love of many shall wax cold: So whenever love or zeal, or any grace in us waxeth cold, piety, in all the acts or whole compass of it, will certainly decline and be straitened. He that before had a large heart, becomes narrow-hearted, and is pinched in his spirit by this sinful coldness. Warmth enlargeth, Cold straiteneth. God sends the cold of afflictions upon many bad men, to straiten their Lusts, else they would keep no bounds, they would overflow all; and it is the g • eat design of Satan to send a cold upon, or to frieze the spirits of all good men, that they may be straitened and made unfit for the service of God. Take heed of a coldness in your disposition, for that will be a straitner of your graces; but welcome the frost of affliction, that may be a st • aitner of your corruptions. There is nothing we should fea • more (except the loss of them, and the favor of God with them) than to feel our graces straitened; nor is there anything (except the favor of God) which we should more desire, than to feel our lusts and corruptions weakened and abated.

Some render this latter part of the ve • se not as we, The breadth of the waters is straitened; but, The waters are dissolved into their breadth. As if Elihu had said, the ice or frost being dissolved, the waters return to their wonted latitude. The word rendered straitened, may be derived from a root which signifieth to dissolve, to melt and pour out. Thus, as according to our translation, we take the latter part of the verse as an effect of the first, frost being that whereby the breadth of the waters is straitened; so according to this translation, it stands in opposition to the former, By the breath of the Lord frost is given, and he again (by his breath) diss lveth the water. Thawing as well as freezing is from God. Thawing is the melting of the ice; as metal is melted in the fire, so ice is melted by the heat of the Sun. Thus the North makes ice, and the South unmakes or melts it. The power of God is to be seen in dissolving those huge rocks and mountains of ice into water, as well as in congealing those mighty floods o • water into icy rocks. David celebrateth the power of God in this also ( Psal. 147.18.) He sendeth out his word, and melteth them (that is, the morsels of ice spoken of verse. 17.) He causeth the wind (a warm thawing wind) to blow, and the waters flow, that i • , those waters which were bound up by the cold, flow away by heat. Some insist much upon this translation. It is of the Lord that the waters are enlarged or straitened, frozen or dissolved. I leave it with the Reader. which to pitch upon (both are safe and honorable to God) and proceed to the next verse.

There is a four-fold reading or exposition of the former part of this verse; By watering he wearieth the thick cloud.

First, thus, For watering, or, that he may water the earth, he wearieth the thick cloud, that is, he calleth up so much vapor as burdens or wearieth the thick Cloud, that he may have sufficient for the watering of the earth by rain. God causeth his vapor to ascend, saith the Prophet ( Jer. 10.13.) that is, he draws up much water by vapors, as the matter of clouds, or as the matter out of which clouds are made, and he fills the cloud so full of water, that it can scarce bear the weight; and all this he do • h for the plentiful watering of the earth.

Secondly, thus, He causeth the cloud to give out, or spend its water till it be weary. We say of anything that is spent to the last, it is ti • ed and wearied. Thus the Lord by watering wearies the thick cloud, commanding the clouds to pour rain upon the earth, till they are tired, till they have spent all their store, and cannot yield a drop more. Yet because to water the earth is the most proper and natural business of the cloud, therefore,

Thirdly, A learned Expositor conceives, that the cloud is not we •• ied by watering or raining upon the earth; but that on the contrary the cloud is said to be wearied or troubled, when, while it is about that work, it is scattered or dispersed by the Sun or Wind.

Fourthly, Others refer this wearying of the cloud, to the command which it receives for the watering of very remote parts of the earth. The Lord saith to this or that cloud, • emove far off, go and water such a Country (it may be a hundred, yea, many hundred miles off the place from whence the vapou s were exhaled) and there disburden thyself, or fall down in showers. When the Lord sends the cloud a long journey, we may say, 'tis even wearied, as a man or beast is that hath gone a long journey.

I shall not trouble the reader with that wide interpretation of the Latin translator, rendering thus, The cloud desires corn, or the cloud labors for corn, that is, to make the earth fruitful, and bring forth abundance of corn. Some of the Ancients have taught that there is a kind of natural marriage, between the earth and the clouds, or between the clouds and the corn, or any other fruits of the earth. Rain is the food of the earth, that is, of Fruits and Plants; to which the Prophet ( Hos. 2.22.) makes an elegant allusion. But I pass this.

The second interpretation I judge most congruous to the scope of the text, which saith clearly, Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud.

Whence note;

Here is a cloud and a thick cloud ( Elihu doth not speak of an ordinary, but of a thick cloud) yet upon the Lord's command to give showers the cloud is quite spent and wearied. Though men have the greatest affluence, the largest stores and stock • , of wealth or riches, yea of gifts and graces, yet they may be wearied, and even drawn dry. The thickest clouds, that is, they who have the greatest treasures of strength, of wit, of learning and knowledge, are soon wearied, exhausted and emptied, unless they live in dependence upon God; Only, God himself can never be wearied by watering. How much soever God giveth out to us, he is not at all emptied, but remains everlastingly equally full. And if God will speak to the meanest creature, even to that which seemeth most empty, it shall water others and not be wearied. The thick clouds, they who have much, may be spent, while he that hath but a little shall not be spent. The Prophet said to the poor woman (1 King. 17.14.) The oil in the cruse, and the meal in the barrel shall not waste. The woman might draw out of the oil as long as she would, and still there would be a supply of oil, nor would the barrel be weary in yielding meal. The Lord can make the creature unwea • ied, and establish it to us for good. A full cloud will soon drop away, if the Lord forbear supplies; and a few drops shall be as an eve • lasting spring where the Lord gives out supplies. We may all • o allude to that (2 King. 4.2.) There was a poor widow, and the creditors were ready to seize her two sons for bondmen, and, saith she, I have nothing but a little pot of oil, and what will that do towards payment? Well, saith the Prophet, Go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels, borrow not a few, and thou shalt draw out of the pot, and the pot of oil shall not be wearied by giving oil into the vessels. God speaking to the pot of oil it yielded a continued supply; the oil never ceased till the woman had not a vessel to receive it. If God saith to the least pittance of temporals, which a man hath in this world, hold out, it shall not fail nor be weary; 'tis so likewise in spiri uals, the Lord can make a little grace hold out, the thinnest cloud shall not be wearied by watering.

Again, By watering he wearieth the thick cloud, that is, God giveth out showers to water the earth abundantly.

Hence note;

He will empty the thick cloud upon the earth to make it fruitful; He gives not only a few drops, but abundance▪ and this is most true in spi • ituals. How doth the Lord shower down and empty even whole clouds of good things upon the soul! as he hath promised, so he once did, and still doth sometimes (and will mo • e in the last times) pour out the Spirit, which is an allusion to those showers of rain poured from the clouds: And as the Lord pours out his Spirit, which can never be wearied or drawn dry; so the Lord makes use of many thick clouds (which hold much spiritual rain) even to weariness, for the refreshing of wearied souls; I mean such Ministers as he hath furnished with great gifts and graces, such as are not (as the Apostle Jude compareth some Teachers) Clouds without water, but (as true and faithful Teachers should be) full of water. The waterings of any Apollo are at the Lord's dispose • : He saith, drop thy word here, drop thy word there, and thou shalt not drop thy word anymore here or there. The Lord hath often been so bountiful to Nations and Churches, that he hath even wearied many thick clouds to water them with the rain of his word. That of the Psalmist (though it be true of the rain properly taken, falling upon the earth) is most true of spiritual rain falling upon the Churches ( Psal. 65.10.) Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly, thou setlest the furrows thereof. And so is tha • also to be understood ( Psal. 68.9.) Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain (or rain of liberalities) whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary. Thou didst even weary the thick cloud, to confirm, that is, to refresh thy weary people.

And seeing they who carry and dispence the Word are in Scripture emblematically expressed by Clouds ( Isa. 60.8. Who are these that flee as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? The Preachers of the Gospel come as so many clouds, and the Prophet tells us, the Word cometh down as rain and snow from heaven (Isa. 55.10.) which supposeth a cloud from whence it cometh; fo • , saith the Lord, So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please; Seeing, I say, the dispensers of the Word are compared to clouds) let them that sit under the droppings of these clouds take heed they be not unfruitful, or like that ground which drinketh in the rain, yet beareth nothing but briars and thorns, whose end is to be burned. God hath wearied and quite spent many of these thick clouds by continual dropping upon, and watering the souls of men, yet how barren, how fruitless are they! If but one of the clouds of heaven be wearied in watering the earth, we soon after discern the face of the earth refreshed and renewed by it: And shall God weary those he • venly clouds by watering men on earth, and men remain unrefreshed, unrenewed! Clouds of sorrow and darkness will at last weary all those with their waterings and droppings upon them, who, when God hath wearied his Clouds by watering them with the word of life from Heaven, yet remain altogether barren and unfruitful. By watering he wearieth the thick Cloud.

The former part of the verse spake of a thick Cloud, this latter speaks of a bright Cloud: The Hebrew is, The Cloud of his light; which I conceive is here added; First, to show that Clouds of all sorts serve the purposes of God; the thick Cloud, and the bright Cloud, the dark Cloud, and the light Cloud, are made use of by him. And as he doth weary the Cloud, that is full of water, so he scattereth the Cloud that is full of light, or, he scattereth his bright Cloud.

Yet some considering it is not said in the letter of the Text, A light Cloud, but a Cloud of light, understand by a Cloud of light, such a Cloud as hides and hinders the light, and which being scattered, light and fair weather succeed. Yet rather as before. But why is it here said, that he scattereth his bright Cloud? possibly, because he hath no use of his bright Cloud, but of his thick Cloud only, when he would water the earth. And indeed Clouds which are only bright, or which have much light, but no water, are of little use. Some have much light of knowledge, but no water of instruction to drop upon others; such Clouds God disperseth and scatters. It is not an outward fair appearance, which can bring us into acceptance with God, The bright Cloud shall be scattered, if it have no rain in it, to water the earth.

Again, Some translate, His light scattereth the Cloud. So the text may be read according to the letter of the Hebrew; as if the meaning were this, God by the Sun-beams dispels or disperseth the Cloud; for Clouds are scattered sometimes by the wind, sometimes by the Sun. That which gathered the Cloud, may also scatter it. The Sun draweth up the vapors, of which Clouds are formed or compacted, and soon after the Sun dissolveth the Clouds, which it had gathered. The same power makes and unmakes the Cloud, gives it a body, and takes it away; His light scattereth the Cloud. That's a truth also: For as brightness or light is scattered among the Clouds, and makes the Clouds appear 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 bright, so brightness or light scatters Clouds, or causeth them to disappear.

Elihu having thus discoursed of wind and cold, of freezing and thawing, of working some Clouds to weariness, and of scattering others, proceeds in the two following verses, to show the special uses which the Lord makes of all those motions in the air, and impressions upon the Earth, with the Inhabitants of it, whether in a way of Judgment or of Mercy.

IN the former verse Elihu spake of the Clouds, of the thick Cloud wearied with watering, and of the bright Cloud, scattered by the Wind or Sun. In these two verses he further sets down two things more generally concerning the Clouds.

First, He shows whence the motion of the Cloud is, and by what or whom directed; It is turned about by his counsel, in the beginning of the 12 ^th verse, and he causeth it to come, at the beginning of the 13 ^th verse. There we have the Sp • ing of the Clouds motion.

Secondly, Elihu shows the purpose, or the design of the Lord in turning about the Clouds by his counsel; which design is laid down two ways.

First, In general, That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth; that's the first purpose of God in moving the Clouds, they are to execute his Commands; and that's his general purpose.

Secondly, We have his special purposes or designs laid down in the close of the 13 ^th verse, and they are three-fold. He turneth about the Cloud, and causeth it to come,

• First, For Correction.
• Secondly, For his Land.
• Thirdly, For Mercy.

He causeth it to come (saith Elihu) whether for Correction, for his Land, or for Mercy; all these purposes and designs God hath in moving and ordering these vast and mighty bodies of the Clouds, which hang like Mountains in the air. Thus you have the parts of these words, with their scope and tendency. More distinctly.

First, Vapours are raised and condensed into Clouds by the counsel of God, he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth, ( Psal. 135.7.) Which vapors (as was shown before) are the material cause or matter of the Clouds.

Secondly, As by the counsel of God the vapors are raised, of which Clouds are made; so this Text tells us, that by his counsel the Clouds are moved, and ordered in their motion; which motion of the Clouds is very various; sometimes one way, sometimes another, sometimes forward, sometimes backward, or retrograde; sometimes their motion is circular, as the word here used by Elihu seemeth to imply, It is turned or whirled about; according to that of Solomon (Eccl: 1.6.) The wind goeth toward the South, and turneth about unto the North; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his Circuit. We have here three words expressing the motion of the wind; First, it goeth; Secondly, whirleth about; Thirdly, returneth again; and all this according to its circuits. It is said of Samuel (1 Sam. 7.16.) He went from year to year in circuit, to Bethel and Gilgal, and Mizpet, and judged Israel in all these places. Thus the winds according to the Commission they receive from God, ride every year in circuit, now they are in one quarter, and anon in another, and wheresoever they come they may be said to do judgment in a way of favor to some, and in a way of displeasure unto others. The wind hath his Circuits, and as the Circuit of the wind is, such is the Circuit of the Clouds; the motion of the Clouds is from the wind, some say from the Starrs, but most generally, as to the natural cause, it is from the wind, which way the wind moves, that way the Clouds move. And though the motion of the Clouds and Winds seems exceeding unsteady and changeable, up and down, without any certain rule in Nature, yet they observe their Circuits, and run their compass as God appoints them. Mr Broughton renders, And for varieties, he turneth himself in his wise Counsels for their operation, for whatsoever he Commandeth them; It is tur • ed about (say we)

It should seem that God even calls a Council, which way the Clouds shall be directed, they go by his Council: The word in the Hebrew is a very significant one (that I mean) which we render his Counsel, others his skill, his art or cunning, and there are not a few who render it, they are turned about by his Engines, as if God did use (as it were) artificial Engines to turn about those mighty bodies of the Clouds; Properly the word signifieth the Ropes and Tackling of a Ship, in ordering which Ropes and Tackling the whole management of the Ship doth consist. The Mariner shows his skill and art in steering his Ship a right course, which he doth, not only by guiding the Rudder, but by ordering the Ropes and Tackling this way and that way, to compass or avoid the wind. And the Hebrew word (Tachbuloth) here used, hath a very great nea • ness in sound, to the Tackling of a Ship. This is a most elegant Metaphor, showing how the Lord doth, as it were, steer the course of the Clouds, or guide the Clouds, as the Seaman doth his Ship; his Counsels may be compared to the Tackling and the Ropes, or rather to the Helme, by which the Ship is guided; God is as the great Pilot sitting at the Stern, and he turns these Clouds as his Ship, he turns them about as a Ship tacks this way and that way, to reach her Port and there unlade. The Rain, Snow, & Hail, are the Lading which these swift Ships, the Clouds, carry from place to place, to serve the providences of God towards man. This divine conduct of the Clouds is very admirable! the Lord knowing what parts of the Earth need those Commodities, Rain, Snow, &c. which those aerial Vessels are laden with, for the enriching of the world. We render it by his Counsel, that is, by those means which he in his Wisdom and Counsel useth to turn the Clouds about, they are turned: we translate the word ( Pro. 1.5.) Wise Counsels, and ( Pro. 20.18.) Good advice, there Solomon saith, With good advice make war. And indeed good advice is the best tackling for Ships in a war at Sea, and the best ammunition for a war at Land: Council is a noble, a notable Engine: The greatest things on Earth are turned about by it, and so are those great things in the air, the Clouds, They are turned about by his Counsel,

Here's the general design and purpose of God, in turning about the Clouds whithersoever he please, it is that they may do whatsoever he Commandeth them; where we have the Clouds set forth,

First, In their obedience, They do the Commands of God.

Secondly, In the universality of their obedience, They do whatsoever he Commandeth. Elihu compares the Clouds and Meteors to good servants, who are ready to do what God their Master requireth of them; and not only so, but they do his Commands everywhere, or wheresoever he requires them, they do all his Commands, and that in all places, as the Text speaks in the next words,

That is, wheresoever there is Earth, or a World, habitable or unhabitable, thither, or so far doth God send the Clouds in his service, or for the executing of his will.

Further, when he saith, Upon the face of the World, his meaning is, upon the outside or uppermost part of the World; and because the Heavens, even the uppermost Heavens are a part of the world, with which the Clouds have nothing to do, their business lying here below, therefore (I conceive) Elihu determines it expressly, in the Earth. The Clouds are not raised or made for the use and service of the world above, but of the world below. They do whatsoever he Commandeth them upon the face of the World in the Earth.

Hence observe, First;

He as it were by certain Engines and weights, turns them about; they move not unawares, nor by the unce • tain changes of the Air, but according to his direction and unchangeable purpose; It is turned about by his Counsel. The creatures do not govern themselves, nor are they Masters of their own motions; The way of man is not in himself, surely then the way of the Cloud is not in itself. Clouds take their course according to the order and command which they receive from God.

Again, The Clouds are thus turned about by the Counsel of God, that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them.

Hence note;

God will not have a Vapour arise, nor a Cloud stir for nothing, he commands them to be doing. And if God send Clouds abroad to work, much more doth he send man forth into the world to do work, & appoints him what work to do. The first Man was no sooner made, and set up in a state of created perfection, but he was presently set to work, he must be doing ( Gen. 2.15.) And the Lord God took the man (or Adam) and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress and to till it. From the Angels in Heaven to the worms that creep upon the earth, there's no creature but hath somewhat to do; yea, not only the living and rational creatures, but (as here in the Text) the very inanimate creatures, the senseless creatures, the Clouds, have somewhat to do, God sends them forth upon his business. Every creature hath a service, hath somewhat to do: And therefore, it will be ill with those whom God finds idle, or doing nothing, or nothing to any good purpose. That servant had been doing, to whom Christ in the Pa • able is represented thus speaking at the last day, Well done good and faithful Servant.

Thirdly observe;

They are God's Messengers, and they will do any or every E • rand, which he sends them about, and trusts them with. 'It is the duty and commendation of a Servant, to do whatsoever he is commanded. A man's servant must do all his Masters just and lawful commands; he must not take up this or that command to do it, and pass by the rest. The Rule is plain ( Col. 3.22.) Servants obey your Masters in all things: Much more must a Servant of God obey him in all things. ( Acts 13.22.) I have found David a man after mine own heart; he shall fulfill all my Will. David was a trusty servant; he was not like Saul, who did the Lord's work to halves. The Clouds are trusty Servants, they do whatsoever God commands them; and we may distribute the commands which God gives the Clouds, into two Ranks.

First, The command of God to the Clouds is sometimes for the hurt o • punishment of man. God threatens and he executes vengeance by the Clouds ( Ezek. 13.13.) Winds convey the Clouds, and the Clouds pour down overflowing showers in the anger of God, and great hail-stones in his fury, to consume and ruin all before them.

Secondly, Clouds execute the command of God in a way of favor; as they execute his threatenings, so they fulfil his promises ( Hos. 2.21, 22.) Both these commands to the Clouds are expressly mentioned in the next verse, I only touch them here.

Now forasmuch as the Clouds are here described under the notion of the pressed and faithful Servants of God, doing whatsoever he commands, take these Inferences from it.

First, If Clouds do whatsoever God commands them, then surely Christians ought to do whatsoever Christ commands them: Shall the Clouds of God out do the children of God in obedience? We find that admonition often urged in the Scripture of the New Testament, especially in the 13 ^th of Matthew, and in the 1st 2d and 3d Chapters of the Revelation, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. But behold a wonder, they that have no ears hear! The Clouds have no ears, and yet they hear, and more than hear, they do the commands of God. What shall we say, when Clouds hear and obey, and men do neither? Let us learn Duty from the Clouds. We are sent to the School of Nature in holy Scripture, almost throughout. Elihu seems to say, Go to the Clouds, O ye that are either slothful or disobedient, consider their work and be wise; they are continually doing whatsoever the Lord commands them.

Secondly, If the Clouds do whatsoever God commands them, then here's matter of comfort to all who do what God commands them; surely God will not command the Clouds to do them any hurt who are doing his commands. If you can say that you do the commands of God, you may rest assured God will never give the Clouds a command to do you hurt. I do not say but an affliction may drop out of the Clouds upon a man that is doing the commands of God; or, the Clouds may have a command to drop affliction upon him that is doing the commands of God: but the Clouds drop no hurt upon any that do the commands of God. And therefore seeing the Clouds, even those Clouds that carry Storms and Tempests, Thunder and Lightning, Snow, Hail, and Rain, the great Rain of his strength, seeing I say, these Clouds, that are the Treasuries and Magazines of such terrible things, are at the command of God, let not his faithful people fear; for when the Winds are Stormy, when the Clouds are black, and carry, as we think, nothing but wrath and death in them, God will take care of • hem, and charge his Clouds to do them no harm. Clouds, whatsoever they are doing, are doing God's commands, and doubtless he will not give them any commands for their hurt who keep and do his commands.

And as 'tis matter of comfort to the faithful Servants of God, that he commandeth the Clouds in the Air, so that he also commands those Clouds which are raised in the hearts of men, or that sit and appear in their faces and foreheads. We often see Clouds gather in the Brows of displeased mortals. As some are clouded with sorrow, so others are clouded with anger and wrath. Those black Clouds in the faces of men are as dreadful as the blackest Clouds in the Air; yet the Lord who commands the Clouds in the Air, commands the Clouds of anger and choler, of wrath and indignation, rising out of the hearts, and appearing in the faces of men, and can blow them over, or blot them out, whensoever he pleaseth.

Thirdly, If the Lord by his commands orders the Clouds, and the Clouds are ready to execute his commands, then let us have high thoughts of the power of God, and of his commands. If men refuse the commands of God, if the stout and hard hearts of men will not stoop to them, the Clouds of Heaven, yea, the clods of the earth will. Whatsoever God commands, he will have it done; not one title, not one Iota (as Christ spake of the Law) shall fall short, or fail, or be unfulfilled. If such and such will not, others shall; if Jews will not, Gentiles shall; if the Jews will not carry it like the children of Abraham, God can and will raise up children unto Abraham of the Stones of the street; he will nor want instruments to answer his Counsels, nor to execute his commands. God will shake Heaven and Earth, but he will have his Will done, and his decrees perfected, yea, he will dissolve and ruin them rather than not have his Word fulfilled. That of David (Psal. 136.2.) Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name, is true of the word of command, as well as of the word of p • omise. God will magnify the word of his promise above all his Name, and he will also magnify the word of his command above all his Name; that is, his Word is as a glass, wherein his Name, that is, his Holiness, his Power, his Goodness, his Faithfulness, his Mercy, his Justice, and his Wrath, are to be seen, and shall be seen in the accomplishments of it towards the children of men. Therefore fear and admire this mighty God, who will find means for the executing of his Word, for the doing of all that he hath spoken; The Clouds shall do whatsoever he commandeth them, upon the face of the World in the earth.

Fourthly, If the Clouds are turned about by his Counsel, if he doth, as it were, hale the Ropes to turn the Clouds which way soever he pleaseth, then, Whensoever you see the Clouds gathered by the wind, remember God hath somewhat to do, there's somewhat to be done; these Clouds are the Servants of God, there's some command or word of God or other to be fulfilled. We do not, as we ought, consider the Counsel of God in the motion of the Clouds; yea, some when the Clouds gather, and the storms of Wind or Rain, of Thunder and Lightning, break forth, are more ready to think of the Counsel of the Devil, than of God, they are apt to say, surely, There's Conjuring abroad: What's that, but the executing of the Devils Counsel? whereas we should say, God doth it by his Counsel. Take heed of neglecting God when you see the Clouds; do not attribute their motion, or the most dreadful Storms that proceed from them, to anything beside the Counsel of God; for there is not the least vapor can rise out of the earth, for the making of a Cloud, but he causeth it to ascend; there are not any materials gathered toward the constituting of a Cloud, but they are under God's hand, he causeth the vapors to ascend: and there is not the least breath of wind can stir to move the Clouds (Clouds are moved with the wind) but as God hath appointed; neither bad Angel, nor good, can stir a Cloud, but as God willeth. And therefore look to the hand and counsel of God in all these things, take heed of staying in any work of Nature, do not ascribe these impressions and perturbations in the Air to the power of the Devil and wicked Arts; all is of the Lord, whatsoever is done. One of the Ancients said concerning the Devils, when they desired leave to enter the Swine, Why should any of the sheep of God be afraid of the Devil, when the Devils cannot have power over the Swine without leave from God? The Devil cannot move a breath of wind, but according to the will of God; though he be the Prince of the Air, yet there is a Prince above him, to whose commands all are subject, both in Heaven and in Earth.

Fifthly, If it be so, that God commands the Clouds whensoever they come with their storms or showers, then ascribe the praise of all the good you receive from the clouds to God, and be humbled under the hand of God, whensoever you receive outward damage from the clouds, do not say it is a chance.

Sixthly, Learn hence the greatness and the sovereignty of God, say as they did admiringly ( Math. 8.27.) Who is this, that both the Winds, and Seas, and Clouds obey him! None of the words of the Lord shall fall to the ground, as an Arrow or Dart that misseth th • Mark, or as water spilled, that cannot be gathered up again; which latter allusion is specially intimated (1 Sam. 3.12, 19.) Here in the Text Elihu sets forth the Power and Sovereignty of God, having all creatures at his beck and command, as hath been shown already from other passages in this Book, and more will occur hereafter. The Sovereignty of God over men can never be duly acknowledged, till we acknowledge his Sovereignty over Winds and Rain, Hail and Snow, which lie in the Bowels and bosom of the clouds, and from thence are dispensed to the earth, at the will of God.

Seventhly and lastly, If the clouds do whatsoever God commands them, if they be such faithful servants to God, then surely the clouds will one day rise up, or come forth as witnesses against all that resist the commands of God: Not to obey them is bad enough, but to resist them is far worse. Christ would awaken the Scribes and Pharisees, by telling them ( Math 12.41.) The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the Judgment against this Generation, and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; as also the Queen of the South, because she came from far to hear the wisdom of Solomon. If Jesus Christ u • ged those instances of the men of Nineveh, and of the Q • een of the South, to terrify that Generation for not obeying his commands, or fo • not receiving the Promises of the Gospel; doubtle • s then in the g eat Day, the very clouds and winds shall come in as witnesses against all those that have resisted the will of God in any of his commands. Have the Clouds (will he say) done whatsoever I commanded them? and have you resisted? have you cast my words behind your back, when the very Clouds have taken up, embraced, and fulfilled them? The Clouds will be a swift witness against all those that rebel against the commands of God: The Snow and Rain, the Winds and Storms fulfilling his word, will bring in a casting Evidence against all those who have cast his word behind their backs. All this we may read and see in the commanding power of God over the Clouds, and in their readiness to obey.

Elihu proceeds.

He, that is, God causeth, It, that is, the Cloud; He causeth the Cl • ud to find (so the Hebrew) to find every place and every person, concerning whom it hath received command and commission from God. Thus the word is used by Moses (Numb. 32.23.) If ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out; that is, the punishment of your sin, and that Judgment which God will pour out upon you for your sin, will find you out wheresoever ye are. In this sense the Cloud will find us out; we render well, He causeth it to come, that is, to come to that place or person, to that Nation or People, to which himself hath appointed it: He causeth it to come,

Here are three ends or purposes of God, in communicating and commanding forth the Clouds, and we may take those three ends two ways.

The first of these and the last concern Man more specially; the second concerns all other creatures, both Plants and Beasts of the earth; it concerns all, from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hyssop on the wall, among the Plants, and from the Lion to the Mouse, or to the least of living or sensible creatures among the Beasts; all w • ich God, according to his Sovereign Power, and Justice, doth either comfo • t or afflict as he pleaseth.

Again, The ends which God aimeth at respecting Man, are either for Correction or for Mercy.

First, He causeth the Cloud, with whatsoever is its burden, Hail, or Rain, or Snow, to unlade and disburden itself, for correction, The Hebrew is, for a Rod, so we put in the Margin. A Rod is for correction; therefore we translate for correction, for disci • lin • . God sends t •• Clouds to whip or discipline a people. Fu • there, the w •• d signifies a Rod under a twofold Notion.

Fi •• t, A R •• or a S •• ff to smite or strike with, in which sense it is called ( Prov. 22.15.) The Rod of correction; and at the 8th verse of the same Chap er, The Rod of anger; as also ( Isa. 10.5.) O Ass • rian, the Rod of mine anger (saith God) Here's a R • d to smite with.

Secondly, It signifies a Rod to govern with, or to rule with; and hence this word denotes the Scepter of a Prince. The two great Emblems of Magistracy are a Sword and a Scepter. The Scepter is in the fashion of a Rod or Wand, which imports chastening and correction; and from hence it was that the chief of the Tribes of the Children of Israel (Numb. 17.2.) were commanded to take everyone of them a Rod, according to the house of their Fathers, twelve Rods, and to write every man's Name upon his Rod, and lay them up in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, &c. Now those Rods given in by the Princes of the Tribes, were as so many Emblems of their Power and Authority, because to the chief Magistrate the punishment of the faults and miscarriages of all under his government did belong. And hence the same word signifies a Magistratical Rod or Scepter of Government, and a Tribe or whole Family under the Rod o • Scepter of a Governor, because as Rods or B • anches g • ow from one Root, so many Tribes or Families from one Father; thus the Twelve Tribes of Israel sp • ung from Jacob. And that's the Reason why the Latin Translator renders this place, not as we, ( whether for correction) but, Whether for a Tribe; the meaning of which reading, Whether for a Tribe, or for his Land, is thus given, Whether it be for one particular place, or for the whole Country or earth in general, as will further appear in opening those words, For his Land. This Translation of the Vulgar Latin, and the Inte • pretation given upon it, suits well with that of the Prophet ( 〈◊〉 4.7) where the Lord saith, I caused it to 〈◊〉 upon one City, and not upon another: Here was Rain for a Tribe, and not for his Land, not an universal Rain all the Land over; he causeth it to rain upon one City, not upon ano her, upon one Tribe, not upon another; that's a good sense, and the word will bear it.

Yet I rather take it here for a Rod, which imports chastening or correcting, as we translate, Whether it be for Correction. They that carried the Rod or the Scepter, had also the power of correction in their hand, as was touched before; and that may be one Reason why when God sent Moses to Pharaoh (Exod. 4.17.) upon that great Message, the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt, he commanded him to take his Rod in his hand; which Rod held out these two things. First, that M • ses came not as a private man to him, but like a Prince, like an Embassador from the great King, or like one whom he had appointed to take upon him the government of that people, with a Scepter in his hand. Secondly, to let Pharaoh know, that as God sent him with a power, or clothed him with a Commission to treat with him, so with a power to scourge or plague him, even with ten Plagues. As if the Lord had said, O Pharaoh, Seest thou this Rod in the hand of my servant Moses; assure thyself, thou shalt have stroke upon stroke, plague upon plague, if thou wilt not let my people go. But of that by the way. He causeth it to come for correction, or for a Rod.

Hence note;

He can make anything a Rod; he can make nearest Relations a Rod. A Son is sometimes a Rod to his Father; how often have miscarrying and undutiful children been made a Rod of correction to their Parents? and they are usually so, when Parents have not duly corrected their children for their undutifulness and miscarriges. What are cruel men but Rods to other men? Some men have been the scourges of Mankind. Attila, once a great Commander in War, and King of the Huns, was called The Rod or the Scourge of God. And so God himself called the Assyrian the Rod of his anger ( Isa. 10.5.) David called all wicked men in g ••• the Sword of God, in his prayer for deliverance from them ( Psal. 17.1 • ,