392 Verf.27. e'ÓEXpolition upon the Book of .1 os.. Chap. 36; fhowrs of heaven, and then (as to this Life) in how fad acafe are we I As the Lord bath not left himfelf without witnefs (namely of his goodneCs; in fending rain and fruitful feafons, fo he can quickly leave a witnefs of his Juflice,and difpleafure, or of his jufl difpleafure, by with-holding rain and (asa confequent of that) fruitful feafons from us. Were it only co have rain and fruitful lea tons, we should take heed of difpleafngGod, If a man had fuch power as to with -hold rain from your land, you would take heed of di'pleafng him. How dangerous then is it to pro- voke God ,who cannot only with -hold the rain fromyourland,hut can, as the Scripture faith, make the rain of your land to bepowder and daft (Dent. 2$ . 24. ) that is, give you powder and duff in- Read of rain I When the rain is long with-holden the earth grows hard, and being much trodden or traveled on, dully ; this duff being railed up by the wind, (hall come down in (lead of rain, or that's all the rain which I will give you. The Lord hath our natu- ral comforts in his hand, as well as our fpirituat and eternal. Further,As thiswith-holding of the rain fometimes, to the hold ing up of the rain at any time, (hews the great powerof God ; to hold the water in the aire is the workofGod as much as to with- hold it from the earth. The water is a heavybody, and all heavy things rend downward ; is it not a wonder that fuch a mighty weight of water fhould hang in the aire, and be there held up ? if it were not held there, it Wouldnot flay there, but come down and drown all. What holds it up ? the Cloud is a thin fubllance, yet is holds the water aswell as the (+rangell vefiel bound with hoopes of iron ; But by what power ? doubtlefs by the power of God . The water hath no confiflence in it Pelf, it is a fluid flippery body, now what can hold the water that none of it leakes out,but the po- wer of God ?There are many millions of drops in one little cloud, and every drop is of, is felt ready to flip away, yet the whole cloud yeelds nomore water thena rock till God orders it. Let us contemplate the Almightinefs of God,whocan hold fuch a mighty body of water in the aire, er who ( as Tob fpake, (hap. 26. 8.) dindeth up the waters in his tbickelouds,and the cloud is not rent un- der them. Thefe notes arife from that tranfation,'which imports the Lo-ds power in drawing the water from the earth,as alto in with-holding it from theearth when there is need, and in holding it when there isnoneed. We
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