boo Verf. 2 i. 4nExpofition upon the Book of J o a. Chap. 7, which properly fignifieth the wind. The fame notion of life may be colleóed from the Hebrew wordNephe(h, which is indiffe- rently tranflated,Soul,Life,wind,And fo the life ofman isnor only called wind (as fob called his, Chap: 7. 7.) becaufe of the frailty or fpeedypairing of it away ; but becaufe the continuance or abiding of it in the body, is by the taking in and fendingout of wind. I have already at the 9th verle of this Chapter,fhewed the fe- veral us s which God hach appoynted the winds unco , both in a way of Mercy, and of Judgment: They purge the air, they ga- ther the Clouds for Rain, they fatter them, and fo make faire weather, they move the waters,which otherwife by (landing fliil would putrifie, corrupt, and growunwholfome , yea info: ious both to man and beat+, they refrefh the Earth, and caufe all forts of vegetables to floucitli , they are allo, as it were, the food and nourifnment, the meat and drink of mans life; there's no living without them. I (halfnot flay further to difcourfe or difcover the nature and the wonders, or the wonderful' nature of the wind , having done fornwhat towards it (as was laid) before at the ninth verle. Only take notice of this ufe of the wind, with refpe& ro the Clouds, mentionedexprefty in this Text , The windpalette And cleanfeth them. It was laid in that former parr of this Chapter ( where Elihe fpake of the wind)That the winds are the Broomes ofJi aven,they fweep the Heavens, they drive away the Clouds, the taaifls and foggs which dull and obfufcate the air. The expretlionhere in the Text Cores well with that Metaphor, Thewindpallet" aid clean- feth them,that is,the wind pairing through the air,cleanfethit from thole Clouds, and fo caufeth the lightof the Sun to Thine forth freely and fully to us again. The wind at one time gathers the Clouds, and the wind at another time fcatters them : The wind is a charter. So much is fuppofed in ear Negitive exprefrion (J et-, 4 II.) where the Lord threatens to fend a high windfrom the wildernefs, but not to fan nor to cleanfe. 1 (faith the Lord) willfend a highwind; but to whatpurpofe ? not for chofe profita- ble and comfortable purpofes, to fan, cool, anal cleanfe the Air, but rather to wither and Waft the fruits of the Earth, or to over- throw
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