III 'G. 2 t g amp. 38. an Expofitton upon the Book of. J o s. Verf. 28, times impregnates it for the -produ&ion of thefe effe &s, or brings them forth by the Midwifery and help of fecondcaufes. Fourthly, When the Lord propounds the Q teflion under this Relation of a Father, he would (hew or teach us that he gives Rain, and Dew to the earth, as a father gives food and other re- quifites tohischildren. Further, This feems to be the defign ofGod in putting thefe QQ.eflions to job, that forafmuch as hecould not fully compre- hend the caufation and produ&ion of thefe things, much lets was able to caufe or produce them himfelf, but mull receive them from the power and according to the difpofe and providence of God ; therefore he fhould refer all his concernmenrs to the fame Providence, and fo tell fatisfiedwhether God fent him a fweet and refrefhing Rainand Dew, or a grievous and affii6tive feafon of Ice and Frofi. Thus we may conceive the general fcope of this Context. Now to the particulars. Rath the Rain a father ? The queflionmay be refolvedboth negatively andaffirmative- ly t Fitll, Negatively ; the Rain bath no Father, that is,on earth, oramong men. There is no creature power that can produce a drop of Rain. Secondly, affirmatively t Rath the Rain afather ? Yes, it bath ; God is the Father of the Rain. The Rain is nor fatherlefs ; there is one who will own the Rain as his child, or iffue. The caufation ofRain isa great fecret in nature, a fecret about which though wife and learned men have difcourfed much, andgivenout much light aboutit, yet they have not reached the utmofl, nor attained the full knowledge of it ; and the reafon of that is, becaufethe Rain bath a Father whofe wayes and workings as in the firll conflitutionof Nature, fo in the daily motions of ir, exceed our knowledg, Rath the 7,ainafather.? Not on earth. Nor arc. the Heavens the Father of the Rain ; the God of Heaven is. As not a (bower, no nor a dropof Rain falls on the earth at the will or by the pow- Si gutr allum er of man; fo not by thepower of the Sun drawing up the va- prætar Deum ours and diffolving the Clouds, nor by the Winds featteting the ptuviæ patrem p b y guerar, tr ertt Clouds. The Sun may (line, the Moon may change, the. Winds vapor gut ex may blow and turn longenough, yet no Rain till the Lord gives the
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