a7 (a Chap. 38. eAn Expofition upon the rook, of J o s.Verf. 3 8 withered. One months drought before harveli; threatens a fear- fity or dearth of Corn ; but two, yca,.three.months drought, mull needs ufiìer in dreadful famine. /Toms illr!3 The fecund inrerpretatiòn of thefe words feems yet more verso fernen- clear, who can flay the bottles of heaven, when the daft growth tatiaue,na`,er- into hardnefs,and the clods cleave fall together ? that is, who but bopn, good God can flop rain when there is no farther need of rain ? As if the frgnifcat Lord bad faid,wheis the bottle: of heaven,have given out fo much fermentari rain oumay fit the earth for fruit-bearing, or when the ground E. pik. bath had its fill, fo that the light dafl is turned into lumpsof .earth, sere, E. Pifc. g and that duff whichwas raifedand.toffed with e very breath of wind, iscloddedand agglutinated by water into amate Jubilance ; when, i` fay,'tis thus with the earth, who can flay or flop the bottles of heaven, from raining rnore,.ro the fpoil ofall,b"ut my felf ? So then the true ufe of rain is held-forth in this. 38. verf.,namely,that the dull of the earth beingmoillened with rain, may coalefce or he joyned dole together. This, I conceive, is the molt natural and proper fenfe of the Text. For the earth, which by drought was crumbled into dull., rain falling plentifully upon it, is knit again inro one body, like meal or flower intowhich leven is put, and fo ! umore aruue is made ready to receive, tsourifh , and b. ing forth whatever Berra pastes continrnt grain is call into thebofoe of it. ur,3' a m t+niuntur qua Rain falling upon the duff embodies ìr. The ground móuldsrs ante disjun£la. in a time of drought but when rain comes,that hardens it. The fueronr, Mere. dull ( as wecommonly fay) flyes before, but as drought cleaves Vt perfuffofi the earth, fo rain caufeth the parts to unite ;. and then the fermentanco earth, which like a heap of find' would not han together, be- terra utcon- P g a gintinentur comes folid and fit for tillage. Now when fo much rain bath gleba, Pun. fallen as prepares the earth, and ( asthe word imports) fermen- Darif, tares or levens it to receive the feed call inro it, then, who flap* d, e, aterrant tth - the bottles of heaven ? um rulenta eß, ab ; etriditateim- Hence note, Firfl, offs pluviis Bain compaas the earth. fomenter ad == slebarum corn- As moil-lure loofens compa led things, fo it compa is or knit, prgem fr together lode thins. The earth is foon made dull by droughts, ,Beniiu`aii- and it would be a very dull-heap, if it had no moil-lure to re- mentuet,fun. unite ir. The Lord threatens his people, in cafe of difobedience (Tent.
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