Chap.12. An Expofitàòn upon theBookof JOB. Verf. a 5. _ hcarvefl, that is in the time when the corn and the grafs had mofa needofrain, I withheldit, and I caufed it ( faith he ) to rain "p- m one City , and caufed it not to rain span another City : read Jer.5.24. Jer.io.a3. Joel 2.23: Matth,5.4 5.Al.t4 17. There is a piece of fecret Atheifm in tome about this point ; The heart may be fweetly moiflned by the acknowledgements ofGod in the rain : But moil flick to much in natural caules , and fcarfe look beyond the Almanack for the changes of the weather. We Mall have rain (fay they) at the change of the Moon , or when the wind turns. ' Tis true, that there is a natural reafon, why at the change of the Moon , why at the change of the wind , there may be achange of theweather,yet God bath a power above the wind, and above the Moon ; and therefore fometimes he lets the Moon change and change, yet no rain; and thewind blows from all the points ofHeaven , and yet no rain : That we mighr not flick in f cond_caufes, God often ads beyond them, yea againft them : And that we fhould not defpife fecond caufes, and the or- der in which God bath difpofed the frameof nature , he often works with them, and by them. When natural caufes produce their of lets, God (hews his bounty ; and when natural caufes cannot produce their effects, God "(hews his fovereignty , and teacheth man his duty, Hence the want of rain in an ordinary courfe,`is put as an extraordinary occafion ofprayer , and feek-. ing God (t King 8.555.Zech.1o.s.) eflsk., ye ofthe Lord rain,in the time of the latter rain. When rain comes not in . the feafon of nature, we mayView much ofgrace in asking rain. Secondly, Obferve, That natural caufes being flopped, natural effects muff ceafe. There èan be no natural effect without a natural caufe ; All fuch effeds are miraculous withhold the rain, and. all dryes up ; there is a natural dependance between the fruitfulnefs of the\ earth and the rain. Davidin his 'aft words, (hewing how blef- fed, and how great a blefling a juft anda godly King is: Ilepall be(faith he)as the light of themorning when thefun arifith, even a morning without Clouds , ao the tender grafs fpringingont of the earth byclear fhining after rain (2 Sam.23.4.) Herehe puts in all the natural caufes. He (hall be as the tendergrafs fpringingoút 'ofthe earth : But what caufeth the grafs to ipringour of the earth ? There is firfl, the rain, to moyflen ; and fecondly the. clearjianing to warfn and draw out the feminal vertùe ofthe earth,
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