Chap. 14. canExpofition upon the Book..of J O B. Verf. tg. 6S7 Things growout of the daft of the earth,by water flowing out of the earth , or by the rain filing upon the earth from heaven, and yet the fallingof the rain, and the flowing of the water, may deflroy the things that grow out of the daft of the earth if the rain fall not on the duft of the earth nothing will grow. God threatens to make the rainof the land powder and duft (Dent: 28.24.) that is , to fend fo muchdrought , that the duft (hall rife from the earth up into the air and fall downupon the earth in Bead of rain. Now when the rain is duft , nothing will fpring out ofthe duft of the earth. The earth is barren, The earth opens its mouth , and gapes to heaven for rain (as a thinly man) to make it fruitful : yet, this water, this rain which fometirnes is a great blef ling to the earth, and caufeth it to bring forth fruit abundantly , even this deflroies the fruit of the earth : too muchofany thing in natale is hurtful: there may be a toomuch of nature,but there cannot be a too much of grace : ;tome things are fogood that we cannot have too great a quantity ofthem. The deaws and drops ofheaven upon the foul in great- eft abundance will not deflroy the things that grow inor out of our fouls but make them grow more. Our fin and the wrath of God turn our greateft worldly comforts into cur- fes : but that is alwaies a blefling to us which cures us of our fin , and the more we have of it , the more bieflings we alwaies have. SecondlyObferve, The Lord who males things togrowout ofthe earth, makes them wither. He who giveth us the fruit of the ground, takes the fruit of the ground away : mercies and judgements come from the very_ fame hand , and both from the hand of God ; TheLord faith to the fields, encreafe and multiply his word, yea, his fleps drop fatneffe. Where God walketh in mercy every ffep he fets is a drop of fatneffe, and where he walks in anger, every flephe Pets is a dropof leanneffe ; he that makes the fields flourifli, makes themdroop , hewafeth away the things that grow out of the daft ofthe earth. Thou def$roieJt the hope ofman. As if he had laid , Thonwho caufejf mountains tofall,and rocks ee confinne, thou who can eft ffones to wear , andwafheff away the PPpP things
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