764 Chap. 26. AnExpofition upon theBook of JO I3, Verf. 8. gave long before Arifotle (Gen. i. 7.)214dGod ,made t : e fena. meat and is divided the waters mhich were under the firmament, from the waters which were above the firmament. Where by the firmatrre t we are ro underftanj that vaft facewhich is extended or lb-etched out from the earth up to the clouds,commord)y cal- le.d,The.ajre,and by the waters above the ñrmament,cbofe rain- waters bound up in the chudc,Thefe upper waters are the waters of which our divine Philosopher here faith,thac 9 d bindeth thin up. In his thickelaùds. Though clouds are much thinner then the water which they hold,as Nsturalifts teach us,yec they are thick- er then the common ayre, or they may be called rhickned ayre, and therefore the Hebrew word for a cloud is derived from a roote that figr;ifieth Thicknef,. And though we havea d;ftinc_ tion ofclouds into thick and thin comparing one with another, yet all clouds compared to the ayre are thick, and compared to the waters all are throne; Betide, the Hebrew word tìgnifies clouds indifferently ,:s well thinne as thîcke, or rather clouds 'Generally without any determination or reftriétion either to. thick or thinneAnd therefore the text is btft [rat:flared without an Ep thete, In his clouds, or if any Eprthete were given, It would advance robs fcope and purpote molt totranflare it, In his thinne clouds ; for, the thinner the cloud is, the g(eater is the power ofGod, and the wonder the more wonderful in making them the Continent of fuch mighty waters. But, we tranflate we), He bindeth up the waters in hlo thickcl.udi. It may here be enq°iired, why the clouds are appropriated un. to God in luch a fpecial manner, by calling them, His clouds. I anfwer; the clouds are His, not onely F:rft, In that common fence (in which allthings in the world are his) becaufe he maketh and difpofeth of them for that ore,. toholdthe waters which the heat ofthe Sun exhaleth or draw- eth up invapours from the earth; But they are, called his clouds. Secondly, Becaufe God is laid to ufe them as Princes do Hon. fes ofStateor Charm oftriumph to ride upon_ (Ifa..19, I.) Be- hold the Lord rideth alms afwift cicud,as alfo becaufe,the Lord,to thew the unfearchablenes and incompreheruiblenes ofhis wages and counfells in governing this world,and in ordering the affairs safhischdfen people,is often exprefed in Scriptureas dwelling in a a77V tlenf cnc.
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