766 Chap. 26. An expofitionupon the Tookoh G B. Verf. 8 Sta incompafe by the lands and fhoares; but it is a greater a& of power to keep the waters of the ayre in compafíe by the clouds. There are three things very wonderfull, or there are three wonders in this detention of the waters. Firft, That thewaters which are a fluid body, and love to he contitittally flowing and Jiff;fing thernfeives, fhould yet be ftopt and flayd together by a cloud, which is a thinner and fo a more fluid body then the watr.It is no great matter to fee water kept in conduits of flone,or in veffels ofwood and brafs,bccaufe there are firme and folid bodges, filch as the water cannot penetrate, or force it fella through; but in the judgement of nature, how improbable is it that a thinne cloud fhhuld Beare fnch a height and power of waters, and yet not rent rior breake under them. When Teter had enclofed a multitude ofgreat fifties in his net, even an hundred fifty and three(74.21. r r.)we find this added as a wonder,.4ndfor all there werefo many, yet was not the net brofen.Howmuch moremay this be added as a wonder;thar luth a multitude ofwaters fhould be held in a cloud,and yet the cloud foe ell ex not broken,yea $ though the cloud be coifed & driven with fierce and raging winds. This is one ofthófe wonders in nature,which ,I/(ú nature mr- vgbilibi s, qua is there,ore onely not wondred at becaufe it is fo common;ard, ajfdurtatevitu which becaufe it is continually done, few enquire intoor admire [runt, the power by which is is done. Secondly, As it is wonder that the cloud is not rent with, the weight of the water, fo that the cloud is rent at the fpeciall order and command of God.At his word it is that the clouds are lockt up, aid by his word they are opened. As in fpiritualls, fo í11ul.tagutta dc allo in naturals, He openetb and no man fhutteth,be fhrtrteth and ne Fendit rxdale manopenetb.Ir is not in the power ofall theworld torent or open donee veniat a cloud (though the earth he parche and al; things that live Ian- verbum 6,456' guifh) till God unlocke ir. plarear.Moo. Thirdly, This alto is wonderfull, that when at the word of Geerued :. God the cloud renrs,yet the waters do not gull) out likea violent flood all at once, which wouldquicklv,drown the earth.as it dkd (Gen. 7.1 r.) When the wind.:wrsof heaven rPere cpehed ; but the water defèends in fweete moderate (bowers (as water through d Cullender, drop by drop and fart to by ftream)for the rnc-,ft- ning and refrefhingof the earth A .d God caryeth the chalet, up and downe the worll(as the keeper ofa Garden loth his water- ing
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=