Chap. zg, an Expofstíon urn the hook of J o á. Ve:C, Z3, 6a t¡ tenance telife,and bee favour is as a Cloud oftbe latter rain.So that when he faith, They opened their mouth mete, as for the latter rain, the meaning is, they did wait for my Connie! as a thing mofi dc- fireable, and profitable, as that which was Iwect and pleáfant to them,even as the latter rain. And poffibly when he faith, They opened their mouthswide, as for the latter rain, it may intimate, that they did importunately begg of hires that he would comfort and refrefh their mindes with fome wholfome and feafon.tblc counfel, even as men ufe by carne(+ prayer to begg of God that he wcuid fend the latter rain in the feafon of it. Hence obferve , Ertl, Good counfel and ;nth' :Zion are to themini ofman as rain is to the earth. t'hfofes being to fpeak his !giro Ifrael, faith (Deut. 32. f,z.) Mydorincf1sal!drop the rain ; my fpeech 'halldiflilles the dew, as the fmall rain upon the tender 'herb, and as the Mowers upon the Graffe. If a Preachers fpecch be not fuch, he is but a Cloud without tain. Good counfel or holy dodirine, may be compared to rain in two refpec`lr. Firfi, 'Tis like rain in regard of its Original good counfel comes, as the rain, from heaven,'tis water from above ; favoury doctrine is nor of an earthly extrailion, God is the fpriñg and Author of ir. All Scripture is of divine infpiration ; Holy wen fpake as they were moved by the Holy Gbofl.The Apoflle Paul gave thanks without ceafing, becaufe when the Thrffalomans received theword of God, which they heard of him, and of his fellow- labourers in the Gofpe!, They received is not as the word of man, but, a; it is in truth, the wordof God, -whicheffi£irsally worketh in them that 6eleive (i ThefT 2.13.) Though the mofi faithful Mi- niflers of the Go pel cannot now fpeak with the fame Antho;ity and infallibility as the Apoflles then did, yet they fhould fpeak nothing in the name of God, but what is the word of God , and unlefs upon examination it prove orherwife, what they fpeak fhould be received as the word of God. No man ought ro vent his private fence in the name of God, and woe be to thole who judge what is fo fpoken to be but of man, becaufe'ciiis fpoken but by a man. As God is the Father of the natural rain (he bath the key of the Clouds in his hand) fo he is the Father of the fpi- H h h h ritual
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