602 i:att. 29. An Expoftion upon ;fie Book of JOB. VCr(.2 . ritual rain. Divine Muth is nothing elfe but the discovery of the heart and mind of God; All that w1Çfdome which is firf+ pure and then peaceable, comes from above, andcalls for our conformity to the mind of God. Secondly, Froty couafel is as the rain, if we confider the d- ices of it. For firfi, as-the rain rotten; the earth; fo doth that the heart; The earth is like iron, till the Lord watereth the ridges of it, and makes it loft with fhowers (Pfal,6ç.1o. )Such is the heart of man, hard as Iroc, even harder then the nether milfione, till the Lord . by his word and fpirit is pleafed tomoyfien and co mollifie it. Secondly, As-the rain foftens the earth, fo it refrefheth and- reneeveth the face of it ; the trees,and all piants,the flowers, the corn, the graffe, even ail vegecatives,or whatfoevergrowethor moveth upon the face of the earth,. are renewed by the rain... Thusthe word and holy counfels'of God, make a new face of thipgs in the foul. That whichwas dead gets life, that which was weakgets frength, that which was withering looks frefh and green. Yea, this rain doth not only renew the face or .sings of the foul, but (as a means in the band of God) it renewal' the hearr,or makes the heart new, fo that as they who are decay- ed in fpiritualls are betteredand made more fpiritual,fo rhey who were altogether carnal are made fpiritual by this rain. Thirdly, The rain doth not only refrefh the earth, but makes it fruitful. That earth is curfed,upon which it rainethnot(2 Sant,' a . 21.) much more than which is not fruitful, though it be rained upor.Under this funilitude the Apofile earnefily and rightly pro- vokes the Hebrews, co ftn''t'ulnefs under the teachings of the Golpe! (Heb. 6.7, 8.) For theearth which, drinketb in the rain that comethoft upon it, and bringeth forth herbsmeet for them by whom it is dreffed,reeeiveth bleffingfrom God.But that which bear- eth tbor' s andbryars,is rejetted, and id nigh untocurfng,whofe end is to tie burned. But (as he fweetly infinuares in the next words) =. Beloved, we are per(waded better things of you;that is, you(' hope) having had fomuch of the heavenly.rain fhowred downupon you, . will not only not be barren,nor bring forth bryars, but abundance of good frurr. This the Apoffle affi-ms of the ('olofians, to thei. comfort and high commendation (Col. t. 6.) The word of thetvuth ofthe Gofpet is come untoyou, alitis in all the world, and bringeth
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=