l I 'f. METAPHORS FROM AIR. He fpeaks of that prophe!ied in the Church in an unknown Tongue, and rherefore could nm be undcrftood by the Hearers. I Cor. ix. •t6. 'l'o beat the Air fignifies when one undertakes a vain and unprofitable Work. The Metaphor is taken from Men that fight, who when they mifs their Srroke, fpend their Strength vainly againft the Wind or Air. Eph. iv. I4. '!'hat we hmceforth be no more Children, tcffed to al!d fro, and car– ried about with every Wind of Doctrine; by this Toiling to ana fro of the Wind, In– frability and Inconfl:ancy of Mind is denoted, a Metaphor taken from a Ship which is toft and driven here and there by the Violence of the Winds and Waves, as Heb. xiii, 9 . Be not carried about with diverft and jlrange Doctrines, for it is a good Thing that the Heart be eftablijhed with Grace. More becaufe vehement Wi11ds are hurtful, therefore ·Enemies which annoy and commit Devafl:ations on the Earth are called by this Appellation, efpecially the Eaft– wiild, which blafts Corn, and fuffers it notto ripen, and if ripe, fcatters and·blows it down, Pfal.lv. 8. !fa. xli. I6. Jer. iv. I 1. and li. 1. llofea xiii. I 5· Job xxvii. 1 I. 5ee alfo !fa. xxvii. 8. 'Jouas iv. 8. Jer. xviii. I7· &c. Job fays of God when he punifhed him, Job xxx. 12. 'l'hou lifteft me up to the Wind, thou caufeft me to ride upon it, and dif!olveft my Subftance, that is as a Whirlwind fcatters Chaff or Stubble; thou daft vari– ouny tofs and confllme me. To this Clafs we !hall reduce METEORS, which are imperfeCt Mixtures condcnfed in the Air. The Hebrew 1'N (/Hid,) and the Greek '"!""• (Atmis,) fignifies a Vapor or Exhalation, bllt metaphorically denotes Calamities and Ddlru<'tron, becauie fuch Things as evaporate, may be faid to perifh or be reduced to nothing: Or as others fay, becallfe Vapors caufe Dorknefs, and obfcure the Splendor and fhining of the Sun, or laltly, becaufe Vapors beget a certain fweet Dew(commonly called Mill·dew) which is very hurtful to Corn and Plants. So1'N (/Eid) a Vapor is put for Vengeance or DefiruC\ion, Deut. xxxii. 35· Job xviii. I2. xxi. 30. xxx. I2.and xxxi. 3, 23. Pfal. xviii. 18. Prov. i. 26. and vi. I5· Jer. xviii. I 7· xlvi. 11. and xlix. 8. 31. Acts ii. rq, &c. So it is pUt for a Thing that is frail and vanifhing, Jam. iv. I4. fVhat is )'Our Life? It is e·ven a Vapor, that appeareth for a little Time, thw vanijheth away? See Pfal. cxliv. 'I-· AVapor and Smoke alcending into the Air, at length vani!hes and perifhes ; hence n?v (G11olah) to afcend, fometimes fignifies the fame with Perifhing and Death, Deut, xlvi. 4· .and xlix. 4· Pfal. cii. 24. Jer. xlviii. I5, &c. CLOUDS, becaufe of their diverfe Attributes, h~ve alfo different metaphorical Nota– tions, as, I. Calamities and Ruin, becaufe Men are deprived of the Light and Splendor of the Sun and Firmament by them, and cloudy Days make Men dull and melancholy, Lam. ii. I. How hath the Lord covered the Daughter of Sion with a Cloud in his Anger? Some think that by a tacit Antithifzs, Allufion is made to the Cloud of Glory which firft ap– peared in Jerufalem at the Dedication of the Temple, 1 Kings viii. IO. to which this Cloud and Fog of prefent Calamity is plainly contrary. Hence a Day of Clouds, or a cloudy Day, is put for Times of Calamity, Ezek. xxx. 3· and xxxiv. 12. Joel ii. 2. Zeph. i. I 5· by which Metaphor the Poet faid, Tempora ji fuerillt nubila, folus eris, that is, if Times be cloudy, thou !halt be alone; becaufe feeming Friends will then forfake the Diftreffed. 1. Hecaufe of the Number and Multitude of the Clouds, for in tempeftuous Weather a great Plenty of thick Clouds appear, Heb. xii. 1. Wherefore feeing we alfo are compa.ffed about with fo great a Cloud of Witncffes, &c. that is, fo numerous a Company of Wit– neffes, which are like a thick Cloud. He fpeaks of thofe holy Men of God mention•d particularly, Chap. xi. who by their own Example are Teftimonies that we arejullified, and pleafe God by Faith. Clouds are likewife ufed in Comparifon, ]er. iv. 13· Behold he jhall come as Clouds; that is, his Army will make a vaft Appearance. The 'l'argum, fays, as a Cloud which comes up and covers the Earth. See Ezek. xxxviii. 9· In the f.1me Senfe the Chaldee interprets that Pa(fage, Ezek. xxx. I S. A Cloud jha/1 cover her, (viz. Egypt) thus it renders it-A King with his Hofrs !hall cover her, as a Cloud which comes up and covers the Earth : This m.ry be alfo referred to the firft Signification: For by Clouds and Darkncfs Calamity is denoted, whence it is faid before at 'Tehapbnebes alfo t};e Day jhall be reftrained, that is, its.Light, 3 . Becaufe
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