Book IY. AFFLI •CTIONS COMPARED To CLOUDS. 921 tian, when he finds God anfwer his Prayers, as the Promife runs, Whi!fl they Jpeak, l will anfwer, &c. !fot. lxv. 24. . Xl V. Some Men grow very rich by a Trade: So fame Chrillians grow very ricil in Faith .and Experience, by Godlinefs. See The Church the City of God. N F E R E N C E ~ I. TI-llS may inform the Saints what they undertake, when they enter upon the Work and Bulinefs of Godlinefs, they mull look t~pon it as their chief and principal Calling. I!. How are many Men deceived1 They purfue the World as their chief Bu'linefs, and mind Religion and Godlinefs, when they have ·nothing elfe to do. Ill. Be exhorted, 0 Chrillian, to follow thy Calling; doll thou want Motives ·1 t. Confider, it is an honorable and ancient Trade; Chrill Jefus himfelf was of this Profenion, Godlinefs was his chiefell Bufinefs; all the Saints and Worthies of old followed rhis Calling. 2. It is the bell Trade and Calling in the World: For the Merchandife thereof is better than the Merchandife of Silver, rmd tbe Gain thereof than fine Gold, Prov. iii. I 4; Heavenly Things are rare Things, Things of great Worth. (1.) They coil dear, viz. the Price of Chrill's moll: prec1ous Blood. (2.) They are durable Riches. (3·) 0 what precious Things are Pardon of Sin, Peace with God, Union and Communion with God ! vVhat a rare Thing is Heaven ! Is not a Crown worth trading for I 3· Confider who you trade with, and that is the great God, through Jefus Chrilt. + You have a faithfu l Correfpo?dent, one that ever lives to make lmcrceffion for you. 5· You have Goods upon eafy Terms: Ajk, and)'OU jhall receive. Come, buy Wine and Milk without Mo;zey, and without Price, !fa. lv. 1. 6. It is rhe moll profitable Trade: God/iuefs with Contentment is great Gain. It is profitable unto all Things, having the Promtje of the Life that now is, and of t/Ja/ which is to come, I 'fitn.. vi. 6. and iv. 8. AFFLICT I 0 N S cmlPARED TO cL 0 u D s. .Clouds and Darknefs are round about him, &c. Pfal. xcvii. 2. A Day of Clouds, &c. Joel ii. 2. How hatb the Lord covered the Daughter of Zion, withaCloud, in his Ang;er? Lam. ii. 1." CLOUDS are a moill Vapor, exhaled from_the Earth and Sea, by the Sun, and condenfated by the Cold in the middle Region, and carried by the 'lVinds up and down, called the Bottles of Heaven; which God, li1ith one, dorh fill with Wine and Vinegar, with Mercy or vVrath. By Clouds and Darknefs are meant Afflictions and dark Providences, under which God oftenrimes exercifes his own People. P A R A I. I. E L S. I. CLOUDS are many, Who can number the Clouds in Wifdom? Job xxxviii. 37· So the Calamities of God's People are many, innumerable Evils compafs me about, many are the Afflifrions of the Righteous. 11. Clouds are laid to be round about the Almighty, nay, thick Clouds are faid to be fl Covering to him, Job xxii. t+. and yet he d;-:elleth in the Light, which no Man can approach unto. Now when God is faid ro dwell in Darknefs, or to have Clouds and Dar.knels round about him, it !hews that God's Works and Ways are hid from us ; fo that \Ve are not able ro fee him, nor look up to behold what he doeth: God's Provi– dences are like Clouds, they obfcure or hide God's Counfel and Way of his Working from us; he is in the Clouds though we fee him not, thofe Clouds and Darknefs whicl1 are about him do not hinder his Sight of us, though they hinder our Sight of him. Ill. Clouds are of different Kinds, fame are faid to be thick and very black, whell others have a Kind of Thinnefs in them, and are, as Mr Caryl notes, as it were, tranfparent; fame are more grofs and opacous, qllite hindering and inrerceptinO' our Sight of Things beyond them: So fame of God's Difpenfations are dark, very dark, and others more bright; fame are fo dark and gloomy, fuch black and thick Clouds 11 B art:t
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