Ver. 2 2. the 8th Chapter to the R Q MAN S. 9 tech as preffìng forward to be at his appointed place; to give man light to go about his labour; how many thoufands of Miles bath it travelled to come to us again, lince we went to bed? fo Job 3.7. t T. By watering, he wearieth the thin¿ dorm, and fcattereth the bright clondsi it is turnedabout by his counfels. He fpraket h of the clouds, as things that could be wearied, being hhrried hither and thither, to ferve the earth ih divers places, and fpendeth its felf in that fervice : The earth is digged, and rent, and torn with the Plough, feldom fufered to enjoy its Sabbaths, that' it may bring forth fruit to than i The Rivers flow, and the Sea hath its Ebbsand Tydes 5 all things in the lower world are full of labour,and fo the creature is wearied and worn dut to ferve even retbel cman, to whom God continueth this favour. 2. That which anfwereth to pain, is their pairing away by corruption i the four Elementrbeing contrary one to another, are fhll wafting one another, till all fail, heat againft cold,and moi(ture againft drynefs 5 all things being compounded of thefe four Elements , do in the' end return to them again by diffolution and corruption : And be, fides, by Gods Judgment the creature is often bla(hed in its greateft glory and beauty Look as in a fruitful reafon ; the Valleys are raid to laugh with fatnefs, Afa. 65. 12, 138 And the flourithiug of the fpring is as it were natures fmde : 'Tis a pleafant fight to be- hold when the earth is bleffed of God with increafe aftd variety of fruits; the creattìres do ( as it were ) rejoice inGods bounty, and invite us to rejoice with them; fo on the other fide, when t'tefe thing, are taken away, it doth as it were mourn, and look forrow- ful like, under the judgment; as they laugh in their kind, fo they mourn and groan in their kind, as Jer. 12. 4. How long 'hall the land mourn, and the herbs of the field miiher, for the wickednefs of them that dwell therein f lía. 24. 4. The earth moor» etb and fadeth away, the world languifbeth, and fadeth away,Jer. 33. 9. The earth moorne th and languifheth, Lebanon is afhamed, Jer. 21. lo. Becaufe of (wearing, the land mourneth, Joel i. to. The fold is walled, the laud mourneth, for the corn is wailed, the new wine is dryed up, the oyl languifheth : In all thefe placee, and many more, the earth is faid"to mourn, when it lyetlí. waft, (trips and defpoiled of its wonted verdure and bravely in Grafs,Corn,Plants, Fruits, wherewith it was once clad and adorned : Now this maycome to pafs;partly,by external drought, as when the grafi was burnt up,that there Was nd fodder for the beaft, i Kings r8. 5. Partly, byttorm and tempeft, which makethfpoil and havock of it, Prov. 28. 3 A [weeping rain leaveth no food. Partly, by Vermine, Joel E. 4. That which the palmer worm bath left, the loçufl bath eaten 5 that which the loco f? hath left, the cankerworm bath eaten; that which the cankerworm bath left, the caterpillar bath eaten. Sometimes by the irruption and invalion of an enemy, Ifa. 1.7. Taurcountrey is defalate,your cities are burnt with fire; your land firangers devour it in your prefenee, and it is deflate, as overthrown by firangert. Sbmetimes by murrains and peftilentialdifeaf s, which'hinder all cultivation and tillage, Amos 4. 10. 1 have fent among you the peftilence, after the manner of Egypt, your young men. have IClain with the (word, and have taken away your barfo,'I have made the flink of your camp to come up into your noflrils. God hath variety of ways to punifh man in blafting the creature, and on all the occa6ons the land appeareth as in a mourning Weed, and the barren parched ground and withered fruits of the earth are as it were the groaning of the creature under mans fin. Thefe things premifed, we may fee in What feule the treat= cure is Paid to groan t. In a May of Suppcfitian, if they had any Life, Senfe, or Keaton, they would groan, or be thus affected; being wearied with labour,liable to Deftrudion,and perverted front their natural ufe , often blafted by Gods Judgment 5 if God Ihould open the Mouth of the creature,as he did that of Baalami Afs, it Would rebuke our madnefs, groan un- der their hard fervitude,2 Pet. 2. 16. Balaam was rebuked for his iniquity. The dumb Ali fpeaking with mans voice,rebuked the madnefs of the Prophet; fo if the creature could fpeak with mans voice, and had mans affe &ions; they would loudly groan in the earl of the Lord of Holt, and blame us for our difobedience and unthankfulnefs fo God. 2. By analogy; there is forme proportion and fuitablenefs between tdui affelions, and the inclinations of the creature. There is fotpething in them, whièh is as it were fenfe and reafon, that is a (hadow and refemblance of it. The Graf growetlí as if it grew by art, and knew how to grow; and the Corn fprouteth forth as regulary as if it were under direction ; every creature adeth by a rule,from which it fwerveth not, a (tone in defcending,falleth by a (traight line, as if it had reafon to pick it out;all the art ofmalt cannot draw a (iraighter line, than that by whicia (tone falleth down, when it is thrown' up into the air: Every creature bath an obediential in(tinht to glorifie God,as ;f it obey. 9 D cd
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