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A35537 An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of the book of Job being the substance of thirty-five lectures / by Joseph Caryl ... Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673. 1664 (1664) Wing C776; ESTC R15201 593,041 687

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a right rule Moses Deut. 32.15 calls the people of God collectively as one man Jeshuru● that is a people that are or should be right and upright with God Thus here he directeth it that is God doth as it were by a strait line level or take his aim when he dischargeth the Thunder in the Cloud As he that dischargeth his gun small or great or shoots an arrow levels and directs it at a mark so the Lord directeth it What is this it 'T is plain by what followeth in the latter part of the verse where the Lightning is expresly mentioned that he meanes the Thunder or the Thunder-bolt for the Clouds are in that case charged with bolts we have had many dreadful instances as well in ancient Histories as in our own time of Thunder-bolts like Bullets shot from the Clouds As if Elihu had said whither-soever the Thunder-bolt goeth to what quarter of the world soever 't is designed it receives commission and direction from God what to do and where to fall whom it shall smite or what mark it shall hit He directeth it under the whole heaven And his Lightning to the ends of the earth Naturalists define or describe Ligh●ning thus Fulgui seu coruscatio est flammae mic●tio ab exhalationi●us accensi● è nubibus erumpentibus exorta Arist 2. Meteor cap 9. 'T is a bright shining caused by exhalations fired in and violently breaking out of the Clouds The Hebrew is his light The Sun is the fountain of Light and that is eminently Gods Light but the Light here spoken of is not the ordinary Light shining in the Air by the rising of the Sun this Light is Ligh●ning which is a sudden flas●ing or breaking forth of light from the Clouds as when a gun is fired or discharged a light flasheth from it such is that which Authors of all sorts call Lightning and here the Scripture calls his Lightning At the 3d Verse the Thunder was called his Voice the Voice of God and in this the Lightning is called his Lightning Elihu appropriates it unto God himself his Lightning This Lightning hath more than light in it it hath heat and fire in it though we do not alwayes feel it yet many have the effects of heat and fire appearing sadly upon them And this is such a fire as water cannot quench and therefo●e we often read in Scripture Ignis sua natura in verticem surgit si nihil illi prohibet assendet fulmen autem cadit eadem necessitate qua excutitur nihil itaque dubii relinquitur qui● divina illi virtus insit Seneca of Lightning joyned with the Rain Psal 135.7 Jer. 10.13 Jer. 51.16 which may be remark't as one of the wonders of it There is a second that the Lightning is said to fall from heaven When the disciples brought a report back to Christ what g●eat things they had done what conquests they had got over evil spirits Christ answered Luke 10.18 I saw Satan like Lightning fall from heaven Lightning falls from he●ven for though Lightning of its own nature being fiery should ascend yet it descends through the power of God Naturalists observe it as a wonder that the Lightning should descend Seneca demonstrates it could not be unless there were a divine power in it that the Lightning should come down from heaven and as Elihu said before he directeth it or the Thunder under the whole heaven so we are here to take up that word again and say He directeth his Lightning To the ends of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A●a proprie avium est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Here is the act and the extention of the act to the ends of the earth the Heb●ew is the wings of the earth so the word is used Gen. 1.21 God created great whales c. and every winged fowl The ends of the earth are called the wings of the earth because they are the farthest out-stretchings of the earth as a bird when she flies stretcheth out her wings to the utmost They are also called The corners of the earth Ezek. 7.2 Thou son of man thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel an end the end is come upon the four corners of the land the Hebrew is upon the four wings or ends of the earth as if he had said an end is come upon the East and West North and South These four wings or extreams of the earth are the same which Christ called the four winds Mat. 24.31 where speaking of the Resurrection at the last Judgment he shews how all that are raised shall be brought to one place or general Session and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other that is from the four ends corners skirts or wings of the earth The utmost extreamity of a garment or of a land according to the Hebrew is called the wing of it Now forasmuch as Elihu represents God thus directing both the Thunder and Lightning Observe first All the motions of the Creature even the most violent and to appearance contingent motions of the Creature are under the direction yea under the dominion of God Thunder and Lightning go the way which God appointeth and chalketh out to them they move not of themselves they move not whither men or devils would have them but whither God would have them The Devils I grant have great power in the Air yet 't is limited by and wholly subordinate to the will and power of God As the reasonable creatures and their motions that is the motions of Men and Angels are under the direction of God as Jeremiah speaks Chap. 10.23 It is not in him that goeth to direct his own steps The Hebrew useth a word there which may be rendred to prepare to establish or to confirm neither of which are in him that goeth we render it according to the present text it is not in him that goeth to direct his own steps who directs them then It is God that directs the steps of man It is not in the power of man to direct his own steps he is not able to do it and besides that he hath not the liberty or priviledge to do it he may not do it he ought not to do it 't is the duty as well as the safety of man to leave the direc●ion of his wayes and steps to God 'T is God that directs the steps of man yea the indirect steps of man are under the mighty power of God the very wandrings of men are under the guidance of God the motions yea commotions the actions and the most disturbed actions of man are under a most certain disposure and disposition of God When men do they know not what God knows and orders what they do Now I say as God directs reasonable creatures men or angels so unreasonable creatures in their motions the
thing that moves upon it and grows out of it to rejoyce Fifthly sometimes drowns the earth and destroys the Inhabitants of it As I say the natural rain doth all these things so also doth the spiritual rain the word of God That First mollifieth Secondly cleanseth Thirdly fructifieth Fourthly comforteth the hearts of all those that receive it and Fifthly The rain of the word drowns and destroys all those that rise up against it or will not receive it JOB Chap. 36. Vers 29 30 31. 29. Also can any understand the spreadings of the Clouds or the noise of his Tabernacle 30. Behold he spreadeth his light upon it and covereth the bottom of the sea 31. For by them he judgeth the people he giveth meat in abundance ELihu having spoken of the wonderfull work of God in forming and sending rain in the two former verses speaks next of the Clouds which are as vessels containing the rain and in which the rain is carried and conveighed up and down the world for the use of man or for those services to which God hath appoynted it He begins with a denying Question Vers 29. Also can any understand the spreading of the Clouds As if he had said To what I said before I adde this Here is another secret in nature Can any understand the spreading of the Clouds He doth not say can vulgar ignorant and unlearned persons understand but can any Can the wisest can the most learned Can the best studied Philosophers understand the spreading of the Clouds Can they understand That is they cannot understand But have not men especially learned men understanding enough to ascend the clouds and discover the nature of them Surely their understandings are very mean or very much clouded who understand not what the spreading of the clouds meaneth I answer though Elihu's question hath a negation in it yet not a total negation 〈◊〉 doth not exclude the understanding of men wholly out of 〈◊〉 cl●uds he only denieth man a full understanding of all thin● 〈…〉 ●ch concern either the nature or motion of the clouds Wh● 〈◊〉 understand much about the spreading of the clouds but they cannot understand all The best of godly men unde●stand not much or see but a little way into spiritual things And the wisest of worldly men do not cannot see all in natural things Can any understand The spreading of the Clouds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expansiones vel differentias nubium cum aliae steriles sint aliae pluviam aliae grandinem mit●ant Sed reclius expansiones vertitur Merc Here are First the Clouds Secondly the spreading of them The word which we translate spreading hath a two-fold signification First with the alteration only of a poynt upon one letter it signifieth The difference of things in any kinde And then the Text is read Can any understand the difference of the Clouds that is the variety that is among the clouds The clouds are not all of a likeness nor all of a bigness there are clouds of many sorts and sizes there are clouds which breed snow and clouds which breed haile clouds which breed raine and clouds which breed thunder and lightning Some clouds are empty called clouds without raine or water Pro. 25.14 Jude v. 12. and other clouds are full of water There is a difference also of clouds as to our sight and view some are black some white some red some are greenish others palish clouds from which various colours and appearances Prognosticks are made of the change of weather as Christ told the Pharisees Mat. 16.2 3. Naturalists observe very many differences in the clouds nor is it without wonder that the clouds which are made all of one matter vapours drawn from below should produce such and so many different effects that according to this reading we have reason to put the question Who can understand the differences of the Clouds We read it and that well and full to the Hebrew Text Who can ●nderstand the spreading of the Clouds or their expansion The most cunning and knowing men in the mysteries of nature ca●not either tell how far the clouds will spread or to what poynt and part of the world they will convey their water and as I may say unburden themselves Thus the words refer back to the two former verses The Clouds are spread as a Curtain or as a piece of Tapestry or as a mighty Canopy Who can understand the spreading of them The spreading of them First as they carry raine or Secondly the spreading of them as some expound the place as they convey the Lightening which the Scripture saith Math. 24.27 Passeth from one end of heaven to the other from the East to the West who knoweth how far the Lightning will spread in the Clouds Thus some connect it with the following verse Who can understand the spreading Of the Clouds There is a special derivation of the word rendred Clouds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nubes a densitate est crassamentum a●●is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stillare vel a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cadere from the Hebrew Greek and Latine all pretending to the nature of the Clouds The Hebrew word properly noteth the thickness or grossness of the Clouds the Greek word noteth the dropping nature of the Clouds being derived from a roote which signifie●h to drop or which is near the fame to descend the roote word signifying to fall the Latine word is taken from covering because the Clouds mask or cover the face of Heaven and often hide and screine the shining of the Sun from us Now because Elihu is upon a work of nature and insists upon it all along in the next Chapter I shall therefore to clear the matter propose and answer three Questions concerning the Clouds First What is a Cloud or what is the nature of the Clouds A cloud is a moist vapour drawn up from the earth or water by the heat of the Sun into the middle region of the Aire as Naturalists divide the Aire where being by the coldness of the place congealed and as it were knit together it hangeth and continueth there till it be broken up at the dispose of God and sent down for the comfort or correction of man in raine snow haile c. The clouds of heaven derive their pedigree from the moisture found on earth and to the earth they return their moisture Secondly Seeing the Clouds are such mighty bodies and contain as I may say whole seas of water in them and water being a heavy body naturally descends or tends downward as all heavy things do it may be questioned and indeed it is a wonder how those Clouds are k●pt aloft in the Aire how comes it to pass that such heavy bodies such floods of water do not presently fall violently and at once shed themselves down upon and overwhelme the earth To that I answer First Some say the Clouds are kept up by that natural inbred heat