is under the hand of God when God hath him fast in his fetters his wrath doth boyl his fury comes up in his face as it is said Ezek. 38.18 concerning the wrath of God towards his enemies this fully answers that assertion of Eliphaz Job 5.2 Wrath killeth the foolish man What wrath his own wrath he kills himself with vexing and fretting The hypocrite in heart is a wrathfull man when things go not right with him Some have so expounded that Eph. 2.3 Ye were by nature children of wrath even at others Children of wrath that is wrathfull children we are full of wrath full of anger by nature Though I do not take that to be the sense of the Apostle but that by children of wrath he means all men as borne under the wrath of God nor do I conceive this the proper meaning here though not unusefull They heap up wrath that is they grow angry vexed and troubled But Secondly Rather the wrath heaped up is the wrath of God which is the most dreadfull thing in the world and so these words may be expounded by those of the Apostle to an impenitent sinner Rom. 2.4 5. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God To heap up wrath and to treasure up wrath are the same The abusers of the patience and long-suffering of God are treasuring up wrath against themselves from day to day and so do the hypocrites in heart They heap up wrath Hence Note First The wicked or hypocrites in heart grow more wicked while the hand of God his afflicting hand is upon them The more they are under the rod the more they rebell I ground it upon this If they did not heap up sin they should not heap up wrath were they not more vile wicked under their affliction there would not be more anger against them It was said of those that would have brought in the captives which was a very oppressing purpose 2 Chro. 28.13 ye shall not for Whereas we have effended against the Lord already ye intend to add more to our sins to our trespasse Then presently followeth For our trespasse is great and there is fierce wrath against Israel As if it had been said If ye do this thing ye will increase the wrath of God which is very fierce already and blow it up into a consuming flame While men grow more and more wicked and vile God groweth as to the manifestations of wrath more wrathfull When we hear of the increase of wrath we may be sure there hath been a proportionable increase of sin It is said of Ahaz who was a hypocrite in heart a very prophane person 2 Chron. 28.22 that in the time of his distresse he trespassed yet more against the Lord and trespassing more against the Lord he heaped up more of the Lords wrath against himself For 't is added v. 23. He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which smote him he got nothing but blows for his paines or impious piety in serving them And he said because the gods of the Kings of Syria help them therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me But what got he by this encrease of his sin Surely nothing but an encrease of wrath for it followeth in the same verse They were the ruine of him and of all Israel God makes new rods when men make new sins and he multiplyeth swords while men multiply transgressions The more men draw iniquity with cords of vanity the more they draw misery upon themselves and are held the faster in the cords of affliction Secondly When 't is said The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath We know hypocrites are cunning gamesters they hope to sin so closely and artificially that no hurt shall ever come to them by it yet The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath Hence Note The wiles and policies of hypocrites will availe them nothing They shall not avoyd wrath do what they can the Lord will find them out The Apostle saith Gal. 6.7 God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Let hypocrites in heart sow as cunningly as they can though they seem to sow only good seed yet they shall reap bad fruit because they sowed with a bad heart Hypocrites may deceive men and heap up their favours to themselves but they cannot deceive God who knows their hearts and will therefore consume them in his wrath which they have heaped up to themselves Thirdly Elihu puts it upon hypocrites in heart to be at this work of heaping up wrath All impenitent sinners do it but he puts it upon them especially All sinners open professed sinners that sin and hide it not that throw up even the very name and profession of Religion these all heap up wrath yet they heap up most and are here spoken of as the only helpers up of wrath who are hypocrites in heart Hence Note God is extreamly angry with hypocrites or the wrath of God doth burn extreamly hot against hypocrites He heats the Furnace of his wrath seven times hotter for hypocrites in heart than for ordinary sinners The Lord Isa 10.5 speaking of the Assyrian saith The staff in their hand is mine indignation I will send him against an hypocriticall Nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoyle and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire in the streets The Lord put a staff in the hand of that great King of Assyria and he called it his indignation it was the Lords indignation which was a staff in the Assyrians hand But against whom will he send it That text answers against an hypocriticall Nation Who are they the people of his wrath God hath wrath for all sinners but the generation of hypocrites are the people of his wrath beyond all other people None abuse God like hypocrites For first hypocrites carry it towards God as if he were like the Idols of the Heathen that have eyes and see not ears and hear not hands and handle not feet and cannot walk That is they carry it towards God as if he were but an Idol satisfied with meer outward shews and services An Idol sinds no fault nor troubles any for their hypocrisie and false-heartedness All that is required in the Idols service is but outside and bodily exercise Thus the hypocrites deal with God as if he also would be satisfied and taken up with a little outside service or as if sacrifice would please him when his word is disobeyed 1 Sam. 15.23 Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings
looks to him that is poor in spirit or of a contrite spirit let such be in Rags and lye upon the Dunghil the Lord will look to them and he hath a threefold look for them First A look of honour as respecting their Persons Secondly A look of care to supply their wants Thirdly A look of justice to deliver them from wrong And if they that are poor in spirit be rich also in the world they shall not fail to receive right from the hand of the Lord. The Lord giveth right to all sorts of men against their wicked oppressors but his poor the Godly poor believing poor those that are poor not only in purse but in spirit are more peculiarly under this priviledge of being righted by the Lord. And usually in Scripture the word poor is taken in a good sence Nomen pauperis in bonum sumitur pauperes sunt populus Dei for good men as the word rich in an ill sence for evil men Jam. 5.1 Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you The Apostle speaks as if that were the case of all rich or as if he called all rich men to weeping and howling c. Yet some poor men are wicked and some rich men are righteous and therefore I conceive the word poor may be taken here for any wronged or oppressed poor yet especially for the Godly poor For though God giveth right to all men even the worst of men yet here the scope of Elihu is to shew that God takes most care of those whom the wicked do most not only neglect but injure and oppresse He giveth right to the poor Hence Note The poor especially the Godly poor are often wronged and go by the worst in the world Or thus The poor as poor usually suffer from and by the world As the world is apt to oppresse any poor so mostly the Godly poor Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poor I will arise 'T is possible a rich man may be oppressed a mighty man may be oppressed by one mightier than he but usually the poor are oppressed and they trampled on who are already underfoot And therefore the Lord saith For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise and set him at safety from him that puffeth at him This is not exclusive the Lord will arise for the help of the rich and great when any such are wronged but he is said to arise for the help of the poor as intimating that the poor seldome come by their right or find help in the world unlesse God arise to help them or help them to it and because he hath said he will help them to their right we may be sure he will Davids Faith was strong upon this promise Psal 18.27 Thou wilt save the afflicted people Psal 72.4 He shall judge the poor of the People Pâ—al 140.12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted And his Experience was as clear as his Faith was strong Psal 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken that is I have often yea alwayes seen him helped one way or other and sometimes set on high from affliction Psal 107.41 The Lord careth so for the poor as if he cared for none else and the best of the poor are little cared for by any but the Lord. Zeph. 3.12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. The rich of this world trust to creature helps but as the Lords poor know they ought not to trust in creature help so they have it not to trust to and therefore they trust in the Name of the Lord not only out of choice which is their grace and duty but out of necessity And what will the Lord do for them that trust in him not only out of necessity but choice he will surely take care of them and do them right Secondly Note God rights the poor freely He giveth them right he doth not sell it What freer than gift They need not bribe for it As he freely giveth them the Righteousnesse of his Son to justifie them so they have common right of free gift to relieve them Note Thirdly The Lord relieves or rights the poor speedily He giveth implyeth a present act and that doubles the mercy Note Fourthly God will always right the wronged poor He giveth imports even a continued act as he did it in former times in the dayes of old so he doth it at this day and will do it always As the Lord giveth right speedily so constantly with him is no variablenesse or shadow of turning Most men do right only by fits but the Lord is ever giving right Lastly He giveth right to the poor not to this or that poor man but to the poor Hence Note The Lord distributes right to all that are wronged As his Mercy so his Justice is not confined to a few but floweth out to all But it may be objected Why then are so many poor without their right If the Lord giveth right and giveth it continually and impartially why do the poor cry and sigh and groan and mourn why see we so many tears of the poor If they have right why do they complain I answer First The Lord giveth right to the poor sometimes when the poor perceive it not Psal 97.2 Clouds and darknesse are round about him Righteousnesse and Judgement are the habitation of his Throne When a man cannot see the Lord doing right yet the Lord doth right The Sun shineth when eclipsed or covered with a Cloud The Lord never ceaseth to right the poor though neither poor nor rich perceive how or which way he doth it Secondly I answer He giveth right to the poor even when they want right or when they are under the sorest oppressions by supporting their hearts in this perswasion that he will give them right The poor have right when their minds are satisfied that they shall have right There is no true Godly poor man in the world how much soever afflicted but his heart is or may be satisfied that he shall have right That 's a sure word Psal 9.18 The needy shall not always be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever And therefore we may pray with confidence Forget not O Lord the Congregation of thy poor for ever Psal 74.19 The poor may rest in this assurance while their troubles rest upon them that God will bring forth their Righteousnesse as the Light and their Judgement as the Noon day Psal 37.6 He hath right who believes he shall have it as he that believeth hath everlasting life in hope long before he attains the possession of it John 3.36 Thirdly Though we say The Lord giveth right to the poor both speedily and constantly yet he reserveth to himself a liberty as to
Jeremy did not desire the evil day to come on others yet when the evil day was come upon himself we find him venting strange and strong desires of that kind Chap. 9.2 O that my head were a fountain and mine eyes rivers of tears that I might weep night and day for the slain of the daughter of my People He had visions of slaughter and he did even beg a head melted into water for abundant mourning over that day But what were his other what were his further wishes with respect to himself at that time we have them in the next verse O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of a wayfaring man that I might leave my people and go from them for they be all adulterers a company of treacherous men What uncomfortable desires had Jeremiah as to that day of distress O how did he covet to have a retiring place any hole in the wilderness like a wayfaring man that he might leave his people and see them no more because they were so wicked and their wickedness he foresaw would bring down such dreadful evils upon them And as he wisht this sad retirement upon the foresight of evils to come so we find him in another place Chap. 20.14 15 16 c. wishing that he had never been born to see such presnet evils We have the like plain wish of David in the day of his trouble Psal 55.2 Attend unto me O God and hear me I mourn in my complaint and make a noise because of the voice of the enemy because of the â—ppression of the wicked for they cast iniquity upon me and in wrath they hate me they charged him with evils that he had not done my heart is sore pained within me the terrors of death are fallen upon me fearfulness and trouble are come upon me and horror hath overwhelmed or covered me David was at that time in a very sad day you see and what was his wish that day we have it at the 6th verse And I said O that I had wings like a dove for then would I flee away and be at rest lo then would I wander far off and remain in the wilderness Holy David could not keep his heart in those distresses from extravagant wishes David had the integrity of a dove as he often pleaded before the Lord and being distrest he wished also for the wings of a dove that he might flee away and get out of the reach of all those impendent calamities How usual is it for good men in bad dayes to breath out such wishes one wishes that he had never been born rather than to see such a day another wishes he may die presently rather than live in such a day When the Apostle John had given the prophesie of dreadful judgments to come upon the wicked world or the world of wicked men he presently tells us what their wishes or desires will be Rev. 9.6 And in those dayes shall men seek death and shall not find it and shall desire to die and death shall flee from them Most men flee death that 's a misery but death sleeth from some men and that 's a greater misery They are in the worst of conditions who would have death when death will not be had Their lives are worse than death who only wish to die What non-sense wishes and desires had they also in the day of the Lords anger mentioned in the same book Chap. 6.16 Who said to the mountaines and to the rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. It is possible for good men sometimes to have strange wishes but O how lamentable are the wishes of wicked men and unbelievers who have no part nor interest in Jesus Christ in those times when Conscience is wounded and awakened or when a day of the Lords wrath or judgment from the Lord appeareth When Christ the Lamb shall sit upon the throne and call them to give an account O then they will wish for rocks and mountaines to fall upon them that they might not appear how glad will they then be to be hidden with an everlasting night They cannot but desire the night who have sinned against light Holy Job could not forbear to desire the night of death in the day of his distress what desires then must the wicked have who have no hope beyond this life Again as to the vanity of that design of some in desiring the night for shelter Note There is nothing can cover us from the eye or secure us from the hand of God What is darkness to God who is light and in whom there is no darkness at all 1 John 1.5 Desire not the night As gold and silver cannot ransom sinners as great forces all the Armies on earth forces of strength cannot help sinners so the night cannot hide them they that are in the grossest darkness are never the more out of Gods sight The darkness is not darkness to him the darkness and the light to him are both alike Psal 139.11 12. and therefore he said before vers 7. Whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend up to heaven thou art there c. Wheresoever we are God is who is every where nothing can keep us off from or keep us out of the eye of God Lastly as the night is taken for death Desire not the night Hence note It is a vain wish to desire death for our rescue or escape from the evils of this life Death is it self an evil the worst of natural evils How can that help us out of our evils of trouble which is it self the most troublesom evil The Lord promiseth some of his people that they should die before the evil day Josiah and Hezekiah had such promiâ—es 'T is a favour to die as they did in the assurance of eternal life before we feel the evils of this life But death considered in it self is no relief against evil and as it is the worst of natural evils in it self so it carrieth those who are unprepared and unprovided for it to worser evils than any they can meet with in this life Some desire death to escape the evils of this life when as soon as they die they go to the evils of another life which are the second death such a death as hath no second and descend not only to the grave but to hell And what hath any one got by leaving the troubles of this life to fall into the dolors of that second secondless death They only dream of security by death who are unprepared go die Death is good for none but those who are fitted for and have by faith laid hold upon eternal life JOB Chap. 36. Vers 21. Verse 21. Take heed regard not iniquity for this thou hast chosen rather than affliction IN this verse Elihu gives Job another serious admonition or re-enforceth the former warning
the knowledge of God or we hope this will excuse us if we do not know him seeing we cannot Take heed of such reasonings for though God cannot be known to the utmost of what himself is yet God may be known so far as is needfull for us and that is very far We may know God so far as concerns our duty to him and our happiness by him we may know God so far as to honour him and to enjoy him and we must labour to know him perfectly though we cannot The Apostle speaking of the love of God Eph. 3.17 would have us labour to comprehend with all Saints the heighth the bredth the depth the length and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge That the love of Christ passeth knowledge that it exceeds our understanding should not discourage us from labouring to know it nor will it excuse any that sit down idly and do not study the knowledge of God though he passeth knowledge we must labour to know the greatness of Gods love and the greatness of Gods wisdome and the greatness of Gods power though the greatness of God in all these is greater thaâ— our nâ—rrow hearts can comprehend Behold God is great and we know him not Neither can the number of his years be searched out The Text is Number of his years no search that is Numerus annorum ejus et non est investigatio as we well translate it the number of his years is such as cannot be searched we say searched out it is but one word in the Hebrew properly signifying to search a thing to the bottome that we may find out the utmost of it The number of Gods years cannot thus be searched out we cannot find them to the bottome Elihu speaks of God after the manner of men years properly belong to man and the things here below of this world the life of man and the continuance of the creature are measured by houres and dayes and weeks and months and years as these are measured by the motion of the Heavens But God is far above any such rule or measure of life or of his being all these measures are improper unto God there 's no measuring him by houres dayes weeks months or years or ages The word which we translate years signifieth changes Years are changed or returned there is a returne of the same time every year Spring and Summer Annus apud Hebraeos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex sua proprietate et Etyriologia nomen haâ—et a mutatione quasi dicatur mutatoâ—us Ab hae radice vestes dâ—untur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nam muâ—mtur vaterasâ—unt innovantur â—t vutari idâ—m quod vestâ—i 1 Reg. 14.2 and Autumn and Winter thus the year changeth and turnes about continually God is infinitely above all these charges and turnings of time Psal 102.25 26 27. The heavens wax old and as a vesture thou shalt change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years fayle not The years of God are not like the years of the world which wear it ouâ— and change it as a vesture is changed by time the Lord is for ever the same Thus one of the Ancients glosseth those words of the Psalme Thy years â—ayâ—e not Thy years saith he neither go nor come thy years stand all together for because they stand they that go are not excluded by them that come thy years are one day and thy day is not day by day but to day thy to day doth not give place to to-morrow nor doth it succeed to yesterday thy to day is eternity therefore thou hast begot thy co-eternal to whom thou saidest to day have I begotten thee So then this expression Neither can the number of his years be searched out is according to our apprehension and understanding a description not only of very old age but of eternity We would think that man very old the houres Augustin is in Psal 102. v. 28. yea the minutes of whose life could not be searched out by a good Aâ—ethmeâ—iciâ—n much more easily may we tell how many years the oldest man hath lived What then shall we think of him the number of whose years cannot be searched out this can speak nothing less than everlastingness And this eternity or everlastingness of God though it be impartible yet it hath I may say a double respect First to what went before Secondly to what is to come The eternity of God is such as cannot be searched out either as to what is past or to what is to come Aeternitas tempora omnia sine tilla succâ—ssione complectit r. Aeternitas est vitae beatae tota simul et perfecta possessio Boetius Aetornum est unum esse et totum simul esse et nihil deesse Greg. l. 16. Moral c. 21. Aeternum est immu abile et totum impartibiliter Dionys cap. 10. de divinis Nomin indeed unto God there is nothing past or to come for eternity properly taken is an everlasting Now it is not that which passeth or moveth away and therefore some of the Ancients elegantly describe eternity to be the perfect enjoyment of blessed life all at once which because it is all at once together and perfect cannot be altered nor lessned In eternity that which is past is present yea that which is to come is present in an eternal blessed life 'T is so with God and so in proportion with all those who are entred into eternity whatsoever they have had is alwayes present with them nor are they in the expectation of any thing to come they enjoy all in every moment without the want of any thing 'T is much more so with God though years have succession yet the years of God have no succession of times or things Further The eternity of God which lies under this description The Number of his years cannot be searched out is not a particular attribute of God but that which difuseth it self through all his attributes he is eternall in all there is no searching out the Number of the years of any of the perfections of God his Wisdome is eternal and his Power is eternal and his Goodness is eternal and his Justice is eternal there is no searching out the Number of the years of God in any of these perfections Hence Note God is an eternal being His years come not under account or number God is eternal not only without end as created Spirits are but without beginning which no creature is not can be He is eternal not only without end or beginning but without succession or mutation Some of the Ancients tell us Stabilisque manens dat cuncta moveri Boet de Confol Metro 9. Eternity stands fast but moves all other things The eternal God is the first Mover himself being immoveable If so then First All things are alwayes present with or before God Things past things to come are present with God he were not eternal else
rains cause or produce plentifull fruits ordinarily from the Earth and little rains little fruits Sixthly and lastly man is nourished and hath his outward Comforts encreased or lessened in proportion to the fruits which the Earth bringeth forth or to the fruitfulness of the Earth All these things attend and depend upon one another They pour down according to the vapour thereof and God draws up in proportion to what himself purposeth they shall pour down Thus we see how God by the Sun draws out the moisture and sap of the Earth to return it back with advantage Drawing up the moisture makes the Earth languish and her fruits wither sending it down again makes the Earth green flourishing and fruitful They pour down rain c. And what more Elihu answers Vers 28. Which the Clouds do drop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nunc Coelum nunc nubes denotâ—t a tenuissimâ— earum Substantia Drus Here he speaks more expresly and tells us more clearly than before what the vapours are made up into According to the vapour thereof which the Clouds do drop As Clouds are made of vapours so they are the receptacles or vessels of rain which they hold as was shewed before as long as God pleaseth and when he gives the word then they drop And distill upon man abundantly That 's another elegant word implying the manner in which the rain comes or falls it is as by a distillation Here also 't is expressed for whose use or sake principally the rain is sent The Clouds saith the Text drop and distill upon man yet we know men get themselves out of the rain as soon and as fast as they can The rain falls upon the earth and abides there yet 't is said to distil upon man because the rain distils at mans request and for mans sake That other creatures are cherished by the rain is not for themselves but for man as man is not cherished and maintained by those creatures for himself but for God As the rain distills chiefly for the glory of God so nextly for the relief and comfort of man and for man it distills Abundantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Super hominem multum vel super homines affluentèr ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit adverbium quod eù minùs se probaâ— mihi quia Rab. hic scrilitur eum Cametz Drus There is a double reading of this word Some take it as an Adjective to the Substanâ—ive man rendring thus it distills upon many men we take it adverbially Which distill upon man plentifully that is in great plenty upon man We may take in both readings without strain to the Text or departure from the matter in hand For as the rain all 's or distills upon man abundantly so upon abundance of men the rain we know falls sometimes very plentifully and at times or one time or other all the world over watering every mans ground and serving every mans turn or occasions Therefore Elihu expresseth the blessing fully when he saith The Clouds distill upon man abundantly or upon abundance of men Hence Note First The Lord haih rain enough in store He hath vessels plentifully filled for the watering of the Earth and The Lord is so free in his dispensation of the rain that as he gives it to many in number so to many in kind he maketh his rain to fall as well as his Sun to shine upon the just and on the unjust Math. 5.45 It shews the exceeding goodness as well as the bounty of God that the evill partake of his benefits as well as the good And for our further improvement of this bounty of God remember that if God be so abundant and liberall in blessings to us we ought in proportion to abound in duty towards him or as the Apostle exhorts 1 Cor. 15.58 we should be stedfast and immoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. Some do only a little I may say only here a stitch and there a stitch of work for God but we should abound in it and that not only now and then by fits but be alwayes fixed in it especially we should do so with respect to that which the rain is a Symbol of the word of God When God drops and distills the rain of Gospel tâ—uths and holy soul-saving instructions abundantly upon us how should we abound in every good word and work It was prophesied of Christ Psal 72.6 He shall come down as rain upon the mown grass as showers that water the earth Some of the Ancients expound that place of the coming down of Christ in his Incarnation then indeed he came down like rain upon the mown grass he came down sweetly and powerfully 'T is true also that Christ who is God the Word the substantial Word comes down as rain in and with the declarative word of God preached and faithfully dispenced to the souls of men and when Christ comes down thus to us we should rise up to him and return fruits of grace according to the showres of grace which we have received The Prophet gives us an elegant comparison of the natural and spiritual rain in their effects and issues Isa 55.10 11. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give feed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me voyd but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it Now what is the pleasure of God in giving his Word what is the arrand upon which he sends it 'T is I grant sometimes to harden deafen and blind a people Isa 6.9 10. 't is sometimes to be a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 These are dreadfull judiciary purposes of God in sending his Word nor doth it ever please the Lord to send his Word upon this arrand but when he is sorely displeased by a peoples slighting and contempt of his Word The thing which primaâ—ily pleaseth him the purpose which he chiefly puâ—sueth in sending his Word is that his people may have as the Apostle speaks Their fruit unto holiness in this life and in the end everlasting life For these ends the Lord is daily distilling upon us the rain of his Word both in commands and promises and in both abundantly Therefore let us labour to abound in returns of faith of love of hope of self-deniall of zeal for God and of fruit-bearing unto God If when God distills the natural rain that should provoke us to fruitfulness in spiritualls how much more when he pours down so much spiritual rain upon us For the close of this meditation consider That As the natural rain First softens the earth and mollifies it Secondly cleanseth the earth and washeth it Thirdly enricheth the earth and makes it fruitfull Fourthly comforts the earth and makes every