Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

4. The suddenness of the judgment. Whirl-winds come suddenly without any harbingers to give notice of their approach; Clouds are swift in their motion. Isa. 60.8. Who are those that fly as a Cloud, i. e. with a mighty nimbleness; What God doth, he shall do on the sudden, come upon them before they are aware, be too quick for them in his motion to over-run, and over-reach them. The winds are described with wings, in regard of the quickness of their motion.

4. The suddenness of the judgment. Whirl-winds come suddenly without any harbingers to give notice of their approach; Clouds are swift in their motion. Isa. 60.8. Who are those that flie as a Cloud, i. e. with a mighty nimbleness; What God doth, he shall do on the sudden, come upon them before they are aware, be too quick for them in his motion to over-run, and over-reach them. The winds are describ'd with wings, in regard of the quickness of their motion.

5. The terror of judgments, The Lord hath his way in the Whirl-wind, i. e. in great displeasure. The anger of the Lord is often compared to a storm; He shall bring Clouds of judgments upon them, many and thick, as terrible as when a day is turned into night, by the mustering of the darkest clouds, that interpose between the Sun and the Earth. Clouds and darkness are round about him, and a fire goes before him, when he burns up his enemies. Psal. 97.2, 3. The judgments shall have terror without mercy, as clouds obscure the light, and are dark masks before the face and glory of the Sun, and cut off its refreshing Beams from the Earth. Clouds note multitude and obscurity; God could crush them without a Whirlwind, beat them to powder with one touch, but he will bring his judgments in the most surprising and amazing manner to flesh and blood, so that all their Glory shall be changed into nothing but terror, by the noise of the bellowing winds, and the clouds like ink blacking the Heavens.