An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

The water, if left to it self, would •all whole like a sea upon us, or like a mighty flood, in such quantities as would, instead of refreshing, overwhelm the earth. When God drowned the world, it is said (Gen. 7.11.) The same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows (or flood-gates) of heaven were opened. We are not to imagine that heaven hath windows o• flood-gates; but God did not put forth his mighty power to make small the drops of rain, but let it come all at once: those waters which were before bound up in the clouds, by the decree of God, were now, by his decree, let loose in a wonderful manner and measure, and came down, not in drops, but in streams and spouts; the clouds did not (as formerly) distil their burden,¹ but ease themselves of it at once, or altogether. Rain ordinarily (as sweat through the Pores of the skin) passeth by degrees through the Pores of the Clouds, yet God can let it out all at once. Sea-men, who take long Voyages, tell us, they meet with spouts of water, endangering great ships. So then, this making small the drops of water, is to be ascribed to a threefold Attribute of God.

The water, if left to it self, would •all whole like a sea upon us, or like a mighty floud, in such quantities as would, instead of refreshing, overwhelm the earth. When God drowned the world, it is said (Gen. 7.11.) The same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows (or flood-gates) of heaven were opened. We are not to imagine that heaven hath windows o• flood-gates; but God did not put forth his mighty power to make small the drops of rain, but let it come all at once: those waters which were before bound up in the clouds, by the decree of God, were now, by his decree, let loose in a wonderful manner and measure, and came down, not in drops, but in streames and spouts; the clouds did not (as formerly) destil their burden,¹ but ease themselves of it at once, or altogether. Rain ordinarily (as sweat through the Pores of the skin) passeth by degrees through the Pores of the Clouds, yet God can let it out all at once. Sea-men, who take long Voyages, tell us, they meet with spouts of wate, endangering great ships. So then, this making small the drops of water, is to be ascribed to a threefold Attribute of God.