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

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 'tis 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 ⟨p. 451⟩goeth to direct his own steps. The Hebrew useth a word there which may be rendered 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 privilege to do it, he may not do it, he ought not to do it; 'tis the duty as well as the safety of man to leave the direction of his ways and steps to God. 'Tis God that directs the steps of man, yea, the indirect steps of man are under the mighty power of God; the very wanderings 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 motions of the beasts of the earth, and the motions of the birds of the air, are all directed by God; yea, the motions of the very inanimate creatures, of those that have no motion in or of themselves, but whose motion is by some outward violence and pressure put upon them, even their motion also is directed by the hand of God. Thunder and Lightning are inanimate lifeless creatures, they have no motion of their own, but by impression and violence, yet God directs their motion as truly, as he doth the motions of those creatures which move by the most deliberate actings of their own will, reason, and understanding. What is there so violent in its motion as Thunder? What is there so swift in its motion as the Lightning?

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 'tis 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