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

From this consideration of Gods gradual speaking to us in the Clouds, we may be led to consider how gradually he speaks to us in the Ministry of his Word; there he speaks sometimes whisperingly, gently, he at first awakens the ear a little, but at last he roareth with his voice. If we will not hear, he hath louder and louder voices, which we shall hear whether we will or no. At the giving of the Law (Exod. 19.19.) The voice of the trumpet ⟨p. 457⟩sounded long, and waxed louder and louder. There are different degrees in the loudness of the voice when God speaks to his people. We should take warning by the light that shineth, we should hear the smallest voice, the first whisperings of God, and not put him to his roaring voice. God is said to roar out of Zion (Joel 3.16.) yea, many times he roareth upon Zion, because of the disobedience and negligence of the Citizens of Zion. After it a voice roareth, the words that follow speak the same thing, He thundereth with the voice of his excellency.

This is the first time that we have the word Thunder expressed in the text, though the sense of the whole place speaks thunder.¹ The word which signifieth Thunder, signifieth any great noise or dreadful cry (Ezek. 27.35.) (Psal. 96.11.) it signifieth also the voice of any one that complaineth or bemoaneth his or her condition, or that is troubled or fretted at the crossness of relations: It is said of Peninnah, she provoked her (that is, Hannah) sore (or, as the Margin reads it, angered her) for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb: The word is that of the text, to make her thunder, or to cause a tumultuation in her spirit, like that in the Clouds,