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

Whence note; Those creatures which have greatest stores to give, may quickly have none left to give.

Here is a cloud and a thick cloud (Elihu doth not speak of an ordinary, but of a thick cloud) yet upon the Lords command to give showers the cloud is quite spent and wearied. Though men have the greatest affluence, the largest stores and stock•, of wealth or riches, yea of gifts and graces, yet they may be wearied, and even drawn dry. The thickest clouds, that is, they who have the greatest treasures of strength, of wit, of learning and knowledge, are soon wearied, exhausted and emptied, unless they live in dependence ⟨p. 501⟩upon God; Only, God himself can never be wearied by watering. How much soever God giveth out to us, he is not at all emptied, but remains everlastingly equally full. And if God will speak to the meanest creature, even to that which seemeth most empty, it shall water others and not be wearied. The thick clouds, they who have much, may be spent, while he that hath but a little shall not be spent. The Prophet said to the poor woman (1 King. 17.14.) The oil in the cruse, and the meal in the barrel shall not waste. The woman might draw out of the oil as long as she would, and still there would be a supply of oil, nor would the barrel be weary in yielding meal. The Lord can make the creature unwearied, and establish it to us for good. A full cloud will soon drop away, if the Lord forbear supplies; and a few drops shall be as an everlasting spring where the Lord gives out supplies. We may al•o allude to that (2 King. 4.2.) There was a poor widow, and the creditors were ready to seize her two sons for bondmen, and, saith she, I have nothing but a little pot of oil, and what will that do towards payment? Well, saith the Prophet, Go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels, borrow not a few, and thou shalt draw out of the pot, and the pot of oil shall not be wearied by giving oil into the vessels. God speaking to the pot of oil it yielded a continued supply; the oil never ceased till the woman had not a vessel to receive it. If God saith to the least pittance of temporals, which a man hath in this world, hold out, it shall not fail nor be weary; 'tis so likewise in spiri uals, the Lord can make a little grace hold out, the thinnest cloud shall not be wearied by watering.