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

Hence note; God is very free and liberal;

He will empty the thick cloud upon the earth to make it fruitful; He gives not only a few drops, but abundance▪ and this is most true in spirituals. How doth the Lord shower down and empty even whole clouds of good things upon the soul! as he hath promised, so he once did, and still doth sometimes (and will mo•e in the last times) pour out the Spirit, which is an allusion to those showers of rain poured from the clouds: And as the Lord ⟨p. 502⟩pours out his Spirit, which can never be wearied or drawn dry; so the Lord makes use of many thick clouds (which hold much spiritual rain) even to weariness, for the refreshing of wearied souls; I mean such Ministers as he hath furnished with great gifts and graces, such as are not (as the Apostle Jude compareth some Teachers) Clouds without water, but (as true and faithful Teachers should be) full of water. The waterings of any Apollo are at the Lords dispose•: He saith, drop thy word here, drop thy word there, and thou shalt not drop thy word any more here or there. The Lord hath often been so bountiful to Nations and Churches, that he hath even wearied many thick clouds to water them with the rain of his word. That of the Psalmist (though it be true of the rain properly taken, falling upon the earth) is most true of spiritual rain falling upon the Churches (Psal. 65.10.) Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly, thou settlest the furrows thereof. And so is tha• also to be understood (Psal. 68.9.) Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain (or rain of liberalities) whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary. Thou didst even weary the thick cloud, to confirm, that is, to refresh thy weary people.