A35538:1151
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second, being the five last, chapters of the book of Job being the substance of fifty-two lectures or meditations / by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by M. and S. Simmons, 1666
Title page typeset from the transcription.
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations UPON The Thirty-eighth, T… › Chapter 38 › Verse 34-38
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Who can stay the bottles of heaven, that is, who can make them leave raining? The Lord by a late question convinced Job that no man can make it rain (vers. 34.) Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? and by this question he would convince him, that no man can obstruct or hinder the rain. Who can stay the bottles of heaven?
Hence observe, It is God who stayeth or restraineth the clouds from raining.
Should not the Lord put stopples into those bottles? should not he close up those barrels, they would drop down continually? and in stead of watering, drown the earth. When in the days of Noah the Lord opened the bottles of heaven forty days together, ⟨p. 275⟩who could stop or stay them? Did not the clouds pour down till the whole world was over-whelmed? and unless the Lord did now stay the clouds, and forbid them to give out their whole stock, they would again over-whelm the world. There are Seas of waters above our heads, God keeps them in from hurting the earth, and lets them out to help i•. The next verse intimates at least this power of God over the clouds and the season when he exerciseth it: Who can stay the bottles of heaven?