A35538:1161
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.
Rain falling upon the dust embodies it. The ground moulders in a time of drought; but when rain comes, that hardens it. The dust (as we commonly say) flies before, but as drought cleaves the earth, so rain causeth the parts to unite; an• then the earth, which like a heap of sand would not hang together, becomes solid and fit for tillage. Now when so much rain hath fallen as prepares the earth, and (as the word imports) fermentates or leavens it to receive the seed cast into it, then, who stayeth the bottles of heaven?
Rain falling upon the dust embodies it. The ground moulders in a time of drought; but when rain comes, that hardens it. The dust (as we commonly say) slyes before, but as drought cleaves the earth, so rain causeth the parts to unite; an• then the earth, which like a heap of sand would not hang together, becomes solid and fit for tillage. Now when so much rain hath fallen as prepares the earth, and (as the word imports) fermentates or levens it to receive the seed cast into it, then, who stayeth the bottles of heaven?
Hence note, First, Rain compacts the earth.
As moisture loosens compacted things, so it compacts or knit, together loose things. The earth is soon made dust by droughts, and it would be a very dust-heap, if it had no moisture to reunite it. The Lord threatens his people, in case of disobedience ⟨p. 277⟩(Deut. 28.24.) to make the rain of their Land powder and dust; that is, they should have dust and powder, instead of water. Long drought turns the earth to dust. In this learn, how great a mercy there is in rain.