A35538:888
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 24-27
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.
As God hath divided the Earth to the Sons of men (Acts 17.26.) as he hath determined their times, and the bounds of their habitation; so he hath also divided the waters for the Earth, the waters that are above; and he proportions them according to his own will (Amos 4.7.) I caused it to rain upon one City, and I ⟨p. 204⟩caused it not to rain upon another. God is so good, that usually he causeth his rain to fall upon the j•st and upon the unjust (Matth. 5.44.) But he can cause the rain to fall distinguishingly, and not promiscuously. It was the saying of a Heathen in his fourth Book, concerning the bestowing of benefits (chap. 28.) The gods give many benefits to unthankful persons: 1they provided them for the good, but they fall to the share •f the bad, because it is impossible to divide them. And instancing in rain, he saith, No law can be given to the falling showers, or to the showers when they fall, that they distil not upon the lands of wicked men. Thus, what that Scripture in Matthew saith, God doth out of choice to show his goodness, that this Heathen said their Gods did but of necessity, because they could do no otherwise. If they sent rain upon the just, the unjust must have it too, he thought there was no avoiding of that; but this Text in Job, and many more up and down the Scripture, teach us, that God can put a law upon the showers of rain; he hath his Water-courses, and c•n direct the rain to what place and persons he will; he can command it to fall by his law, when and where, and upon whom he appoints. God retains his sovereignty for a distinct distribution of the waters; though to declare his bounty and mercy, he usually makes no difference, but distributes it alike to all. The Lord is so good, that he feeds his enemies, and nourisheth a world of wicked ones, or the wicked world every day; yet he retains his Empire over the clouds still, and he divides a Water-course for the over-flowing of water; it falls by his appointment, where-ever it falls.