An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

Hence Note; God hath rain enough for all places.

He can spare it for waste ground and wildernesses. And therefore, if he supplieth not our pastures, corn-fields, and gardens with rain, it is not because he cannot send it, or hath not enough to send, but it is to punish us for sin. God doth not withhold rain from any place, because he is sparing of his treasures, is more for laying them up than giving them out; but because he is provoked by the unthankfulness of man, for, or by his abuse of his former bounties. The Lord forbids the clouds to drop down the rain upon inhabited places, and bids them convey it to waste ⟨p. 214⟩wildernesses, when inhabited places have not honoured him for it, nor brought forth fruits of righteousness answerable to the fruits of the earth by the blessing of rain.

Thus also Christ will take the kingdom, that is, the kingdom of the Gospel, the rain of holy doctrine, from an unthankful and unfruitful people, and give it to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits of it, as he threatened the Jews (Matth. 21.43.) and afterwards fulfilled that threatening upon them (Acts 13.46.) Lo we turn to the Gentiles. Ye having refused and abused the offers of Christ made to you by us; we will now go with our rain to the wast and desolate ground, or to the wilderness; that is, to the Gentiles, and they will receive it, and be thankful. The scarcity of Gospel mercy which God brings upon any place,¹ is a punishment of their barrenness under Gospel means. And have not we cause to fear at this day, that forasmuch as we are so like that earth spoken of (