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

God and God alone is the Father of the Rain.

Without him it had never been; and that it is continued is by his power and providence; that the frame of nature is so disposed, that second causes are so ordered and furnished as to produce Rain, proceeds from or comes to pass by the Lord alone. The Prophet spake this in a time of great drought (Jer. 14.22.) both in the negative and in the affirmative; and he proposed two questions, or the question twice, intending the negative. First, Are there any among the Vanities of the Gentiles that can cause Rain? (By the vanities of the Gentiles we are to understand their Idol gods. Idols are vanities, or nothings; and can they who are nothing do this great thing, give Rain? That's the first question, Can Idols cause Rain, surely they cannot: But will it not rain of course? will not the Heavens one time or other yield Rain? That's the second Question) Can the Heavens give showers? No, As Idols, or false gods, cannot give Rain, so neither can the Heavens, if forbidden, give Rain; they act not their power in their own power. The Heavens cannot give Rain, if God gives them a command to the contrary; and the God of Nature can check and countermand the course of Nature, both on earth, and in the Heavens, when he will. Though those bottles the Clouds be never so pregnant and full of Rain, yet he can stop them. So then, neither the Idols, nor the Heavens can do it, if God say No; yea, if he give not forth a word of command, if he bids not the course of Nature proceed, the Heavens over our heads will be Brass, and the earth under us as Iron; and therefore the Prophet in the latter part of the verse tells us expressly, who is the Father of the Rain, Art not thou he, O Lord our God? ⟨p. 220⟩[…] ⟨p. 221⟩[…] ⟨p. 220⟩Therefore will we wait upon thee; for thou hast made all these things. As if he had said, O Lord, thou hast made them; and therefore thou hast both the right and the power to dispose of them. What can be said more clear and full for the confirmation of this point? Many other Scriptures say the same thing. Read