N01310:67
Thoughts for the day of rain. In two essay's
Thoughts for the day of rain. In two essay's: I. The Gospel of the rainbow. In the meditations of piety, on the appearance of the bright clouds, with the bow of God upon them. II. The Saviour with his rainbow. And the covenant which God will remember to his people in the cloudy times that are passing over them. / By Cotton Mather., D.D. ; [Seven lines of quotations]
printed by B. Green, 1712
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The GOSPEL of the Rainbow. › Meditation 2: The Second MEDITATION.
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.
I answer two things. First; There is nothing in Scripture, no, nor Nature neither, to assure us, that there was. We are not sure, that the Constitution of the Air, and of the Clouds, before the Flood, was the same, that it was afterwards. We are sure, that the Flood brought a Marvellous Alteration on the World; probably on the Air, as well as on the Earth. Doubtless the New Constitution of the Air, was that which had a Share in changing the Constitution of our Bodies, till there came on that Abbreviation of Humane Life, which we are now brought unto. Dr. Jackson argues, That if other Natural Causes depend upon the Final, which we are taught in the Scriptural Philosophy, we may well think, that the Air before the Flood, had not the peculiar Disposition, which is required unto the Production of the Rainbow; which then had not such an End, as that for which it is now Employed by the Glorious God. It is now a Messenger, that Reports and Confirms unto the New World, the Covenant of God, for the Preservation of it. If it had been a common appearance unto the Old ⟨p. 17⟩World, it would scarce have appeared now with so Confirming and Comforting an Efficacy, to Noah and his timorous Posterity.
I answer two things. First; There is nothing in Scripture, no, nor Nature neither, to assure us, that there was. We are not sure, that the Constitution of the Air, and of the Clouds, before the Flood, was the same, that it was afterwards. We are sure, that the Flood brought a Marvellous Alteration on the World; probably on the Air, as well as on the Earth. Doubtless the New Constitution of the Air, was that which had a Share in changing the Constitution of our Bodies, till there came on that Abbrevation of Humane Life, which we are now brought unto. Dr. Jackson argues, That if other Natural Causes depend upon the Final, which we are taught in the Scriptural Philosophy, we may well think, that the Air before the Flood, had not the peculiar Disposition, which is required unto the Production of the Rainbow; which then had not such an End, as that for which it is now Employ'd by the Glorious God. It is now a Messenger, that Reports and Confirms unto the New World, the Covenant of God, for the Preservation of it. If it had been a common appearance unto the Old ⟨p. 17⟩World, it would scarce have appeared now with so Confirming and Comforting an Efficacy, to Noah and his timerous Posterity.