to apply the nourishing virtue of the earth unto the radical principles of all fruits whatever; and therefore, before any rain did fall, God caused a vapour to arise, which supplied the use of it, and watered the earth, Gen. ii. 6. So the poet expresseth it: Tum Pater omnipotens fœcundis imbribus æther, Magnus alit, magno commistus corpore, fœtus..........Georg. 2. And veros is a wetting shower,' not a storm, not a violence of rain causing an inundation, which tends to barrenness and sterility, nor such as is unseasonable, and spoils the fruits of the earth, but a plentiful shower is intended; for viros exceeds qugos, as Aristotle observes. 2. This rain falls on the ground. And, 3. It is said to fall often or frequently, iteratis vicibus. The land of Canaan is commended that it was not like the land of Egypt, where the seed was sowed and watered with the foot; but that it was a land of "hills and valleys, and did drink water of the rain of heaven," Deut. xi. 10, 11. And they had commonly two seasons of it, the former whereof they called ", Joreh, and the latter, wp, Malcosh, Deut. xi. 14. The former fell about October, in the beginning of their year, when their seed was cast into the ground, and the earth as it were taught thereby, as the word signifies, to apply itself unto the seed, and to become fruitful. The other fell about March, when their corn was grown up, filling the straw and ear for the harvest, as the word probably signifies. Hence it is said that Jordan overfloweth all his banks at the time of harvest, Josh. iii. 15. 1 Chron. xii. 15. which was occasioned by the falling of Malcosh, or this latter rain. And that this was in the first month, or March, which was the entrance of their harvest, it is evident from hence, in that immediately after they had passed over Jordan, during the swelling of its waters, they kept the passover at Gilgal on the fourteenth of that first month, ch. v. 10. Whilst they had these rains in their proper seasons, the land was, fruitful; and it was by withholding of them, that God punished them with the barrenness of the earth, and famine thereon ensuing. Besides these, in good seasons they had many other occasional showers; as mention is made of the showers on the mown grass. Hence it is here supposed that the rain falls, woλλaxis, often on this earth. And 3. Again, The earth is said to drink in the rain. The expression is metaphorical, but common: ya ushaiva Tivel, the allusion is taken from living creatures, who by drinking take in water into their inward parts and bowels. To do thus is peculiar unto the earth. If the rain falls upon rocks or stones, it runs off from them, it hath no admission into them. But into the earth it soaks more or less, according as the condition of the ground is more or less receptive of it. And it is the nature of the earth to suck in, as it were, these moistening rains that fall upon it, until it be even inebriated, Psal. lxv. 10. "Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly, thou settlest the furrows thereof." n, thou inebriatest or makest drunk the furrows thereof.' This is the gratis or proposition of the similitude. The Todos is included in it, that is, the application of it unto the matter in hand. 1. That by the earth, the minds and consciences of men are intended, was before declared, and it is as evident what is meant by the rain. Yet some suppose that the gifts of the Holy Ghost before treated of, may be designed by the apostle. For in the communication of them, the Holy Spirit is frequently said to be poured out, that is, as water or rain. But this rain is said to fall often on the earth, yea upon that earth which continueth utterly barren, in one shower after another. And this can be no way accommodated to the dispensation of the gifts of the Spirit. For they being once communicated, if they be not exercised and improved, God gives no more showers of them. It is therefore the administration of the word that is intended. And in other places, the doctrine of the Scripture is frequently compared unto rain and watering, Deut. xxxii. 2. "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass." And where God denies his word unto any people, he says, "upon them there shall be no rain," Zech. xiv. 17. And hence, , to drop,' as the rain doth, is an expression for prophesying or preaching, Ezek. xxi. 2. Amos vii. 16. the showers whereof are sometimes more soft and gentle, sometimes more earnest and pressing. And those words, 12 npr niana 2, Psal. lxxxiv. 7. because of the ambiguity of the words, and the proportion that is between the things, are rendered by some, the rain also filleth the pools, and by others, the teachers shall be filled with blessings. This is that whereby God watereth and refresheth the barren souls of men, that whereby he communicates unto them all things that may enable them to be fruitful; in brief, not to enlarge on the allegory, the word of the gospel is every way unto the souls of men, as the rain to the barren earth. 2. This rain is said to fall often on the earth. And this may be considered either with respect to the especial concern of these Hebrews, which was laid open before, or unto the ordinary dispensation of the gospel. In the first way, it regards and expresseth the frequent addresses made unto the people of the Jews, in the ministry of the word, for their healing and reco very from those ways of ruin wherein they were engaged. And so it may include the ministry of the prophets, with the close put unto it by that of Christ himself; concerning which, see our exposition of ch. i. 1. And concerning this whole ministry it is, that our Saviour so expostulates with them, Matt. xxiii. 37. "How often would I have gathered your children!" And this also he at large represents in the parable of the householder and his vineyard, with the servants that he sent unto it, from time to time, to seek for fruit, and last of all his Son, Matt. xxi. 33-36. Take it in the latter way for the dispensation of the word in general, and the manner of it, with frequency and urgency, is included in this expression. Where the Lord Christ sends the gospel to be preached, it is his will that it should be so, instantly, in season and out of season, that it may come as abundant showers of rain on the earth. 3. This rain is said to be drunk in-the earth drinketh in the rain. There is no more intended in this expression, but the outward hearing of the word, a naked assent to it. For it is ascribed unto them who continue utterly barren and unhealed, who are therefore left unto fire and destruction. But as it is the natural property of the earth to receive in the water that is poured on it; so men do in some sense drink in the doctrine of the gospel, when the natural faculties of their souls do apprehend it, and assent unto it, though it works not upon them, though it produce no effects in them. There are indeed in the earth, rocks and stones on which the rain makes no impression, but they are considered in common with the rest of the earth, and there needs no particular exception on their account. Some there are who, when the word is preached unto them, do obstinately refuse and reject it; but the hearers in common are said to drink it in, and the other sort shall not escape the judgment which is appointed for them. And thus far things are spoken in general, what is common unto both those sorts of hearers which he afterwards distinctly insists upon. The word of the gospel, in the preaching of it, being compared unto rain, we may observe that, 66 Óbs. II. The dispensation of the word of the gospel unto men, is an effect of the sovereign power and pleasure of God, as is the giving of rain unto the earth.-There is nothing in nature that God assumeth more into his prerogative, than this of giving rain. The first mention of it in the world, is in these words, The Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth," Gen. ii. 5. All rain is from the Lord God, who causeth it to rain, or not to rain, at his pleasure. And the giving of it he pleads as a great pledge of his providence and goodness: "He left not himself of old without witness, in that he did good, and gave rain from heaven," Acts xiv. 17. Our Sa viour also makes it an argument of his goodness, that he "causeth his rain to fall," Matt. v. 45. And whatever thoughts we have of the commonness of it, and whatever acquaintance men suppose they have with its causes, yet God distinguisheth himself as to his almighty power, from all the idols of the world, that none of them can give rain. He calls his people to say in their hearts," Let us fear the Lord who giveth rain," Jer. v. 24. "Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain, or can the heavens give showers ?" Jer. xiv. 22. And he exerciseth his sovereignty in the giving of it, Amos iv. 7, 8. "I caused it to rain upon one city, and not to rain upon another one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered; so two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water." And thus is it absolutely unto the dispensation of the gospel to nations, cities, places, persons: it is God's disposal alone, and he useth a distinguishing sovereignty therein. He sendeth his word unto one people and not to another, to one city and not to another, at one time and not at another, and these are those matters of his whereof he giveth no account. Only some things we may consider, which give us a prospect into the glory of his wisdom and grace herein; and this I shall do in two instances: first, in the principle of his dispensation; secondly, in the outward means of it. As, 1. The principal end which he designeth in his disposal of the dispensation of the gospel in that great variety wherein we do behold it, is the conversion, edification, and salvation of his elect. This is that which he aimeth to accomplish thereby, and therefore his will and purpose herein, is that which gives rule and measure unto the actings of his providence concerning it. Wherever there are any of his elect to be called, or in what time soever, there and then will he cause the gospel to be preached; for the purpose of God, which is according to election, must stand, whatever difficulties lie in the way, Rom. ix. 11. and the election must obtain, ch. xi. 5, 6. So the Lord Christ prayed that his Father would take care of all those that he had given unto him, (who were his own by election, "Thine they were, and thou gavest them unto me,") and sanctify them by his word, John xvii. 17. In pursuit of his own purpose, and in answer unto that prayer of our Lord Jesus, he will send his word to find them out wherever they are, that so not one grain of his chosen Israel shall be lost or fall to the ground. So he appointed our apostle to stay and preach at Corinth, notwithstanding the difficulties and oppositions he met withal, because he had much people in that city, Acts xviii. 9, 10. They were his people by eternal designation, antecedently unto their effectual vocation, and therefore he will have the word preached unto them. And in the hard work of his ministry, the same apostle, who knew the end of it, affirms that he endured all things for the elect's sake, 2 Tim. ii. 10. That they might be called and saved, was the work he was sent upon. For "whom he doth predestinate, them he also calleth," Rom. viii. 30. Predestination is the rule of effectual vocation: all, and only they, are so called by the word, who are predestinated. So speaks our Saviour also, "I have other sheep which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice," John x. 16. He had some sheep in that fold of the church of the Jews; to them therefore he preached the word, that they might be gathered unto him. But he had other sheep also, even all his elect among the Gentiles; and, saith he," them must I gather also." There is a necessity of it upon the account of the purpose of God concerning them, and they are to be gathered by hearing of his voice, or the preaching of the word. In that sovereignty therefore which God useth in the disposal thereof, causing the rain of the doctrine of his word to fall upon one place, and not upon another, at one time and not at another, he hath still this certain end before him, and the actings of his providence are regulated by the purposes of his grace. In what place or nation soever, in what time or age soever, he hath any of his elect to be brought forth in the world, he will provide that the gospel of peace be preached unto them. I will not say that in every individual place where the gospel is preached, there are always some of the elect to be saved. For the enjoyments of one place may be occasioned by the work that is to be done in another, wherewith it is in some kind of conjunction; or the word may be preached in a place for the sake of some that are there only accidentally. As when Paul first preached at Philippi, Lydia only was converted, who was a stranger in those parts, belonging to the city of Thyatira in Asia, Acts xvi. 14, 15. And a whole country may fare the better for one eity, and a whole city for some part of it, as Micah v. 7. God concealeth this secret design under promiscuous outward dispensations. For he obligeth those by whom the word is preached, to declare his mind therein unto all men indefinitely, leaving the effectual work of his grace in the pursuit of his purpose unto himself; "whence they believe who are ordained to eternal life, and those are added to the church that are to be saved," Acts ii. 47. Acts xiii. 48. Besides God hath other ends also in the sending of his word, though this be the principal. For by it he puts a restraint unto sin in the world, gives a visible controul to the kingdom of Satan, and relieves mankind by sending light into those dark places of the earth, which are filled with habitations of cruelty. And by the convictions that he brings thereby on the minds and consciences of men, he makes way for the manifestation of the glory of his |