The Dew, and Rain.

flowing waters God defcendeth to the lowest and baseft ufe, even he made them to foften and molific the clodds of Earth in the Countrey to the Husbandman, Feb. 5. 10, and to wash and cleanse our streets in the Citie.

For the Dew, which is a liquid and flim'd moisture, and the rain alfo: The ufe is 1 Reg. 17. 1. they ferve for drink to men, and the Dews ferve for herbs and graffe, whofe roots being neere to the uppermoft face of the ground, would be dry and wither without fuch Dews to moift it, Pro. 3. 20. and because there are plants and trees which have their roots deep in the Earth, fo that Dews cannot pearce to them, therefore God hath provided a greater store of water, the fhowers and Rain, Joel. 2. 23. which may reach to the deep

roots.

Now for the congealed waters by the cold: God giveth the fnow like wooll, to keep out the cold blafts of the North winde, that the feed may be warm and nourished in the ground, Pfal. 147. 16. and he Scattereth the froft to ferve for afhes, to keep in the feed which is in the Earth, that it fpire not, nor fpread out too loon, before it be well feafoned and rooted in the Earth, left after it should for want of root and deepneffe of Earth dry and wither away when the Sunne commeth, Luk. 8. 6. Thus we fee the waters elevated and drawn up loaden in clouds and thrown down to our great ufe and benefit. But there is another use which God hath ordained, to put all these his Waters to, and that is as well to be rodds, to correct and punish us for finne, for his Juftice; as well as the former ufe was for our good, of his Mercie, Job. 37. 13.

Firit, for the Winds, When in Mercie he will doe us good, he ma keth them auram temperatam; but when he in Juftice will make them his rodds of correction, he maketh the Winds fpiritum procella, by which confringit naves in mare, Pfal. 48.7. & concutit & præcipitat domus, Job 1. 19. and overturneth trees by the roots.

When God will have the Clouds inftruments of his Mercie, he maketh them pregnant and with Child with waters, for the first and later rain doe make the land fruitfull, Job 37. 11. When in Juftice he will have them rodds to correct us, he maketh nubes fteriles, as Salomon faith, 25. 14. and, as Jude faith, Clouds without water, we shall fee them, but have no good of them, for our finne; alfo, for our fins, inftead of dews, he fendeth mildews, Hag. 2. 18. the rain of Gods mercie is a bleffing to us, Pfal. 68. 9. it is a gratious rain. When God in Juftice will have the rain to be his rod, he fendeth and maketh raging rains and ftorms and tempefts to deftroy our fruit and food, Pro. 28.3. For the froft and hail, God maketh them his rods to kill and destroy their Vines and Mulberrie trees, Pfal. 78. 47. And thus much of the uses of the waters.

Now of both these together was the Firmament made: For this Aire, Calum aëreum, is more neceffarie for men then the light which was made the first day; for we may have a use of darkneffe, and fleep without light, but we cannot live, fleeping nor waking, without Aire

to

to breath in, five firmamento deftruitur firmamentum panis, Pfal. 105.16. the diftemperature of it caufeth a famine, ofe 2. 21, 21. in Ifrael famine, and men call and feck to the Earth for food, the Earth hath no power, it cannot give any, but is dry and barren without the Heavens, and therefore it calleth and waiteth on the Heavens for his dews and influence, and the Heavens cannot give fuch gracious rain, and therefore calleth to God to give them a warrant and commandement and power to doe it So God heareth the Heavens, the Heavens heareth the Earth, and the Earth heareth the Corn, Wine and Oyle, and then they hear and fustain Ifraels want.

The laft point is fuit fic, which is the return and accomplishment Fuit fit. of that mandate, for at his word all things were created, yet not in aitibus fuis fed in principiis fuis, as we say in the Schools; for it did not then in the fecond day prefently rain, fnow, hayle and freeze, but God made them meet and able and fit for that purpose for ever after, as God did all his work fine adjumento confilii, fic fecit fine adjumento auxilii alicujus, as he gave order with his word how things hould be done, even fo they come to paffe, Efay 40. 13, 14.

Here are two things in this to be confidered, first virtus verbi : Secondly, obedientia Creatura. The power of Gods word is feen in that it is able to bring to paffe any thing fine mora, fine labore: Salomon would build a Temple very beautifull, 1 Reg. 6. 38. but he could not doe it in leffe time then seven years; and after, when it was made the second time, fourty and fix years they fay the Temple was making, and can Chrift reare it up presently in three dayes ? this they thought impoffible, but behold here is a greater Temple then Salomons was, yet he made the whole frame of it in no longer fpace and time then one may fay fiat Cælum, for presently fuit fic, faith Mofes, Pfal. 148. 5. he only spake the word and they were made; for the other he did it without trouble or pains, i Reg. 5. 15. Salomon, to have his Temple made (though it must be feaven years a doing) yet he must have threescore and ten thousand Artificers, and fourfcore thou Sand Laborers, even 150000 men might be troubled to labour about the world, and spend infinite coft about Inftruments and Engins to doe it; But here with God is no fuch matter,no help of men,no need of Inftruments, nor any fear of let or impediment to hinder his work and will, but his word and power to bring all to paffe.

Touching the obedience of the Firmament created, we have obedientia three things to confider: Firft, with what celerity, conformity, Creature. and conftancic all things were done as God would have them. For the speed and celerity: We fee that the Waters, as if they had ears to hear what the word commanded, & wings to flie about the execution of it fofoon, yea more speedily they did it. We read in the Scriptures that God preached to none but only to man; for it is enough for him only to fay the word to all Creatures of the Earth elfe, and it is done, but he must stand and take pains to preach an hour every day to perfwade us that are men, which are farre more beholden unto God than any Creature elfe, and yet it will

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not avail to make us obedient to his word.

As for conformity to his word, it was fic, even after the manner and form in all refpects as he would have it: But if we doe a thing it is lame and unperfect in fome refpe&t, and not conformable to his will.

Laft of all constancie and perpetuity, Pfal. 119.91. they continue ftill according to their ordinance, for all things ferve thee: He hath fet shee a Law which fhall not be broken, Pfal. 148.6. For it is a wonder that fuch Seas of waters which hang and fly over our heads daily, doe not fall on us, and with their weight deftroy us; for we see what a bucket of water is for heavineffe in his fall, yet the pillers of God uphold them that they fall not,which pillers one would think should be are, that is, made of braffe, but they are aërea, airie pillefs, and yet laft longer and are more durable thenthe greatest brafen pillers that we can imagine, for in time they would corrupt and be eaten up of the waters; but yet the power of God hath fo ftrengthned the Aire, that being the weakest thing that is, as our Proverb faith, As weak as Water, not being able to fuftain it felf, no not to be a piller to hold up a feather from the ground, yet it is made a Firmament, that is, a moft firm, fure, and durable piller to uphold all thefe Clouds and bottels of water above; they move motu immobili & varietate invariabili, and fo they continue after Gods ordinance, even unte this day, as the Pfalmift faith.

Gen. 1. 8.

Expanfum autem hoc Deus vocavit Cælum fic fuit vefpera, fuit mane diei fecundi.

Hich words contain in them the second principall part of the fecond dayes work, which is the word of denomination and entitling the Firmament thus with a new name. When God made Abraham, the Father of the faithfull, he exchanged and gave him a new name, Gen. 17. 5. When Jacob was exalted to the like dignity, his name was also changed and he called Ifrael, Gen. 32. 28. So here having made ex abyffo Cælum, that is, as fome fay, Calum acano, of the dreggs of that gulfe, then he vouchfafeth, according to the dignity of it, to give it a name agreeable thereunto.

Touching the denomination in general, I fhewed four things be fore, which I will not repeat now, but only call to your remembrance. The firft was, The name of things are of freehold, and therefore must move us to attention, because, though these works are beneficiall to all Creatures, yet the apprehenfion of their names belong only to man, at whom God did aime and levell in this work.

The

The fecond, That the things which are divers in nature, must be diftinguished in name.

The third, The manner of giving names must be in proportion agreeable to the nature of them.

And lastly, What the fignifications of the names are. Not repeat ing this generality, we will now defcend to the particularity of this name, and fee by the notations of the word what is fignified there by.

up,

The old English called the Heavens aloft, as though it were lifted as it was out of the deep. The Latines call it Calum quafi cælatum, that is, embroidered and garnished, as it is. The Grecians call it beg quafi terminus mundi, as it were the border and bound of the World. The Hebrews call it Shamefhe: Concerning which word there is three feveral opinions, all which may be well and to good purpofe received: There are of the Hebrews which deduce the word from the verb Shama, which is to wonder, because of the admiration which all men have of this glorious World, efpecially if we confider with David, Pfal 8.4, 5. that God having fuch excellent and glorions Creatures in Heaven fhould fo, notwithstanding, regard man, which is but a clod of earth, as to endue him with thefe divine graces, and with a reasonable foul: The admirableneffe of this work confifteth firft, In that they being made of the dreggs of the deep, are notwithstanding the moft fplendent and glorious Creatures of God. Alfo in that they moving continually are immobilia, and varying and changing in their courses alwaies, are notwithstanding invariabilia, for they move motu immobili & varietate invariabili. Alfo in that they con fifting of water, which is most weak and infirm, are nothwithstanding moft fure and firm of all other things. The other opinion taketh it from the verb Magam and the adverb Iham, as if God had appointed with his finger tothe Heavens and faid, Here are all things, if you want light, waters, either for foul or bodie, here they are to be found, and here you may have it, as indeed all good graces come from above, from our Father in Heaven, Jam. 1. 17.

The second note touching the word is, in that it is of the duall number, which implyeth that the Heavens are double and two fold, which is apparent in the 17. verfe, where it is faid, that the Starres are in Heaven, and in the 26. verfe it is faid, that the Fowls alfo flye in Heaven, Now this is plain and fenfible in every mans eyes, that the ftarres are not where the Birds doe flie, neither doe the Fowles flie where the Starres are. Out of Pfal. 68. 33. the ancient Hebrews doe note to us, that there was a former and later Heaven, a higher and a lower Heaven made by God, the lower Heavens in the Scriptures are usually termed and called Cali, Pfal. 148.4. and the upper Heavens, which is the Seat of God, is called Cali Calorum, 1 Reg.8.27. and in other places, for as there was in the Temple of Salomon SanEtum & Sanctum Sanctorum, fo in the the great Temple of the world there is Calum & Calum Calorum, to anfwer to it in the upper and higher Heavens,as was shadowed in the Temple, is the mercy Seat,

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the Altar, and the Propiciatory; but in the nether is atrium, I. Benjamin, &c,that is, a divifion of severall Courts for Starres, Clouds, Fowls, Men, &c. Between the higher and the nether Heavens,as it was in the Temple,there is a Vail or Curtain fpread, Heb.6.19.which doth part the one from the other. Befides theie two Heavens we read of a third Heaven, 2 Cor. 12.2. which is the highest number we read of in Gods word, fo that befides the Merchant mans Heavens, which is profperous winde, and befides the Husbandmans Heaven, from whence commeth feasonable weather in Summer and Winter; there is a third Heaven which we muft feek for, which is Regnum Cælorum, for the Fowles doe flie per medium Calorum, 17. and 26. verfes, as the Angell did, Rev. 8. 13. therefore there is a Heaven on both fides of this middle Heaven. The impreffions of the Aire are the Hoft and Army of the nether Heavens, and the Starres are the Hoftes of God, which inhabite and are in Garrifon in the fecond Heavens, and the Hofts of Heavenly Souldiers, Saints, and Angells, are the Armies of the third Heavens, Luke 2. 13. which Heaven is called folum gloria, for Heaven is his throne, it is called the habitation of Gods holinesse, Efay 63, 15. And God is defcribed by this place, Matth. 5. 34. Deus qui fedet in Calum, Pfal. 121. 2. fo his place is in the third and highest Heavens, and from thence cometh thetrue winde and fpirit, John 3. 8. and the true rain and dew and water of Grace and life, John 4 14. and from thence difcended the true bread of life, John 6. 32. and the oyle of joy and all good things fpirituall whatsoever; and from thence we are to look for them; Thus we may confider of Heaven, though we might here rather know and learn the way thither, then curiously to fearch what it is, which we cannot finde nor comprehend, 1(Cord2, 765 100179

I come to the two other Heavens, because this place teacheth and warranteth us only but of these two. Touching the fecond Heaven, this we finde, that it is a glorious body, Exod. 24. 10. though it confifteth of and by the waters, as St. Peter faith 2 Pet. 3. 5. as in the water we see no diverfity or variety; yet in the bodic of the Heavens there is great variety; for it is as it is in natural things. In a kernel we can perceive no variety, but yet it bringeth a tree forth, which hath great variety, as a body of wood, bark, leaves, bloffoms, and fruit, and by this incarnation we have participation of thofe graces, Heb. 10. 20. and he calleth all to him to buy thefe waters, John 7. 38. 39. and by Water of Me- his fpirit he will power them into our fouls, Rom. 5. 5. and of thefe waters the Patriarchs and we tafted, 1 Cor. 10. 3. and by these waters of Grace we have paffage and navigation from Earth to Heaven, Act.2. 17.18. by our waters we can paffe from one Country to another.

dication.

Waters of
Grace.

Thefe waters of Grace are contained in the clouds of the Law, the preaching thereof doth drop gratious words, as the dew, Deut. 32.2. and therefore the wifeman faith, that the lipps of instruction are a wellfpring of life; fo the preaching and miniftery of Gods word is the clouds and bottels which hold this water. Therefores 14.3. and

Acts