betokens rain Exercitat 80. if in the evening fair weather but we may finde by observation that evening Rain-bows in our Horizons have been messengers of rain as oft as morning ones the Grecians call it Iris which Eustathius saith is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuntio because it doth foretell rain some derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contention because it presageth stormy and wet weathee Homer constantly calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a divine messenger to tell the world there should be rain and storm This is the observation of some learned that if the colours of the Bowe appeare thick and end in blacknesse of a cloud rain followes certainly but if they grow cleerer and so vanish a serene followes Besides this signification Lib. 12. c. 22. Pliny attributes a speciall operation to it where the hornes of the Bowe do light Plants and Herbs are made more fragrant and pleasant Iridis incubatu Plantae fiunt odoratiores Exercit. 80. Ad generationem mannae mellis â—eriâ— and Scal. is of the same opinion who saith the incubation of the Rainbowe upon Plants makes them more odoriferous and Aristotle tels us lib. 5. Hist Animal cap. 22. that it doth much conduce to the generation of hony-deaw 2. For the Theolocall consideration of this Bow it is to put us in minde of the great flood that drowned the world and to assure us that God will never more do so Gen. 9.14 15. When I bring a cloud over the earth and the Bowe shall be seen in the cloud I will remember my Covenant between me you and every living creature and the water shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh When we see the Bowe therefore in the heavens wee should 1. Be led to consideration of divine Justice against the iniquities of the world which hee punished most severely as to destroy all flesh And 2. To mind the rich mercy of God to our forefathers and our selves to whom hee hath bound himself by covenant and the Bow being the signe of it that hee will never destroy the world again in that kinde and whereas some make the red colour in the Bowe a sign of the worlds destruction by fire at last it hath foundation in mans brain not in any institution of God But I come to the words of our Prophet here is a Bow in a cloud in the day of rain Qui infra lumbos imaginis apparebat Maldon A lapid c. some make the brightnesse here to be that which is downwards from his loynes and to be like unto the Bow in the cloud and so they exclude all the parts from his loynes upward from having reference to this Bow understanding by his upper parts the divine nature by his lower the humane and something there is in it because the Text saith in 27th verse I saw from the appearance of his loynes downwards as the appearance of fire and it had brightnesse round about it That fire had not the other but it seems to mee more suitable to the Text and truth that this brightnesse being in circuit round about it did compasse not the lower parts only but the whole Throne and Person of Christ and so wee finde in Rev. 4.3 where Christ is upon the Throne that there is a Rain-bow round about it and therefore conceive that here also the Rain-bow was round about the Throne We will not stand upon that longer but come to see what the Bow points at And 1. It is an Embleme of glory Gods glory is much seen in the heavens alwayes but when the Bow is set in the cloud Habet accessionem aliquam non spernendam ac si Deus adderet aliquid ad nudum Coeli aspectum Cal. It 's a glorious creature and hath glorious colours in it various and yet beautifull affecting the eye for the present more then all the glory of the heavens besides and I finde among Interpreters that it signifies First the glory and beauty of divine Providence in its various proceedings with the wicked and the godly it punisheth the one it rewards the other and when these are done there is so much glory in it that Angels and men are affected with it Secondly the glory which is conveyed and communicated to the creatures for in the heavens the glory of God doth shine You know the Rain-bowes originall and being is from the beams of the Sun communicated received and reflected and though it be glorious yet it 's a borrowed glory and so informs us that the glory in all creatures is from another from Christ By him Kings raigne He gives gifts to the sonnes of men He enlightens every man that comes into the world 2. It is a token of mercy and favour Symbolum clementiae gratiae misericordiae it 's a Bow without arrows the back saith Ramban of it being towards the heavens and ends downward it 's a signe of mercy for when one shooteth arrowes hee holds the back from him And that it is a signe of grace and mercy we will make out by Scripture unto you that covenant made by Noah about the waters in Isa 54.8 9 10. is applyed to the Covenant of Grace striken with man in Christ In a little wrath saith God I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee for this is â—s the waters of Noah unto mee for as I have sworne that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworne I would not be wroth with thee for the mountains shall depart and the hils be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Here you see the Covenant of waters applyed to the Covenant of grace and in the Revelation you shall see the same signe even the Rain-bow applied for a signe of grace Rev. 4.3 There is Christ sitting upon the Throne and a Rain-bow round about it which shewes that the Throne of Christ is compassed about with mercy and Rev. 10.1 A Rain-bow was upon his head Christ is presented in Visions crowned with the Rain-bow as a messenger of grace and peace Isa 9.6 for hee is the Prince of peace and his Crown is the Rain-bow a certain Embleme of peace Gen. 9.13 14. The Rain-bow hath variety of colours and all glorious and so doth the more fitly resemble the mercies of Christ which are various and glorious This brightnesse then in the figure of a Rain-bow signifies grace and mercy held out to those that were godly or should repent of their wickednesse the brightnesse before noted the glory of his judicary proceeding and here being form'd into a Bowe it betokens mercy Observ 1. That mercy and grace come to us through the humane nature of Christ from thence goeth out the brightnesse and the beams that make the Bow when the Word was made
flesh then went out glory John 1.14 and grace Vers 16. Then was Sol in nube the most glorious Rain-bow that ever was or shall be in the world he was not a signe of peace but our Peace Ephes 2.14 By his blood we are brought nigh for he is our peace 2. God hath his dayes of Rain When the flood was then there was rain to purpose forty dayes together If God hath rained bread Exod. 16. he hath rain'd wrath Job 20.23 snares storms fire brimstone Psal 11. God rains blood upon kingdomes Ezek. 38.22 I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood and I will rain upon him and his bands and the many people with him over-flowing rain great hailstones fire and brimstone 3. That the Lord Christ in wrath remembers mercy he mingles mercy with judgement hee sits as Judge upon the Throne hee pronounces sâ—â—tence against a sinfull kingdome executing the vengeance written against sinners and yet here hee is compassed with the Rain-bow shewing that hee will not utterly destroy the Jewes a remnant should be spared When the great deluge of water was drowning the world yet Noah and his were saved there was mercy in the midst of judgement and here is a Judge with a Rain-bow over his head to assure the godly they should not perish in this flood of wrath now powring out upon the Jews Jerome saith of the Bowe it is a sign of mercy and the covenant which God made with man that when it appeared in the cloud we might know we should not perish by a flood and much more when Christ sits in judgement with the Rain-bow about him may the godly know that they shall not perish by the wrath of God if the glory of his Majesty statelinesse of his Throne terror of his Justice and the greatnesse of his Power do at any time discourage us wee must looke at the Rain-bow round about him and remember his Throne is compassed with mercy It 's said of the Jews when they see the Rain-bow they go forth confesse their sins but will not look upon it Confession of sins or any duty whatsoever will do us no good unlesse wee look upon the Bowe the mercy of Christ now was a storm and in it a Rain-bowe for the Prophet and godly to looke at it 's said in the Text the Bowe in the cloud in the day of rain then it 's a rainy day when God rains snares fire and brimstone and horrible tempest upon the wicked even then the bow is in the cloud and the righteous should look for it and look to it they should remember the covenant and mercy of it Is it not a rainy and stormy time now is not this great Prince angry with the kings and kingdomes of the earth doth he not frown chide and smite and that with deadly strokes in many places Let us look at the Rainbow now and know if there should come an overflowing scourge a deluge of wrath upon the world yet the Noahs shall be arked and safe the righteous shall be hid Christ will manifest mercy to them Saith John Rev. 4.2 I was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in heaven and there was a Rain-bow round about the Throne no sooner was John in the Spirit but he saw the Throne and the Rain-bow let us now be in the Spirit look with eyes of faith and wee shall see the Throne him sits on it and the bow round about him and then though kingdomes lie under the floods of errors superstition and ungodlinesse though drown'd in troubles and blood yet wee shall see God and Christ in a way of love and mercy towards us 4. That Justice and Mercy do compasse the Throne of Christ there was brightnesse round about and the bow was round about go to Christs Throne any way there is nothing but justice for the sinner unlesse penitent and believing and if such nothing but mercy This was the appearance of the likenesse of the Glory of the Lord and when I saw it I fell upon my face and I heard a voyce of one that spake Here is the conclusion of the Vision and in it wee have the scope of all was presented to the Prophets view and it is to manifest the infinite glory of God and then followes a double effect First upon sight of it he fell upon his face And Secondly He heares a voyce and so a fit pass … is made to that which followes The first thing is the manifestation of Gods glory aâ—◠〈◊〉 glory of God is considerable 1. In God himself in the Divine 〈◊〉 and there it is infinite glorious exceeding glory 2. In the creation as it is expressed and opened in the volume of the creatures there Gods glory is greatly seen Isa 6.3 The earth is full of his glory the Hebrew is the fulnesse of the earth is his glory the world is glorious and filled with Gods glory it 's nothing else but Gods glory interpreted and opened unto us in the creatures Quid est mundus nisi Deus explicatus and divine providence about them 3. In divine dispensations towards his Church and people Gods glory is in the firmament in all the creatures but more specially and fully in the Church Psal 29.9 In his Temple doth every one speake of his glory there it is most visible affecting and provoking of every one to speak In the world few take notice of it but in the Temple every one sees it and speaks of it the world is God opened and so glorious the Church is Christ opened and so very glorious this made David long to be in the Sanctuary when hee was in the Wildernesse and why so to see thy power and thy glory Psal 63.2 Could not David see them in the heavens in the mountains in the goodly Cedars and other works of God Yes but not as in the Sanctuary and therefore hee saith to see thy power and glory so as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary there I have seen thee otherwise then ever elsewhere there he saw the King upon his Throne and in his glory The glory of God in each of these is held forth in this Vision in some measure there was the Spirit in the wheels a fire within by which the glory of the divine nature appeared there was a whirlewind a cloud fire brightnesse living creatures wheels moving severall ways which represent the glory of God in the world and government of it there was a firmament and a throne one sitting upon it surrounded with a Rain-bow which sets out the glory of God in his severall dispensations towards his Church both in his judgements mercies and government thereof A Question is moved Whether our Prophet saw the glory of God The Answer is It was the appearance of the likenesse of the glory of the Lord he doth not say hee saw God in his essence it 's acknowledged by most that we cannot see Gods essence while wee are Pilgrims on earth In
of a cloud of Flies another of a cloud of Locusts and the Apostle speaks of a cloud of witnesses and here you have nubâ—s militum a cloud of souldiers and this cloud doth cover the face of the earth this army of Nebuchadnezzar doth cover the land 2 King 25.1 It is said that he and all his host came against Jerusalem all the Militia of 127. Provinces and Hab. 1.8 their horse-men shall spread themselves they spread themselves through the countrey Ezek. 39.9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm and shalt be like a cloud to cover the land thou and all thy bands and many people with thee It is expresly meant of Nebuchadnezzars army which should be so great as that it should cover the earth The Talmud expounds those words they shall be like a cloud to cover the earth of Nebuchadnezzars covering the land with his army 2. A cloud is so swift as that it is irresistible it powres out the rain and none can let it will keep its way go on or break it self in pieces Isa 60.8 Who are these that flie as a cloud clouds flie so swiftly that there is no resisting of them So this army of Nebuchadnezzars went with that swiftnesse and irresistiblenesse that it was not in the power of any to withstand them neither Joakim nor Jehoiachin neither Zedekiah nor Pharaoh King of Egypt four Kings could not withstand this Nebuchad and many other heathen Kings that he had to deal withall none of them could resist him and his forces he went on invincibly strong holds were nothing to him Hab. 1.10 he made heaps of dust and took them at his pleasure 3. Lastly clouds are Emblemes of misery and afflictions and the Hebrew word for a cloud signifieth also calamity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for clouds are full of waters hail fire lightening and thunderbolts they send down such things upon the sons of men as fill all with darknesse fears and troubles it 's naturall for a cloud to be an Embleme of misery for clouds bring storms and tempests The day of the Lords wrath in Scripture is set out by clouds frequently Zeph. 1.15 That day is a day of trouble and distresse a day of darknesse and gloominesse aâ— day of clouds and thick darknesse So Joel 2.1 2. Ezek. 30.3 and 34.12 So this army of Nebuchadnezzar is fitly compared to a cloud because of the misery and calamity came along with it Great miseries have gone along with all armies but specially with this Hab. 1.6 They were a hasty and bitter nation they rained down their wrath upon Jerusalem they had instruments of death they sent out their thunder and lightening and burnt the House of God the Kings house and every great mans house in Jerusalem 2 King 25.9 A terrible storm was now upon Jerusalem when they shot their arrowes into the City slew multitudes burnt down all and carried the people into captivity what a storm was here So here God storm'd Jerusalem with Nebuchadnezzar his armie and what are armies but clouds of blood and fire the great ordnance of God out of which he shoots thunderbolts of death Is 28.2 and by which he storms the strongest towns 1. Observe here That winds clouds and all vapours are subject to the power of God Hee calls them forth at his pleasure and caries them which way he pleaseth to execute his will he sent the whirlewind and the great cloud these lawlesse creatures over which no King no Nation ever had command for who can command the winds or the clouds yet God hath absolute power over winds Prov. 30.4 He gathereth the wind in his fist he can open it and let out a wind where and when he will to shake the foundations of the earth He hath the waters in a garment covered up in cloud and he only can powre them out and make great floods He is the father of the great rain Amos 5.8 He calleth for the waters of the Sea that is the vapours whereof the clouds and rain are made and powreth them out upon the face of the earth It is God that flieth upon the wings of the wind Psal 18.11 It is God that rideth upon the clouds and makes them his Chariot and walketh upon the wings of the wind Psal 104.3 It is God that rideth upon the swift clouds Isa 19.1 God hath the use of the winds as a Fowle of his wings and can flutter and make a great or small wind as he pleaseth God hath the command of the clouds as a Prince of his chariot to drive it which way he pleaseth If you have a wind at Sea or Land to do you good remember that it came out of Gods hand remember God rides upon that wind and carried it that way you would have it If the clouds the bottles of heaven be carried over your Gardens Orchards Lands Habitations Cities or Countreys do water them and make them fruitfull remember that God rideth in those Chariots that he openeth those bottles of heaven and le ts down that which is sweet and comfortable to the sons of men If they prove terrible unto you if there be a storm and tempest remember it is God that sends the storme and tempest All is in his hand 2. That it is Gods prerogative to impose higher significations upon things then they have by nature This whirlewinde out of the North this great cloud naturally had no other signification then other clouds and winds God lifts them up to a higher honour and makes them to represent Nebuchadnezzar and his Army his own wrath and vengeance in that Nebuchadnezzar and in that Army of his It is Gods priviledge to put things into a higher condition then they have by nature No man no Prince on earth could have put this signification upon that whirlewinde The Rain-bow was before the flood but had not that honour to be a witnesse between God and man that God would never drowne the world any more till God himselfe impos'd it The brasen Serpent was no more then other brasse but by divine institution it was made a type of Christ Where such institution is not no creature can be translated to another or higher condition then that it was set in by the first creation without sin To make garments signifie puritie Crosses Christ crucified besides the superstition and injury in thrusting them out of their ranke it 's a presumptuous stepping into the Throne of God and a bold usurpation of his prerogative It belongeth unto him to impose significations of a higher nature upon the creature then ordinarily it hath 3. That the anger of God which way soever venting it selfe makes a storme and a terrible tempest God was about to powre out his wrath by Nebuchadnezzar and his Army and this prov'd such a tempest as ruin'd Jerusalem this verified Psal 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest the portion of their cup. When Gods wrath once breaks out