The Word of God Compared to Rain

    THE WORD OF GOD COMPARED TO RAIN

    "My doctrine shall drop as the Rain" &c., De 32:2.

    SIMILE

    I. RAIN is the immediate and proper work of God; He gives us Rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons." "Are there among the vanities of the Gentiles they that can cause Rain? or can the heavens give showers? Art not thou he, O Lord?" Jer 14:22.

    PARALLEL

    I. THE word of God, and the blessings that attend it, are all from God, it is he that makes the divine Rain to fall upon men's souls. You are not to look upon those truths that ministers dispense as the mere effects and fruits of their inventions and parts: "He is the minister of God," &c., the office is from heaven, the doctrine he preaches is from heaven, the efficacy and success of it is from heaven: "what I received of the Lord, I delivered also unto you," 1Co 11:23.

    METAPHOR

    II. Rain falls by divine direction and appointment; God causes it to rain upon one city, and not upon another, Am 4:7. You often see a cloud dissolve and spend itself upon one place, when there is not a drop within a few miles of it; one land may have rain and a fruitful season, when another may have none.

    PARALLEL

    II. So the Word of God is sent to one people and not to another, to one kingdom and not to another; what glorious influences of the Gospel hath God sent to this land! and what a drought and scarcity is there of it in many others not far off: and what precious showers have some places had in England beyond what others enjoy? "To you is the Word of this salvation sent," Ac 13:26; it comes not by chance, but by commission and the special command of God.

    METAPHOR

    III. There is a great deal of difference in the showers of Rain that fall upon the earth, sometimes you have it in small drops; a drizzling Rain which comes gently, but continuing long, it waters the earth and the fruits thereof thoroughly, going to the very root; at other times it comes down in a hasty and violent manner, causing the streams to run, but it is gone presently, and doth but little good.

    PARALLEL

    III. The Word of God in like manner sometimes comes down moderately, yet continuing long before God takes it away from a people or soul, at length it proves effectual, and thoroughly waters and soaks their barren hearts, and makes them fruitful; but at another time, the Word in a sermon, comes like a sudden spout of Rain, seeming to carry all before it, and startles the sinner, but it is soon over, and doth but little good, it abiding not upon the conscience.

    METAPHOR

    IV. Some people in the world have no Rain, as the Egyptians; for it is said, that it seldom or never rains there.

    PARALLEL

    IV. So there are some people, nay, many in the world, that never had the Gospel preached as yet to them.

    METAPHOR

    V. Rain comes down successively and gradually, now a little and then a little; it doth not fall at all one time, before it give over, but it comes now a shower and then a shower, as the earth and fruits thereof need it.

    PARALLEL

    V. So the Word drops and distils like Rain and showers that water the earth, now a little and then a little, as the condition of the soul requires; a drop in this sermon, and a drop in another sermon; "precept must be upon precept, and line upon line; here a little and there a little," Isa 28:10; now one comforting influence and then another; now one quickening impulse and then another, now one promise is rained down, then another. 1. Christ would that his people should have a constant dependance on himself. 2. He would have them wait upon every sermon, upon every, ordinance and opportunity. 3. He would not have them surfeit upon his Word, therefore he observes a successive distillation of the blessings thereof upon them. 4. He would have every doctrine, and precept, and promise soak into their hearts. 5. Christ would endear every drop of his grace, and morsel of his Word to his people; he would have them lose nothing be bestows, and therefore gives it them as they are able to receive it. 6. The souls of believers are like narrow-mouthed vessels, they cannot receive much at a time without spilling. 7. We are such bad husbands, Christ will not trust us with all at once.

    METAPHOR

    VI. The Rain comes down, as is noted of dew, irresistibly; when God doth, by his Word of command, speak to the clouds to distil it down upon the earth, it is not in the power of all the creatures to hinder its falling.

    PARALLEL

    VI. The Word falls upon sinners. When God gives command with mighty power, the influences of the Word and Spirit work with mighty efficacy upon the heart; the Word is quick and powerful, it breaks the heart in pieces; in conviction it causes the sinner to cry out, Lord, what wilt thou have me do? it shall accomplish that for which it was sent. See Light.

    METAPHOR

    VII: Rain is most beneficial to the earth, when there come sweet, warm rays of the sun with it, or as clear shining after it, then herbs, flowers, and corn, as also other fruits, grow abundantly.

    PARALLEL

    VII. So it is in respect of the Gospel, when the Sun of righteousness shines upon the soul, under the Word and blessed doctrine thereof, 0! this makes a believer, and all his graces, to flourish exceedingly!

    METAPHOR

    VIII. Rain is necessary at seed-time, to make the earth ready and fit to receive the seed; "Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it; thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn; thou waterest the ridges abundantly, thou settlest the furrows thereof; thou makest it soft with showers, thou blessest the springing thereof, thy paths drop fatness," Isa 30:23; Ps 65:9-10. This is called the former Rain, and as it is necessary at or about seed-time, so also it is needful at earing-time, to ripen the corn, and to bring it to perfection; both these are needful to produce a good harvest, both the former and latter Rain.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. The Gospel hath a two-fold use and benefit, it is necessary as the former Rain at the beginning or first working of grace upon the heart; so it is needful afterwards, to ripen and prepare the soul for heaven. "Be glad then ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he hath given you the former Rain moderately; and he will cause the Rain to come down, the former Rain and latter Rain," &c. We cannot be without either; we shall soon decay in our spirits, if we have not spiritual moisture of the grace and Word of God upon our souls; the ministry of the Word is not only appointed to implant grace in us, but also to perfect grace so rooted and implanted.

    METAPHOR

    IX. Rain makes the earth soft and tender, which otherwise would be very hard and dry, and unfruitful, as we see in time of great drought.

    PARALLEL

    IX. So the Word of God makes the hard and flinty hearts of sinners very soft and tender; it is of a mollifying fructifying nature, it makes the saints fruitful in grace and good works.

    METAPHOR

    X. After much Rain, sometimes comes a great drought.

    PARALLEL

    X. So after great plenty of divine and spiritual Rain, when people are glutted with a fulness of Gospel-mercies, God sometimes sends a drought, shuts up heaven. Ministers are like clouds without Rain.

    METAPHOR

    XI. Clouds let down the Rain upon the earth; God makes use of them as vessels to retain the water, and that also at his pleasure, they may let it out, and distil it down upon the earth.

    PARALLEL

    XI. Ministers are the spiritual clouds that God hath appointed to retain the Word and saving knowledge of divine things, so that they may also at his command let the water of life down, or distil it upon men's souls. See Clouds.

    METAPHOR

    XII. Rain hath been sent down from heaven as the answer of prayer; prayer hath as it were opened the windows of heaven, that it might Rain upon the earth.

    PARALLEL

    XII. Divine Rain hath been sent down as the answer of fervent prayer; the prayer of the godly hath prevailed with the Almighty, for sending of the Word and Spirit down upon the world, and Church of God! hence Paul earnestly

    begs the saints' prayers, that he "might open his mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel," Eph 6:19; 2Th 3:1.

    METAPHOR

    XIII. Rain cometh down from heaven, and returneth not thither, without answering the end for which it is sent.

    PARALLEL

    XIII. "So," saith the Lord, "shall my Word be that goeth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it," Isa 55:10-11

    METAPHOR

    I. Rain is not necessary at all times; there are seasons when the husbandman craves none; he is sometimes afraid of a shower, and prays for fair weather; Rain in harvest is not welcome.

    DISPARITY

    I. The Word of God is necessary at all times: "preach the Word, be instant in season and out of season:" there is indeed no time, but this divine Rain is needful, and we cannot say we want it not, for we cannot be without it one day.

    METAPHOR.

    II. Rain is no distinguishing argument between good and bad men; it falls promiscuously upon the righteous and the wicked; for though it does not fall every where, in every city and place, yet where it comes, it usually falls alike.

    DISPARITY

    II. But the word of God and blessings thereof, are a distinguishing sign of God's special favour: the peculiar drops of divine grace are not communicated to all alike, though all may have the word preached to them: "My word, saith Christ, hath no abiding in you."

    INFERENCES.

    I. PRAY that the divine clouds may be filled with spiritual Rain.

    II. And know from hence the necessity of the Word, that there is as much need of the Word, for the growth and comfort of the soul, as there is of Rain for the growth of the fruits of the earth.

    III. How blind are they who are offended at the doctrine of the Gospel!

    IV. Hath the word, like Rain or dew fallen upon your souls? Consider the effects of Rain, and examine yourselves thereby.

    V. When ye see it rain upon the earth, think upon the Word and doctrine of the Gospel, with secret groans and desires of heart, that your souls may be made fruitful by it.

    VI. And lastly, take heed you do not provoke God to shut up heaven, that there be no more Rain. God can make spiritual clouds empty, or scatter them in a way of judgment; now your eyes behold your teachers, and they seem like clouds filled with water; but he can soon cause them to be driven into corners, as a punishment for your sins, or make them like clouds without Rain, that so you may know what it is to abuse the spiritual plenty you have so long enjoyed, by feeling want and scarcity, that may be over all the land: "Behold, the day is come, saith the Lord, that I will send a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord," Am 8:11.