Ministers Compared to Clouds

    MINISTERS COMPARED TO CLOUDS

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

    "I also will command the Clouds, that they rain no more rain upon it," Isa 5:6.

    CLOUDS have divers metaphorical notations in the holy scriptures:

    1. For calamities or great afflictions: "How hath God covered the daughters of Zion with a cloud!" La 2:1.

    2. Because of the number and multitude of Clouds, for in tempestuous weather a great plenty of thick Clouds appear, so an innumerable company of witnesses are compared to Clouds, Heb 12:1.

    3. They are also used in comparison: "Behold, he shall come as Clouds: that is, his army will I make a vast appearance, the Targum says, as a Cloud which comes up and covers the earth, Eze 38:9.

    4. For vanity and inconstancy, or emptiness; hence false teachers are compared to Clouds without rain.

    5. And upon divers accounts true Ministers of the Gospel may be compared to Clouds; for as false teachers are like Clouds without rain; so true Ministers are as Clouds full; or filled with rain, &c.

    How fitly Christ's Ministers may be compared to Clouds, will appear by what follows.

    METAPHOR

    I. Clouds are fit receptacles for the water, they receive their water, as it is drawn up out of the fountain of the great deep: for God hath made the Clouds as useful as so many buckets, to draw up water out of the sea; and the wind is made use of as an hand, to carry these buckets or Clouds whithersoever the great Creator pleaseth, to distil it down upon the earth, that the earth might be replenished, and made fruitful by it.

    PARALLEL

    I. So Ministers receive all their spiritual rain out of the great Fountain of all fulness: "Of his fulness have we received," &c., and that by the Spirit; that so their doctrine might drop as the rain upon the tender herbs, and as showers upon the grass, De 32:6. It is according to the gifts and operations of the Spirit, be it more or less, that these spiritual Clouds are filled: and as God is pleased to distil and bless the Word, it becomes profitable, and makes, this or that man fruitful in grace and holiness. What abundance of fruit have the saints brought forth under the dropping of these Clouds!

    METAPHOR

    II. Clouds are prepared by the wise God, as fit mediums to let rain down, and that so it might fall gradually, as the earth is able to take it in, to the benefit of all things that grow thereon, and not to its detriment, as possibly it would, were it not that God made use of the Clouds.

    PARALLEL

    II. Ministers are appointed by the Lord as instruments, to communicate of his grace and divine goodness to the children of men. If he should make use of other mediums, it might be to our hurt; should he speak to us himself, we could not, it is possible, be able to bear the hearing of his word. The poor Israelites desired Moses to speak to them, would not that God should speak to them any more, lest they died.

    METAPHOR

    III. Clouds let down their water more freely at one time than at another: now and then it falls down wonderfully.

    PARALLEL

    III. So the spiritual Clouds sometimes pour down, or rather out, the divine rain in a plentiful manner; at other times they seem much straightened in their own spirits.

    METAPHOR

    IV. Clouds let down their water at God's command, and they obey his voice.

    PARALLEL

    IV. So Ministers preach at God's command; it is he that openeth their mouths; it is as the Spirit gives them utterance.

    METAPHOR

    V. It is a great judgment upon a people, when God commands or restrains the Clouds from raining upon the earth or upon this or that particular nation, field, or vineyard.

    PARALLEL

    V. So it is a severe and sore judgment upon a people or congregation, when God suffers his Ministers to preach no more unto them, or makes their ministry of no advantage or profit to them. "I will command the Clouds, that they rain no rain upon it," Isa 5:6.

    METAPHOR

    VI. Clouds are of great profit to those who have weak eye-sight, in that they are as a veil between the bright shining of the sun, and them; for the light must be proportionable to the sight, or else eyes are confounded.

    PARALLEL

    VI. So the Ministers of the word of God are of infinite use and advantage to poor mortals: for we have all but weak spiritual sight, and cannot behold the glory of God, nor take in divine mysteries, without these blessed mediums God is pleased to make use of, in his gracious condescension to us: and therefore God speaks to us by men like ourselves, and opens heavenly things by earthly similitudes, &c.

    INFERENCES.

    I. Let us pray, that these spiritual Clouds may be full of divine rain.

    II. It shows us the great wisdom and condescension of God to mankind, and what great profit we receive by the preachers of the Gospel.

    III. It shews the great folly of all those that go about to stop these Clouds from raining, when God hath given them a command. Will they attempt to hinder the light from shining, or the Clouds from raining, at their pleasure? "Even thus they attempt spiritually, when they strive to hinder Christ's Ministers from preaching the Word, or obstruct the showers of Gospel-grace from falling upon the souls of men.