Question.

WHo hath the disposing of the raine and showers?

Ans. The Lord only.

Q. How prove you that?

A. By these places of Scripture, Job 5.8, 9, 10. I would seeke unto God, and unto God would I com­mit my Cause, which doth great things and unsearchable, yea marvellous things without number; who giveth raine up­on the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: Job 36.27. For he maketh small the drops of water; they poure down rain according to the vapour thereof. Job 37.6. For he saith to the snow, Be thou upon the earth; likewise to the small raine, and the latter raine. Jer. 5.24. Neither say they in their hearts, Let us now feare the Lord our God, that gi­veth [Page 2]raine, both the former and the lat­ter raine in their season. Psalm. 147.8. Who covereth the heaven with clouds; who prepareth raine for the earth. Acts 14.17. And gave us raine from heaven, and fruitfull seasons.

Q. Why doth the earth sometimes want raine?

A. Because the Lord in judgement with holdeth it from the earth.

Q How prove you that?

A. By these places of Scripture, Gen. 2.5. For the Lord God had not caused it to raine upon the earth. Amos 4.7. And I also have withholden the raine from you, when there were yet three moneths to the harvest; and caused it to raine upon one City, and not upon another.

Q. And why doth the Lord sometimes withhold the raine from the earth?

A. Because of the wickednesse of the people that dwell on the earth.

Q. How prove you that?

A. By these places or Scripture, Lev. 26.18, 19. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then will I punish you seven times more for your sins; and I will breake the ride of your power and I will make your heaven as Iron [Page 3]and your earth as brasse. Jer. 3.2, 3. Thou hast poluted thy Land with thy whore­domes, and with thy wickednesse, there­fore have the showers been withholden, and there hath been no latter raine.

Q. And why hath the earth sometimes too much raine?

An. Because the Lord is pleased in judgeme [...]t to send it.

Q. How prove you that?

A. By these places of Scripture, Job 36.26, 27, 28. Behold God is great, and we know him not; neither can the num­ber of his yeers be searched out, for he maketh small the drops of water; they power d [...]wne raine according to the va­pour thereof, which the clouds do drop and distill upon man abundantly. Job 38.25. Who hath divided a water course for the overflowing of waters. Job 28.26. When he made a Decree for the raine, and a way for the lightning and for the thunder.

Q. And why doth the Lord sometimes send too much raine upon the earth?

A. Because of the wickednesse of the people that dwell on the earth.

Q. How prove you that?

A. By these place? of Scripture, Gen. 6.13. & 7.12. And God said, unto Noah, [Page 4]the end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold I will de­stroy them with the earth; And the rain was upon the earth forty day [...]s and for­ty nights. Ezek. 38.18, 22. And it shall come to passe at that same time, when Gog shall come against the Land of Israel, saith the Lo [...]d God, that my fury shall come up in my face; and I will pleade against him with pestilence, and with blood, and I will raine upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing raine.

Q And for what sins doth the Lord some­times in judgement withhold raine from the earth when it wants it?

A. For five speciall sins.

Q. And which is the first sin for which the Lord doth sometimes in judgement with­hold rain from the earth, when it wants it.

A. The first sin is Idolatry.

Q. How do you prove that?

A. I prove it out or Deu. 11 16, 17. where it is said, Take heed to your selves, that your hearts be not deceived, and ye turn aside and serve other gods, and worship them, and then the Lords wra [...]h be kind­led against you, and he shut up the hea­ven that there be no raine.

Q. And which is the second sin, for which the Lord doth sometimes in judgement with hold raine from the earth when it wants it.

A. For disobedience to his command­ments.

A. How do you prove that?

A. I prove it out of Deut. 28.15.13, 24. where it is said, But it shal come to passe, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voyce of the Lord, to observe to do all his com­mandments & his statutes which I com­mand thee this day, the heaven that is over thy head, shall be b [...]asse; and the earth that is under thee, shall be iron; and the Lord shall make the raine of thy land powder and dust.

Q. And what is the third sin for which the Lord doth sometimes in judgement with­hold raine from the earth when it wants it.

An. For not bringing forth fruit an­swerable to the meanes and mercies be­stowed upon a people.

Q. How prove you that?

A. I prove it out of Isa 5.4, 5, 6. where it is said, What could have been done more to my Vineyard, that I have not done in it; wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wilde grapes. And now I will tell you what I will do to my Vine­yard; [Page 7]I will take away the hedge there­of, and it shall be eaten up, and breake downe the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down; and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor digged, but there shall come up thorns and bryers; I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it.

Q. And what is the fourth sin, for which the Lord doth sometimes in judgement with­hold raine from the earth when it is wanting?

A. It is the sin of oppression and cru­elty towards the poore.

Q. How prove you that?

A. I prove it out of Amos 4.1, 7. where it is said, Heare this word ye Kine of Ba­shan, that are in the mountaine of Sa­maria, which oppresse the poore, which crush the needy; and I also have with­holden the raine from you, when there were yet three moneths to harvest, and caused it to raine upon one City, and not upon another.

Q. And what is the fifth sin for which the Lord doth sometimes in judgement withhold raine from the earth, when it is wanting?

A. It is the sin of neglecting Gods or­dinances, or omitting his worship when he requires it.

Q. How prove you that?

A. I prove it out of Zech. 4.17. where it is said: And it shall be, that whoso­ever will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem, to worship the King the Lord of Hoasts, even upon him shall be no raine.

Q. And for what sins doth the Lord some­times in judgement send too much raine upon the earth?

A. For two especiall sins.

Q. And which is the first sinne for which the Lord doth sometimes in judgement send too much raine upon the earth?

A. It is the sin of unequall and ungod­ly marriages; when Gods people in their matching, have more respect to beauty and worldly considerations, then to pie­ty and godlinesse.

Q. How prove you that?

A. I prove it out of Gen. 6.2, 3. Gen. 7.1,2. Compared together, where it is said that the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire, and they tooke them wives of all that they chose; And the Lord said my spirit shall not alwayes strive with man, be­cause he is but flesh, yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty yeares▪ and the windowes of heaven were opened, and the Raine was upon the earth forty dayes and forty nights.

Qu. And which is the second Sinne, for which the Lord doth sometimes in Judge­ment send too much Raine upon the earth?

A. It is the soothing up of wicked men in their sinnes, and not denoun­cing judgements against them, as there is cause.

Q. How prove you that?

A. I prove it out of Ezek. 13.10 13. Where it is said, Because even because they have seduced my people, saying peace, and there was no peace, and one built up a wall, and loe others daubed it with untempered morter: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, I will even rent it with a stormie winde in my fury, and there shall be an over-flowing shower in mine anger.

Q. Then it seemeth if we would obtaine Rain in the time of drought, we must expect it onely from the Lord?

A. Yea indeed, if the Lord alone have the disposing of the Raine, then we are ther to we expect it from the Plannets, nor from the Clouds, though the skie be over spread with them, no nor yet from the winde, though it be in the South, for all such things are but the vanities of the Gentiles, of whom it is said, Jer. 14.22 By way of interogation, which implys a plaine negation.

Are there any among the vanities of the Gen [...]les that can cause Raine, or can the heavens give showers, art thou not he O Lord our God, therefore we will waite upon thee, for thou hast made all these things?

The Lord onely is the Father of the Raine, and hath begotten the drops of the dew, and therefore we are to ex­pect it onely from him,

Q. But what must we doe that we may obtaine Raine at the hands of the Lord, now in the time of drought?

A. We must use such meanes as the Lord hath prescribed us.

Q. And what meanes hath the Lord pre­scribed?

A. That you shall finde set downe, 2 Chro. 7.13.14. Where the Lord saith, If I shut up heaven that there be no Raine, It my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seeke my face, and turne from their evill wayes, then will I heare in heaven and forgive their sinnes, and heale their Land.

Q. Then I perceive the first thing we must doe, is to humble our selves, but how shall we doe that truly,

A. If we would humble our selves truly, we must seriously examine our [Page 11]selves what sinnes we have beene guilty of, and especially as touching those sinnes, for which as you heard the Lord with holdeth Raine.

Q. I pray you instruct me a little far­ther in this point, and repeate those Sinnes againe, for which the Lord with-holdeth Raine in the time of drought?

A. The first is Idolatry, and there­fore if you would truly humble your selfe for your sinnes, examine your self whether you have not loved, desired feared, and trusted in some creature, e­ther more then in God, or equall with God. The Second is, disobeydience to Gods Commandements, and therefore if you would truly humble your selfe, you must examine your heart and life by some spirituall exposition of the ten Commandements. The third is, not bringing forth fruit answerable to the meanes and mercies bestowed on us, and therefore if you would truly humble your selfe, you must examine your selfe whether you have grown in grace, and been filled with the fruits of righteous­nesse, answerable to those meanes and mercies, which the Lord hath bestowed on you. The fourth sinne is, oppression and cruelty to the poore, and therefore [Page 11]if you would truly humble your selfe, you must examine your selfe whether you have not taken all advantages to enhance the prises of such Commodi­ties, as you have dealt in, and thereby oppressed the poore and needie. The last sinne is, neglecting Gods Ordi­nance, and therefore if you would tru­ly humble your selfe for your sinnes, you must examine your selfe, whether you have not somtimes omitted prayer, hearing, reading, and receiving the sa­crament, when you might and ought.

Q. Well, the next thing we must doe is to pray, but how shall we doe that aright

A. It is the spirit of Jesus Christ on­ly that can teach you to pray aright, But if you stand in need of, and do de­sire a briefe plat-forme of prayer for Rain, now in the time of drought, then say from your heart,

O most holy and gracious Lord, for we doe here acknowledge befo [...]e thee, that we have sinned aginst thee; we have broken every one of thy holy and just Commandements, for we have loved, desired, feared, and trusted in the crea­tures; yea, and delighted in the crea­ture more then in thee, wee have beene very unthankfull in the time of plenty, [Page 12]and have not brought forth fruit an­swerable to the meanes and mercies be­stowed upon us; we have omitted prayer, hearing, reading & receiving the sacra­ment, when thou hast called us thereun­to, we have taken thy tytles, atributes, word and workes in vain, by using them ignorantly, irreverently, and after a for­mall coursary manner, we have pro­phaned thy day, by thinking our owne thoughts speaking our owne words, and doing our owne workes, we have beene disobedient to superiours, and beene much failing and wanting in our duties to inferiours; we have been rashly and sinfully angrie, and not free from ma­lice and envie, neither have we been free from unchast and lustfull thoughts we have immoderatly desired to be rich, and have not alwaies dealt so uprightly and justly, in buying and selling, in borrowing and lending, as we ought we have sometimes contemned, and and thought too basely of others, and have beene guilty of evill surmisings and wrongful suspition, and have sometimes rashly and unjustly judged, and sensured others, and spoken evill of them behind their backes, finally, O Lord we have been guilty of covetousenesse, and dis­contentednesse with our present, con­dition, [Page 13]and have had inward longings for that which hath belonged to other men.

Now Lord for these & other sins wher­of we have been guilty, we have justly de­served damnation in hel, how much more this judgment and chastisement of exces­sive drought and want of Raine; But yet seeing thou hast been pleased to declare thy selfe to be abundantly gracious and mercifull in thy sonne Jesus Christ, and dost require us to seeke thy fatherly face in him, loe we come to seeke thy face, and to meete thee in him, praying and beseeching thee to manifest thy selfe in him to be a most gracious mercifull and reconciled Father, in pardoning and forgiving these and all our other sinnes, and to turne our hearts against them, and to give us victory over them, and heale our land of this immoderate drought and want of Raine. O Lord though our iniquities, Jer. 14.7. testifie against us, doe thou it for thy name sake, for our back­slidings are many: O Lord we read that Eliah was a man subject to the like passions that we be, Jam. 5.17.18. and he prayed earnestly that it might not Raine, and it Rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and six moneths, and he prayed againe, and the [Page 14]heavens gave Raine, and the earth brought forth her fruit; Now therefore O Lord we pray thee heare us for thy mercy sake. Are there any among the vanities of the gentiles that can give us Raine, or can the heavens give showers, art not thou he O Lord our God▪ therefore we will wait on thee, for thou hast made al these things, Jer. 14.22.

Q. And will the Lord heare our pray­er if wee thus pray, and will hee send us Raine?

A. Doubtlesse if we could thus hum­bly acknowledge our Sins, and thus by prayer seeke Gods facein Christ, and then truly turne from our evill wayes, God would according to his promise forgive our sinnes and heale our Land, it is our iniquities, which doe seperate be­tweene us and our God, and hinder the showers from comming downe upon us, and therefore if we could but turn from our iniquities, and yeeld obedience to his Commandements, he would send us Raine, according to his gracious pro­mise, Levit. 26.3, 4. If ye walke in my Statues, and keep my Commandments and do them, then will I give you Raine in due season, and the Land shall yeeld her increase, and the trees of the field shall yeeld their fruite, and againe, Dev. [Page 16]11.13.14. And it shall come to passe, If you shall barken diligently to my com­mandements, which I command you this day to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart, and with all your soule, that I will give you the Raine of your Land in due season, the first Raine, and the latter Raine, that thou maist gather in thy Corne, and thy Wine, and thine Oyle.

Yea, to conclude, then the Lord would say unto us, aske ye of the Lord Raine, in the the time of the latter Raine, so the Lord shall make bright clouds, Zech. 10.1. and give them showers of Rain to every one grasse in the feilds.

Q. And what if after we have used all these meanes, the Lord be pleased either to send us Raine in the time of excessive drought, or to send us faire weather in the time of excessive Raine, what must we doe then?

A. Then we must from our hearts say with David, Psa. 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the glo­ry for thy mercy and thy truth sake; And we must not only thank the Lord with our lippes, but also in our lives, by fearing to doe any thing, which may displease him, and endeavouring to do all things that may please him.