Part. II. Confid.II. God alone can beltow Rain upon us, for it is one of his peculiar Titles in Holy Scripture, that He giveth Rain, Job v.10. Pfalm lxv. 1o.and cxlvii.8.Mat. V.45. And the Rabbins truly obfervė,That Rain is one of those things wherein the Power and Providence of God moft eminently doth appear: wherefore they fay, there are are three Keys,of the Womb, the Clouds, and the Grave, which never were intrufted in the hand of any Servant (e). For God referveth the power of giving Children,Rain, and of the Refurrection, as his peculiar Prerogative. Maimonides tells us indeed, that the Devil and his Idolatrous Priests had perfwaded the People, that it was because they worshipped him, that the Rain defcended, the trees bore fruit, and the Earth yiel

(e) Tres claves non

traduntur in manus ullius legati, Ventris, pluvia,& refurrectionis.Talm. Tra&t. Sap.

ded it's Encreafe: And therefore it (f) Maimon.Mor. is likely, that S. Paul was fo careNevoch.p.3.c.30. ful to teach the Idolatrous Afiaticks, that it was the true God, which gave them Rain from Heaven,and fruitful Seasons, Acts xiv.17. calling this bis Witnefs, that is, That act which gives Teftimony, as well to his Omnipotence, as his providential Care: For nothing below an Almighty Providence can extract fo vaft a Mafs of Waters out of the dry duft and parched Earth, and afterwards hang these in the thin and airy bofom of a Cloud, and finally conduct and order them to fall when, and where, he pleafeth. It is confeffed, that fecond Caufes do concur, but 'tis only in Subordination to God, who is the firft, without whofe appointment none of these can help us: So that they, who look no higher than the influence of the Sun, the configuration of the Stars,the Changes of the Moon,and the Alterations of the Wind, do deferve to be punished with difappointment: As it

was

was in the time of S. Ambrofe, who takes notice, that the People in his time in want of Rain,promifed themfelves showers at the Change of the Moon, and failed of their Expectation: I was very glad (faith he) that there was no Rain, till it was given upon the Prayers of the Church, that you might learn not to feek for Rain ~from the change of the Moon, but from the Providence and Mercy of the Creator (g) which is a good Memento for us alfo, who are fo taken up with fecond Caufes, that we often forget the firft.

(g) S.Amb.Hexameron.l.4 c.8.

Confid.III. all Pations have fought to God for help herein: The Scriptures do manifeftly witnefs this concerning the Jews,as hath been obferved from Solomon's Prayer, 1 Kings viii.35. And is further manifeft from Jeboshaphat's enquiring for a Prophet of the Lord when the Armies were in great Diftrefs for Water, 2 Kings iii.11. As alfo from Elijab's going up to Mount Carmel to pray for Rain, 1 Kings xviii-42. Which Hiftory was either tranflated into, or elfe imitated by, Greece; for Clemens Alex. relates out of their Authors, That when the Grecians were afflicted with a tedious drought, and confulted the Pythian Oracle, it was told them they must use the Prayers of one ing into a Mountain prayed for Rain, and prevailed. Strom. lib.6. And Marcus Antonius gives us the Athenian Form, used in time of Drought for that Common-wealth, Let it Rain, Ofweet Jupiter, let it rain upon the Tillage, and the Paftures of the Athenians (b). As for the Roman Cuftom it is fufficiently known, that they had folemn Sacrifices, and Suppli

T 2

acus, who afcend

(b)'Euxn 'Aναίων, τσον, σον, ὦ pins Z, Tams apspas Tau 'Anαρέρας τῶν volwr,x) TWv Tidiναίων τῶν πεδί ov adfeipfum 1.5. §.7.

cations,

(i) Cum ab imbribus aftivals hiberna fufpendunt, & annus in cura eft vos quidem quotidiè pafti Aquilicia Jovi immolatis, Nudipedafia populo denunciatis, Cœlum apud Capitolium quæritis. Tertul.Apol.cap.40.

cations and bare-foot Proceffions upon the want of Rain, as Tertullian declareth(i) with more Pomp, though lefsDevotion then the Chriftians, who,as the fame Author affirmeth, In time of Drought,Fafting and Chaft, abstaining from all the Comforts of this life, lying in fackcloth and afhes, with great importunity knocked at Heavens Gates,till they had moved God to have Mercy. id. ibid. So that it is evident, that Jews, Gentiles and Christians, though different in their feveral Rites, yet were all led by the fame Light of Reason and Common Prudence to seek to him they worshiped for a supply of Rain, when ever they had a want thereof.

(k) Pluvia defecit caufà Chriftiani nomins.Aug. Civ. Dei 1.1.

Confid.IV. This courfe hath ufually been fuccesful;fo St. James obferves in the Cafe of Elijab, James v.16. and as the Event declared in the former Examples. But no Prayers were ever so prevalent, as those of the Christians: for although the malicious Heathens were wont to impute all their Calamitiés, particularly their want of Rain, to the Christian Religion (k), it pleafed God wonderfully to confute them, for when all their Gentile Superftitions could not obtain one drop from Heaven, the Chriftians were fo constantly successful, that one of that Age challengeth them to fhew, when ever the Chriftian Supplications and Litanies in this Cafe had failed (1). Eufebius gives us one illuftrious Inftance of aChriftian Legion, which fought under Marcus Aurelius in his German Wars, and when the whole Army

1) Quando monge niculationibus de junationibus noftris, ctiam ficcitates funt depulfa? Tert. ad Scapul.cap.4.

was

was like to perish with thirft, they by their Prayers obtained Rain for the Imperial forces, and thunder which deftroyed the Enemies, whereupon they were called the Thundering Legion ever after. Eufeb.bift.Eccl.l.5.cap.5. And it is remembred concerning our Country-woman, the devout Helena, mother of Conftantine, that the by her Prayers procured Rain in the Isle of Creet, which was almost wholly defolate, for that it had wanted Rain 36 years before. We shall add no more Examples, for these are fufficient to encourage us to feek to our God with great Devotion, whenever we are in like Diftrefs, especially since we have fo excellent a Form to do it in,of which we will now particularly treat.