Part II. ving the fruits of the Earth, which are in danger to be loft for want of feasonable showers: for Rain is the means, which God ufeth, to make the Grass and Corn, the fruits and productions of the Earth, to spring and grow,to flourish and ripen into fuch a perfection, as may fit them for our ufe: whence the Jews call Rain The Husband of the Earth, and the Eastern Church fays,unless,O Lord, thou fhewest thy bounty by sending a gracious Rain, our Land will not yield it's fruit (q). The fecond,and more particular ends are depending ing on this:for if we can by means of Rain obtain fuch plenty, it will tend, First to our comfort, for both Man and Beaft are relieved by these good things, and in the abundance of them we have great content. But that is not all we must design, but fecondly, we refolve this our plenty shall advance his Honour for we will receive all these bleffings as from his hand,and of his free bounty, we will blefs and praise him for them, and use them foberly to enable us to ferve him,not luxuriously so as to pamper us,and make us rebel against him. And truly, the ufual cause why we now want Rain, is because when God hath given us Rain and fruitful Seasons in former times, we have grown wanton and proud, unthankful and intemperate, because we have abused God's name with his own gifts, and wounded his glory with weapons formed out of his kindneffes: therefore if we would have showers and plenty restored, we must promise we will use them better than we have done; and if we now fincerely intend, and afterward faithfully perform this, we shall not fail to procure Rain in this our need, espècially,fince we ask it, through Jefus Chzift our Lo20. Amen. The AD The Pahaphrafe of the Prayer for Rain. God,our Heavenly Father,] who dwelleft above, and commandeft over the Clouds, thou art he who haft fuftained us all our Lives long, and [who by thy Son Jelus Chrift] in the HolyGofpel[haft promised,] as an Encouragement [to all them that leek] in the firit and chiefeft place [tby kingdom] of Heaven, [and the Righteousnels,] that leads to the enjoyment [thereof,] That befides the eternal Happiness which they feek, thou wilt over and above give unto them all things,]which fhall be [neceflary to their bodily Duftenance:] We who have been hitherto seeking Heavenly things, being encouraged by this Promife, do ask for Earthly bleffings alfo. And Lord do thou hear us, and [lend us, we beseech thee] of thy great pity [in this our necellity,] now the Earth mourns, the Creatures complain, and we are brought to great extremity, [luch moderate Kain, and refreshing [Showers] to relieve us, [That we may] in due time [receive the frutts of the Earth] now in danger to be loft for lack of moisture. And if it fhall please thee to give us plenty of them [to our comfort:] We refolve we will use that plenty to thy Glory [and to the Honour.] Grant us this Request therefore Through_Jesus Chzift] his Interceffion who is our Loze,] and only Saviour, [Amen. SECTION SECTION III Of the Prayer for Fair-weather. S.1. Hefe two Judgments, the want and the excess of Rain, though they are contrary in their Natures, yet they do agree to produce the fame effect, viz. Dearth and Famine, and upon that account are equally to be deprecated. Neverthelels there are fome parts of the World, which are more lyable to the one than to the other: In the more Eaftern and Southern Regions, they are most commonly oppreffed with Drought; in Ægypt it scarce ever rains at all, as is attefted by Scripture, Zacb. xiv.r8. As well as by other Wri Plin.l.5.c.9. tings(r): In Judea it was accoun (r) Herodot.1.3. ted a Miracle to fee Rain all the Months of Harvest, 1 Sam. xii.17. Ægyptus fine nube fe(). And at all other times the Claud,item ap.Luc. Terra fuis contenta bonis, non indiga Mercis Aut Jovis fi defcendunt imbres, Plague of immoderate Rain was feldom known there; the Caufe of Famine in all thofe Countries,being generally for lack of Rain: for as S. Hierom, an Eye-witness, affirms, they do tbere depend much in Summer on Cisterns and Pits of water,fo that if they should fail, they would this is the Reafon, why we find fo be in danger to dy for Thirft. And few Complaints in Scripture of excefs,and fo many of want of Rain; and alfo upon this account the Eaftern Church hath no peculiar Office for Fair-weather, because they had scarce ever any need to pray for it. But fignum eft maledictio is in the more Wefterly and Northern Climates, Floods and exceffive Rain are far more frequent and more mifchievous than Drought; and therefore in the Weftern Church there is an Office pro ferenitate, and a most elegant Prayer in Verfe bearing the fame Infcription in S.Ambrofe his Works, Tom.5. By which Examples the Church of England made this Prayer. And doubtless if we either confult the Records of our own Memory, or the publick Chronicles (t), and Hiftories of our own Country, we fhall find, that this Nation hath fuffered more, and more grievous Dearths by reason of long and violent Rains,than upon any other accounts whatsoever; which fhews what reason the Church had for compofing this excellent Form, and what Cause we have to use it with great Devotion, whenfoever there is occafion. For our help wherein, let us more particularly confider: (t) Vid. Stow and Hollinfhead,&c. In V. the 2d. of K the 5th. of K, Henry Rich III. the 5th.of Qu.Mary. I. The Miferies, which attend this Judgment of excefs of Rain. This was the means, which God once chofe to express the highest Anger,that ever he shewed against the Sons of Men; for by this he deftroyed the old World.And though it never fince arrived to that height, yet in those degrees, in which we feel it, it is Firft,very uncomfortable to fee the Heavens cloathed in a fable Mantle, to want the light of the Sun by day, and of the Moon and Stars by night (u), A&ts xxvii. 20. To have the Clouds weeping over our heads, the Earth fwimming under our feet, the furious Cataracts of impetuous Waters roaring (u) Obduxêre polum nubila cali Abfconduntque diem Amb. Hyman.pro sefugato fole. ren. on every fide of us, fcorning their old Channels, and bearing down all before them; who can behold this without (w) Secundum menfem verni effetem. poris non ambigi without fear and sadness ? Which usually is writ on every Man's face but the bold and merry Sinners, who is the Caufer of the Calamity. Secondly, it caufeth great Devastation and many Loffes, both to the publick and to private Persons, especially if it happen (as ufually it doth) in either Spring or Autumn: For in the Spring it hinders the production or the flourishing of thofe things that grow of themselves: and for that which is to be fown, it hinders the Preparation of the Ground for it, or washes away the feed 'ere it have taken root;or elfe rots it under the Clods, and deftroys the hopes and provifions for another year. Hence it was,that the univerfal Deluge came in the fecond Month, that is, in the Spring-time (faith S. Ambrofe) when all things fhould have germinated (w), Gen.vii.11. That they might be punished in their abundance, which they had before abused to luxury and excefs. Again, if it be in Harveft, it is rather worse, because the fruits of the Earth were then almost at the point of maturity, and the disappointment of our hope is more grievous, when the fruition is fo near. is a fad Spectacle to the poor Country-man to behold the fodder of his Cattel, and the food of his Family, his pains and his care, his coft and expectations all fwept away at once (x), and himself no way able to retrieve them. And the whole Nation ought to be concerned, left this prove like that Sweeping Rain(whichSolomon speaks of) that leavetb no food, Prov.xxviii.3. To this may be added the infinite Loffes, occafioned by the violence of this raging Element, when once broke loofe, tearing tur Tunc ergo fecit Diluvium.Amb. in Gen.vii.11. (x) Flentes Agricole Culta relinqunt ; Spectant naufragium trifte laboris; Meislata natant femina. Amb. It down |