You may expound it, ' without fear of the snare in the creatures.' Whence observe : —
Obs. In the use of pleasures and outward comforts there should be much caution. When Job's sons feasted, he falleth to sacrifice, ' lest they should have sinned against God,' Job i. 5. It is good to be jealous of ourselves with a holy jealousy, lest unawares we meet with a snare in our cup or dish. At a feast there are more guests than are invited ; evil spirits haunt such meetings, they watch to surprise us in and by the creature ; and therefore we should watch, especially if we be ' given to appetite ;' then ' put a knife to thy throat,' as Solomon saith : that which is sweet to the palate may wound the soul, and gluttony may creep upon good men before they are aware ; as Austin confesseth, that he was far from drunkenness, but crapida nonnunquam surrepit servo tuo — sometimes he would eat too much ; but, saith he, Lord, thou hast now taught me to use my meat as my medicine, to repair nature, not to oppress it ; a holy course and to be imitated. Christians, you may think it needless that we should speak to you about your meat and drink, as if the light of conscience were pregnant and active enough to warn you in such cases. Oh ! but you cannot be too cautious ; the throat is a slippery place, and a sin may get down ere you are aware. Christ did not think it needless to warn his own disciples of excess : Luke xxi. 34, ' Take heed to yourselves, lest 3'e be overcharged with surfeit- ing and drunkenness,' <fcc.
The next clause is, clouds iheij are, without icater, carried about of icinds. Here now comes in a heap of similitudes to express their vain arrogancy and ostentation in professing themselves to be far above what indeed they were ; though they were inapt to teach, and to every good work reprobate, vet they gave out as if they were illuminate
278 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 12.
men, and of a higher attainment than others. The first similitude is in these words, ve^eXai civvSpot, clouds luiflwut loater. Aristotle called barren and light clouds such as are carried up and down with the winds, 6fi[')(Xa<i ; and to these are tlie seducers likened, because, though they seem to look black and promise rain, yet they do not give us one drop, one wholesome notion that may occasion more light in. the understanding, of saving doctrine, or any further relief for the poor thirsty conscience, or any more forcible excitement to the practice and power of godliness. The apostle Peter, 2 Peter ii. 17, hath two simili- tudes— ' wells without water,' and ' clouds carried about with a tem- pest ; ' but here they are contracted into one. If you will have the Holy Ghost's own comment Tipon this similitude, see Prov. xxv. 14, ' He that boasteth of a false gift is like clouds and v.'ind without rain.' That which is observable is : —
Obs. 1. That the word of God is like a moistening rainy cloud : Deut. xxxii. 2, ' My doctrine shall distil like the dew, and my speech like the small rain.' Among the Hebrews the same word signifieth to teach and to rain. Well, then, let us, as parched ground, wait for the droppings of God's clouds. In this time of drought, when you go abroad into the fields, you shall see the grass burned and turned into stubble, and the earth gaping for a refreshing, and with a silent eloquence begging for the influences of the heavens ; every chap is a mouth opened to swallow up the clouds as soon as they fall, or a cry to the God of heaven for a little rain. Just so should you come to wait upon God in the word : ' My soul desireth after thee as a thirsty land,' Ps. cxliii. 6. Oh ! for a little refreshing from the presence of the Lord in his ordin- ance. Promise yourselves also that from the word which you would from rain, Isa. Iv. 10, 11; this is the means by which the grace of God soaketh into the heart to make it fruitful.
Obs. 2. False teachers are clouds without rain ; it is the proposition of the text ; partly because they make show of more than they have ; they ' boast of a false gift,' Prov. xxv. 14. There is a great deal of show to affect the minds of the simple, but little of substance and truth ; like boxes in the apothecaries' shop, that have a fair title, but no medi- cine in them ; much pretence of light and spirit, and when all comes to all, there is nothing but pride and boldness : Aperiuntfontes cloctrince, sed non habent aquam scientia: — they will adventure to rain when they have but a few heat drops, a few poor fragments of truth, which, being disguised and transformed into some strange conceits, are cried up for rare mysteries and attainments. However, thus much we learn from them, that it is seducer-like to promise more tlian we can perform, and to be much in the pretence when we have little of real and true solid worth. Partly because they do not that good to others which they promise to do. Satan will always be found a liar ; it is the property of his instruments to beguile men into a false expectation. Papists cry up their masses and indulgences, which yet do not one pennyworth of good. Preachers that study pomp and edification ^ come with much fancy and appearance ; but, alas ! these airy notions are too fine for the conscience. Seducers pretend to some heights of discovery, as if they would carry you into the third heaven, but you are where you were at