II. The peculiar beauty of the image under which it is conveyed —
We are no strangers to the benefits arising from the showers which water the earth : and the corre- spondence between those and the benefits accruing from an outpouring of the Spirit of God is obvious and intelligible to all. You will remember, that our text is a command to the heavens and the earth to perform their respective offices for the renovation of the world. And I wish you particularly to notice,
1. Their mutual dependence, as here intimated —
[Every one knows, that in a season of drought the earth cannot send forth its fruits : it must be watered by the clouds, in order that free scope may be given for the exercise of its vegetative and fructifying powers. In like manner, the clouds, however liberally they may pour forth their stores upon the earth, can produce no fruits, unless they fall upon a fertile soil. On a sandy desert their gifts are wasted, altogether without effect.
I say not that the Spirit of God is equally dependent on the powers of man ; for man has no power which he has not first received from God : but in the ordinary course of God's dealt tigs with mankind there must be a similar exercise of powers on the part of man, to render effectual the gifts of God. However good the seed of the word may be, or however richly it may be watered by the Spirit of God, we see, by experience, that it springs not up when sown by the way-side ; and that it then only produces fruit unto perfection, when it is sown in an honest and good heart h. I need not say how barren the heart of man is, if not watered by divine grace. He knows little of himself, who does not feel that "without" constant communications from the Lord Jesus " Christ he can do nothing1." Yet, at the same time, we must take care to improve the blessings conferred upon us. We must plough up the fallow ground, and harrow in the seed that is cast upon it ; and endeavour to take out, from time to time, the weeds which spring up within us, and which, if disregarded, would soon obstruct the growth of the better principles within us. In a word, we must "work out our salvation with fear and trembling, notwithstanding all fruit- fulness proceeds from God ; yea, and because it is God who giveth us both to will and do of his good pleasure V]
2. Their united operation, as here described —
h Luke viii. 15. j John xv. 5. k Phil. ii. 12, 13.