For God’s “looking” is the renewing to his grace the things that were lost and undone. Hence it is written, “A king that sits in the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.” For by his very glance he restrains the evils of our lightness and imparts the great value of maturity. Hence it is further added, “When he gave to the wind its weight.” In the holy Scripture, by the rapidity and subtlety of the winds, souls used to be denoted, as it is spoken by the psalmist of God, “Who walks above the wings of the winds,” that is, “who passes above the virtues of souls.” Accordingly “He made the weight for the winds,” in that while Wisdom from above fills souls, it renders them weighty with imparted maturity. This is not the same weightiness of which it is said, “You children of men, how long with a heavy heart.” For it is one thing to be weighty in relation to good counsel and another to be weighed down in relation to sin. It is one thing to be weighty by faithfulness, another ...
13. By ‘rain’ the sayings of those that preach are used to be denoted. Whence it is said by Moses; Let my doctrine be waited for as the rain; [Deut. 32, 2] whose words, that is to say, when they gently persuade are ‘rain,’ but when they thunder out terrible things touching the Judgment to come, they are ‘sounding tempests.’ And it deserves to be noted, that ‘a decree is made for the rain,’ in order that ‘a way may be opened for the sounding tempests.’ For a decree has been set to the preachers themselves, that by living they fulfil what by uttering they are forward to recommend. For the authoritativeness of speaking is lost, when the voice is not supported by the practice. For here it is said by the Psalmist, But unto the wicked God saith; What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth? seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee. [Ps. 50, 16. 17.] For the words of God the preacher does cast behind himself,...
