Observations Natural and Moral, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of the Meteors, the dew, and the Spirituall applications of it.
AS there are ſundry ſorts of Meteors engendered in the ſuperiour region of the ayre, Some Meteors bred in the ſuperior and ſome in the inferior region of the Ayre.ſo there are Meteors bred in the inferiour region of the ayre, the dew and the hoare-froſt; and the cauſe of theſe are the exhalations drawne up by the Sunne in the day time, the Sunne going away, and the night comming in place of it: theſe vapors are condenſate by the coldneſſe of the night, and if the cold be not vehement as it falleth out in the Spring time and the Summer, it breedeth the dew, which is a ſmall ſort of raine, refreſhing the graſſe and the hearbs, foreign vos foreign.and the Hebrewes call it tal and the Greekes foreign : but if the cold be more vehement, then the vapors are more conſolidated, and that breedeth the hoarefroſt, which falling upon the graſſe, and herbs, are like a little ſnows this dew & hoare froſt when they be engendered, are bred in the clouds; but this cloud is ſo ſmall and thin that it obnubilateth not the ayre: when the South winde bloweth ſoftly, then the dew is bred; and the hoare-froſt, when the North winde bloweth, and they are engendered in the morning and evening: In the evening, for then the Sunne beames goe away, and in the morning when the Sunne riſeth, the clouds melt and the watrie humors fall downe, Why coldes at the Sunriſing than before.therefore about the Sunne riſing we finde the cold to bee vehement.
The Prophet Eſay ſaith, A compariſon taken from the falling of the dew.Chap. 45.8. Dreppe downe yee heavens from above, and let the skyes poure downe righteouſneſſe: let the earth open, and let them bring forth ſalvation. Here the Prophet taketh a compariſon from the falling downe of the dew upon the earth, to ſhew the conception of Chriſt in the wombe of the Virgin.
And firſt hee beggeth for that celeſtiall grace from the heavens, Things proper to the dew applied to Chriſt.for theſe things which come from the heavens are the moſt excellent; even in the conceit of the heathes, and that which they made much of, they called it delapſum de calo. Now this is moſt fitly applied to Chriſt, Ioh, 3.13. No man aſcended up to heaven but he that came downe from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven: ſo Ioh. 8.23. Ye are from beneath, I am from above. and 1 Cor. 15.47. The firſt man is of the earth earthly, the ſecond man it the Lord from heaven. And hee deſireth that luſt one to come downe & quench our thirſt, for without this dew the fleece will be drie, Iudg. 6.36. and ſo the ground ſhall be drie. So without this ſpirituall dew men ſhall be barren, like the mountaines of Gilboa, 2 Sam. 1.21.
As the dew falleth upon the ground, without any noyſe, and wee feele it not, and as the haile and the raine fall, and wee ſee it not when it falleth; ſo when our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, was conceived, in the Wombe of the Virgin, who perceived it, or tooke notice of it, except the Angels, and his Mother Marie?
Secondly when Manna fell, there fel firſt a dew in the campe; and ſo before Chriſt was conceived in the wombe of the Virgin, the dew of the Holy Ghoſt came and over-ſhadowed her.
Thirdly, when the dew falleth, it imitigateth the ſcorching heat; ſo when the world was ſcorched with the heat of Gods wrath for burning in ſinne, then hee ſent the Sunne of righteouſneſſe to refreſh them.
And laſtly, the clouds are bidden drop downe righteouſneſſe, the cloudes a ſigne of aboundance, the clouds, who willingly drop downe and liberallie, the clouds, who dropp not downe partially: So this righteouſneſſe of Ieſus Chriſt commeth freely from the heavens in great aboundance, and not partially diſtributed to men. Concluſion.
The Concluſion of this is, as Cannan was a land bleſſed of God, and his eyes were upon it from the beginning of the yeere to the end, it was a Land that drinketh in the water of the raine of heaven, Deut. 11.12. So the Church is a land bleſſed for ever, and watered with that celeſtiall dew that came from heaven.