The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of Gods Providence to be ſeen in the Winds and in the blowing of them: An Objection anſwered.
Plin. Nat Hiſt. lib. 2. cap. 8.IN the next place, I ſhall ſhew how God's Providence is much to be ſeen in the Air, which filleth up this vaſt and empty place which we ſee above us, and alſo filleth thoſe crannies in the Earth, which are not to be ſeen by us; yea the very fiſhes of the Sea (though we perceive not their breathing) do die without it: the Air invironeth the whole Earth, and all living Creatures receive the benefit of it, it is a vital element, heavier than fire, lighter than Earth and Water, the cauſe of ſounds and breathing, capable of heat, cold, drineſſe and moiſture; having no light of it ſelf, but from the fire, diſtinguiſhed into three Regions, viz. the upper, the middle, and the lower. The Air is the Kingdome of the winds, there the winds have their circuit, but where their treaſure is we cannot underſtand: God bringeth the wind out of his treaſuries when he pleaſeth, Pſal. 136.7. and he maketh uſe of the holy Angels as his treaſurers, in raiſing, directing and withholding the winds, as may be collected from Revel. 7.Hagius de Ventis. The Wind is a hot and dry exhalation, elevated by the Sunne-beams to the middle region of the Air, by reaſon of the coldneſſe whereof it is driven downwards again, and repelled by the Clouds unto the loweſt region, which it fanneth up and down, leſt the Air ſhould be corrupted by too much ſtillneſſe:Weems Natural and moral obſervat. The Wind is an exhalation more groſſe than the pure and ſubtil Air, but more ſubtil than the groſs exhalations that come out of the Earth, ſaith a Learned man; therefore the Wind for the ſubtilty of it,Ventus quòd ſit vehemens & violentus. Frytſch. de metaeoris. aſcendeth upwards, but the weight of it carrieth it down from the pure and clear Region of the Air, yet can it not deſcend to the Earth by reaſon of the thick vapours which ariſe out of the Earth continually. Great is the force and power of the Winds, that they throw down houſes, and pluck up Trees by the roots; The ſame Wind, which now ſhaketh the leaf, and maketh the feather to move, being charged againſt a Mountain, would have turned it up from the foundation; and the ſame ſtrength that bloweth up the duſt,Dearing in Heb. 1. Lect. 2. Ventus eſt exhalatio five flatus aerem valdè agitans & commovens. Keckerm. Syſt. Phyſic. l. 6. c. 7. if it came againſt the Earth, would ſhake the bottome of it, ſaith a judicious Divine: The Wind ſometimes troubleth Heaven and Earth, and diſturbeth the Sea.
They that are cunning in the Seacard know there are four cardinal or chief Winds; theſe are ſpoken of, Ezek. 37.9. Mat. 24.31. and that theſe have their ſubordinate collateral ſide-winds belonging to each of them in their ſeveral quarters, they ſay ſeven apiece, and ſo there be thirty two in all: Some of them we have ſpecified, Acts 27. in the Deſcription of the Tempeſt that befell St Paul and his companions in their Sea journey towards Rome: Now the Lord raiſeth the Winds, and ſendeth them forth at his pleaſure: He walketh upon the wings of the wind, Pſal. 104.3. A wind came from the Lord and brought an innumerable company of Quails into the tents of the Iſraelites, Numb. 11.31.Jonah 1.4, 5. So the Lord ſent out a great wind into the Sea, ſo that the Ship wherein Jonah was, was like to be broken. And Jonah 4.8. it is ſaid, That after the worm had ſmitten Jonahs gourd, that when the Sunne aroſe, God prepared a vehement Eaſtwind, and the Sunne beat on the head of Jonah that he fainted, &c.
Object. But it may be ſaid, That the Eaſtwind is commonly rough and boiſterous, as appeareth, Exod. 14.21. where it is ſaid, That the Lord by a ſtrong Eaſtwind drove back the red Sea, and made it to forſake his wonted chanel, to yeeld paſſage to his people out of Aegypt: So it is ſaid, The Lord breaketh the ſhips of Tarſhiſh with an Eaſtwind, Pſal. 48.7. one might think that this Eaſtwind which God prepared againſt Jonah ſhould have cooled the Air, or abated and aſſwaged the heat of the Sunne.
Reſp. This Wind was not Coecias the North-eaſt wind, which is indeed boiſterous and bloweth very cold; but Subſolanus, the South-eaſt wind, which is a hot and dry wind: therefore Tremellius tells us,Tremel. ad loc. it is called Eurus ſilens, a quiet or ſilent Eaſt-wind, to diſtinguiſh it from the other; and ſo it is in the Margin of our Bibles of the laſt Tranſlation. If it be further urged, that the Text ſaith, It was a vehement Eaſt-wind: I anſwer again, That that might be as well in regard of the ferventneſſe and ſoultry heat thereof,Ventus calidus & urens. Hieron. ad loc. apud Lyram. as of the highneſſe and loudneſſe thereof, or noiſe it made; and ſo Hierom tells us, it was a hot and burning wind, as Lyra noteth; ſuch a wind as did not cool the Air, but the more warm it, being as a waggon or chariot to carry the heat of the Sunne, whereupon it attended the more forcibly forth-right to the object; and that the Eaſt-wind blaſteth (beſides our daily experience) the Scriptures teſtifie unto us, Gen. 41.6. where it is ſaid, that Pharaoh in his dream ſaw ſeven thin ears of corn blaſted with the Eaſt-wind. Ezek. 19.12. Hoſ. 13.15. Hence we learn that not Aeolus or Neptune, Jupiter or Mars, or any of the Idols and feigned gods of the Heathen, but Jehovah Elohim the Lord God of Iſrael, he that made Heaven and Earth, Sea and all things; he ſtirreth up winds, Exod 10.13, 19.ſtorms and tempeſts at his pleaſure, Pſal. 29.3. Exod. 9.23. God cauſed an Eaſt-wind to bring Locuſts upon the Land of Aegypt, and a Weſt-wind to remove them; He maketh the South-wind to bring heat, and the North-wind to purge the Air, and drive away rain. Winds come not by chance or Fortune, nor altogether from natural cauſes, howbeit God worketh by them; he is the great Lord Treaſurer of the winds, he ſendeth them forth, or ſhutteth them up at his pleaſure. Nay Witches and Wizards, and the Devil himſelf cannot raiſe a ſtorm, but by leave, as appeareth, Job 1. The wind and ſtorms have a Law by which they move; there is not a ſtorm ſo impetuous, but it is directed by a Law, Pſal. 148.7, 8. Why doth the Pſalmiſt call forth thoſe creatures to praiſe the Lord, but to teach men that they do obſerve the Law that their great King and Lawgiver hath given them to obſerve? He hath made a Decree which ſhall not paſſe, or ſhall not be tranſgreſſed, as in the original; Fire, hail, ſnow and vapours, and ſtormy winds are ſaid to fulfill his Word: the wind and the Sea were calm at our Saviours command, when he ſaid, Peace and be ſtill; inſomuch as the Mariners cried out, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the ſea obey him? Mark 4.39, 41.