An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

And why hath God given them that natural instinct? Why are they quick-scented and quick-sighted, yea many times mo•e quick-sighted than men are? Surely, it is first, that those poor Creatures may provide themselves of shelter, and not be abroad in the storm, rain or wind, in a time of danger, or inconvenient to them. This may be of use to us. God would teach us by the very dumb Creatures, the Brutes, what our duty is; the Cattle, the Swine, the Sheep will witness against us, if we do not take notice of, nor observe, the signs of the various dispensations of God, or when he is about to vary his dispensations. Can the Cattle tell when it will be fowl weather, and are men so stupid (are they especially that profess the Gospel so stupid) that they understand none of these things? The Prophet Jeremiah (Chap. 8.7.) reproves the people of Israel upon this account, by the fowls of heaven (as was showed upon another occasion, at the 11th Verse of the 35th Chapter) The Stork in the heavens knoweth his appointed time, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow know the times of their coming; that is, they will not stay in any place, where it is not fit nor safe for them to stay, and they will not come to any place till they know all things are suitable and ready for them: But my people knoweth not the judgment of their God, they are more senseless than the very fowls of heaven in this. And therefore the prophet checks them (v. 8.) How do ye say, we are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us? You count your selves very wise, yet ye are not so wise in this matter as the Stork and the Crane, and the Swallow, for they observe their times, but you do not. It is a great part of our wisdom to see what God is doing, or what he is about to do before he doth it. It is said (Prov. 22.3.) A prudent man foreseeth an evil. When evil is come every one can see it (though some will scarce see it then, as the Prophet complained (Isa. 26.11.) When thy hand is lifted up they will not see it) but usually that wch is done or doing we can see; when we feel an evil we can see it; but the prudent, that is the godly man, fore-seeth the evil. How comes he to fore-see it? not by any hellish divination, not by star-gazing, not by asking the Devil what shall be hereafter, as Saul did; he would fore-see the evil, ⟨p. 428⟩but he went to the Devil, to a Witch for it (