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

Now a godly man doth not fore-see the evil by any such ways or means, but by a diligent collection of things, compa•ing one with the other, or by the connection of causes with their effects, and of antecedents with their consequents; by these he plainly fore-seeth that such or such an evil is coming, even as the beast fore-sees the storm is coming by the vapour, or that wch goeth up. The prudent man fore-seeth an evil approaching by way of argument. For thus he reasons, if God be an unchangeable God, if he be as holy, as just, as powerful, as zealous, as jealous now, as eve• he was, and if sin be the same as ever it was, if sin be as fowl in it self, if it be as loathsome and as burdensome to God, if it be as pernicious and hurtful to man now, as ever it was, then surely when men run such and such sinful courses, such and such will be the effects, such and such the fruits. Thus a pruden man seeth the effect in the cause, the consequent in the antecedent. This was Solomons purpose, when he said (Eccles. 2.14.) The wise mans eyes are in his head. You may say, so are the fools eyes too; Where are his eyes else? But when Solomon saith, The wise mans eyes are in his head, his meaning is, they are there to purpose; the wise man well observes and marks how things go, and whither things tend, he considers how things go, and whither things are going; but the fool walketh in darkness, that is, he walketh as if he had no eyes in his head, as if his eyes were in his heels, not in his head. It is said, (1 Chron. 12.32.) concerning the men of Issachar, They were wise concerning the times, and to know what Israel ought to do: They knew what the times required, and what God required in those times, what special duties were incumbent upon them, from the dispensations of God. It is a great mercy, and a great part of our wisdom to be thus wise, and if we ar• not, we shall be found and judged more brutish •han the brute beast, for the Cattle also give warning concerning the vapour, they give notice when rain and storms are coming.

Now a godly man doth not fore-see the evil by any such wayes or means, but by a diligent collection of things, compa•ing one with the other, or by the connection of causes with their effects, and of antecedents with their consquents; by these he plainly fore-seeth that such or such an evil is coming, even as the beast fore-sees the storm is coming by the vapour, or that wch goeth up. The prudent man fore-seeth an evil approaching by way of argument. For thus he reasons, if God be an unchangable God, if he be as holy, as just, as powerful, as zealous, as jealous now, as eve he was, and if sin be the same as ever it was, if sin be as fowl in it self, if it be as loathsome and as burthensome to God, if it be as pernicious and hurtful to man now, as ever it was, then surely when men run such and such sinful courses, such and such will be the effects, such and such the fruits. Thus a pruden man seeth the effect in the cause, the consequent in the antecedent. This was Solomons purpose, when he said (