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

In this 11th verse, Elihu aggravates the sin of such oppressed persons by the consideration of that light, & understanding wherewith God hath endued, and enriched man above the irrational creatures, ⟨p. 75⟩and which he hath therefore furnished man with, that he might know what to do in a time of distress, in the day of affliction; they say not, Where is God my maker?

In this 11th verse, Elihu aggravates the sin of such oppressed persons by the consideration of that light, & understanding wherewith God hath indued, and inriched man above the irrational creatures, ⟨p. 75⟩and which he hath therefore furnished man with, that he might know what to do in a time of distress, in the day of affliction; they say not, Where is God my maker?

Who, not only gives us songs in the night, (matter of praise, but) teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth.

Some of the Jewish Interpreters read these words positively, not (as we) comparatively, or •hey render them, to show that God hath appointed the very beasts to be our Tutors, not (as we) that himself tutors us beyond the beasts: Thus; Who teacheth us by the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wise by the fowls of heaven. This answers what Job spake in the 12th Chapter of this book, (v. 7.) Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee: and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee. 'Tis a truth that God doth teach us by the beasts of the earth, and makes us wise by the very fowls of the air. We may learn much in the School of those creatures who have not only no learning, but no understanding, and may be stirred up to the exercise of excellent virtues, by those which have not the exercise of reason. The Scripture sendeth man, the highest of visible creatures, to the lowest of visible creatures, to creatures so little, that they are scarce visible, for instruction; Go to the Ant thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise, (