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

Secondly, Note; The knowledge or wisdom (such as it is) that the Beasts of the Earth, and Fowls of the Air have, is of God.

Secondly, Note; The knowledge or w•sdome (such as it is) that the Beasts of the Earth, and Fowls of the Air have, is of God.

If he teacheth men more than the Beasts of the earth, and maketh them wiser than the Fowls of the Air, then in some way and measure he teacheth them, and maketh them wise. That wisdom and knowledge, whatsoever it is, which Beasts and Fowls have, is planted in them by God; they have that which serves their ⟨p. 79⟩turn, and answers their state, by a common instinct of nature, which man hath answerable to his state, either by immediate Revelation, or by means of instruction from God. So then, Beasts and Birds receive their peculiar qualities and abilities from God, as well as their Being: And God hath bestowed those qualities, which are shadows of wisdom and understanding, upon Beasts and Birds, not only for their own preservation, but for the benefit of man, that they may be more useful to him, and fitter for his service. As God hath made both Man and Beast for himself, so he hath made the Beasts of the Earth, and Fowls of the Air for Man, either to serve mans necessity, or to procure his honest delight: And that they might reach both these ends, he hath furnished them accordingly. A creature which hath not somewhat in it like Reason, could be little made use of by the Reason of Man.

If he teacheth men more than the Beasts of the earth, and maketh them wiser than the Fowls of the Air, then in some way and measure he teacheth them, and maketh them wise. That wisdome and knowledge, whatsoever it is, which Beasts and Fowls have, is planted in them by God; they have that which serves their ⟨p. 79⟩turn, and answers their state, by a common instinct of nature, which man hath answerable to his state, either by immediate Revelation, or by means of instruction from God. So then, Beasts and Birds receive their peculiar qualities and abilities from God, as well as their Being: And God hath bestowed those qualities, which are shadows of wisdome and understanding, upon Beasts and Birds, not only for their own preservation, but for the benefit of man, that they may be more useful to him, and fitter for his service. As God hath made both Man and Beast for himself, so he hath made the Beasts of the Earth, and Fowls of the Air for Man, either to serve mans necessity, or to procure his honest delight: And that they might reach both these ends, he hath furnished them accordingly. A creature which hath not somwhat in it like Reason, could be little made use of by the Reason of Man.