An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

First, God oftentimes bestoweth the gay and glitter of worldly things upon the worst, the unworthiest among the sons of men; upon such as have no more wisdom in them, than a Peacock or an Ostrich. And if so, then

Secondly, take this inference; We should not envy any sort of men in the world their gay feathers. Job stumbled at this, and so did David, who said of himself, I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked (Psal. 73.3.) David was troubled to see them garnished and trimmed like Peacocks and Ostriches, flaunting with their feathers, while he poor man was chastened every morning; yet he quickly saw he had little reason for this trouble, when once he went into the sanctuary; For there he learned in what a slippery place they stood, and therefore called himself ignorant fool and beast, for envying them their gayest feathers, their greatest prosperity. (ver. 22.) Let it not offend us to behold bad men in the best array. Is any man offended because a Peacock or an Ostrich hath such goodly feathers? Surely, no man ought to complain of or find fault with the dispensations of God, because he hath bestowed a richer suit of feathers upon the proud Peacock and the foolish Ostrich, than he hath upon the pious, kind-hearted, well-natured Stork, or the innocent Dove. Why then should any be offended or murmur, if God give the good things of the world to those that have no more goodness than Peacocks or Ostriches, if he fills and adorns some bad men, with better things of this life, than many that are good? The Prophet (Ezek. 17.4.) gives the description of an Eagle, having long wings, and embroidered feathers, or feathers of many colours. Yet that Eagle was but a Heathen Prince, and he none of the best, though one of the greatest of that sort. Bad men have their embroiderers, the paint of an earthly glory, and that is all the portion, all the good they ⟨p. 399⟩are ever like to have; As Abraham told the rich man in the Parable (