Chap. 3 ç. e4ssExpofation upon the Book o s. Verf. t t. continue fo ) in qualities and conditions. Owhat a reproach is it, that they who have afar better nature than beafis, fhould lead no better lives than abat-, yea poffibly much worfe 1 The Pfa1- mili crys fhameupon fuch ( ?fat. ;1z., 9.) Beye not as the Hole, as the Made, whichhave no underflanding, whife rneutb muff be held in with bit andbridle,te/f they come near rento thee. TheHon fe and Mule are unruly creatures, if left to their own rule,they have no underfianding how to mannage and order :themfelves; they mutt be mannaged and order'd by bic and bridle in the hand of a skilful rider, elfe they do more hurt thangood t`ervice to thofe that come near therm : Now, faith the Lord to man , Be not you like the untaughtor unmannag'd Horfe and Mule ; as ye are bet- ter taught, fo ye fhould have better manners. We fay of foster men, they are better fed than taught; and we may fay of many men, they are better taught than manner'd ; they mend not their manners, thoughdaily taught, yea urged to mend them. For this neglea the Lord reproves the fluggard, ( Pre, 6. 6.) Ga to the Ant thouHaggard, confiderher wages, and-be wife ; thou,doefi not anfwer na'ural, much lets Scriptural light, thou doefi not learnby any teachings; one of the Lail: of my creatures may teach thee more than thou haft yet learnedof all the teachers which I. have fent thee. The little Ant that dwels upon a Mole-hil, that creeps upón the groundtmay teach thee better manners, and make thee wifer. Art thou not ail-lamed to need fuch a teacher, having had fo many teachers ? That'salto the fenfeof thofe rebukes which the Prophet powres out ( witha thong conrefiation) upon the peor pieof Ifrael, calling Heaven and Earth to witnefs againti them, (Ifa. i. e. ) Hear O Heavens, andgive ear O Earth, I have nou- riflied, and brought up children, and they have rebelled againf me, But how doth the Lord convi& them of rebellion, and by whom even bythe teachablenefs and trac`lablenefs of the dulleli brutes, The Ox (Lnoweth his owner, and the Afs his Maf/ers crib . nut If- reel dal; not know, mypeople doth not confider. As if he had {aid The Ox, and the Afs out-do you, the Ox knowerh his owner that . feeds him , and the very Afs knows the crib where he is fed. Thefebeafts take notice of,regardand fub :nitro their Matter and Benefa &or : but Ifrael doth neither obferve nor fubmit to me, who have tenderlynurfed and plentifullynow-WIed them ; who have (asthe Lord fpake by his Prophet, Hof. t T. 4.) been to M 1 them, ß;
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