Chap. 9. A Expofition upon the Book of J OB - Verf 9. 219 not fuperflitioufly, as if fome times were good, others bad, fome lucky, others unlucky, as ifthe power of God were Phut up in, or over-ruled by his own inflruments and inferiour caufes,this is dif- honourable unto God ; and thus the Jews were forbidden to ufe any divination, or to obferve times. The Heavens and oars are for figns, but they are not infallible figns. They are ordinary figns of the change of weather, Mat. i 6. 2,3. They are ordinary figns ofthe feafons of the year,Spring and Summer, and harveft and winter ; they are ordinary figns of a fit time to till and manure the ground, to plow, low and reap. The earth is fitted and prepared for culture by the motion of the hea- vens. The heavens are at once the Alphabet ofthe power and wif- dom of God, and ofour works : we may read there when to do manybufinef es, Gen.8. 22. While the earth remaineth, feed-time and harveft,andcold andbeat, andftmmer and winter, andday andnight fhall not ceafe. Thofe feafons that! continually return according to the time of the year, meafitred by the Sun,Moon and Stars. Thus, they are figns 6f ordinary events. And God fometimes puts tlae fign ofan extraordinary event in them, Mat. 24.. 29. Immediately after the tribulation ofthole dayesfhall the Sun be darkned, and the Moonfhall not give her light, and the ftars(hallfall from heaven, and thepowers of the heavens(hall befbaken i which, force underfland al- legorically ;others literally of orange apparitions and impreflìons in heaven, either before the defiru6tion of jerufalem, or the day of judgement. So Atls 2. 19, 20, 67c. Thus God puts a fign in themofextraordinary events. But fhall man from them prognoflicate and fore-tell extraordi- nary events ? as when there fh tll be famine and pcflilence,war and trouble in Nations ? This the Lord abhorreth. The counfels of God about thefe things are written in hisown heart; what is man that he fhould traufcribe them from the heavens ? But if men will fay, theyare written there ; God will blot out what they fay, and prove theirs to be but humane divinations, yea, that they were received from hell, nót written in heaven. (Ifa. q.7.i 3:) /willde- ftroy thefigns of them that divine, let non' the Ajtrologers, the lfar-ga-. zeri, the monetbiy PrognofticatoursRand up andlave thee from there things thatfha1I cárne'upon thee`: Behold, they(hall be asftubble, they ,/hall not be able to deliver themfelves. It,ugood to be a_tar, beholder. but a wicked thing to be aftar-gazer ; that is,to look upon the (tars; CO, as if we could fpell out the feeret providences Of God, and F f 2 read
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