Chap. 38. An Expotitian upon the Book of Jos. Verf. 4. 45 thy foundation is of the Earth, thou art but duff of the Earth ; therefore where waft thou when I laid the foundationsof the Earth ? Thou hadit no Being then, unlefs in my decree and purpofe for the bringing of thee forth in thy feafon and genera- tion. We may fay , every man was fomewhere , when God laid the foundations of the Earth he was in the Purpof , De- cree, and Counfel of God, which was fromEternity. Every man had a being in the mind of God, when God laid the foundations of the Earch;but where waft thou or any man , as to any exiftence, when I laid the foundations of the Earth ? Now if this be thy cafe,thou haft no reafon tobe fo high and big in thy own thoughts, or tofreak Co difcontentedly about my dealings wich thee. Do I need thy counfel in governing the World, whoneeded it not in making the World ? Where waft thou? &c. And here we may take notice of the difference of Scripture lan- guage in this point,with refpe& to our Lord JefusChrift;& by con- tideringthe different language of the Scriptureconcerning Chrifl, we have a clear argument toprovethe God-head of Chritt,pr that he is God by Nature ; forafmuch as,he had his exiftence , when God laid the foundation of the Earth. Hear what Wifdorn , fub- ftantial Wifdom, that is Jefus Chrifl, fpake of himfelf (Prov. 8. 22.) The Lordpofeffed mein the beginning of his way (that is, in the beginning of his ways of Creation) before his works ofold; I was fet up from everlafting, from the beginning, or ever the Earth was. Where waft thou faith God tofob , when I laid the foun- dationsof the Earth ? But Jefus Chritt the true Wifdorn, faith, he was before the Earth was ; itehen there was no depth , I war brought forth ; when there was nofountain abounding with water. While as yet he had not made the Earth , nor the fields , nsr the highell parts of the dull of the World : when he prepared the Hea- vens, I was there: When he fet a compafs upon the face of t4 depth: When he eflabliflied the Cloudsabove ; when he flrengthen- ed the fountains of the deep : when he gave to the Sea his decree, that the waters fhould not pafs his commandement:: When heap- po ntood the foundations of the Earth : Then was I by him as one brought upwith him ; and I was daily his delight , rejoycing al- wayes before him, 6.c. You fee how the Spirit fpeaks concerningChritl , the rate Wifdom , the fubflantial Wifdom, he was before God laid the faun-
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