48 Chap. 38. an Expofition Upon theBook of J o B. when' Ilaid thefoundations of the Earth ? The form of the words isconfiderable , in oppofition to that Açgitt, iniok% opinion of tome of the Ancients , who attributed the fire of the , Earth , and of the other Elements, not to any divine fupernatural Power of the Maker , but to the very Nature of the Earth , or the necelTìry of the Matter ; according to which, heavy things tend downward , and light things rile high ; fo according CO that opinion , the Earth being a heavy body , falieth lowed , or took its place of its felt. Now that this opinion may be confu- ted and fhut out of doors the Lord compares his making of the World, to the brilding of a houfe ; which is ordered according to the realon of the builder : fo that though it be a truth in Na- ture, that heavy things fall lowed, yet we are to arcribe all ro the Wifdom of God , the Dìfpofer of them ; who bath done all things according to the pleafure of his ownWill , and that with fuch admirable contrivance , that man is not able to comprehend it ; as the lad words of the verle intimate : Where waft thou, when I laid the foundation of the Earth ? Declareif thou haft un- derfianding. But before Ipars to chafewords in the latter part of the verle, I (hall gather up fome oblervarions from this former pare of it ; where wall thou, whys I laidthe foundations of the Earth ? &c. Hence Note , Firft ; The time of man upon Earth, compared with the Eternity of God , is nothing. where wall thou ? ¶avid (Pfal. 39. 4.) prayed that God would teach him how frail he was, as ro the duration of his life; and be adds in the next verfe , Mine age is nothing before thee. The ageof man is nothing before God , if we confider it as to its beginning or if we confider it as to its ending. When began the age of the moll aged man ? Are not all menof yefferday ? God had an eternity of Being , before man was upon the face of the earth. And what's the age of manas to its continuance ? As it began but yefterday , that is , a very little while ago, or but the day part ; fo it may end to morrow , that is within a few dayes to con e , yea poffibly before the next day or the morrow cometh. Bóaft not of to morrow (Prow, 27. a.) both becaufe thou
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