Char 3 Expolitron upon the Book of J o B. Verf. f. ner- Ilone,to thewthat the frame of theearth (hail flanci and conti- nue unfhaken,& undivided. In cppcfi ion to this phrare,when the prophet deicribeth the irreparable dellru&ion ofBabylon,or that it ál tall beruined without recóvery ; heexprefièth it thus'(fer. 5 t. 25.) ..dnd they (hall not take of thee a flone for acorner , nor o flóne ffr fundation ; but thou ,fhaltbedefolatefor ever, faith the Lord. Babylon (hall haveneither foundation nor corner -flone; as much as to fay, it (hall never bebuilt. Aíagifirates and chief Go- vernours are alfo called comer-Rones ( Pfa'. t t8. 22.) The Hone which the builders refuted, is beéome the head -(lone of the corner. Whichwords as they relate to Chrift chiefly , foalfo to KingDavid, as a type of Chri(. The Scripture in feveral other places gives that title to great men (r Sam. 14.38. fxtdges 20. 2. Ifa:20. Zeph. 3. 6. ) In all there Texts Princes and great men are called corners or corner Hanes , becaufe, as the corner-Prone holdeth the wall together , fo they holdNations (in their civil capacity) together. Who laid thecornerjlone thereof ? faithGod to f ob ; Tell me who did it ? Dice thoudo it ? Did Angels do it ? Confider the greatness, the firmnefs of the work ; and thou wilt be convinced, that it was I that laid the cor- ner-Bone thereof. So then , the general fenfe of this verfe is toPhew the (lability ©f the Work of God. Here are foundati- ons, and foundations fafiened in the wifdom and power of God, who is an.everlafltng frength , the rock of ages (Ifa. 26: 4.) Here alfo the corner-flone is laid , therefore all is-fure and firm. Nowwhat did theLord aime at in all this ? Surely, it was not barely to convince Sob , that the earth was a beautiful piece , and a firos gone There was fomewhat elfe in it ; and what was that ? Even to convince Pod , that forafmuch as he could no de- ny, but this admirable and well ordered building, was the work of God ; that therefore he (hould fit down fatisfied in all his o- therwo:ks. ifGod Alone perfeaed thiswok by his power, if he contrived it by his wifdom ; (hall man find fault with any of the works of God ? Do-h not he who put the world into this beautiful frame wherein We fee it , carry on all his works os; earth inbeauty and order , though we fee it not ? And is there not a firinnefs and flíength in all his works ? I s there not a mea- fare laid in all his providences , and a line i}retched plat upon all, 7t
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