Chap. 20. An Expofttlon upon the Bookof i o a. Verf:4. 449 whathimfetfunderftandeth not.Án ignorantperfon wants un- deraanding;and a paffionate perloncannot ufe his understand ing, both are unfit to object or anfwer. Whenwe anfwer like, men, the fpirit ofour underttanding caufethus to anfwer. From the Preface thus brieflyopened,Zopbar defcends to the matter ofhis anfwer, which he layeth.down, firft, more gene. -rally, at the fourthand'fifth verles. Verf. 4. Knoweft not thou this ofold,Pence mats wad placedúp on earth ? r Thefe words charge 7a6eyther with groffe ignorance or a refolved oppofitionof the truth against his own knowledge. As ifhehad laid, lob thou'wouldeftperfwade as that thou art a knowing man, haft thou soot this among thy experiences? is not this laid up among thy treafures ofknowledge? knoweft thou not.this Thus the wordsare a checkof his ignorance, or inadvertency. what haft thou not known etas ,? knowef thou not that which every one knoweth ; children can fpeak of this,; This hath been the courfe ofGod ofold. As ifhe had faid,lamnot fpeak,- sng paradsxas to thee andnovelties, or thugs vahich fall out Tel", now and then,but of the fixt;& confiant tenor of Godsdealings Firo hoe et' and admiinifrations even from.the firft, or of old, long agoe, eonff'itura dovfb povtdentile fromall ages andgenerations it bath been thus. ratio ornrtbus'ì The word fignifies fometinies eternity irielly taken (Ifa, 57..o,a eso Pined. r 7.)Thus faith the highandholy one that inhabiteth eternity,that ° ex es is, whobath neitherbeginningnor ending : Chrift (Ifa. 9, 5 ) good : rfo- iscalled theeverlafting Father,br,the Father ofEternity;nor on ab srerno, q r, ly in regardofthe eternity ofhis being, bolas he is,the Author frequr: er le- ofeternal life (here begun, hereafter to be perfeaed) un:o all tfr pro mogoO thole that believe on him, or have intereft in him : as allo be- dreratásite. camel ofthe everiaftingneffeofhis fatherly careof atad tender neffe towards them. Inother places the word ligniftes onelya log time or diuturnity (°Pfal. 132.14) There will I dwell for ever, that is, for many ages. So here, haft thou net known of old,which is explained in the next words,fnceman wa3 placed up on the earth;ttiat is,ever finceor from the creation ofthe world, for thenman was firf$placedvpon the earth. We may read the word roan not as appell.tive,but.as the proper, name ofthe first man;H.ft not thou known this of oldfirce 4ldano was placed upon, M an .rr> 1,;14
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