356 Chap. 28. An Expofition upon the Book of J o s. Verf. 27. of theearth. when beprepared theHeavens, I wasthere : when be Jet a compal: upon the face of the depth (che heavens compaiaa- bout all the inferiour bodies bothof water and earth) when be ellabliflied the clouds: above ( that they fhouid not break nor dif- folve into rain, but by hisorder) when be ltrengtbned thefountain: of the deep,. (that is, when be gave a law to the waters under- ground, not to itfue themfelves immoderately, but only for the ufe and benefit of man)wben begave to the Sea hie decree,tbat the waters fhsuld not pafs hie commandement, Here he fpecifies the waters upon the earth, to which (theybeing fovaft and unruly a body) he by an unalterable decree fet lifts and limits, left they 4houid over-whelm the dry land, and all the inhabitants of it. Laftly, he fpeakcs of the eftablifhment of the earth, whenhe ap. pointed thefoundations of the eartb,(that is,made it fo firm that it fhould remain perpetually unmoveable asit wereupon its bates) then ¡was by him, as one brought up with bim ; as if he had laid, him eternal Son was ever with the eternalFather, asid I was daily (or day day, that is continually) hie delight,or delights,for the Hebrewword is plural without-a (angular, as theLatine word de- licia:is. Nothing can make upa fit delight for God, but the con- templation ofIns own wifdom, power, gooalnefs, efafence, and perfeétion,.and that is the perfeâìon or a pluraliry of delights. ejoycing (or, as the word imports , fporting) always: before him. The Son is thejoyofthe Father, and the Father is thejoy of the Son; and yet the Son bath another joy, as it followes in the text; rejoyceing in the habitablepart ofhie earth, and my delights were with the fans of men, that is, taking pleafure in the whole work of creation, but _efpecially in the Ions of men, both as they were all at fiat formed and fashioned inAda*, and in him bearing the ftamp ofGods image intheir original righteoufnefs and integrity,.as alfo forefeeing that bleffedeftateto which they 6hould be retiored after the fall, by his own manifeRation in the flefb, in which, both by doingand fuffering he was foreordained eo accomplifh the work of mans redemption, and to conform by a new creation all his redeemed ones tohimfelf ; yea, ro make themone with himfelf through the mighty operation ofhis Spi- rira. Thus we fee a large proof of the priority, of wtfdom or of the Son of God beforeall creatures, and ofhis joynt work with the Ulm. and theSpirit in the framing, making, and,a(tabli(hira of,
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