An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

¹1. To the knowledge of God concerning Job. 2. To the manner of Gods dealing with Job.

¹1. To the knowledge of God concerning Iob. 2. To the manner of Gods dealing with Iob.

1. 1Perslat Job in excludenda ignorantia à Deo judice; Dies hominis significant vitam bre vissimam, quae cum multa ignorantia conjuncta est. Sanct Ars longa vita brevis. Hypocr.Perslat Iob in excludenda ignorantia à Deo judice; Dies hominis significant vitam bre vissimam, quae cum multa ignorantia conjuncta est. Sanct Ars longa vita brevis. Hypocr.

1. Thy days are not as the days of man, thou hast had, and hast time enough to gather knowledge and experience, if thou didst need such help to make thee more knowing. It was the ancient complaint of that great Physician, when he saw how much of his art he had to learn, and how little time he had to learn it in, Art is long, and time is short, what can I learn in such a span-long life as mine? Hence it is conceived, that though the fathers before the flood (some of whose lives reached eight or nine Centuries) wanted the help of Libraries and Academies, which we enjoy; yet, that by the experience of so many years, they gathered a great stock of knowledge, and proved men of eminent learning. Men whose days are not as the days of ordinary men, attain knowledge beyond ordinary men. How then can the Lord want any perfection of the most perfect knowledge, who numbereth not only by hundreds and thousands of years, but by an eternity of years. His knowledge must needs be full, concerning the state both of things and persons, who not only hath Antiquity of days, but is the Ancient of days (Dan. 7.9.) Many men have lived so many days, that they are justly called Ancient, but no man ever lived or shall live so long, as to deserve this title, Ancient of days. God is called the Ancient of days, not only, because he hath been many days, yea all the days that ever have been, but because he is ancienter then days; He is the days ancient, for he made the day. His days cannot be like mans days, who made five days ancienter then man. God hath more then all days, therefore he hath all knowledge: he hath all experience, therefore he hath neither ignorance, nor nescience. Upon this ground Job argues it out with God, that he must needs know all thing, who was before all times; and that he was acquainted with him better then all men, who lived at that day, because he lived and was acquainted with what he would be, before man had a day, even from eternity.