474 Chap. io. An Expofitian upon the Book of J O 13. Verf..y. one thing with another. He doth not know this to be fo,bccaufc that is fo, but all thingsare fo, becaufe he knows them. He knows all, 1. h'ully,not to halves. 2, Certainly, not probably. 3. ACtu- ally,not pollibly. 4. At once,not fucce(Gvely ; as not one thing by another , fo not one thing after another. Such arc the eminen- cies, and tranfccndencies of the knowledge of God. The Scripture (peaks fotnetimes as if God derived his know- ledge from report, or as if he did not know whether a people were wicked or no, till he had enquired. When the new world was building their Babel,the Lord laid, Let us go down to fee the City (Gen. i I . g.) And when Sodom was burning in Lutt, the Lord refolved, I willgo down and fee whether they have done alto - gether according to the cry of it, which it come unto one, and if not, I trill know (Gen. IS. 2r.) In both thofe places of Scripture God comes down to our ca- pacity, but he comes not down to any place in the world. He needs not come any whether, who is every where. God (peaks after the manner of men : but he ats not after the manner of man. God gives us an example what we thould do, he Both not work after our example. Leff we (hould judge before we fee, God faith, I will go down and fee, before I judge : left we thould eenfure one another upon fames and common cries with out further enquiry, whether it be fo or no, therefore the Lord faith, l will go down andf ec whether they have done altogether accord- ing to the cry that come unto me. God knew Sodom was wicked, before he came down, but he came dowry to make it known, that he knew it; As thofe Scriptures fecal to import that God knew not how wicked the builders of Bdbel were, or the dwellers in Sodgme, till he took pains to enquire So another Scripture imports, that he did not knowAbraham was a godly man, till he made an ex periment ofir, by putting hirn upon that hard piece.ofobedience, the offering upof his fon, Now I know thoufearefi me (Gen. 22. 12,) as if the Lord had collected his knowledge of what Abra- ham was, from what Abraham did. But that teflimony of God; AI, tí 11¿nam,s but 120w I have made it known, or, now I know that in the fruit,which I knew before in the root ; Now I fee my fear in thy ,works, as before I faw it in thy faith,. That place (Dexr.$,2.}bears a like fenfe ; 'where Mafer befpeaks Ifrael thus, Thou Jbalt remember all the way which tbeLardtk'Cod ledtbeeChef fott;°ty
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