Chap. 2f. An l:xp tion ;Ion the Book of Jo B. Vert. 27. yg ding and molt reaching head,cannot goe down into thefedeep Maters of the heart;All that he candoe by all his wit and ski!, by the firongelt enginesofhis brame, is onely this, to draw it out.This gives light to the Text of ?ob, and to thepoint in hand, Usewing us howman may be laid to know the thoughts ofmaR ; and that the difference is great between the manner ofGods knowing the thoughts ofman, and mans knowing of them. Which I (hall yet more diftin&ly open. Wemay con- ceive it thus : Man knows the thoughts ofman by fome ligne or evidence, by fome argumentation or inference : fo that his knowledge of the thoughts of man is but conjeFturall at the belt. Mancannot determine unerringly what the thoughts of another are. And therefore it is not lawful! to make the thoughts ofany man the matter ofhis accufation, becaufe we cannot infallibly know the thoughts ofany man, unieffe him - felfe will make them known to us. So thar, to fay fuck a man thought fo, is not a legali teltimony againft any man. Con- je&ures amount not to proofes. And becaufe Godknows the thoughts ofman intuitively, direly, and infallibly (He is as certaine what our thoughts are,as what our a&ions are)there- fore God may judge men for their thoughts as much as for their words, or works, and fo he will. Further, Man may attaine thisconje&urall knowledge of thoughts divers wages. Firft, Bywords, I means not words which are the expreffe image of a mans thoughts, and were fpoken purpofely to dikover them, as fometimes we fay to a friend, I will tell you my thoughts, or what I think ; For any Poole may know the thoughts ofaman ifhe will tell them, but a wife man will col- Ie&what lodges in the thoughts unuttered, by that which is uttered inwords darkly and indire&ly , He will fayle in thofe deep waters of the heart (as Solomon calls them) by a fide- winde, by a halte- winde, yea fometimes'by a contrary wind. He will coiled meanings by remote intimations.As Benhadad.e fervants did when Ahab did but fay, beis my Brother (t Kings 2o. 33, 34.) hence they inferred, that e,4hab had thoughts ofpeace in his heart to Benhadad. Secondly, A manmay attaine the thoughtsof another by his filence. As he that faith nothing chinks the more , fo Hhhhh2 much !' ci. ïl;tli 31l'
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