h ¡li pli I, I 2 Chap.`t'z. Expofitionupen theBockaf JO B. Verf. 12. of his coming down from heaven to earth, ( Gen. it. g. ) And the theLord cane downe to fee the City andthe Tower which the Children ofmenbuilded. Whence Tome may inferre,ifhe came down to fee the City', then he was neat there before, and if !o, then he is not univerfally prelim in all p laces. Againe; (Gen. 18. 20, 2T.) And the Lord laid, becaufe the cry ofSodom and Gomorrah iegreat, and 6eeaufe their fi'nne ie very grievous, 1 willgeedown now, and fee whether they have done altogether accor- ding to the cry. ofit which la c me unto me, and ifnot, I will know. This paffage yeelds the fame difficulty and objeetion; To both whichwe may adde that ofDavid (Pfa1.14.2.) The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to fee if there were any that did underfland ; He Both not fay, God was among the children ofmen here below, but being in heaven (as a man flan- ding upon a high placeor Tower) h'e looked down. I anfwer, Thefe Texts fpeak of God after the manner of men, or they fpeak thus, not to teach us, how God knowes what is doneon earth, but to confirme, and affure us that the Lord doth clearely and certainly know whatfoever is doneby, or among men onearth, even asclearely and certainly as a man knoweth any thing by his view upon the place. God know- eth all things prefently, without fearching, though never fo fecret, And all things certainly without enquiring, though never fo doubtful]. God neither afcends, nor defcends ; He Bothnot come down by any motion, but he comes down to our apprehenfìon. He fhewes us after our way, that heknow. eth, becaufe we cannot conceive his way of knowledge. If I would affure another man that I certainely know fach a thing, I tell him, I carne from the place I law it, or I beheld it wirh myown eyes ; now that's all that is intended, when 'cis laid, The Lord carne downe from heaven to behold, and lee the Tower of Babelt, and the condition of Sodom ; Or it is, to adoronifh ahMagiftrates and Judges, that they paffe no fen- tence of punifhment, either upon places or perlons, upon bare here-lay and reports, but that they firft enforrne themfelves fully of the matter of fad, as fob profeffed his courfe was in . all legall proceedings (Chap. 29. io.) The caufe which Iknew net I fearched out. Thus we fee notwithftanding all thefe ap- pearances from Texts of Scripture to the contrary, That this Scrip.
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