Chap. 31. An Expofation upon the Rook of Jr o B. Verf. 6. 351 Yea,God hath a beams and a ballancenot only to weigh par- ticular perlons, but whole Nations by, not only to weigh private perlons, but the greareft Princes by. ( Dan. 5.25,) And this is the writing that was written, plane Mene Tekel Vpharfln ; God loath nurrrbred thy kingdome, andfinjibed it, thouart weighed in the ba./lancer, andart found wanting. Beljhhezzar a Great King, was weighed i- that capacity as a King, both he and his government were weighed in the ballanceand found wanting that is, he wan- ted righteonfnes in the Adminiftration ofhis great power over the Nations, Thus God weigheth the metaphorical) as wet as the proper Mountaines in leales and thehills ina ballance (Ifa. 40. I a.) Is it not time then foia us to beweighing our (elves, Peeing we our !elves are and (hall be weighed ? We (hall be tryed and examined, therefore it is our dutyand our intereft to try and ex amineour felves. Every man fhould put thequeftion often tohis owne Conte. iIm Iweight in the ballance of the Sar.ÏEuary, in the Lords ballance. The Apoflles counfel is (z C:r. I I. 28. ) Let a man ( that is, every man) examine, or in robs plirafe, weigh himfelfe, and 'tis but need be should, for God will weigh to aß, in all that we areand have anddoe. Doubtleffe holy rob had often weighed himfelfe, elfe he had never fignified this delire, Let me be weighed in an even ba/lance, That God may knowmine integri;ie. Bat was robs integrity a fecret to God ? mutt God t ke fuch a tourfe, before he could know it ? mull he fland confidering and . poyzing him and his wayes as in a ballance, before he could give a definitive (entente concerning them ? Doth not God know without tryall or ir,quifition ? Doth not God know intuitively, in himfelfe and from himfelfe ? Hach he not the reate and exa& weight ofall perfons and a&ions in his owne mirde ?, Is not he omnifcient? carryeth he not the ballanceof all things alwayes in his infiniteandlinfallible underfianding How then doth rob fay, Let me be weighed in an even baIlance, that godmay knowmine integrity ? I anfwer , It is molt trueand undeniable, that God knowes all things in himfelfe, not only when they are,but he knew them be- fore they were, even from eternity. Yetthe Scripture fpeakes.of God'oraetimes as beginning to know this or that in time, or up- 0tz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=