Serm.LXXX. The .Knowledge of God.. frfl of thefe, the Knowledge of God, which, as I Paid, is a perfe t Comprehen fion of the Nature of all things, and ofevery thing belonging to their Nature; of the Powers, and Qualities, and Circumftances of things. Thefe Words lignifie God to be the Fountain ofKnowledge that is, that hepoi feat!' it himfelf, and communicates it to others. In the handling of this, I f tall Firfl, Endeavour to prove, that this Attribute belongs toGod. Secondly, Shew the Perfection and the Prerogatives of theDivine Knowledge: Thirdly, Draw fome praüical Inferences from the whole. rfl, For the proof of it, I (hall attempt it two ways. t. From the Di6tates of Natural Light and Reafon. z. From Scripture or Divine Revelation. I. From the Dictates of Natural ,Light and Reafon. Í begin with this firft;' becaufe, uniefs this be eftablifh'd, all Divine Revelation falls to the ground ; un- lefs Natural Reafon affures us, That Gad is endowed with Knowledge and Under- 'landing, it is in vain to enquire after Divine Revelation. For to make any Re- velation credible, two things are requifite on the part of the Revealer, Ability, and Integrity ; that he have a perfect Knowledge and Underflandingof the thing which he reveals, fo that he cannot be deceived himfelf ; and fo much Goodnefs andTruth that he will not deceive us. Now unlefs our Reafon allure us that God is endowed with Knowledge and Underflooding, the Pit Condition is evident- ly wanting, viz. Ability, and confequently the fecond, Integrity ; for there cannot be goòdnefs and veracity without Knowledge. This, being premifed, I proceed to the proof of it from loch Arguments as our Natural Reafon fuggefts to us. I have formerly told you, that the Divine Perfetl'ions are not to be proved by way of Demonflration, but by way of Convi= lion, by (hewing the Abfurdities and Inconveniencies of the contrary ; for if we deny Knowledge to God, we mutt deny it to be a Perfeétion we muff de- ny it to be in any of the Creatures ; we muft attributemany other Imperfecti- ons to God ; all which are abfurd to our Natural Reafon ; for Natural Reafon diétates to us, That Knowledge is a Perfection, that it is to be found in the Creatures, and that the denial of it to God will argue many other Imperfeétions in the Divine Nature ; now thefe are fo many Arguments which Natural Reafon offers to us to prove, that knowledge belongs to God. a. It is a Perfection, and therefore belongs to God. Natural Reafon tells us, tho' theScripture had not Paid it, That Knowledge excels Ignorance, as much as Light doth Darknefs ; now whatever is Perfelï and Excellent, is to be attributed to the DivineNature, for this is the ftrftNotion we have of God, That He is a Being abfolutely Perfed. a. Knowledge is to be found in fome of the Creatures, and therefore is much more in God the Creator, becaufe it is derived from him. Our very Under- ftandings whereby we know God, or any thing elfe, are an Argument that Knowledge and Underflanding are in God. If he gives Wifdom to the Wife, and Knowledge to them that know Underfianding, if he communicates this Perfection to the Creatures, he himfelf is much more poffeffed of it. The Scripture indeed ufeth this Argument, but I mention it as that whichNatural Reafon doth fuggeft to the molt brutifh and ignorant of Men. Pfal. 94. 8, 9, so. Underflàndye Bru- tifh amòng the People, andye Fools when will ye be wife ? lee that plantedthe Ear0 /hall he not hear ? he that formed the Eye, (hall he not fee ? 3. The denyal of this Perfetlion to God, argues many other Imperfections in the Divine Nature. Nothing would more eclipfe the Divine Nature, than to take away this Perfeîlion from it ; this would bring an univerfal Obfcurity upon God's other Perfeétions ; this would be to put out the Light of Heaven, and to turn the brightnefs of the morning into the fhadow of death. If we remove this Perfeflion from God, we deny his Wifdom. He that does not know the Nature and Qualities of Things, cannot know how to apply Means to Ends, to fit or fuit one thing to another : And we weaken his Power. What an impotent and ineffectual thingwould Power be without Knowledge? what irregular things would it 599
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