Serin. LXXX. TheKnowledge ofGod. 6o I intaeri. Socrates, as Xenophon tells us was wont to fay, 7rív7.x raft; Lai ra' ES! V%N.e; f4&vav,Td.194; ßtsXivCpkva. Arian in hisDifcourfe uponEpiffe tus tells us, it is neceffary that every one lhould be perfwaded of this, ZTi kgsw. Tw"v e,re5Tlop4vov iqi.oesZTra ;7.d rs;-ásiî, that every thing that is done by Men is feen of God'. The Scripture frequently mentions this, Pfal. 139.- I. &c. Prot. '. z1. The Ways if Man are before the Eyes of the Lord, and hepondereth all hisgoings. Jet', 3%. 19 . Thine Eyes are open upon all the Ways of the Sons of Men, togive every one according to his ways, andaccording to the fruit of his doings. z. He is a curious Obferver, one that takes exa& notice of all that we do., yob faith, he feeth all our. Steps ; and Solomon, that he pondereth all our goings the word is, .he weighs them in a balance. So a Sam. z. 3. The Lord isa Godof knowledge, by him allions are weighed. Job 31. 4: Doth he not fee my ways, and count all my Reps ? which doth not imply the difficulty, but the Perfe&ion and exadnefs' of God's Knowledge he knows the quality of our aótigns, and all the circumftances of them, all the degrees of Good and Evil that are in them , _ whatever may commend an a&ion, or blemifh it ; whatever may aggravate a Sin or excufe it. Ifa. z6. 7. Thou mofi upright loft weigh thepath of the jufl. There's not a good word that we fpeak but God hears it, Mal. 3. 16. And the Lord hear- kened and heard, anda book of remembrance was written before him ; and all we do is noted in his Book,, Pfal. 56. 8. 3.. He takes notice of thofe A&ions which are molt fecret and hidden, the good as well as the bad ; when we do our alms in fecret, when we enter into our. Clofets and Phut the Doors, our Father feeth infecret, Mat. 6. Not can we retire our felves to any place, where we can fin fo as God shall not fee us, where we can hide our fins from his fight, or our felves from his, wrath. Hear how fen- fibly aHeathen fpeaks ofthis ; ÖTUN xAoisio zíç a x vxóra., 7roolorn, Nr,uvo3e .t,GNOF.7rOZE ?diem G H TS CA.OVOI ÉppSE : 15 £SE, [G%t%l'-0 BéÓÇ ÉVrSÓV e5'r NJ' : . JA,`L7Ee95:FitLI,U,.tV F51, X TTS 1' 7eç xpda CPueÓÇ, ok s-a {;3? ruv Tl 7r01HTE ; Arrian in Ep. I. a. c. 14. The Scripture is full of Teftimonies to this purpofe, Pfal. 9o. 8. Thou haft' let our Iniquities before thee, and our fecret fins in the light of thy countenance ; thofe fins which we commit in the Dark are in the Light of the Divine Knowledge, darknefs and light are all one to him ; Pfal. 139. 11, 11. Jet. 16. 1y, 23, 2,4. Can any hide himfelf in fecret places, that I (hall not fee him II. God knows the Hearts and 'Thoughts of Men ; which implies thofe two things. aft. His perfe& Knowledge of them. idly. That this is his peculiar Prerogative. aft. God perfe&ly knows the Hearts of Men, ter. x7. to. I the Lord fearch .the Heart and try the Reins; where by Heart andReins, which are the molt in- :ward parts of the Body ; and lie leali open to difçovery; are fignified the molt fecret Thoughts and Motions of the Soul ; thefe God is faid to fearch and 'try; not as if it were a. work of Labour and Difficulty to the Divine Knowledge to ,penetrate the Hearts of Men, and to dive into their Thoughts, but to fignifie to us the Perfe&ion and exadnefs of the Divine Knowledge ; as when Men would . know a thing exa&ly, they fearch into every part of its_ andexamine every thing. . narrowly ; fo God is faid to fearch the heart, to fignifie to us thathe knows the Hearts of Men, as throughly as we do any thing upon the firifteft Search and molt diligent Examination ; upon the fame account he is faid elfewhere in Scrip- ture to weigh the Spirits of Men, Prov. 16. z. All the ways of Man are clean in his ownEyes, but the Lord weigheth the Spirits ; that is, he hath as . perfe& a Know- ledge of the fecret Motions and Inclinations of Mens Hearts, as Men have of thofe things which they weigh in a Balance with the greateft exadnefs. Now that God hath this perfe& Knowledge of Mens Hearts., the Scripture frequentlydeclares to us; that he knows the Hearts of all Men, a Kings 8.39. For thou, even thou knoweft the Hearts ofall the Children: of Men. i Chron. z8..9. 'The Lord fearcheth all Hearts, andunderfiandeth all the imaginationsof the thoughts. How dole and referved foever Men may be, what difguife foever thçy,may nÇe Hhhh tò
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