6o2- The Xnowledge of God. Vol. t to hide their Purpofes from Men, yet God fees them ; the things which are molt dark and fecret are open to his view, Pfal. 44. it. He knoweth the fecrets of the hearts, Prov. t S. t 1. Hell andDeflrullion".are before him, how much more the Hearts of the Children of Men ? Whatever pretences Men may make, God fees.through them, and difcovers the very intentions of their Hearts. Pfal. 7. 9. The righte- ous Lord tryeth the heart and reins. Heb. 4. 13. It is faid,there of the Wordof God, that it is a difcerner of the thoughts and intentions of the Heart ; for all things are nakedand-open to the Eye of himwith whom we have to do, and there is no Crea- ture that is not manifefl in his fight ; nay he knows our thoughtsat a diftanëe what theywill be, before they aEtually are, Pfal. '139. z. Thou.knouaefl my thougJsts...afar off: 'Tis true indeed every Man is confcious to his own Thoughts, and :privy to the Motions of his own Mind, when they are prefent, and when they are pail, if he have not forgot them; but no Man knows what he (hall think to' morrow, but this God knows, for he knows us more intimately and thorough;r Lan we do our felves ; Godis greater than our Hearts, andknows all things, a John 3. ao.- And tho' the Scripture had not revealed this fo plainly, yet we had-not been wholly ignorant of it it is a Principle implanted in us, and born with us, as being part of that natural Notion which Men have of God ; the Realm of our Minds tells us that God knows our Hearts ; and the Fears and Jealoufies of our Minds are anEvidence of it. (tfl.) The Reafon of every Man's Mind tells him, that the Supreme Being Whom we call God, is endowedwith all Perfection, and among his other Perfe- ¿liions, that he excels in knowledge; and to"the Perfeétion of Knowledge it is re- quired, that it extend it felf to all ObjeEts, and that nothing be exempted from it. The Knowledge of God in refpeit ofall Objeéts, is like the Sun in rafpedt of this lower World, nothing is hid from the light of it. We have naturally this Apprehenlon of God, that he is an immenfe Being, every where prefent, that he intimately penetrates all places and things, and confequently that he is prefent toour Spirits, and fees all the motions of our Minds, and difcerns the very fe- crets of our Hearts ; and there can be no fuch thing as fecrefie and retirement from an Eye that is every where, and a Knowledge that pierceth into all things. And to convince us that thefe are the diâates of Natural Reafon, without the help and aflì(lance of Divine Revelation, we (hall find that the Heathen, who had only the advantage of Natural Light, were firmly poffefìed with thisappre- lienGon, that God knows the Hearts of Men. This may be fufficiently Collet` - ed from the frequent fayings of the wifer Heathens to this purpofe ; that thebeft and molt acceptable worfhip of the Deity is that which is inward, that of the Heart and Mind. To this Senfe Tully fpeaks, Cultas autem deorum e/l optima, idemgue caflimus atque fastlijimus plenimufque pietatis, ut eos femper puri, inte- grâ ague incorruptâ mente Û& voceveneremur; The heft and holiefl worfhip of the Gods is toworfhip them with apure and upright and fincere Mind. To the'fame purpofe is that known faying of the Poet, Compofitum jus fafque animi, fantiofque recefus .ri '+c- Mentis, & incitium generofo pellus honeflo, Hoe cedo ut admoveam templis & farce litabo ; Ero but offer to God a Mind inwardly refolved to be jail and honefi, and the plainefl facrifrce will pleafe him. Now from hence, that they judged the purity of our Heartsand Thoughts, and an honeft difpofition of Mind, to be mod acceptable to theirGods, we may certainly conclude, that they did mod firmly believe that God knows the Secrets of Mens Hearts ; otherwife there had been no need for Men to endeavour to recommend themfelves this way to the Divine acceptance.- But we need not argue this by confequence, there are many exprefs paffages in their Writings, which do fufficiently fignifie their belief of thisPrinciple. Thaler one of their molt ancient Philofophers, being asked, if an-unjufl Man fbould con- ceal himfelf from God, he anfwer'd he cannot fo much as bide from him the very thoughts and defrgn of it, Socrates (as Xenophon tells) was wont .. to inculcate this
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