. Senn. LXXXI. The knowledge oif Cod, Having anfwer'd the Objeáions againft God's fore-knowing future Events, I proceed to !hew, IT. That God only knows future Events. Ifa. 44. 6, 7. Thus faith the Lord, the Xing of Ifrael, and bis Redeemer theLord of Hefts, I am the ftrfi, and I am the lafi, and beftdes me there is no God : andwho, as I, /hall call, and (hall declare it, andfit it in orderfor me,fence I appointed the ancient People ? and the thingsthat are coming, and ¡ball come ; let them _thew unto them. Ifa. 46. 9, I o. Remember the former thingsof old, for I am God, and there is none elfe. I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the endfrom the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, faying, my counfel (hall farad, and Iwill do all my pleafure. TheReafon is evident, becaufe the Knowledge of future Events is beyond the reach of any finite underftanding ; efpecially if we grant it to be beyond owk finite underftanding, to explain the poffibility of fuch a Knowledge ; for to be fire that is out of the reach of our Knowledge, which we cannot fo much as understand how it is poffible it fhould be known by any Underftanding. But it may here be Objeted ; Did not the Oracles among the Heathens fore- tel feveral things, which Chriftians are fatisfied came from the Devil ? I have not time at prefent to examine the bufinefs of Heathen Oracles ; I could eafily fhew there was much impoflure in them : but grant they were really delivered and given out by a Spirit ; yet the darknefs and ambiguity, the affeûed andcontrived ambiguity, is fuch as chews that the Devil was confcious to himfelf of the uncer- tainty of his Knowledge in thofe matters ; and thofe few that came to pafs, and are in any tolerable Senfe laid to be accomplished, were in fuch matters, either wherein prudent Conjeturemight go far (and I grant the Devil to be a fagacious Spirit ;) or elfe in dif-jenûive Cafes, as when there are but two ways for a thing to be, it mutt either befo, or fo, in which a bold gueffing may often hit right : but guelingat future things, is far from a Knowledge of them, which only can clearly be made out by puntual and particular Prediáions of Things, with Circumftances of Timeand Perfon, fuch as we find in Scripture in many inftances, to the predidion of which, the greateft fagacity and the utmoft guefling could do nothing, fuch as thofe Prediáions of which I gave inftances Out of Scripture. I have now done with the Firfi general Head I propos'd to be fpoken to from there Words, 'viz. To prove that this Attribute of Knowledgebelongs to God. I proceed to the Second, viz. To confider the Perfetion and Prerogative of the Divine Know- ledge, which I Ihall fpeak to in thefe following Particulars. a. God's Knowledge is Prefent and Atlual, his Eye is always open, and every thing is in the viewof it. The Knowledge of the Creature is more Power than All ; it is not much that we are capableof knowing, but there is very little that we do aetually know ; 'tis but one thing that we can fix our Thoughts upon at once, and apply our Minds to ; we can remove them to another Objet, but then we mutt take off our Minds from the former, and quit the aáual knowledge of it : but the knowledgeof God is an atual and fteady Comprehenfionof things ; he being every where prefent, and all eye, nothing can efcape his fight, but all Objets are at once in the view of the Divine Underftanding. Hd. 4. 13. l 'Tei- ther is there any Creature that is not manifell inhis fight : but all things arenaked and opened unto the eyes of himwith whom we have to do. z God's Knowledge is an intimate and thorough Knowledge, whereby he knows the very Nature and Effence of things. The Knowledge which we have of things 'Cis but in part, but outward and fuperficial ; our Knowledge glides upon the fuperficies of things, but Both not penetrate into the intimate Nature of them, it feldom reacheth further than the Skin and outward appearance of things ; we do not know things in their realities, but as they appear and are reprefented to us with all their Masks and Difguífes : but God knows things as they are. a Sam. 16. 7. The Lord feetb not as Man feeth ; for Man looketh on the outwardap- pearance, but the Lord looketh on the Heart ; God knows things throughout, all that can be known of them. The quick and piercing Eye of God penetrates into 609
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