SERMON XI. Of the OMNISCIENCE of Job xxxvii. 16. last part, Of Him that is perfect in Know T ledge. HESE words are a Declara- S E R M Subject, I fhall endeavour to prove plainly and intelligibly, that God who is the Governour and Judge of all, must be a Being indued with perfect Knowledge. 2dly, I fhall offer fome Obfervations concerning the particular Nature and Circumftances of the divine Know R 4 ledge. SER M. ledge, And 3dly, I fhall make some praXI. Etical Reflections upon the whole. I. In order to prove plainly and intelligibly, that God is a Being which must of Neceffity be indued with perfect Knowledge; 'tis to be observed, that Knowledge is a Perfection, without which the foregoing Attri butes are no Perfections at all, and without which thofe which follow can have no Foundation. Where there is no Knowledge, Eternity and Immenfity are as nothing; and Juftice, Goodness, Mercy, and Wisdom can have no place. The Idea of Eternity and Omniprefence devoid of Knowledge, is as the Notion of Darkness compared with That of Light; 'tis as a Notion of the World, without the Sun to illuminate it; 'tis as the Notion of inanimate Matter, (which is the Atheists supreme Cause,) compared with That of Life and Spirit. And as for the following Attributes, Justice, Goodnefs, Mercy, and Wisdom; 'tis evident that, without Knowledge, there could not possibly be any fuch thing as These at all. AGAIN: That God must be himself a Being indued with perfect Knowledge, appears from his having to other Beings communicated certain degrees of that Perfection. fection. For whatever Perfection is in SER M. XI. SERM. being Finite, fuch as Figure, Motion, Compofition, Divifion, and the like; may be in the Creature, though they are not in the Creator. But whatsoever is a real pofitive Perfection, as Knowledge is; must have been firft and perfect in the original Caufe, or else it could never have been tranfmitted to any thing that was produced. Laftly, To conclude this First Head, as needing not much inlargement; From the Immenfity or Omniprefence of God, may the fame Truth be likewise clearly evinced For from thence it follows, if he is an Intelligent Being at all, (as has already been proved by the foregoing Arguments;) it follows, I fay, from his Omniprefence, that his Knowledge mut be Infinite and Perfect. For where-ever Himfelf is, his Knowledge is, which is infeparable from his Being, and must therefore be infinite; And where-ever his infinite Knowledge is, 'tis plain it muft neceffarily have a thorough profpect of the inmoft nature and effence of every thing; fo that nothing can be concealed from his Inspection. |