HAVING thus briefly proved, that God S ER M. muft of Neceffity be a Being indued with XI. perfect Knowledge; I proceed now in the

IId place, To offer fome Obfervations, concerning the particular Nature and Circumstances of this divine Knowledge. And this I fhall do distinctly, with regard to the Object, the Manner, and the Certainty of this Knowledge.

ift, WITH regard to the Object: 'Tis a Knowledge of All things abfolutely, without exception. Our Knowledge and comprehenfion of things, is fhort as our Duration, and narrow as our Extent. Our Senfes inform us of the Surfaces and external Properties of a few things, within the reach of our imperfect Organs. Our Reafon leads us a little further, to the Knowledge of fome few more things than our Senfes take in, and to the Dif covery of fome few of the inward and more hidden Properties of the things about us. Our Imaginations and ConjeEtures extend a little further yet, to a greater Number of Things; but with more Uncertainty, and lefs Diftinctness. Angels, according to the greater Activity of their Nature, and higher Perfection of

SER M. their Faculties, comprehend ftill more XI. things than We; more in number, and with a more clear infight; yet limited and bounded as strictly within their propher Sphere, as we within ours. But the Knowledge of God is abfolutely unlimited, and perfectly universal; infinite as his Duration, and boundlefs as his Immenfity; extending to all things every where, without exception; and to all the Properties and Powers of things, without restriction.

BUT,

to be more particular: The Knowledge of God, with refpect to the Object of it, is a Knowledge of all the Actions of Men; a Knowledge of all their Thoughts and Intentions; a Knowledge of what feems yet more difficult, even of future and contingent Events.

THE moft obvious, the firft, and most manifeft Object of the divine Knowledge, is, All the Actions of all Men. Prov. v. 21, The ways of Man are before the Eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings and fob xxxiv. 21, His Eyes are upon the ways of Man, and he feeth all bis goings. We behold, but a small part each other's behaviour; and can obferve

of

only

n

only a few of the Actions, even of those SER M. with whom we converse most intimately. XI. But God fees all the Actions of every man, and compares and weighs them together; and cannot by one part of our behaviour, be led into any falfe judgment concerning any other part of it. He understands the Quality and Circumftances of every Action, and exactly obferves every degree of Good or of Evil in it; even degrees as fecret and imperceptible to Us, or which we may be apt to fancy of as fmall importance, as the falling of a fparrow to the Earth, or a hair of our head falling fhort in number. And This Exactness of Knowledge, is neceffary to the Judge of all the Earth, in order to his doing that which is right, in the final decifion of mens eternal ftate; where every the leaft variation in the degree of Happiness or Mifery, cannot but be of the utmost importance, because it will be from thenceforth unchangeable and everlafting. God fall bring every work into judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil, Ecclef. xii. 14. And Luke xii. 2, 3, There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed;

SERM.revealed; neither hid, that shall not be XI. known: Whatfoever ye have spoken in dark

I

nefs, fall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets, fall be proclaimed upon the house-tops. And 1 Tim. v. 24, 25, Some mens Sins are open beforehand, going before unto judgment; and fome men, they follow after : Likewife alfo the good works of fome, are manifeft beforehand; and they that are otherwife cannot be bid. They that are otherwife, cannot be hid; That is ; Not, as it is generally understood, those works that are otherwife than good, cannot be hid; For That is what was affirmed in the foregoing verfe: But the meaning is; thofe good works, which are not now manifeft, yet fhall not always be bid: For fo the Apoftle's fimilitude, is compleat and elegant: As fome men's fins are open before-hand, and others they follow after; fo alfo the good works of fome, are manifeft beforehand; and thofe good works which are now otherwise, which are now not manifeft, yet fhall not always be hid. This exactnefs of the divine Knowledge, in order to the final univerfal judgment, is elegantly defcribed in

Scripture

XI.

Scripture by that figurative expreffion, of SER Men's Actions being all written in a Book: Pf. lvi. 8, Thou telleft my wandrings; Are they not written in thy Book, Mal. iii, 16, The Lord hear kned and heard it, and a Book of Remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his Name. Dan, vii. 10. The judgment was fet, and the Books were opened. And Rev. XX. 12, The Books were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the Books, according to their works. The meaning of all these places is, that every action of every man, is more certainly known to God, and remembred

judgment; than things are made certain to be remembred among men, by being written down in Books. And from hence it appears, that men's names being written in the book of life from the Foundation of the World, does not fignify their being predeftinated by an abfolute decree to eternal Life; but their being recorded before God in all ages from the beginning, as those who are judged worthy of eternal Life. For when a good man turns wicked, God threatens to blot his Name

out