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SERM. out of his Book. Rev. iii. 5. XI. could not poffibly be, if it was meant of an abfolute Predeftination. And on the contrary, Acts iii. 19, the Sins of them that repent, are faid to be blotted out; that is, they fhall not appear or be remembred against them in judgment. And This concerning the Actions Men.

12.

of

THE next, and more wonderful, Object of the divine Knowledge, is, the Hearts, the Thoughts and Intentions of Men. We, and perhaps all created Beings, can judge of Perfons, Only by their words and actions, and by the outward appearances in their behaviour: But God, is a Difcerner of the Thoughts Heb. iv. and Intents of the Heart. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9, The Lord fearcheth all Hearts, and underftandeth all the Imaginations of the Thoughts. And 1 Sam. xvi. The Lord feeth not as Man feeth; For Man looketh on the outward appearance; but the Lord looketh on the Heart. Where-ever we are, he is always with us, and furrounds us with his boundless prefence; he includes and penetrates every part of our Substance, fees into our inmoft Thoughts and Pur

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XI.

pofes, and fearches the moft fecret recef- SER M. fes of our Hearts and Souls, with his unerring and all-feeing Eye. And This alfo is a Power neceffary, in order to his judging the World with Equity. For Wickednefs lies in the Heart, as well as [ in the Actions; And, Thou shalt not covet, [ is a Command, as well as Thou shalt not do ill. Whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, that is, with an ill intention, tho' without opportunity of any finful act; hath already (faith our Saviour) committed adultery with her in his heart, Matt. v. 28. And ch. xv. 19, Cut of the Heart, faith he, proceed evil Thoughts, Murders, Adulteries, Fornications, Thefts, Falfe-witness, Blafphemies. In order therefore to the paffing a righteous judgment concerning men's final ftate, 'tis neceffary that the Judge be able to fearch the Hearts. And both Scripture and Reafon, and the just and unavoidable Fears of ill-defigning men, do fufficiently bear teflimony to the Truth of the doctrine, that God is able to do This infallibly and without Error. Nay there are cafes wherein the Heart being deceitful, not only to others, but even to a man's felf VOL. I.

alfo

IX.

Paul;

SER M. alfo by fecret partiality and imperceptible prejudices; no perfect and unerring judgment can be made of a man by any other, than by God only. I Cor. I Cor. iv. 4. Yea, I judge not mine own felf, faith St For I know nothing by myself, (I confcious of any thing to myself, fo the words ought to be rendred; ) yet I am not hereby juftified; but he that judgeth me, is the Lord. And 1 Joh. iii. 20, If cur Heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

am not

BUT there is a further, and still more wonderful Object of the Divine Knowledge, than even the Hearts or Thoughts of Men; and That is, Future Events. He that gave all things thofe Powers and Faculties of which they enjoy, must be acknowledged to foresee what each of thofe Powers and Faculties will produce; and, thro' an infinite feries of Caufes, perceive at one View all things that ever shall be, as if they at prefent were. Even the most contingent Futurities, the actions of free Agents, cannot be conceived to be hidden from his forefight, who gave to his Creatures thofe very Powers of Will and Choice, by which they are free agents.

Known

Known unto God are all his Works, from SER M. the Beginning of the World, Acts xv. 18. XI. The many predictions of future events, which have been in the World; were convincing evidences of the Truth of this Attribute, to the heathen philofophers; And even the common Reason of the vulgar taught them, that it could not be imagined, that the Knowledge of the infinite and eternal God, fhould be in any respect finite. There is in this Matter, one Difficulty only, which has in all Ages employed the Speculation of confidering perfons: Namely the following question, How Fore-knowledge in God, can be confiftent with Liberty of Action in Men. In order to remove which difficulty, it may not be improper to premise two things; ift, That our finite Understandings may very reasonably be allowed, not to be able to comprehend all the ways of infinite Knowledge; Job xi. 7. Canft thou by Searching find out God? canft thou find out the Almighty unto Perfection? It is as High as Heaven, what canft thou do? deeper than Hell, what canft thou know? The Measure thereof is longer than the Earth, and broader than the Sea. But This

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SERM. This Acknowledgment of the Incompre XI. henfibleness of the Ways of God, must w always be understood with relation to fuch things only, as do not imply any exprefs Contradiction: For whenever That is the cafe, it cannot be faid concerning fuch things, that they are incomprehenfible, or what we cannot understand; but on the contrary, that they are fuch things which we do clearly and diftinctly underftand, that they cannot poffibly be: The neceffary Falfity of all Such things being as clear to our Understandings, as the Self-evidence of the plaineft Truths. Al fo, it must be obferved, that this acknowledgment ought to be understood only of things expreffiy revealed, not of any bu mane doctrines.

2dly, IT is further neceffary to premise, that in the matter before us, the Question is not, whether Mens Actions be free; but whether or no, and How, that Freedom of Action, which makes Men to be Men, can be confiftent with Fore-knowledge of fuch ActiGns. For if these two things were really inconfiftent, and could by no means be reconciled; it would foilow, not, that Mens Actions were not Free; (for That would

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