Stile of the Scripture points plainly as it does, this is a Confequence which the Socinians can never evade by all their boafted Happiness of Interpretation, Be cause the more Happy their Interpretations are, the more they demonftrate this Confequence.) And now laying these Two Imputations together, let any one tell me how they can be Tolerable; How the First, when charged upon Him, who thought it not Robbery to be equal with God; or how the Second, when charged upon Him, Who made himself of no Reputation, and was the Humbleft of Men.

But if You will ferve either Vertue or Religion, It is necessary that You be Vigilant and Active. However Juftice ought to be Blind, the Juftitiary ought (like thofe Miniftring Spirits about the Throne of God) to be Full of Eyes; ie. he ought to be fedulous in Inspection and Enquiry into the matters of his Charge. In Offences that happen betwixt Man

and

and Man, it is Rational and fit to stay for a Complaint; Because the Offended Party is fo much a Friend to himself, that he will be fure either to Complain, or to Forgive; which (generally (peaking) is the better Iffue: But in Offences, where God and Piety are barely concerned, there, be the Facts never fo Notorious, 'tis poffible the Complaints may be none at all: And therefore He who will not proceed upon Notoriety in these Cafes, without the Formality of a Com. plainant, will leave himself very little Opportunity to discharge his Truft.

Some there are that deliberate; Whether a Magistrate should Choose to be Loved, or to be Feared: But let not that come under Your deliberation; For he that Chooses Either, has given himself a byals, that will certaily draw him from being Juft. A Magiftrate ought to have no other Profpect than fimply that of doing Juftice; And He that does So, may be contented with what will follow; For he

fhall

fhall be Feared by ill Men, as he should Wish to be; And he shall be Loved by God and Good men, which is all the love that is Defirable.

'Tis a Noble work that I presume to admonish you of: and the incitement is no lefs So, which offers it felf to You from the Conscience of ferving God, from the Glory of ferving Your Country, and from the Felicity of ferving Your felves; when you confider what that great Magiftrate and Prophet Daniel has told us (Chap. 12. 3.) They that turn many to Righteousness shall bine like the Stars for ever and ever.

Grant, O Lord, we beseech Thee, that the Courfe of this World may be fo peaceably ordered by thy Governance, that thy Church may joyfully ferve Thee in all Godly Quietness; through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE

Practical Confideration

OF

GOD'S OMNISCIENCE.

A

SERMON

On HEB. IV. 13.

...But all things are naked and opened to the Eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Fter that the Law has provided

A againft Ungodliness and Wrong

never so wisely, and the Magi

ftrate attended on its Execution never fo Diligently; yet still Humane Juftice

will find great Obstruction from the bare want of Evidence: Facts will be Obfcure, and Circumftances Doubtful, and Allegations Prefumptive, and Teftimonies inconfiftent; fo that the probably Guilty must often go unpunish'd, lest the possibly Innocent should suffer; which would be the greater Evil of the Two.

But my Text points at a Tribunal set above the reach of this Obftruction: a Tribunal where all the Matters of Cognisance are throughly Known, and the Proofs all ready for Conviction, and the Evidence as unexceptionable as the Justice.

And this is the very Scope of the Words: Wherein we have (1.) God fet forth as the Judge, πρὶς ἂν ἡμῖν ὁ λίγο, with whom we have to do, fo runs our Tranflation; but it is somewhat fhort of expreffing the Original; which fignifies more fully, To whom we are to give an Account: For aby when it is applyed to Matters in Charge, fignifies an AcX 2

count: