Discourses Upon the Attributes of God, Sermon 5
SERMON V.Vol. VI. The Knowledge of God
1 SAM. 2.3.
The Lord is a God of Knowledge.
I Come now to ſpeak of thoſe Properties and Perfections which relate to the Divine Underſtanding, and Will, and Manner, and Power of acting. Knowledge conſiders things abſolutely, and in themſelves; Wiſdom conſiders the reſpects and relations of things one to another, and under the Notion of Means and Ends. The Knowledge of God is a perfect comprehenſion of the Nature of all things, with all their Powers, and Qualities, and Circumſtances; the Wiſdom of God is a perfect Comprehenſion of the Reſpects and Relations of things one to another; of their Harmony and Oppoſition; of their fitneſs and unfitneſs to ſuch and ſuch Ends. The Knowledge of God only implies his bare Underſtanding of Things; but his Wiſdom implies the Skill of ordering and diſpoſing things to the beſt Ends and Purpoſes, to make every thing, and to govern and adminiſter all things in Number, Weight, and Meaſure. I ſhall, at preſent ſpeak of the firſt of theſe, the Knowledge of God, which, as I ſaid, is a perfect Comprehenſion of the Nature of all things, and of every thing belonging to their Nature; of the Powers, and Qualities, and Circumſtances of things.
Theſe Words ſignifie God to be the Fountain of Knowledge; that is, that he poſſeſſeth it himſelf, and communicates it to others. In the handling of this, I ſhall
Firſt, Endeavour to prove, that this Attribute belongs to God.
Secondly, Shew the Perfection and the Prerogatives of the Divine Knowledge.
Thirdly, Draw ſome practical Inferences from the whole.
Firſt, For the proof of it, I ſhall attempt it two ways.
1. From the Dictates of Natural Light and Reaſon.
2. From Scripture or Divine Revelation.
1. From the Dictates of Natural Light and Reaſon. I begin with this firſt, becauſe, unleſs this be eſtabliſh'd, all Divine Revelation falls to the ground; unleſs Natural Reaſon aſſures us, That God is endowed with Knowledge and Ʋnderſtanding, it is in vain to enquire after Divine Revelation. For to make any Revelation credible, two things are requiſite on the part of the Revealer, Ability and Integrity; that he have a perfect Knowledge and Ʋnderſtanding of the thing which he reveals, ſo that he cannot be deceived himſelf; and ſo much Goodneſs and Truth that he will not deceive us. Now unleſs our Reaſon aſſure us that God is endowed with Knowledg and Ʋnderſtanding, the firſt Condition is evidently wanting, viz. Ability, and conſequently the ſecond, Integrity; for there cannot be goodneſs and veracity without Knowledge.
This being premiſed, I proceed to the proof of it from ſuch Arguments as our Natural Reaſon ſuggeſts to us. I have formerly told you, that the Divine Perfections are not to be proved by way of Demonſtration, but by way of Conviction, by ſhewing the Abſurdities and Inconveniencies of the contrary; for if we deny Knowledge to God, we muſt deny it to be a Perfection; we muſt deny it to be in any of the Creatures; we muſt attribute many other Imperfections to God; all which are abſurd to our Natural Reaſon; for Natural Reaſon dictates to us, That Knowledge is a Perfection, that it is to be found in the Creatures, and that the denial of it to God will argue many other Imperfections in the Divine Nature; now theſe are ſo many Arguments which Natural Reaſon offers to us to prove, that knowledge belongs to God.
1. It is a Perfection, and therefore belongs to God. Natural Reaſon tells us, tho' the Scripture had not ſaid it, That Knowledge excells Ignorance, as much as Light doth Darkneſs; now whatever is Perfect and Excellent, is to be attributed to the Divine Nature, for this is the firſt Notion we have of God, That He is a Being abſolutely Perfect.
2. Knowledge is to be found in ſome of the Creatures, and therefore is much more in God the Creator, becauſe it is derived from him. Our very Underſtandings whereby we know God, or any thing elſe, are an Argument that Knowledge and Ʋnderſtanding are in God. If he gives wiſdom to the wiſe, and Knowledge to them that know Ʋnderſtanding, if he communicates this Perfection to the Creatures, he himſelf is much more poſſeſt of it. The Scripture indeed uſeth this Argument, but I mention it as that which Natural Reaſon doth ſuggeſt to the moſt brutiſh and ignorant of Men. Pſal. 94.8, 9, 10. Ʋnderſtand ye Brutiſh among the People, and ye Fools when will ye be wiſe? he that planted the Ear, ſhall he not hear? he that formed the Eye, ſhall he not ſee?
3. The denyal of this Perfection to God, argues many other Imperfections in the Divine Nature. Nothing would more eclipſe the Divine Nature, than to take away this Perfection from it; this would bring an univerſal Obſcurity upon God's other Perfections; this would be to put out the Light of Heaven, and to turn the brightneſs of the morning into the ſhadow of death. If we remove this Perfection from God, we deny his Wiſdom. He that does not know the Nature and Qualities of Things, cannot know how to apply Means to Ends, to fit or ſute one thing to another: And we weaken his Power. What an impotent and ineffectual thing would Power be without Knowledge? what irregular things would it produce? what untoward Combinations of Effects would there be, if infinite Power were let looſe to act without the Conduct of Knowledge and Ʋnderſtanding? And conſequently we take away his Providence; for without Knowledge there can be no Counſel, no fore-caſt of Events, no proviſion for the future, no Government of the World. And this is not all, for without Knowledge there could be no ſuch thing as Goodneſs; for he is not good that does good out of Ignorance, or from a blind Neceſſity. There could be no Veracity, nor Juſtice, nor Mercy in God; for all theſe ſuppoſe Knowledge. He that ſpeaks Truth muſt know it; he that is Juſt muſt underſtand right from wrong; he that ſhews Mercy, muſt know who are miſerable, and how they may be relieved; and not to labour in a thing ſo plain and caſie, take away the Knowledge of God, and you render him incapable of any Honour from his Creatures; for if he know not what Honour we do him, it is loſt labour to give him any. And that we may ſee theſe are the deductions of Natural Reaſon, without the advantage of Revelation, we ſhall find the Heathens, who were deſtitute of Divine Revelation, did attribute this Perfection to God. Tully tells us, that Thales was wont to ſay, Deos omnia cernere; and we know the Heathens were wont to ſwear Diis immortalibus teſtibus interpoſitis, which is an owning of his Omniſcience: Quis enim non timeat Deum omnia pervidentem, & cogitantem, & animadvertentem, curioſum & negotii plenum Deum, de Nat. Deor. l. 1.
2. From Scripture and Divine Revelation. I will not heap up all thoſe Teſtimonies of Scripture which might be gathered together upon this Argument; I will only inſtance in two or three. Job 36.4. He that is perfect in Knowledge, is with thee; 37.16. Doſt thou know the wondrous works of him who is perfect in Knowledge.
Hither we may refer thoſe Texts which repreſent God by way of condeſcenſion to our infirmity, as having Eyes and Ears, which ſignifie his Knowledge of what is done in the World; and thoſe which ſpeak of him as communicating to us all the Knowledge which we have; he giveth Wiſdom to the Wiſe, and Ʋnderſtanding to them that know Ʋnderſtanding, Dan. 2.21. And thoſe which ſpeak of God, as knowing the moſt ſecret things, the hidden things of darkneſs, the Hearts and the Thoughts of Men; and thoſe things which are at the greateſt diſtance, as future things; and of the greateſt uncertainty, as the contingent Acts of free Creatures; each of theſe I ſhall particularly conſider; for in proving that God knows all theſe, his Knowledge of all other things will be proved with advantage; for if any thing be out of the reach of the Divine Ʋnderſtanding, it muſt in all probability be either thoſe things which are ſecret and hidden, as Mens ſecret Actions, or their Thoughts; or elſe thoſe things which are to come, and depend upon no certain cauſe, as future contingencies; and the proving of this may be of great uſe to us, as having a great influence upon Practice; it tends very much to the advancement of Religion, and the good Government of our Lives. I begin with the
I. Of theſe, viz. That God takes very exact and particular notice of all the Actions of Men, even thoſe that are moſt ſecret. And in handling of this, I ſhall ſpeak diſtinctly to theſe three Things.
1. That God takes knowledge of all our actions; his Eyes are upon the ways of man, and he ſeeth all his goings, Job 34.21.
2. That he is a curious obſerver of them; he ſeeth all his goings, he marks all his ſteps, takes very exact and particular notice of all that we do.
3. He takes notice of thoſe actions which are moſt ſecret and hidden; there is no darkneſs nor ſhadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themſelves, Job 34, 22.
1. That God takes notice of all our actions. And that this Notion was planted in the Mind of Man, and a Beam of the Light which comes with us into the World, will appear by the general agreement of Heathens in it; I will but produce one or two Teſtimonies to this purpoſe. Tully lays down this Principle, as that which makes Men regular and orderly, and fit for Society; ſit igitur hoc perſuaſum civibus, qualis quiſque ſit, quid agat, quid in ſe admittat deos intueri. Socrates, as Xenophon tells us, was wont to ſay, foreign. Arrian in his Diſcourſe upon Epictetus tells us, it is neceſſary that every one ſhould be perſwaded of this, foreign, that every thing that is done by Men is ſeen of God.
The Scripture frequently mentions this, Pſal. 139.1. &c. Prov. 5.21. The ways of Man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. Jer. 32.19. Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the Sons of men, to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
2. He is a curious Obſerver, one that takes exact notice of all that we do. Job ſaith, he ſeeth all our ſteps; and Solomon, that he pondereth all our goings; the word is, he weighs them in a ballance. So 1 Sam. 2, 3. The Lord is a God of knowledge, by him actions are weighed. Job 31.4. Doth he not ſee my ways, and count all my ſteps? which doth not imply the difficulty, but the Perfection and exactneſs of God's Knowledge; he kn…ws the quality of our actions, and all the circumſtances of them, all the degrees of Good and Evil that are in them; whatever may commend an action, or blemiſh it; whatever may aggravate a Sin or excuſe it. Iſa 26.7. Thou moſt upright doſt weigh the path of the juſt. There's not a good word that we ſpeak but God hears it, Mal. 3.16. And the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him; and all we do is noted in his Book, Pſa. 56.8.
3. He takes notice of thoſe Actions which are moſt ſecret and hidden, the good as well as the bad; when we do our alms in ſecret, when we enter into our Cloſets and ſhut the doors, our Father ſeeth in ſecret, Mat. 6. Nor can we retire our ſelves to any place, where we can ſin ſo as God ſhall not ſee us, where we can hide our ſins from his ſight, or our ſelves from his wrath. Hear how ſenſibly a Heathen ſpeaks of this; foreign; Arrian in Ep. l. 1. c. 14.
The Scripture is full of Teſtimonies to this purpoſe, Pſal. 90.8. Thou haſt ſet our Iniquities before thee, and our ſecret ſins in the light of thy countenance; thoſe ſins which we commit in the Dark are in the Light of the Divine Knowledge, darkneſs and light are all one to him; Pſal. 139.11, 12. Jer. 16.17, 23, 24. Can any hide himſelf in ſecret places, that I ſhall not ſee him?
II. God knows the hearts and thoughts of Men, which implys theſe two things.
1ſt. His perfect Knowledge of them.
2ly. That this is his peculiar Prerogative.
1ſt. God perfectly knows the hearts of Men, Jer. 17.10. I the Lord ſearch the hearts and try the reins; where by heart and reins, which are the moſt inward parts of the Body; and lie leaſt open to diſcovery, are ſignified the moſt ſecret Thoughts and Motions of the Soul, theſe God is ſaid to ſearch and try, not as if it were a work of Labour and Difficulty to the Divine Knowledge to penetrate the hearts of Men, and to dive into their Thoughts, but to ſignifie to us the Perfection and Exactneſs of the Divine Knowledge; as when Men would know a thing exactly, they ſearch into every part of it, and examine every thing narrowly; ſo God is ſaid to ſearch the heart, to ſignifie to us that he knows the hearts of Men, as throughly as we do any thing upon the ſtricteſt Search and moſt diligent Examination; upon the ſame account he is ſaid elſewhere in Scripture to weigh the Spirits of Men, Prov. 16.2. All the ways of Man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the Spirits; that is, he hath as perfect a Knowledge of the ſecret Motions and Inclinations of Mens hearts, as Men have of thoſe things which they weigh in a Ballance with the greateſt exactneſs.
Now that God hath this perfect Knowledge of Mens hearts, the Scripture frequently declares to us; that he knows the hearts of all Men, 1 Kings 8.39. For thou, even thou knoweſt the hearts of all the Children of Men. 1 Chron. 28.9. The Lord ſearcheth all hearts, and underſtandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. How cloſe and reſerved ſoever Men may be, what diſguiſe ſoever they may uſe to hide their purpoſes from Men, yet God ſees them; the things which are moſt dark and ſecret are open to his view, Pſal. 44.21. He knoweth the ſecrets of the hearts, Prov. 15.11. Hell and Deſtruction are before him, how much more the hearts of the Children of Men? Whatever pretences Men may make, God ſees through them, and diſcovers the very intentions of their hearts. Pſal. 7.9. The righteous Lord tryeth the hearts and reins. Heb. 4.13. It is ſaid there of the Word of God, that it is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intentions of the Heart; for all things are naked and open to the Eye of him with whom we have to do, and there is no Creature that is not manifeſt in his ſight; nay he knows our thoughts at a diſtance, what they will be, before they actually are, Pſal. 139.2. Thou knoweſt my thoughts afar off. 'Tis true indeed every Man is conſcious to his own Thoughts, and privy to the Motions of his own Mind, when they are preſent, and when they are paſt, if he have not forgot them; but no Man knows what he ſhall think to morrow, but this God knows, for he knows us more intimately and throughly than we do our ſelves; God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things, 1 John 3.20.
And tho' the Scripture had not revealed this ſo plainly, yet we had not been wholly ignorant of it; it is a Principle implanted in us, and born with us, as being part of that natural Notion which Men have of God; the Reaſon of our Minds tells us that God knows our Hearts; and the Fears and Jealouſies of our Minds are an Evidence of it.
(1ſt.) The Reaſon of every Man's mind tells him, that the Supreme Being, whom we call God, is endowed with all Perfection, and among his other Perfections, that he excels in Knowledge; and to the Perfection of Knowledge it is required, that it extend it ſelf to all Objects, and that nothing be exempted from it. The Knowledge of God in reſpect of all Objects, is like the Sun, in reſpect of this lower World, nothing is hid from the light of it. We have naturally this Apprehenſion of God, that he is an immenſe Being, every where preſent, that he intimately penetrates all places and things, and conſequently that he is preſent to our Spirits, and ſees all the motions of our Minds, and diſcerns the very ſecrets of our Hearts; and there can be no ſuch thing as ſecreſie and retirement from an Eye that is every where, and a Knowledge that pierceth into all things.
And to convince us that theſe are the dictates of Natural Reaſon, without the help and aſſiſtance of Divine Revelation, we ſhall find that the Heathen, who had only the advantage of Natural Light, were firmly poſſeſt with this apprehenſion, that God knows the hearts of Men. This may be ſufficiently Collected from the frequent ſayings of the wiſer Heathens to this purpoſe; that the beſt and moſt acceptable worſhip of the Deity is that which is inward, that of the Heart and Mind. To this Senſe Tully ſpeaks, Cultus autem deorum eſt optimus, idemque caſtiſſimus atque ſanctiſſimus pleniſſimuſque pietatis, ut eos ſemper purâ, integrâ atque incorruptâ mente & voce veneremur, The beſt and holieſt worſhip of the Gods is to worſhip them with a pure and upright and ſincere Mind. To the ſame purpoſe is that known ſaying of the Poet,
Compoſitum jus faſque animi, ſanctoſque receſſus
Mentis, & incoctum generoſo pectus honeſto,
Haec cedo ut admoveam templis & farre litabo;
Do but offer to God a mind inwardly reſolved to be juſt and honeſt, and the plaineſt ſacrifice will pleaſe him. Now from hence, that they judged the purity of our Hearts and Thoughts, and an honeſt diſpoſition of Mind, to be moſt acceptable to their Gods, we may certainly conclude, that they did moſt firmly believe that God knows the Secrets of Mens Hearts; otherwiſe there had been no need for Men to endeavour to recommend themſelves this way to the Divine acceptance.
But we need not argue this by conſequence, there are many expreſs paſſages in their Writings, which do ſufficiently ſignifie their belief of this Principle. Thales, one of their moſt ancient Philoſophers, being askt, if an unjuſt Man could conceal himſelf from God, he anſwer'd, he cannot ſo much as hide from him the very thoughts and deſign of it. Socrates (as Xenophon tells us) was wont to inculcate this Principle upon his Scholar, that the Gods know all things, what we ſay, and what we do, and what we think in ſilence. To the ſame purpoſe Arrian in his Diſſertations upon Epictetus laying down the Principles of a virtuous life, firſt of all, ſaith he, we muſt learn this, that there is a God who takes care of the World, and that there is nothing hid from him, not only what we do, but not ſo much as what we think, and deſign. So likewiſe Tully in his Book of Laws, let every Man be firmly perſwaded of this, that the Gods ſee what every Man is, and with what Mind and Devotion they ſerve them: I will add but one Teſtimony more, and that is of Seneca in his Epiſtles, nihil Deo clauſum eſt, intereſt animis noſtris, & cogitationibus mediis intervenit, we can keep nothing cloſe from God, for he is preſent to our Minds, and intimate to our Thoughts; ſo that you ſee this Principle is deeply rooted in the Minds of Men, and that Men do naturally Reaſon themſelves into it.
(2.) The natural fears of Men are likewiſe a ſecret acknowledgement of this; and I take this to be a great Truth, that a Man's natural Actions, and ſuch as happen upon Surpriſe and without Deliberation, are a better argument of the intimate ſenſe of our Minds, and do more truly diſcover what lies at the bottom of our Hearts, and what Notions are natural, to us, than our contrived and deliberate Diſcourſe. If I ſee a Man upon the ſudden ſight of a Serpent recoil and ſtart back, tho' he tell me never ſo often that he is not afraid, yet I am ſufficiently convinc'd of the contrary, becauſe I ſee in his Countenance and Carriage a natural acknowledgment of Fear and Danger: ſo if Men find that upon the deſigning of a ſecret Wickedneſs, which never went further than their own Hearts, their Conſciences do ſting and laſh them, that they have a ſenſe of Guilt, and feel inward Frights and Horrours, whatever they may ſay to the contrary, this is a natural acknowledgment of an inviſible Eye that ſees them, and diſallows their wicked Deſigns. If that be true which the Heathen Poet ſays, That Scelus intra ſe tacitum qui cogitat ullum, Facti crimen habet. He that meditates any ſecret Wickedneſs in his Heart, is guilty to himſelf, as if he had committed it; this is a plain Confeſſion, that the Man ſtands in Awe of ſomething beſides Himſelf, and is jealous that there is one that is Conſcious to what he thinks.
2. That to have a perfect and thorough knowledge of Mens Hearts, is the peculiar Prerogative of God. This is imply'd in the Anſwer to that Queſtion, Who can know the heart of man? Jer. 17.10. I the Lord ſearch the heart, and try the reins; this is the Prerogative of God, and one of his chief Titles, that he is foreign, a knower of the heart, 1 King. 8.39. Thou, even thou only knoweſt the hearts of all the children of men. Men may make a probable conjecture at the Thoughts and Deſigns of others, from their Words and Actions; but God only knows them. Men are conſcious to their own Thoughts and Purpoſes, the ſpirit of a man that is in him, knows the things of a man; but they cannot ſee into the Secrets of another Man's Mind; 'tis God alone that knows the Hearts of all Men. The Heart of Man is a priviledg'd place, and the ſecret and inward workings of it are not ſubject to the cogniſance of any but God alone. The limits of Humane Knowledge are the outward appearances of Actions, 1 Sam. 16.7. The Lord ſeeth not as man ſeeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart; our Knowledge is but ſuperficial, and glides upon the outſide and ſurface of things, but the Divine Knowledge pierceth to the very center of every thing. Now the darkeſt place, the moſt inward retirement, the privateſt Cloſet in the whole World, is the Heart of Man, and this God only is privy to; Deus autor omnium & ſpeculator omnium, à quo nihil ſecretum eſſe poteſt, tenebris intereſt, intereſt & cogitationibus noſtris quaſi alteris tenebris, ſaith Min. Foelix, God made all things, and ſees all things, and therefore nothing can be ſecret from him; he is preſent in Darkneſs, and he is preſent to the Thoughts of Men, which are as it were another and a thicker Darkneſs.
The Devil indeed pretends to this Knowledge; he would take upon him to know the integrity of Job's Heart better than God himſelf, and that notwithſtanding the Teſtimony which God gave of his Integrity, yet if he were but ſoundly tried by Affliction, he would renounce God, and curſe him to his face: but the event proved how groundleſs and malicious this ſuggeſtion was. But there is a far greater difficulty in this matter, from the paſſages of ſome Divines concerning the Devil's immediate acceſs to the Minds of Men, and his Power to caſt in Wicked Thoughts into them; which ſeems by conſequence to grant him ſome knowledge of Mens Hearts; for by the ſame Reaſon that he can imprint Thoughts upon Mens Minds, he may ſee thoſe that are imprinted there.
That the Devil is a very ſagacious Spirit, and can make very ſhrewd Conjectures at the bent and inclinations of Mens Minds, and the probable workings of our Thoughts, from a general Knowledge and Obſervation of our Tempers and Paſſions, of our Intereſts and Deſigns, and from the general tenour of our Actions in Publick and Private, and from our Prayers and Confeſſions to God (if he permit him at any time to be ſo near Good Men) I think there is no doubt: but this is far from a Knowledge of our Hearts; all this is but Conjecture, and ſuch as men may make of one another in a lower degree.
But as to the buſineſs of caſting in blaſphemous and deſpairing Thoughts into the Minds of Men, to this I would ſay theſe three things.
1. That there are few of theſe caſes which may not more probably be reſolved into the Wickedneſs and Infidelity of Mens Hearts, or into the Darkneſs and Melancholy of our tempers, which are apt to raiſe and ſuggeſt ſtrange Thoughts to Men, and ſuch as we may be apt to think have no riſe from our ſelves, not conſidering what an odd and ſtrange influence the diſorder of our bodily Humours may have upon our Minds, as we ſee in violent Fevers, and ſeveral other Diſeaſes; and Melancholy, tho' the workings of it are more ſtill and quiet, is as truly a Diſeaſe as any other; ſo that I chuſe rather to aſcribe as much of theſe to a bodily Diſtemper as may be, becauſe it is a very uncomfortable conſideration, to think that the Devil hath ſuch an immediate Power upon the Minds of Men.
2. I do not ſee how by any means it can be granted, without prejudice to this Prerogative of God, which the Scripture plainly gives him, of being the only Knower of the Heart, that the Devil can have ſo immediate an acceſs to our Minds, as to put wicked Thoughts into them; nor can I think, that when it is ſaid, 1 Chron. 21.1. That Satan provoked David to number the people, and Luke 22.3. That the devil entred into Judas, and Acts 5.3. That Satan had filled the heart of Ananias to lie unto the Holy Ghoſt, and Eph. 2.2. That the devil is the ſpirit that worketh in the children of diſobedience; I ſay I cannot think that any or all of theſe expreſſions do amount to ſuch an immediate power of putting wicked Thoughts into Mens Minds, but they only ſignifie that the Devil hath a greater hand in ſome ſins than others, and that a Heart wickedly bent and inclined give him a great advantage to tempt Men more powerfully, by preſenting the occaſions of ſuck wicked Thoughts and Actions to them; for it is uſual in Scripture-phraſe, as to aſcribe all good Motions to God's Spirit, ſo all evil Thoughts and Actions to the Devil, not that he is the immediate Cauſe of them, but becauſe he is always ready to tempt Men to them, and one way or other to promote them.
3. I ſee no Reaſon to grant (as many have done) an immediate Power to the Devil over the fancies and imaginations of Men, and that he may know the workings of them, tho' not the ſecret thoughts of Mens Minds; for this ſeems to me to be in effect to grant him the Knowledge of Mens Hearts, and to give him a Key to that Cloſet which God hath reſerved to himſelf: for it is a very nice Diſtinction which is here made between the Thoughts of Mens Minds, and the Images of their Fancies; and if theſe ſhould happen to be but words that ſignifie the ſame thing, we ſhall unawares intrench upon the Prerogative of God. Therefore becauſe the Scripture is a ſtranger to theſe nice and ſubtile diſtinctions between the Imaginations of the Fancy, and the Thoughts of the Heart, I think it is much ſafer to aſſert the Prerogative of God in that latitude that the Scripture uſeth the word heart, for all the inward motions of the Mind, for the Thoughts and Intentions of the Heart, and roundly to affirm that all the inward motions of our Souls are totally exempt from the immediate cognizance of any other Spirit but God's alone; and that neither Angel nor Devil hath any further Knowledge of them, than may be collected and inferr'd in a way of probable Conjecture from the particular Knowledge of Mens Tempers and Habits and Deſigns, and the Courſe of their Actions. I proceed to the
III. Particular; God's Knowledge of future Events. This God propoſes as the way to diſcern the true God from Idols, Iſaiah 41.21, &c. Produce your Cauſe, ſaith the Lord, bring forth your ſtrong Reaſons, ſaith the King of Jacob, that is, let them bring ſome Argument that may convince us that they are Gods; and he inſtanceth in foretelling future Evants, v. 22. Let them ſhew the former things, what they be, that we may conſider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are Gods. God puts it upon this iſſue, if they can foretel future things, then they are Gods; if not, they are vanity, and a work of naught, and he is an abomination that chuſeth them, v. 24. By things to come, I underſtand ſuch Effects as do not depend upon any neceſſary Cauſe, but upon the Will of Free Agents, and ſo may be, or may not be; from whence it is plain, that it is the Prerogative of God, proper and peculiar to Him, to know future Events. And here I ſhall conſider theſe two things.
1. That God knows future Events
2. That he only knows them.
1. God knows future Events; which will appear from the dictates of Natural Light, and from Scripture.
(1.) From the dictates of Natural Light, as it is a Perfection, and that which among Men is accounted the beſt part of Wiſdom; and unleſs this did belong to God, how could he govern the World? The Heathens, except only the Epicureans, generally granted this, as appears in thoſe wiſe Counſels, which we frequently meet with in them to this purpoſe, that we ſhould not be anxious for the future, but having done our endeavour, leave the Events of things to God, who only knows them and diſpoſeth them.
Permittes ipſis expendere Numinibus, quid
Conveniat nobis, rebuſque ſit utile noſtris. Juv.
And afterward ſaith he, We are importunate with God for Wife and Children:
At illis notum, qui pueri, qualiſque futura ſit uxor; and that this was their Opinion, appears yet more clearly from thoſe apprehenſions which they had of Divination. Tully lays down this for a Principle, Deos poſſe nobis ſigna futurarum reum oſtendere; de Legibus, and in his Book de Divin. he tells us, that there was ſuch a thing as Divination, for it was an old Opinion, jam uſque ab Heroicis ducta temporibus, eaque Pop. Rom. & omnium gentium firmata conſenſu, and afterward that this Divination was not, ſine inſtinctu afflatúque divino.
I know they did variouſly explain this, according to their ſeveral Opinions about Fate and Contingency, and their Apprehenſions about the Providence of God. One Sect of them, the Stoicks, held that there was a fatal Chain of Cauſes from firſt to laſt, and things did neceſſarily follow one another; and by this Means they made Fore-knowledge eaſie and explicable, and tho' in their Diſputes they ſeem to grant no ſuch thing as Events and Contingencies, yet they are agreed in the thing, that thoſe things which we call Events, tho' they would not call them ſo, were Fore-known to God. And for this I ſhall only cite one Teſtimony of Seneca, ſpeaking of God's Fore-knowledge of the moſt contingent things, the Diſpoſitions of Men long before they are Born; he adds, nota eſt enim illis operis ſui ſeries, omniúmque illis rerum per manus ſuas iturarum ſcientia in aperto ſemper eſt; nobis ex abdito ſubit; & quae repentina putamus, illis proviſa veniunt & familiaria; and how peremptory ſoever this Sect is in their diſputes about Fate, yet when they ſpeak of the foreign, and generally in their Moral Diſcourſes, they ſeem plainly to me to exempt the will of Man from this fatal neceſſity.
And thoſe other Sects of the Philoſophers that denyed Fate, did generally grant God's Fore-knowledge of contingent things. I grant indeed, that they did rather make God's Fore-knowledge an Arbitrary and Voluntary than a neceſſary Perfection, that is, that God, when he pleaſed to apply himſelf to it, could Fore-know all future Events: but their general Opinion was, that as his Providence did not extend to ſmall and inconſiderable things, ſo neither his Fore-knowledge. But Tully ſeems to attribute a very perfect Providence to him, and a Fore-knowledge of the leaſt things, Quis non timeat omnia providentem, cogitantem, animadvertentem, & omnia ad ſe pertinere putantem, curioſum & negotij plenum deum? But I cannot ſay he is conſtant to himſelf: but they all agree in granting to him this Perfection of knowing all future things, if he pleaſed to trouble himſelf with it; and had they not in this miſtaken the Nature of God, they might eaſily have apprehended, that 'tis no trouble nor wearineſs to an Infinite Underſtanding that is always in Act, to know the leaſt things how many ſoever they be.
2. From Scripture, which gives us Teſtimonies and Arguments of it.
(1.) Teſtimonies Iſa. 48.3, &c. Acts 15.18. Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the World, foreign from everlaſting; which by the way I cannot but compare with the forecited place of Sen. Nota enim illis operis ſui ſeries, &c.
(2.) By Arguments from Scripture. I will mention but one; the clear and particular Predictions of future Events long before they happened. Gen. 15.13. God foretels the Children of Iſrael's deliverance after 430 Years, which he punctually accompliſht. Exod. 12.40, 41. The Prophet that propheſied againſt the Altar at Bethel named the Man that ſhould do it, Joſias, 350 Years before-hand. 1 Kings 13.2. The deliverance of the Children of Iſrael from the Babyloniſh Captivity was foretold 100 Years before to be done particularly by Cyrus; which is ſo ſtrange, that the Prophet brings it in with a Preface of God's Wiſdom and Power, Iſa. 44.24, &c. Which was afterward preciſely fulfilled, when the 70 Years were expired. How are the Life and Death of the Meſſias, with many particular Circumſtances foretold? And did not he foretel the Deſtruction of Jeruſalem 40 Years before?
But becauſe there may be no contingency in good things, God himſelf may be reſolved to effect them, or excite Men to do them, when he hath foretold them; you ſhall find that the worſt things have been foretold; the Apoſtacy of the Children of Iſrael, Deut. 31.16. and their Infidelity in times of the Goſpel, Iſa. 53.1, 5, 9, 26. Our Saviour foretold the Treachery of Judas, and Peter's denial of him; now theſe are ſo evil, that it were Blaſphemy to ſuppoſe the Holy God to have any hand in them; and therefore are foretold by him meerly by virtue of his Fore-knowledge, and the infiniteneſs of his Ʋnderſtanding, which reacheth things at the greateſt diſtance, that are moſt contingent.