Discourses Upon the Attributes of God, Sermon 6
SERMON VI.Vol. VI. Of the Knowledge of God.
1 SAM. II.3.
The Lord is a God of Knowledge.
I Have conſider'd this Perfection of God, in ſome of the greateſt and moſt difficult inſtances of it, his Knowledge of the moſt ſecret Things, the hearts of Men, and future Events; againſt the laſt of which there are ſome Objections, which I come now briefly to conſider, and paſs on to what remains.
Objection the Firſt; The impoſſibility of the thing. Certainty of all Knowledge depends upon the certainty of the Object, therefore there cannot be a certain and determinate Knowledge of any thing, but what is certainly and determinately true; but future Events, which may or may not be, have no certain and determinate Truth, that is, it is not certain either that they will or will not be, becauſe they have no certain Cauſe, therefore there can be no infallible Knowledge concerning them.
Anſwer, This I confeſs is the grand Difficulty; I ſhall not be ſo ſolicitous to take it away, as to give ſatisfaction to it.
1. I might ſay with a very fair Probability, that the certainty of Knowledge doth not depend upon the certainty of the Cauſe, but of the Object, which may be certain, tho' the Cauſe be contingent. Which I prove thus, whatever Event hath actually happened, as becauſe now it is paſt, it is certainly true that it was, ſo becauſe it once was, it was certainly true before it was, that it would be; as in Peter's denying of Chriſt. If it be now true that he hath denied him, it was true before, that he would deny him; and it being determinately true, God ſaw it as it was; ſo that here is an Object of a certain Knowledge.
2. Tho' we could not explain the poſſibility of God's knowing future Contingencies, much leſs the manner how; yet we are ſufficiently aſſured that God doth know them. I will give but one inſtance for the Proof of this. Nothing more evident than the Sin of Adam; yet God fore-knew this; how elſe was Chriſt decreed before the Foundation of the World? Chriſt was a remedy upon the occaſion of ſin, now the remedy could not be deſigned before the ſin was foreſeen: and this being certain, cum conſtat de re, fruſtra inquiritur de modo, when we are certain of the thing, 'tis not neceſſary to know the manner. We are ſatisfied of many things, the manner whereof we do not know; we believe the union of the Soul and Body, tho' no Man can explain how a Spirit can be united to Matter; we believe the continuity of matter, that is, that the parts of it hang together, of which whoſoever ſaith he can give an account, doth but betray his own ignorance. And ſo in many other things; that Man doth not know himſelf, nor the meaſure of his own underſtanding, nor the nature and obſcurity of things, that will not confeſs himſelf poſed in many things, that doth not acknowledge that there are many foreign, many things the manner whereof is unimaginable, and of which our beſt Reaſon and Underſtanding can give no account.
3. 'Tis very unreaſonable to expect we ſhould know all the ways which infinite Knowledge hath of knowing things. We have but finite Faculties and Meaſures, which bear no proportion to infinite Powers and Objects. Could we explain the manner how infinite Knowledge knows things, we ſhould be like God in Knowledge, our underſtandings would be infinite like his; and in this caſe eſpecially it becomes us to put on the modeſty of Creatures, and to remember that we are finite and limited. Some arrogant Spirits take it for an affront to their underſtandings, that any one ſhould expect they ſhould believe any thing, tho' they have the higheſt aſſurance of it, if they cannot explain the particular manner of it; they make nothing to deny God's Knowledge of future Events, unleſs they may be ſatisfied of the particular way how he knows them.
I know there are thoſe who undertake to explain the particular manner. Some ſay that God ſees future Events in ſpeculo voluntatis; others ſay that the Eternity of God is actually commenſurate to all Duration, as his Immenſity to all Space, and ſo God doth not ſo properly fore-ſee and fore-know, as ſee and know future things by the preſentiality and coexiſtence of all things in Eternity; for they ſay that future things are actually preſent and exiſting to God, tho' not in menſurâ propriâ, yet in menſurâ alienâ; the School-men have much more of this Jargon and canting Language; and I envy no Man the underſtanding theſe Phraſes, but to me they ſeem to ſignifie nothing, but to have been words invented by idle and conceited Men, which a great many ever ſince, leſt they ſhould ſeem to be ignorant, would ſeem to underſtand; but I wonder moſt, that Men, when they have amuſed and puzzled themſelves and others with hard Words, ſhould call this explaining things.
The ſum of the Anſwer is this; that when we have done all we can, God's fore-knowledge of future Events may ſeem contradictious and impoſſible to us, much leſs do I expect ever to be able to give a particular account of the manner of it: but we have ſufficient aſſurance of the thing, and unleſs we had infinite underſtandings, it were vanity to pretend to explain all the ways of infinite Knowledge.
Secondly, It is Objected, That if we can admit ſuch a Knowledge in God as ſeems contradictious and impoſſible to our Reaſon, why may we not allow and frame ſuch Notions of his Goodneſs and Juſtice?
To this I anſwer, There is a great difference between thoſe Perfections of God which are imitable, and thoſe which are not. Knowledge of future Events is a Perfection wherein we are not bound to be like God; and if we are aſſured of the thing, that he doth know them, it is not neceſſary that we ſhould know the manner of it, and diſ-intangle it from contradiction and impoſſibility; but it is otherwiſe in God's Goodneſs and Juſtice, which are imitable; he that imitates, endeavours to be like ſomething that he knows, and we muſt have a clear Idea and Notion of that which we would bring our ſelves to the likeneſs of; theſe Perfections of God we are capable of knowing; and therefore the Knowledge of theſe Perfections is chiefly recommended to us in Scripture, Jer. 9.24. By theſe God reveals himſelf, and declares his Name, and makes himſelf known to us, even by thoſe Attributes which declare his Goodneſs, and Mercy, and Juſtice, Exod. 34.6, 7. Pſal. 86.15. Deut. 32.3, 4, 5. When God would give a Deſcription of himſelf to Moſes, he promiſes to cauſe his goodneſs to paſs before him. So that it doth not follow, that becauſe God's Knowledge of future Events is to be admitted, notwithſtanding the ſeeming contradiction and impoſſibility of it, therefore we are to admit of any Notion of God's Juſtice or Goodneſs that ſeems contradictious or impoſſible. The
Third, Objection is made up of ſeveral inconveniencies that would follow from God's Knowledge of future Events.
1. It would Prejudice the Liberty of the Creature. For if God have an infallible Knowledge of what we will do, then we cannot but do what he infallibly foreſees we will do; for otherwiſe his Knowledge would be fallible.
Anſwer, God's-Fore-knowledge lays no neceſſity upon the Event. In every Event, we may conſider the Effect in it ſelf, or with relation to the Cauſe, and the manner how it comes to paſs; conſider'd in it ſelf, it is future, with relation to its Cauſes it is contingent. God ſees it as both, and ſo, as that which till it is, may be or not be; and when it comes to paſs, he ſees the Man do it freely; and ſo before it be done, it hath no neceſſity; but upon ſuppoſition of fore-ſight; as when it is, it hath upon ſuppoſition that it is, as Origen excellently explains it. Fore-knowledge is not the cauſe of the things that are fore-known; but becauſe the thing is future and ſhall be, this is the Reaſon why it is fore-known; for it doth not, becauſe it was known, come to paſs; but becauſe it was to come to paſs, therefore it was fore-known; and bare Knowledge is no more the Cauſe of any Event, which becauſe it is known muſt infallibly be, than my ſeeing a Man run, is the Cauſe of his running, which, becauſe I do ſee, is infallibly ſo.
2ly. If God infallibly fore-knows what Men will do, how can he be ſerious in his Exhortations to Repentance, in his Expectation of it, and his grieving for the Impenitency of Men?
Anſwer. All theſe are founded in the liberty of our Actions. God exhorts to Repentance and expects it, becauſe by his Grace we may do it; he is ſaid to grieve for our Impenitency, becauſe we may do otherwiſe, and will not. Exhortations are not vain in themſelves, but very proper to their end, tho' through our obſtinacy and hardneſs they may be rendred vain to us and without effect. If the weight of the Objection lie upon ſerious, and you ask how God can exhort Men ſeriouſly to that which he fore-ſees that they will not do, thoſe whom he fore-knows will be finally impenitent? I anſwer, if his Exhortations were not ſerious, he could not foreſee the final impenitency of Men. To foreſee Mens final impenitency, is to foreſee their willful contempt of Gods Warnings and Exhortations, and Rejection of his Grace; now Mens willful contempt of his Warnings and Exhortations cannot be foreſeen, unleſs God foreſee that his Exhortations are ſerious and in good earneſt.
Having anſwer'd the Objections againſt God's fore-knowing future Events, I proceed to ſhew,
II. That God only knows future Events. Iſa. 44.6, 7. Thus ſaith the Lord, the King of Iſrael, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hoſts, I am the firſt, and I am the laſt, and beſides me there is no God: and who, as I, ſhall call, and ſhall declare it, and ſet it in order for me, ſince I appointed the ancient People, and the things that are coming, and ſhall come? let them ſhew unto them. Iſa. 46.9, 10. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is none elſe. I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, ſaying my counſel ſhall ſtand, and I will do all my pleaſure.
The Reaſon is evident, becauſe the Knowledge of future Events is beyond the reach of any finite underſtanding; eſpecially if we grant it to be beyond our finite underſtanding, to explain the poſſibility of ſuch a Knowledge; for to be ſure that is out of the reach of our Knowledge, which we cannot ſo much as underſtand how it is poſſible it ſhould be known by any Underſtanding.
But it may here be Objected; Did not the Oracles among the Heathens foretel ſeveral things, which Chriſtians are ſatisfied came from the Devil? I have no time at preſent to examine the buſineſs of Heathen Oracles; I could eaſily ſhew there was much impoſture in them: but grant they were really delivered and given out by a Spirit; yet the darkneſs and ambiguity, the affected and contrived ambiguity, is ſuch as ſhews that the Devil was conſcious to himſelf of the uncertainty of his Knowledge in thoſe matters; and thoſe few that came to paſs, and are in any tolerable Senſe ſaid to be accompliſht, were in ſuch matters, either wherein prudent Conjecture might go far (and I grant the Devil to be a ſagacious Spirit;) or elſe in diſ-junctive Caſes, as when there are but two ways for a thing to be, it muſt either be ſo, or ſo, in which a bold gueſſing may often hit right: but gueſſing at future things, is far from a Knowledge of them, which only can clearly be made out by punctual and particular Predictions of Things, with Circumſtances of Time and Perſon, ſuch as we find in Scripture in many inſtances, to the prediction of which, the greateſt ſagacity and the utmoſt gueſſing could do nothing, ſuch as thoſe Predictions of which I gave inſtances out of Scripture.
I have now done with the Firſt general Head, I propos'd to be ſpoken to from theſe Words, viz. To prove that this Attribute of Knowledge belongs to God. I proceed to the,
Second, viz. To conſider the Perfection and Prerogative of the Divine Knowledge, which I ſhall ſpeak to in theſe following Particulars.
1. God's Knowledge is Preſent and Actual, his Eye is always open, and every thing is in the view of it. The Knowledge of the Creature is more Power than Act; it is not much that we are capable of knowing, but there is very little that we do actually know; 'tis but one thing that we can fix our Thoughts upon at once, and apply our Minds to; we can remove them to another Object, but then we muſt take off our Minds from the former, and quit the actual knowledge of it: but the knowledge of God is an actual and ſteady Comprehenſion of things, he being every where preſent, and all eye, nothing can eſcape his ſight, but all Objects are at once in the view of the Divine Underſtanding. Heb. 4.13. Neither is there any Creature that is not manifeſt in his ſight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
2. God's Knowledge is an intimate and thorough Knowledge, whereby he knows the very Nature and Eſſence of things. The Knowledge which we have of things 'tis but in part, but outward and ſuperficial; our Knowledge glides upon the ſuperficies of things, but doth not penetrate into the intimate Nature of them, it ſeldom reacheth further than the skin and outward appearance of things; we do not know things in their realities, but as they appear and are repreſented to us with all their Masks and Diſguiſes: but God knows things as they are. 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; God knows things throughout, all that can be known of them. The quick and piercing Eye of God Penetrates into every thing, the light of the Divine Underſtanding lays all things open and naked, Heb. 4.13. In which expreſſion the Apoſtle alludes to the Sacrifices of Beaſts, which were flead and cleft down the back bone, that the Prieſt might look into them, and ſee whether they were without blemiſh. To the Eye of our underſtandings moſt Objects are cloſe, and have their Skins upon them: but to the Eyes of God all things are uncovered and diſſected, and he open to his view.
3. God's Knowledge is clear and diſtinct. Our Underſtandings in the Knowledge of things are liable to great confuſion; we are often deceived with the near likeneſs and reſemblance of things, and miſtake one thing for another; our Knowledge is but a twi-light, which doth not ſufficiently ſeparate and diſtinguiſh things from one another, we ſee things many times together and in a heap, and do but know them in groſs; but there is no confuſion in the Divine Underſtanding, that is a clear Light which ſeparates and diſtinguiſheth things of the greateſt nearneſs and reſemblance; God hath a particular Knowledge of the leaſt things, Luke 12.7. Even the very hairs of your Head are all numbred; thoſe things which are of the leaſt conſideration, and have the greateſt likeneſs to one another, the very hairs of our Head, are ſeverally and diſtinctly known to God.
4. God's Knowledge is certain and infallible. We are ſubject to doubt and error in our underſtanding of things, every thing almoſt impoſeth upon our Underſtandings, and tinctures our Minds, and makes us look on things otherwiſe than they are; our Temper and Complexion, our Education and Prejudice, our Intereſt and Advantage, our Humours and Diſtempers, theſe all miſrepreſent things, and darken our Minds, and ſeduce our Judgments, and betray us to Error and Miſtake: but the Divine Underſtanding is a clear, fixt, conſtant, and undiſturbed Light, a pure Mirrour that receives no ſtain from Affection, or Intereſt, or any other thing. Men are many times confident and apt to impoſe upon others, as if they were infallible: but this is the Prerogative of God, the Priviledge of the Divine Underſtanding, that it is ſecure from all poſſibility of Errour; 'tis God only that cannot lie, Tit. 1.2. becauſe he cannot be deceived; the infallibility of God is the Foundation of his veracity.
5. The Knowledge of God is eaſie and without difficulty. We muſt dig deep for Knowledge, take a great deal of pains to know a little; we do not attain the Knowledge of things without ſearch and ſtudy and great intention of Mind; we ſtrive to comprehend ſome things, but they are ſo vaſt that we cannot; other things are at ſuch a diſtance, that our Underſtanding is too weak to diſcern them; other things are ſo little, and ſmall, and nice, that our Underſtanding cannot lay hold of them, we cannot contract our Minds to ſuch a Point as to faſten upon them: but the Underſtanding of God being infinite, there is nothing at a diſtance from it, nothing too great and vaſt for it's comprehenſion, nor is there any thing ſo little that it can eſcape his Knowledge and animadverſion. The great Wiſdom of Solomon is compared to the Sand on the Sea ſhore; the ſhore is vaſt, but the Sands are little (ſaith one) to ſignifie that the vaſt Mind of Solomon did comprehend the leaſt things. 'Tis much more true of God, his Underſtanding is a vaſt comprehenſion of the leaſt things, as well as the greateſt; and all this God does without difficulty or pain; he knows all things without ſtudy, and his Underſtanding is in continual exerciſe without wearineſs. How many things are there which we cannot find out without ſearch, without looking narrowly into, and bending our Minds to underſtand them? But all things are obvious to God, and lie open to his view.
He is ſaid indeed in Scripture to ſearch the Heart, and to try the Reins, and to weigh the Spirits; but theſe Expreſſions do not ſignifie the painfulneſs, but the perfection of his Knowledge, that he knows thoſe things as perfectly, as we can do any thing about which we uſe the greateſt diligence and exactneſs.
6. The Knowledge of God is univerſal, and extends to all Objects. We know but a few things, our Ignorance is greater than our Knowledge, maxima pars eorum quae ſcimus, eſt minima pars eorum que neſcimus: but the Divine Underſtanding is vaſt and comprehenſive, and by an imperious view commands all Objects; he is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things; he knows himſelf, and the excellency and perfection of his own Nature, and the ſecrets of his Will, 1 Cor. 2.11. The Spirit of God ſearcheth the deep things of God; he knows all other things that are not, and all things that are, in all differences of time, their Powers and Qualities. The Knowledge of God is infinite, Pſal. 147.5. His underſtanding is infinite; he knows himſelf and his own Perfections, and all the poſſibilities of things, which are all infinite. Now the Underſtanding of God being infinite is incapable of any Addition, or Diminution, or Change. Our finite Underſtandings are liable to alterations, they may grow or decline: but the Knowledge of God is a full conſtant Light, 'tis always the ſame, not liable to any Eclipſe, nor capable of any exaltation or improvement, but remains for ever the ſame.
Thirdly, I come now to draw ſome Inferences from the ſeveral parts of this Diſcourſe.
I. From the Perfection of God's Knowledge.
1. The Perfection of the Divine Knowledge calls for our Veneration. Every Excellency commands Reverence, and raiſeth our admiration, and none more than Knowledge, there is nothing that we value our ſelves or others more by, than this; the higheſt Knowledge of Man, the moſt glorious Underſtanding, that ever any one of the Sons of Men were endowed with, is, compared to the Knowledge of God, but as a glow-Worm to the Sun. If we admire theſe Candles of the Lord, which ſhine ſo imperfectly in the dark; if we reverence a little Knowledge, compaſs'd about with ignorance; how ſhould we admire the Father of Lights, in whom is no darkneſs at all, that Knowledge which hath nothing of blemiſh or imperfection in it!
2. We may hence learn Humility, and that on this double Account. As we have all our Knowledge from him; what have we that we have not received? And as our Knowledge is very imperfect, when compared with the Divine Underſtanding. We are blind and ignorant, 'tis but a few things that we are capable of knowing; and we know but a few of thoſe things which our Natures are capable of knowing; and of thoſe things we do know, our Knowledge is very imperfect, 'tis ſlight and ſuperficial, attended with much difficulty and uncertainty in the attaining of it, and error and confuſion in the uſe of it; the cleareſt Reaſon, and the brighteſt Underſtanding of Man hath many flaws and defects in it; ſo that the more we know of God, and of our ſelves, the more humble we ſhall be. It is an empty Knowledge, and falſely ſo call'd, that puffs up; as the empty ears of Corn are pert and raiſe up themſelves, but thoſe which are big and full, droop and hang down their Heads; ſo 'tis only Ignorance that is proud and lifts Men up, but true Knowledge makes Men humble.
3. This is matter of Comfort and Encouragement. He knows our wants and weakneſs, and will lay no more upon us than we are able to bear, for he conſiders that we are but Duſt; he knows the rage and malice of our Enemies, and can when he pleaſes put a Hook in their Noſe, and his Bridle in their Lips, as he did to Senacherib, 2 Kings 19.28.
1. From God's knowing our ſecret Actions, I infer
1. If God ſees our moſt ſecret Actions, this diſcovers and confutes the ſecret Atheiſm of many. He that commits the moſt ſecret ſin denies the Omniſcience of God. Thus David deſcribes the Atheiſm of ſome in his Days; he hath ſaid in his heart, God hath forgot, he hideth his face, he will never ſee it; the Lord ſhall not ſee, neither ſhall the God of Jacob regard it; and is not this, in effect, to deny God's Being? for it is to deny him to be what he is. A Man may as well deny there is a Sun, as deny that it ſhines and enlightens the World.
There are ſome Relicks of this even in the beſt Men, which do at ſometimes diſcover themſelves, Pſal. 73.10, 11. Therefore his People return hither; and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they ſay, how doth God know? is there knowledge in the moſt high? that is, the People of God come to this, when they are come to an afflicted ſtate, and ſee the Proſperity of Wicked Men, they come to this, to queſtion the Providence of God, whether he takes knowledge of the Affairs of the World. But this Atheiſm reigns in wicked Men; while they live in their Sins, they live in the Denyal of God's Omniſcience; for did Men really believe that God ſees in ſecret, that his Eye perceiveth the Darkneſs, and lays open and naked all things before it, how durſt they Lie, and Steal, and Swear falſely? Vain Man! why doſt thou ſeek Darkneſs and Retirement? how art thou alone, if thou believeſt that God is every where? how can'ſt thou retire from him? how canſt thou ſhut him out? If thou believeſt that he is Light, what Security is Darkneſs to thee? if he look upon thee, who is the greateſt and beſt Perſon in the World, who is thy Soveraign, thy Judge, thy Father, and thy Maſter, and thy beſt Friend (for we uſe to reverence duplicate page duplicate page Perſons under theſe Notions and Relations, and to be aſhamed to do any thing that is Vile and Unſeemly before them) if he, who is all this, look upon thee, why art thou not aſhamed? why does not thy Blood riſe in thy Face? why ſhould not Shame and Fear work, upon the apprehenſion of God's ſeeing us, as if men did behold us? for this, that God ſees thee, is a greater Surpriſe and Diſcovery, and threatens thee with more Danger, than if the whole World ſtood by thee.
2. Live as thoſe that believe this; be continually under the power of this Apprehenſion, That God takes a particular and exact notice of all thy Actions. The firm Belief of this would have a double influence upon us, it would encourage us in well-doing, and be a reſtraint upon us as to ſin; ſic vivamus tanquam in conſpectu vivamus, Sen. It were well if Men would live as if any body ſaw them; but to live as if ſome Worthy and Excellent Perſon were always preſent with us, and did obſerve us, this will be a far greater curb upon us. There are ſome ſins of that Uglineſs and Deformity, that a Man would not commit them in the preſence of any one, of a Child or a Fool; and there are ſome Perſons of ſuch Worth and Reverence, quorum interventu perditi quoque homines vitia ſupprimerent. Epicurus had this good Conceit of himſelf, that he could adviſe others ſo to act as if he ſtood by, fac omnia tanquam ſpectet Epicurus; but Seneca inſtanceth much better in Cato, or Scipio, or Laelius,
Ʋt ſic tanquam illo ſpectante vivamus,
and ſhall not the preſence of the Divine Majeſty be an eternal reſtraint upon us?
This was David's courſe to keep himſelf from ſin, Pſal. 39.1. I will take heed to my way, while the wicked is before me; how much more in the preſence of God? I have kept thy Precepts and thy Teſtimonies, for all my ways are before thee, Pſal. 119.168. And it was wiſely adviſed by Seneca, That we ſhould ſo live when we are among Men, as believing God ſees us; and when there is none but he ſees us, let us behave our ſelves before him, as if Men did ſtare upon us.
III. God's Knowledge of the Heart teacheth us,
1. The Folly of Hypocriſie; how vain it is to make a ſhew of that outwardly, which inwardly and in our Hearts we are not; to put on a Mask of Religion, and paint our ſelves beautifully without, when inwardly we are full of rottenneſs and uncleanneſs; to honour God with our lips, when our Hearts are far from him. If we were to deal with Men, this were not a very wiſe way, for there is danger of diſcovery even from them, therefore the beſt way for a Man to ſeem to be any thing, is really to be what he would appear; but having to deal with God, who knows our thoughts afar off, to whom all our Diſguiſes are tranſparent, and all our little Arts of concealment ſignifie nothing, 'tis a madneſs to hide our Iniquity in our Boſom. With this Argument our Saviour convinceth the hypocritical Phariſees, Luke 16.15. Ye are they that juſtifie your ſelves before Men; but God knoweth your Hearts.
2. If God know your Hearts, then endeavour to approve your Hearts to him; charge your ſelves with inward Purity and Holineſs, becauſe of the pure Eyes which behold the moſt intimate and ſecret motions of your Souls; therefore cleanſe your Hearts from wickedneſs; how long ſhall vain thoughts lodge within you? Fear and Shame from Men lay a great reſtraint upon our outward Actions; but how licentious are we many times in our Hearts? what a ſtrange freedom do we take within our own Breaſts? This is an Argument of the ſecret Atheiſm that lies at the bottom of our Hearts. He that allows himſelf in any wicked Thoughts and Imaginations, which (out of a regard to Men) he will not put in practice, this man plainly declares, That he reverenceth Men more than God; that he either disbelieves a God, or deſpiſeth him.
Therefore keep your Hearts with all diligence, becauſe they are peculiarly under God's inſpection; and when you are ready to take the liberty of your Thoughts, becauſe no Eye ſees you, ask your ſelves, doth not he that pondereth the Heart conſider it? and he that keepeth thy ſoul, doth he not know it? as the wiſe Man ſpeaks, Prov. 24.12.
And whatever you do in the ſervice of God, do it heartily as to the Lord. Indeed if we did only worſhip God to be ſeen of Men, an external Worſhip would be ſufficient: but Religion is not intended to pleaſe men, but God; he is a Spirit, and ſees our Spirits, therefore we muſt worſhip him in Spirit and in Truth. 1 Theſ. 2.4. Not as pleaſing men, but God, who trieth our Hearts. David uſeth this Argument to his Son Solomon, 1 Chron. 28.9. And thou, Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Father, and ſerve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind; for the Lord ſearcheth all hearts, and underſtandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. Whatever liberty we may take to our ſelves now, and how careleſs ſoever we are of our Thoughts, and the inward frame of our Hearts; yet the Scripture aſſures us, that he, who now ſees our Hearts, will one day judge us according to them. Jer. 17.10. I the Lord ſearch the heart, I try the reins, even to give to every Man according to his ways. And the Apoſtle ſpeaks of a day coming wherein God will judge the ſecrets of men by Jeſus Chriſt, Heb. 4.13. Rev. 2.23.
3. This is matter of encouragement to us in many caſes. In our ſecret Troubles, Pſal. 142.3. When my Spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou kneweſt my path. In Caſes of difficulty which depend upon the Hearts of other men, which tho' we do not know, yet God knows them. So the Apoſtles, Acts 1.24. when they did not know whom to chuſe for an Apoſtle, they refer it to God, and they prayed and ſaid, thou Lord which knoweſt the hearts of all, ſhew whether of theſe two thou haſt choſen. But eſpecially this is matter of comfort to us, when we ſuffer by the Calumnies and Reproaches of Men, when the World chargeth us with Crimes of Hypocriſie, and Falſeneſs, and Inſincerity, then to be able to appeal to the ſearcher of hearts, as to our Innocency and Sincerity, and to ſay with the Prophet Jer. O Lord of hoſts, that tryeſt the righteous, and ſeeſt the reins and the heart, unto thee have I opened my Cauſe, Ch. 20.12. and with St. Peter, God which knoweth the hearts bare them witneſs, Acts 15.8.
4. This renders all the deep and profound Policies of Wicked Men a vain thing. The Lord knows the Thoughts of men that they are vanity, Pſal. 94.11. They are Vanity, becauſe he knows them, and can defeat them; he can bring their counſels to nought, and make their devices of none effect. He is conſcious to the firſt motions of their Hearts; he ſees thoſe Cobwebs which they are ſpining, and can blow them away with a Breath, he can ſnare them in their own Policies, and turn their Counſels into fooliſhneſs. Thou that putteſt a Mask upon a wicked Deſign, and hideſt the Malice and Revenge of thine Heart, under a diſſembling Countenance, God ſees thy Deſign, and hath a thouſand ways to prevent it. When the Politicians of the World think they have laid their Deſign ſure, with all imaginable caution, and that their Counſels cannot miſcarry, being out of all poſſibility of Humane diſcovery or prevention, for all this their counſels may come to nought, and tho' they have reſolved it, yet it may not ſtand; he that ſits in the heavens laughs at them, the Lord hath them in deriſion. As Wiſe as they are, they are guilty of this over-ſight, that they did not take God into conſideration, by whom they are ſurprized and diſcovered. He that ſees their Deſign can blaſt it in a moment; he can ſpeak the word, and thy breath ſhall go forth, and thou ſhalt return to thy duſt; and in that very day thy thoughts periſh, Pſal. 146.4.
5. If God only knows the Hearts of Men, then what art thou, O man! that judgeſt another's heart? This condemns the Uncharitableneſs of Men, who take upon them to judge and cenſure Mens Hearts, which is to ſpeak evil of the things which they know not; to meddle with things which do not fall under their cognizance. What St. James ſaith ch. 4.12. There is one law-giver, that is able to ſave and to deſtroy; who art thou that judgeſt another? is proportionably true in this caſe; there is but one that knows the heart; who art thou then that judgeſt another Man's heart? Who art thou, O Man! that takeſt upon thee to ſit in judgment upon thy Brother, and to paſs Sentence upon his Heart, to pronounce him a Hypocrite, a wicked Man, and a damned Wretch? Art thou a Man, and the ſon of Man, and wilt thou aſſume to thy ſelf the Prerogative of God? Man can only look to the outward appearance; but God ſeeth the heart.
There's nothing doth more palpably diſcover the Un-chriſtian Spirit of that new Sect which is of late riſen up among us, than their taking upon them to judge Men's Hearts, and as confidently to cenſure every Man they meet, as if they had a window into his Breaſt: But they are not alone guilty of this; thoſe who are ſo ready to call Men Hypocrites, they invade this Prerogative of God. We may pronounce an action wicked, if it be contrary to the Rule; or a Man wicked, as to his preſent ſtate, if the general courſe of his Life and Actions be wicked; for our Saviour tells us, by their Fruits ye ſhall know them; this we may do, provided we be called to it, and be ſure it is ſo: but to call any Man an Hypocrite, who makes an outward profeſſion of Religion, and whoſe external Converſation is unblameable; this is to judge a Man in a matter of which thou canſt have no Evidence; this is to aſcend into Heaven, and ſtep into the Throne of God, and to be like the moſt high; for he, even he only, knows the hearts of the children of men.
IV. From God's Knowledge of Future Events, we may learn,
1. The Vanity of Aſtrology, and all other Arts that pretend to foretell future Events, things that depend on the Will of Free Agents. The vanity of theſe Arts hath been ſufficiently ſhewn by Learned Men, from the Weakneſs and Uncertainty of the Principles they rely upon; I ſhall only for the preſent take notice, that it contradicts this Principle of Religon, that God only knows future events. From prudent Collections and Obſervations, probable Conjectures may be made of what will happen in ſome Caſes; but there are no certain Proſpective-Glaſſes, with which we can ſee Future Events, but Divine Revelation; therefore whoeever takes upon him to foretell Future Events without Divine Revelation, he arrogates to himſelf that which is the Prerogative of the Deity; and God delights to chaſtiſe the Curioſity, and croſs the Predictions of theſe vain Pretenders, Iſa. 44.24, 25. Thus ſaith the Lord that formed thee, I am the Lord that maketh all things, that ſtretcheth forth the Heavens alone, that ſpreadeth abroad the Earth by my ſelf: that fruſtrateth the tokens of the Lyars, and maketh Diviners mad; that turneth wiſe-men backward, and maketh their knowledge fooliſh. As he alſo in Scripture threatens thoſe who conſult them, and rely upon them. Thoſe who go to Aſtrologers, or Wiſe Men, as they call them, to know their Fortunes, and enquire of the Events of their Life, they forſake God, and betake themſelves to lying vanities.
2. Refer future Things to God who only knows them, truſt him with all Events; caſt your care upon him. When you have uſed your beſt Prudence, and Wiſdom, and Diligence for your Supply and Security for the future, leave the reſt to God, for your Heavenly Father knoweth both your Wants and your Dangers. When we are overſolicitous about future Things, we take God's proper Work out of his Hands, and uſurp the Government of the World. Why do we take too much upon us? We are but of yeſterday, and know not what will be to morrow.
Mind your preſent Duty and Work, and leave Events to God. Secret things belong to the Lord our God; but thoſe things that are revealed, to us and our Children for ever, to do all the words of his law, Deut. 29.29. Do your Duty, commit the reſt to God in well-doing.
In this World we are in a mixt condition, which is made up of Good and Evil, of Happineſs and Miſery; what is good for us to know, is revealed, that is our Duty; but in great Wiſdom and pity to Mankind, God hath concealed and hid the reſt from us. He hath hid from us the Good that may happen to us, becauſe the beſt things of this World are but ſhallow and empty, and if we could ſee them before-hand, we ſhould prevent our ſelves in the enjoyment of them, and eat out the ſweetneſs which is in them by delightful fore-thoughts of them. And he hath concealed future Evils from us, leſt we ſhould torment our ſelves with the fearful expectation of them, Prudens, futuri temporis exitum,
Caliginoſâ Nocte premit Deus.
Ridetque ſi mortalis ultra fas trepidat. What a folly is it to make your ſelves miſerable with fear of being ſo; ante miſerias miſer. Uſe all wiſe means to prevent what you fear, and then be ſatisfied, and be as happy as you can 'till Miſery come; go not forth to meet it, ſufficient for the day is the evil thereof; do not anticipate the Evils of to morrow, and take preſent poſſeſſion of an Evil to come; caſt your care upon him who hath promiſed to care for you.