SER M. and friends may forfake us ; but God hath promised, "he will not leave us when we are, old, nor forfake ftrength faile," and "our heart fails," then is he "the ftrength of our hearts," and our " portion for "ever;" and when our great change shall come, and the terrors of death fhall take hold of us, we have still the fame comfort," the LORD liveth, and "bleffed be the God of our falvation." In a word, the confideration of GoD's immutability fhould keep us fixed and unmoved in all the changes and accidents of this world, and not apt to be startled and surprised at them; according to that of the pfalmift, "he fhall not be afraid of evil tidings, because his heart is fixed, trusting in GoD." This should make us constant to him and his truth, "stedfast and unmoveable, and always abounding "in the work of the LORD, for as much as we "know, that our labour shall not be in vain in the "LORD;" it fhould make us " hold fast the pro"feffion of our faith without wavering," in full affurance, that GOD "will be as good to us as his "word," and in a firm hope and perfuafion" of "that eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath promised." SER The knowledge of GOD. I SAM. ii. 3. The LORD is a GOD of knowledge. CXXXIV. Come now to speak of those properties and per- SERM. fections which relate to the divine understanding, and will, and manner, and power of acting. Knowledge confiders things abfolutely, and in themselves; wisdom confiders the refpects and relation of things one to another, and under the notion of means and ends. The knowledge of GOD is a perfect comprehenfion of the nature of all things, with all their powers, and qualities, and circumftances; the wifdom of GoD is a perfect comprehenfion of the refpects and relation of things one to another; of their harmony and oppofition; of their fitnefs and unfitness to such and fuch ends. The knowledge of GoD only implies his bare understanding of things; but his wisdom implies the skill of ordering and difpofing things to the beft ends and purposes, to make every thing, and to govern and adminifter all things in number, weight, and measure. I fhall at pre-. sent speak of the first of these, the knowledge of GOD; which, as I faid, is a perfect comprehenfion of the nature of all things, and of every thing belonging to their nature of the powers, and qualities, and circumstances of things. Thefe words fignify GOD to be the fountain of knowledge; that is, that he poffeffeth it himself, and communicates it to others. In the handling of this, I fhall SERM. First, endeavour to prove, that this attribute belongs to GOD. Secondly, fhew the perfection and the prerogatives of the divine knowledge. Thirdly, draw fome practical inferences from the whole. First, for the proof of it, I fhall 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 reafon. I begin with this firft; because, unless this be eftablished, all divine revelation falls to the ground; unless natural reafon affures us, that God is endowed with knowledge and understanding, it is in vain to enquire after divine revelation. For to make any revelation credible, two things are requifite on the part of the revealer, ability and integrity; that he have a perfect knowledge and understanding of the thing which he reveals, fo that he cannot be deceived himself; and fo much goodness and truth, that he will not deceive us. Now unless our reafon affures us that GOD is endowed with knowledge and understanding, the firft condition is evidently wanting, viz. ability, and confequently the fecond, integrity; for there cannot be goodnefs and veracity without knowledge. This being premifed, I proceed to the proof of it from fuch arguments as our natural reafon fuggefts 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 fhewing the abfurdities and inconveniences 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 fections to GOD; all which are abfurd to our natu- SER M ral reafon; for natural reafon dictates to us, that CXXXIV. 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 reafon tells us, though the fcripture had not faid it, that "knowledge excels 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 abfolutely perfect." 2. Knowledge is to be found in fome 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 elfe, are an argument that knowledge and understanding are in GOD. If" he gives wifdom to the "wife, and knowledge to them that know under"ftanding," if he communicates this perfection to the creatures, he himself is much more poffeft of it. The fcripture indeed ufeth this argument, but I mention it as that which natural reafon doth fuggeft to the most brutish and ignorant of men. Pfal. xciv. 8, "Understand, ye brutish among the people; and ye fools, when will ye be wife? he that planted the ear, fhall he not hear? he that formed "the eye, fhall he not fee ?" 9, 10. 66 66 3. The denial of this perfection to GOD, argues many other imperfections in the divine nature. Nothing would more eclipfe the divine nature, than to take away this perfection from it; this would bring VOL. VIII. E an SER M. an univerfal obfcurity upon God's other perfections; CXXXIV. this would be to put out the light of heaven, and to turn the brightness of the morning" into the "fhadow of death." If we remove this perfection from GoD, we deny his wifdom. He that does not know the nature and qualities of things, cannot know how to apply means to ends, to fit or fuit 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 understanding? And, confequently, we take away his providence; for without knowledge there can be no counsel, nor 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 fuch thing as goodness; for he is not good that does good out of ignorance, or from a blind neceffity. There could be no veracity, nor justice, nor mercy in GOD; for all these fuppofe knowledge. He that fpeaks truth must know it; he that is just must understand right from wrong; he that fhews mercy, must know who are miferable, and how they may be relieved and not to labour in a thing fo plain and easy; take away the knowledge of God, and you render him incapable of any honour from his creatures; for if we know not what honour we do him, it is loft labour to give him any. And that we may see these are the deductions of natural reafon, without the advantage of revelation, we fhall find the heathens, who were deftitute of divine revelation, did attribute this perfection to GOD. Tully tells us, that Thales was wont to fay, Deos omnia cernere ; |