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SERM. diftinguish things from one another; we see things many times together, and in an heap, and do but know them in grofs: but there is no confufion in the divine understanding; that is a clear light which feparates and diftinguishes things of the greatest nearnefs and resemblance; GOD hath a particular knowledge of the least things, Luke xii. 7. even "the very hairs of your head are all numbered;" those things which are of the least consideration, and have the greatest likeness to one another; "the very "hairs of your head" are feverally and distinctly known to GOD.

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4. GOD's knowledge is certain and infallible. We are fubject 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 diftempers; these all mifreprefent things, and darken our minds, and feduce our judgment, and betray us to error and mistake: but the divine understanding is a clear, fixed, conftant, and undisturbed light, a pure mirror that receives no ftain from affection, or intereft, 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 privilege of the divine understanding, that it is fecure from all poflibility of error; it is God only "that cannot lie," Tit. i. 2. because he cannot be deceived; the infallibility of GoD is the foundation of his veracity.

5. The knowledge of GOD is eafy, and without difficulty. We must dig deep for knowledge, take a great deal of pains to know a little; we do not

CXXXV.

attain the knowledge of things without fearch and SER M.
study, and great intention of mind; we strive to
comprehend some things, but they are so vast that
we cannot other things are at fuch a distance, that
our understanding is too weak to discern them; other
things are fo little, and fmall, and nice, that our
understanding cannot lay hold of them, we cannot
contract our minds to fuch a point as to faften upon
them; but the understanding of GOD being infinite,
there is nothing at a distance from it, nothing too
great and vaft for its comprehenfion; nor is there
any thing fo little that it can escape his knowledge
and animadverfion. The great wisdom of Solomon
is compared to "the fand on the fea fhore;" the
fhore is vaft, but the fands are little (faith one) to
fignify that the vast mind of Solomon did compre-
hend the least things. It is much more true of
GOD; his understanding is a vast comprehension of
the leaft things, as well as the greatest and all this
GOD does without difficulty or pain;, he knows all
things without ftudy, and his understanding is in
continual exercife without wearinefs. 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 fcripture "to fearch the heart" and "to try the reins" and " to weigh the spirits;" but thefe expreffions do not fignify 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 exactnefs.

6, The knowledge of GoD is univerfal, and extends to all objects. We know but a few things,

Our

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SERM. our ignorance is greater than our knowledge, maxCXXXV. ima pars eorum quæ fcimus, est minima pars eorum quæ nefcimus: but the divine understanding is vaft and comprehenfive, 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 fecrets of his will, 1 Cor. ii. 11. "The spirit of "GOD fearcheth 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; Pfal. clxvii. 5. "His understandinging is infinite:" he knows himself, and his own perfections, and all the poffibilities 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 alteration; they may grow or decline: but the knowledge of GoD is a full, conftant light, it is always the fame, not liable to any eclipse, nor capable of any exaltation or improvement, but remains for ever the fame.

Thirdly, I come now to draw fome inferences from the feveral parts of this difcourfe.

I. From the perfection of God's knowledge.

1. The perfection of the divine knowledge calls for our veneration. Every excellency commands reverence, and raifeth our admiration, and none more than knowledge: there is nothing that we value ourselves or others more by, than this: the highest knowledge of man, the most glorious understanding, that ever any one of the fons of men were endowed with, is, compared to the knowledge of God, but" as a glow-worm to the fun." If we admire thefe" Candles of the LORD," which fhind

fo

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fo imperfectly in the dark; if we reverence a little SERM. knowledge, compaffed about with ignorance; how fhall we admiré "the Father of lights, in whom is "no darkness at all," that knowledge which hath nothing of blemish or imperfection in it!

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, it is 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, it is flight and fuperficial, attended with much difficulty and uncertainty in the attaining of it, and error and confufion in the use of it; the clearest reason, and the brightest understanding of man hath many flaws, and defects in it; fo that the more we know of GOD, and of ourselves, the more humble we shall be. It is an empty knowledge, " and falfely fo called" that "puffs up;" as the empty ears of corn are pert, and raise up themselves; but thofe which are big and full, droop and hang down their heads: fo it is 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 confiders that we are but duft:" he knows the rage and malice of our enemies, and can, when he pleases, " put a hook in their nofe," and "his bri"dle in their lips," as he did to Senacherib, 2 Kings xix, 28.

1. From

SERM. 1. From God's knowing our fecret actions, I CXXXV. infer,

1. If GOD fees our most fecret actions, this difcovers and confutes the fecret atheism of many. He that commits the most fecret fin denies the omniscience of GOD. Thus David describes the atheism of fome in his days: " he hath faid in his heart, GOD "hath forgot; he hideth his face, he will never fee "it: the LORD fhall not fee, neither fhall 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 fun, as deny that it shines and enlightens the world.

There are fome relicks of this even in the best men, which do at fome times difcover themselves,

Pfal. lxxiii. 10, II. "Therefore his people return "hither; and waters of a full cup are wrung out "to them" and they fay, "how doth God know? "is there knowledge in the moft High?" that is, the people of GoD come to this, when they are come to an afflicted state, and fee the profperity 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 fins, they live in the denial of God's omniscience: for did men really believe that "GOD fees in fecret," that his eye perceiveth the darkness, and lays open and naked all things before it, how durft they lie, and steal, and fwear falfely? Vain man! why doft thou seek darknefs and retirement? How art thou alone, if thou believeft that GOD is every where? How canft thou rétire from him; how canft thou fhut him out? If thou believeft that he is the light, what fecurity is darkness to thee? If he look upon thee, who is the greatest