CXXXV.

greatest and best person in the world, who is thy fo- SER M. vereign, thy judge, thy father, and thy master, and thy best friend (for we ufe to reverence perfons under these notions and relations, and to be afhamed to do any thing that is vile and unfeemly before them) if he, who is all this, look upon thee, why art thou not ashamed? why does not thy blood rife in thy face? Why fhould not fhame and fear work upon the apprehenfion of God's feeing us, as if men did behold us? For this, that GOD fees thee, is a greater furprize and difcovery, and threatens thee with more danger, than if the whole world stood by thee.

2. Live as thofe that believe this; be continually under the power of this apprehenfion, 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 fin; fic vivamus tanquem in confpectu vivamus. Seneca. It were well if men would live as if any body saw them; but to live as if fome worthy and excellent perfon were always prefent with us, and did obferve us, this will be a far greater curb upon us. There are fome fins of that ugliness and deformity, that a man would not commit them in the prefence of any one, of a child, or a fool; and there are some persons of fuch worth and reverence, quorum interventu perditi quoque bomines vitia fupprimerent. Epicurus had this good conceit of himself, that he could advife others fo to act as if he stood by, fac omnia tanquam spectet Epicurus; but Seneca inftanceth much better in Cato, or Scipio, or Lælius,

Ut fic tanquam illo fpectante vivamus.

VOL: VIII.

G

and

SER M. and shall not the prefence of the divine majefty be arr CXXXV. eternal restraint upon us?

This was David's courfe to keep himself from fin, Pfal. xxxix. 1. "I will take heed to my ways, while "the wicked is before me;" how much more in the prefence of God? "I have kept thy precepts and "thy teftimonies, for all my ways are before thee,” Pfal. cxix. 168. And it was wifely advised by Seneca, "that we fhould fo live when we are among "men, as believing GOD fees us and when there "is none but he fees us, let us behave ourselves be"fore him, as if men did ftare upon us."

III. GOD's knowledge of the heart teacheth us,

1. The folly of hypocrify: how vain it is to make a fhew of that outwardly, which inwardly and in our hearts we are not; to put on a mask of religion, and paint ourselves beautifully without, when "inward

ly 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 wife 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 tranfparent, and all our little arts of concealment fignify nothing, it is a madness to hide our iniquity in our bofom. With this argument our SAVIOUR Convinceth the hypocritical Pharifees,, Luke "Ye are they that juftify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts."

xvi. 15.

66

2. If GoD know your hearts, then endeavour to approve your hearts to him; charge your felves with inward purity and holinefs, becaufe of the pure eyes. which behold the moft intimate and fecret motions

of

of your fouls; therefore "cleanse your hearts from SER M. "wickednefs: how long fhall vain thoughts lodge CXXXV. "within you?" Fear and fhame from men lay a great restraint upon our outward actions; but how licentious are we many times in our hearts? What a ftrange freedom do we take within our own breasts? This is an argument of the fecret atheism that lies at the bottom of our hearts. He that allows himself in any wicked thoughts and imaginations, which (out of regard to men) he will not put in practice, this man plainly declares, that he reverenceth men more than God; that he either difbelieves a GOD or defpifeth him.

Therefore "keep your hearts with all diligence," because they are peculiarly under God's infpection, and when you are ready to take the liberty of your thoughts, because no eye fees you, ak yourselves, "Doth not he that pondereth the heart confider it? "And he that keepeth thy foul, doth he not know "it?" as the wife man fpeaks, Prov. xxiv. 12.

And whatever you do in the fervice of God" do "it heartily as to the LORD." Indeed, if we did only worthip Gon, "to be feen of men," an external worship would be fufficient: but religion is not intended to please men, but GOD; he is a fpirit, and fees our fpirits, therefore we must " worthip him "in fpirit and in truth." I Thef. ii. 4. Not "as pleasing men, but GOD, who trieth our "hearts." David ufeth this argument to his fon Solomon, Chron. xxviii. 9. "And thou, Solomon, "my fon, know thou the GoD of thy father, and "ferve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing "mind; for the LORD fearcheth all hearts, and un"derstandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. Whatever liberty we may take to ourselves now,

G 2

and

how

CXXXV.

SER M. how careless foever we are of our thoughts, and the inward frame of our hearts, yet the fcripture affures us, that he, who knows our hearts, will one day judge us according to them. Jer. xvii. 10. "I the "LORD fearch the heart, I try the reins, even to "give every man according to his ways." And the apostle speaks of "a day coming wherein GOD "will judge the fecrets of men by JESUS CHRIST,' Heb. iv. 13. Rev. ii. 23.

This is matter of encouragement to us in many cafes: in our fecret troubles, Pfal. cxlii. 3. "When "my fpirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou "kneweft my path." In cafes of difficulty which depend upon the hearts of other men; which though we do not know, yet God knows them: So the apostles, Acts i. 24. when they did not know whom to chufe for an apoftle, they refer it to God; and "they prayed and faid, Thou, LORD, which know"eft the hearts of all, fhew whether of these two "thou haft chofen." But efpecially this is matter of comfort to us, when we fuffer by the calumnies and reproaches of men, when the world chargeth us with crimes of hypocrify, and falfeness, and infincerity; then to be able to appeal to "the fearcher of

¢

hearts," as to our innocency and fincerity, and to say with the prophet Jeremiah, "O LORD of hosts, "that trieth the righteous, and feest the reins and the "heart, unto thee have I opened my cause," ch. XX. 12. and with St. Peter, "GOD which know"eth the hearts, bare them witnefs," Acts xv. 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," Pfal. xciv. 11. They are vanity, because he knows them, and can defeat them; he can "bring their counfels

"to nought, and make their devices of none effect." SER M. He is conscious to the first motions of their hearts; CXXXV. he fees thofe cobwebs which they are fpinning, and can blow them away with a breath; he can fnare them in their own policies, and turn" their counfels "into foolishnefs." Thou that putteft a mask upon a wicked design, and hideft the malice and revenge of thine heart under a diffembling countenance, GOD fees thy design, and hath a thousand ways to prevent it. When the politicians of the world think they have laid their defign with all imaginable caution, and that their counfels cannot mifcarry, being out of all poffibility of human discovery or prevention; for all this "their counfels may come to nought," and though" they have refolved it," yet it may not ftand; he that fets in the heavens "laughs at them, the LORD hath them in derifion." As wife as they are, they are guilty of this overfight, that they did not take God into confideration, by whom they are furprized and difcovered. He that fees their defign, can blaft it in a moment; he

can fpeak the word," and "thy breath fhall go << forth, and thou fhalt return to thy duft, and in "that very day thy thoughts perish,” Pfal. cxlvi. 4.

5. If God only knows the hearts of men, then "what art thou, O man, that judgeft another's "heart?" This condemns the uncharitableness of men, who take upon them to judge and cenfure 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 faith, ch. iv. 12. "There is one law giver, that is "able to fave, and to deftroy; who art thou that judgeft another?" is proportionably true in this cafe; there is but "one that knows the heart; who

86