"weigheth the fpirits;" Prov. xvi. 2. He as it were puts them into a balance fo exactly poised, that the smallest grain will turn the fcale.

Farther, the Scriptures not only afcribe to God the most unlimited and unerring knowledge, but they even render it abfurd to fuppofe the contrary for how extenfive, how fpiritual, are his commandments! they reach to every part of our conduct; and not only direct the outward life, but give law to the most retired thought and inward affection. Thus we are told, Prov. xxiv. 9.) that " the thought of foolishness is fin;" and the tenth commandment forbids to covet; hereby giving life and fpirit to all the former precepts; and teaching us, as our Saviour afterwards explained them in his fermon upon the mount, that they include the inward difpofition, as well as the outward action; and not only prohibit external violence, injuftice, falfehood, and fenfuality; but heart-hatred, caufelefs or exceffive anger, envy, refentment; in fhort, the first conception of luft in the foul, as well as the birth of the finful deed. And can any suppose that God, whose wisdom is perfect, would give laws to his creatures, with the moft awful penalties annexed to the tranfgreffion of them, if, after all, it behoved him to be ignorant, in many cafes, whether these penalties were incurred or not?— No, furely. The fpirituality of the law is a full proof by itself, that the knowledge of the Lawgiver muft extend to our thoughts, no lefs than to our words; and that the darkeft corners of the heart lie open to his view, as much as the moft public actions of the life.

Nay,

Nay, which completes this part of the evidence, we find God actually judging men's hearts, and rewarding or punishing them according to their fecret difpofitions. Thus it is written of Amazia, (2 Chrón. xv. 2) that " he did that which " was right in the fight of the Lord, but he did "it not with a perfect heart."-David is applauded for his good intention to build a houfe for the Lord, though he was not permitted to execute his defign; "Thou didst well," faid God, "in that it was in thine heart."And Abijah, the fon of Jeroboam, obtained an honourable exemption from that violent death, and want of burial, to which the reft of that wicked family were doomed; for this exprefs reafon, "Becaufe in him there was found fome good "thing toward the Lord God of Ifrael." I Kings xiv. 13. Upon the whole, then, you fee how clearly and explicitly the Scriptures decide in favour of this doctrine, that the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Let us now enquire, in the

Second place, What reafon teacheth us concerning this matter. And here I fhall argue' from fuch principles as all men are agreed in, Atheists excepted, and thefe are not parties to the cause in iffue.--Surely none of us will hefitate to acknowledge, that God is the Creator, the Preserver, the Governor, and the Judge of the world. Now, if in each of thefe effential characters of the Deity, we fhall find a feparate proof of God's perfect knowledge; how irrefifible muft the evidence be when they are all united, and with what powerful conviction muft

it come into our hearts! Let us then confider them apart, and try how far they can lead us in this important enquiry.

In the first place, I apprehend, that fuch know, ledge as the Scriptures afcribe to God, will be found infeparably connected with the character of Creator. Is it not reasonable to conclude, that he who made man, and endowed him with the faculty of knowing, poffeffeth in himself a very perfect knowledge? nay, muft we not conclude, that his knowledge is as far fuperior to ours, as his nature is exalted above ours?Here, then, Reafon leads us, by two very eafy fteps, to attribute to God an infinite knowledge, at least a knowledge that we can no more limit than we can do the Divine Nature itself.

The infpired author of the 94th pfalm ad drefied this argument to the infidels in his day, who fcoffingly faid, " The Lord fhall not fee, neither fhall the God of Jacob regard it. "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? he that “teacheth man knowledge, fhall not he know?"

To the fame purpose Ifaiah fpeaks, (Isaiah, xxix. 15, 16.) Wo unto them that feek deep to hide their counfel from the Lord, and their "works are in the dark; and they fay, Who "feeth us, and who knoweth us? Surely your "turning of things upfide down fhall be efteem❝ed as the potters clay: for fhall the work fay "of him that made it, He made me not? or "fhall the thing framed fay of him that framed. "it,. He had no understanding?"-In both these paffages

paffages the omnifcience of God is rationally de duced from thefe obvious dictates of natural religion; that we are the creatures of God, and that we derive from him all the faculties we pos fefs:And the conclufion appears fo juft and neceffary, that no objection occurs to me by which the force of it can be evaded. But this argument acquires an additional ftrength when we confider in the

2d place, That he is not only our Creator, but likewife our Preferver; for "in him we live " and move." The fame power that brought us into being, is continually exercised in fupporting our being; nor can we live independent of God for one moment. Try your strength in the eafieft matters;-try if you can "make one "hair white or black:" and when you have found yourselves unable for that which is leaft, let this convince you, that you are far lefs able to do fo great a thing as to fupport and prolong life itself.

Is the ability to move at all, then, conftantly derived from God; and can any man dream, that God hath given him power to remove to fuch a diftance, that his own eye cannot reach him ?— Doth he enable us to think, and fhall we exclude him from the knowledge of thefe thoughts, which we have no power to form, but what we receive from him? The abfurdity is fo glaring, that Reafon muft at once reject it with difdain.

3dly, Unless the eyes of the Lord were in every place, how could he execute what belongs to the Governor of the world? Can he order things aright which he doth not fee? Or must his work

lie unfinished in one part of his dominions, till he hath gone to perfect it in another? Or fhall he carry it on by delegates, as weak and finite creatures are obliged to do? It were blafphemy to think fo. With infinite ease doth he govern the world he hath made: and as he created all things in number, weight, and measure, fo he difpofeth all things according to the rules of the moft perfect wifdom, juftice, and goodnefs. And whatever objections may arife from a partial view of his adminiftration, fo that in fome cafes we may be tempted to fay in our hearts, " How "doth God know, and is there knowledge in the "Moft high?" yet Reafon teacheth us in general, that the Lord reigneth, who is wife in heart, and mighty in ftrength; and that when clouds and darkness are round about him, righteoufnefs and judgment are the habitation of his throne. But this could not be without the most certain and unlimited knowledge of all his creatures, at all times, and in every place and condition. How Thould he conduct this great family, which conftantly hangs upon him, without the most intimate acquaintance with every individual? And how ftrong muft our conviction of this truth be, when we confider, that his providence extends to the minuteft things? that "the very hairs of our

head are numbered;" that "a fparrow doth not fall to the ground without him;" and that "when the lot is caft into the lap, the whole difpofing thereof is of the Lord."

But the 4th and moft ftriking argument for the truth of this doctrine arifes from this principle, which fober Reason hath always admitted,