tempt and abhorrence of that infinite Being, upon whom he neceffarily depends for life and breath, and all things? especially when he confiders, that the mafk he now wears fhall ere long be pulled off, and his real character expofed to the view of an aTembled world, in that day «when the hidden works of darkness shall be "brought to light; and every one receive accord"ing to what he hath done, whether it be good "or bad?" This motive to fincerity is plain, and obvious to the weakest understanding. Formality, or mere outward religioufnefs, muft appear a vain unprofitable thing to the man who believes the doctrine of my text: for what can it avail him to be well thought of by a few during the fhort time of his abode on this earth, if at last he fhall become the object of everlasting contempt; not to those few only, but to all that ever did or fhall exift, till "the mighty angel, "fetting his right foot upon the fea, and his " left foot on the earth, fhall lift up his hand to "heaven, and fwear by him that liveth for ever "and ever, That time fhall be no more."

3dly, This doctrine affords abundant matter of comfort and joy to the truly godly. Omnifcience is the attribute of their father and their friend; his eyes are continually upon them for good; he knows every thing that befals them, and is perfectly acquainted both with their wants, and with thofe fupplies which are proper and neceffary for them. This qualifies him to be the object of their truft and confidence; upon him they may quietly and cheerfully rely, who is never far from any one of them, and whofe eyes

run

"run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to "fhew himself strong in behalf of those whofe "hearts are perfect towards him.”

But the omnifcience of God is ftill more com fortable upon other accounts. What a ftay and fupport did it prove to Peter, when our Lord faid. unto him the third time (John xxi. 17.) "Simon, "fon of Jonas, loveft thou me?" Yes, Lord, faid he, I love thee.-I confefs indeed the base nefs and treachery of my late conduct; yet ftill I do, and must proteft, that I love thee. -It is true that I forfook thee, and impiously denied' thee; and wert thou not the all-wife God, as well as my compaffionate Saviour, this reiterated queftion would ftrike me dumb, and drive me from thy presence; for how could I pretend to love thee, or hope to be credited, after fuch bafenefs and perfidy? But this is my refuge: -"Thou, Lord, knoweft all things."

Thou

canft look into my heart, and fee thyfelf enthroned there; and therefore, notwithstanding the just cause I have given to all the world befides, to fufpect the fincerity of my present profeffion, yet I humbly dare appeal to thy unlimited knowledge: "Thou, Lord, who knoweft "all things, knoweft that I love thee." This is ftill the fupport of upright fouls. As perfection is not the attainment of our prefent ftate, the deareft of God's children are too often carried away by the force of temptation; infomuch that, had they to do with a man like themselves, they might despair of being able to convince him that they loved him. But the fincere penitent, conscious of that affection which glows within his

breaft,

breaft, can with tears make his appeal to God himself, and hope to be believed, because he to whom he appeals, needs no other proof or evidence to convince him, than his own immediate and unerring knowledge.

Once more, what hope and joy must spring up in the foul in its fecret addreffes to God, when it remembers that his eyes are in every place!He to whom we pray, understandeth our very thoughts afar off. "Lord," faid the Pfalmift,

all my defire is before thee, and my groaning ❝ is not hid from thee."-A groan, a figh, cannot escape his notice: nay " he puts our tears into a bottle, and a book of remembrance is "written before him, for them that think upon "his name."

Though words be a tribute due to God, yet he doth not need the information of language: " for " ❝ when we know not what we fhould pray for "as we ought, the Spirit itself helpeth our infir"mities, making interceffion for us with groan"ings which cannot be uttered. And he that "searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the " mind of the Spirit, because he maketh inter"ceffion for the faints according to the will of "God." Rom. viii. 26, 27. When the humble fupplicant, like a difeafed Lazarus, can do little more than lay himself down at the door of mercy, unable to pronounce one articulate word; when, like the publican in the parable, he can only finite upon his breaft, to point at the place where the diftemper lies; the Holy Spirit puts language into these actions, which God perfectly underftands, and graciously accepts; because his eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

4thly, This doctrine is no lefs awful to the wicked than it is comfortable to the fincere and good. Where-ever they are, whatever they do, God fees and obferves them. Men are frequent ly induced to commit fin by the hope of con cealment : " The eye of the adulterer waiteth "for the twilight; faying, No eye fhall fee me; "and difguifeth his face." But this text difcovers the folly of fuch hopes: the Judge himself beholds and knows them; for " there is no dark"nefs nor fhadow of death where the workers "of iniquity can hide themselves from him.' O finners, think of this: None of your ways are hid from the Lord: He not only knows what you' do, but he also knows what oppofition and re ftraint you overcome in doing it. You may feign excufes to your neighbours, you may plead the violence of temptation, the want of recollection," or the strength of paffion; and by thefe alleviations extenuate your guilt, and put fome fort of colour upon your conduct but God fees through all these thin disguises; he hath heard every whispering of confcience within thee; and the complaints of this oppreffed fubdued deputy are all recorded against thee.-Brethren, this is a moft alarming confideration: may God imprefs it upon our hearts, and give it that power and influence which it ought to have! This would humble us to purpofe, and make us to loath ourfelves in our own fight, because of our abominations.

Surely the heart of man is with good reafon faid to be "deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked." We are haftening to the

D 2

tribunal

tribunal of that Judge, whofe eye hath been constantly upon us, and from whofe fentence there lies no appeal. No craft or policy can evade his justice, neither can any power deliver out of his hands yet we live as if we had no witness, no judge, nor any cause of importance to be tried..

God hath affured us in his word, that "death is the wages of fin;" Reafon condemns it; Confcience either remonstrates against it, or rebukes us for it yet, in defiance of all thefe, we hug it in our bofom, and refuse to let it go.

This is fuch perverfe, fuch unaccountable folly, that were not the whole earth a bedlam, in which all have a tincture of the fame disease, it would be regarded with equal furprife and horror. One of the moft probable means for reftoring men to their right fenfes, is the ferious belief of this important doctrine, that the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Which leads me to observe, in the

5th and laft place, That an habitual impreffion of the divine prefence would prove at once an effectual restraint from all manner of fin, and the moft powerful incitement to every part of our duty.

This would deter us even from the moft fecret fins, and influence us as much in our closest retirement, as when we act in the public view of the world. Had we no other spectators than men, it might be fufficient to maintain a fair outfide, because that only falls under their obfervation but there is no covering fo thick as to hide us from God; the moft fecret deviation of the heart is fubject to his cognizance, as much

as