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a mot Accurate and Intimate Survey of every Created Being.

And as the Creatour hath the Complete Knowledge of Them, in their Original, the Eternal Ideas of them within Himself; fo is he, in his own Effence, Immediately Present with every one of them. And therefore the Nature and Operations, and all the Circumftances of every Being are continually under His Infpection, continually Unfolded and Difplayed before him.

So Firm and Sure are the Foundations of this great Truth delivered by the Apofle, Hebr. iv. 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifeft in his Sight: But all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him, with whom we have to do.

And to these General Reasons of God's Knowledge may be reduced those passages of Scripture which represent his Particular and Perfect Knowledge of Human Affairs. Such are thofe Texts, which testifie either

ift, His Knowledge of our Outward Actions, or

2dly, His Knowledge of our Hearts and Thoughts, or

3dly, His Foreknowledge, or, his Knowledge of Future Events, even of Thofe which are properly contingent, and depend upon the Voluntary Refolutions and Determinations of Free Agents.

ift, The Infallible Word of God teftifies his Knowledge of our Outward AEtions. Thus we are taught, Job xxxiv. 21. His eyes are upon the ways of man, and be feeth all his goings; and in the words immediately following the Text, By him Actions are weighed: And Pf. cxxxix. 3. Thou art acquainted with all my ways. Our Power of Acting is communicated by Him, and therefore our Exercife and Applications of that Power, which intirely Depends upon him, must be perfectly Known to him. And because He is always Immediately Present with us, 'tis as impoffible for us to Act without his Knowledge, as to Subfift without his Support.

2dly, The Scripture teftifies God's certain Knowledge of our Hearts and Thoughts. Upon this Principle Holy Da

vid builds his Exhortations to Solomon, *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 understandeth all the Imaginations of the Thoughts.

Our Difcernment cannot reach the Secrets of Mens Minds; and therefore, by their fruits ye shall know them, is the neceffary Rule of our Judgment, as well as of our Charity. But God's Knowledge of our Hearts does not Depend upon, nor Want the Evidence of our outward behaviour. He fees Them Directly, as they are in Themselves: The Soul being in his Immediate Prefence, as well as the Body, He obferves the operations of the One, as Accurately as the Other, our Thoughts as Distinctly as our Actions.

3dly, The Scripture † teftifies the Foreknowledge of God, or, his Knowledge of Future Events, even of Those which are properly Contingent, and depend upon the Voluntary Determinations of Free Agents. Nothing is more Evident, than

Chron. xxviii. 9. † Dan. ii. 28. Ifa. xliii. 9. ---xlvi. 10.

that

that God Forefaw, and Foretold the Bondage of his People in Egypt, the Condemnation and Death of our Bleffed Saviour, and the Circumftances of them. And indeed the Prophets are so many Unconteftable Witneffes of God's Foreknowledge.

There is nothing Accidental, with respect to God, either in the works of Creation, or Providence. We fhould throw the Notion of a God quite out of the Queftion, if we fhould conceive the World either to be Made, or to be Govern'd by Chance. And if it be under a Regular, and Wife Government, it follows, that there must be Prefcience in the Governour, and that his Permissions, upon which Much depends in the Government of the World, are no more Floating and Casual, than his Direct Appointments are, but are all fettled and fixed by Infinite Wisdom; And therefore he hath in Himself as perfect Images of Those Operations of Free Agents, and of their Effects, which he will purely Permit, as of those Others, which he will Direct and Promote.

And

And yet, his Foreknowledge does lay no Neceffity upon the Agents, or Inter fere with the Liberty of their Wills and Actions; Which (to avoid more Nice and Minute Difquifition) we may be fatisfied in from this Single confideration, That the Liberty or Freedom of God's Own Will, and of His Actions, is Perfect and Intire, notwithstanding that they are Foreknown by him. For it seems plain, that his Foreknowledge of fuch Events, as depend upon the Wills and Actions of Men, is no more Repugnant to the Freedom of their Wills, than his Foreknowledge of any thing, which he Himfelf does, and which, if He pleafeth, may be let Alone, is Repugnant to the Freedom of his Own Will.

Men of Speculation have fometimes perplexed themselves, under this Argument, with a variety of Thoughts, which they could not Eafily reconcile with one another; And it would be no Wonder, if our Notions of fo Abftrufe a point, fhould not beAdequate and Intire. Therefore I would conclude this Head with this Remark, That when a Fundamen

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