liar to him; for He is not beholden to another for it. Whereas when Jefus Chrift fays, " I "fearch the reins and hearts;" the words are

to be underfood of a derived knowledge. For 'he does not know the fecrets of the heart immediately and of himfelf, but because God reveals them to him.'-But when a perfon attributes to himself an eminent quality, or an exalted character, which is calculated to raise a fufpicion in others, that he affumes an honour which does not belong to him; he is obliged to explain himself, by removing the ambiguity of the terms; otherwife, his temper may be juftly accused of arrogance, and his conduct of robbery. So, if a fubject fhould have a defire to be honoured with the title of majefly, under a pretence of his poffeffing fome confiderable office in the ftate; and if he were actually fo honoured, he would be guilty of a capital crime, against the dignity of him whofe glory he ufurped. And though, in his own defence, he fhould fay, That he did not defiré, nor accept the title in the fame fenfe, nor affix to it that exalted idea, which it bears when applied to his lawful fovereign, and which is commonly annexed to it by other men; and that he meant no more by it, than a fubordinate and dependent majefty; he would foon be informed, that his excufes are mean and his reafons defpicable. He would. quickly be told, that the word majesty, being, by general cuftom and the pleasure of ruling powers, appropriated to exprefs the fovereign dignity of kings; by which they are not only distinguished from all their fubjects, but alfo from other princes; he could not, without giving juft and great offence, affume the title in any fenfe, much lefs without giving the leaft explanation of it.— So the title, "Searcher of hearts," is, by Di

vine authority and common ufe, appropriated to exprefs the peculiar and effential glory of God. By common ufe: For no man, if we except our adverfaries, ever afcribed it to any but God; and believers confider it as one of those Divine characteristics, by which he is diftinguished from all other intelligences, and infinitely exalted above all creatures. By Divine authority: For it is God, by the miniftry of his prophets, who afcribes it to himself; who affumes it on different occafions, as belonging to himself only, and as being a peculiar character of his glory. None, therefore, befides God, can affume it without offence; much lefs could any mere creature take it on himself, without explaining in what fenfe he applies it. Yet Chrift fays, with an air of authority becoming none but JEHOVAH, and with the utmost folemnity, as of a matter of the laft importance; "All the churches fhall know Co THAT I AM HE WHICH SEARCHETH THE "REINS AND HEARTS; and I will give unto "every one of you according to your works." In which words, the Redeemer connects the idea of univerfal Judge, with the fublime character, Searcher of hearts; as the prophet Jeremiah does, when he speaks of the MOST HIGH. And, indeed, if Jefus were not the latter, he would be very unfit for the office of the former; he being but poorly qualified "to give to every one ac66 cording to his works," who is not capable of "fearching the heart."

Nor have we the leaft intimation in Scripture, that God's knowledge of the heart is immediate, but that of Chrift mediate, or by revelation. For the apoftle does not attribute this knowledge to Jefus Chrift, because the secrets of the heart are revealed to him; but because he confiders him as knowing all things. "Lord, thou knoweft all D 4 "things,

things, thou knoweft that I love thee." For a perfon to know the thoughts of the heart, becaufe God reveals them to him, is to know them only as man; but to know them, because he knows all things, is to know them as GoD. Such is the knowledge which is here attributed to Jefus Chrift. Further: If to know the fecrets of the heart, by revelation, were a fufficient reafon of the title, Searcher of hearts; the apoftles themselves might have claimed the glory of it. For they, no doubt, as fome of the ancient prophets, on particular occafions, had the thoughts of mens hearts revealed to them. This gift, it is probable, was greater in fome than it was in others. Suppofe, then, that one individual among them had it in the richest measure and to the highest degree, fo that he knew all fecrets in general. On fuch a fuppofition, I demand, whether he might lawfully have affumed the character, Searcher of hearts? To affert that he might, is blafphemous; because it attributes that which is peculiar to God and Jefus Chrift, to another. If it be allowed that he might not, it follows, that whoever calls himself The fearcher of hearts, means fomething more than knowing the heart, by revelation.

It may, perhaps, be replied; How great foever we fuppofe the knowledge of this man to be, yet the knowledge of Chrift will be found more perfect; which is a fufficient reafon why he should not bear the title with him.' -But if the fuppofed perfon's knowledge be inferior to that of Chrift; the knowledge of Chrift wift be ftill more inferior to that of God. If, then, it would be unlawful for fuch an one to affume the exalted title, out of respect for Chrift; a regard for the honour of God ought much more to have prevented the man Jefus from ever affuming

affuming it. For the honour of God is of infinitely greater confequence than that of Chrift, if he be a mere creature. Befides, the knowledge of Jefus, if he be not God, and the knowledge of this man, being both of the fame kind, cam differ only in degree. But the knowledge of God, and that of Jefus Chrift, are effentially different. God's knowledge of the heart is immediate and of himself; but that of Chrift, is mediate and by revelation. So that if the man, fuppofed to know the heart,, cannot say, "All the churches "fhall know that I am he which fearcheth the "reins and hearts," without ufurping the glory of Chrift; neither can Jefus claim the power of fearching the heart, or adopt the title, without ufurping the glory of God..

Again: There is a difference, a very material difference, between knowing the fecrets of the heart, and being the fearcher of the heart. He who fearches the heart, must be acquainted with its thoughts; but it does not neceffarily follow, that he who knows its latent defires and intentions, is poffeffed of a capacity to fearch it. It may be faid of a man, to whom the thoughts of another are revealed, He knows his heart:' yet a prudent and pious man would avoid fuch general expreffions, left he fhould be fufpected of profaneness, and would rather fay;

• He

knows his heart by revelation. But he will never fay, "He tries his reins and fearches his.

66

heart;" because that would be falfe and impious. For when any one is faid, to know the thoughts, to fearch the heart, and to try the reins, the phrases do not fignify knowledge obtained from another, by revelation; but to know, find out, and difcover, by his own understanding, what lies concealed from others.-Once more: When Chrift fays, "I am HE which "fearcheth.

D 5

"fearcheth the reins and hearts;" he either means, that we fhould keep to the natural fignification of his words, or that we should depart from it. If the latter, he has laid a fnare for us; he had a defign to deceive us. For what elfe could be the reason of his talking, with such folemnity, fo as not to be understood? And how fhould he be understood, when he affixes an unnatural fignification to his words? If the former, we cannot but conclude, that knowing the fecrets of the heart, by revelation, and searching the heart, are different things.

The prophets defcribe the true God, as the Saviour, the only Saviour of finners. For thus it is written; "I, even I am JEHOVAH, and be"fide Me there is no faviour." And again : "Look unto Me and be ye faved, all the ends "of the earth; for I am God, and there is none "elfe." There is an allufion, I acknowledge, in thefe paffages, to the idols of the Heathen, that were unable to fave their deluded votaries; but yet this general truth is plainly and strongly implied, That God only can fave the ends of the earth. The immediately preceding verfe, in the latter of thefe texts, puts this beyond a doubt. For thus it is written, "There is no "God elfe befides Me; a juft God and a SA"VIOUR, there is NONE BESIDES ME.' yet Jefus Chrift not only profeffes to fave finners, but he calls himself THE SAVIOUR, by way of eminence, and in contradiftinction to all others. Is it not manifeft, then, that he affumes a character, in the moft emphatical way, which the God of Ifrael had challenged and appropriated to himfelf? When the prophets reproved the folly and wickedness of them that put their truft in idols, by faying, there is no Saviour but the God of

And

Jacob;