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licitude, and Care, in the Conduct of our Lives. Holy David, who gives this Testimony of his Faith, There is not a word in my tongue, but thou, O Lord, knoweft it altogether, does alfo give this Suitable Testimony of his Piety, I am utterly purpofed, that my mouth fhall not offend. As the Doctrine of God's Omniscience is, in it felf, a Fundamental Truth, it ought to be a Fundamental Principle of Action. There must be great Neceffity of Strictness in That Behaviour, which is under the Immediate Inspection of our Judge. We had need keep up a Continual Dread of the works of Darknefs, when we are Continually Seen and Obferved by the Father of Lights.

To run on in Life, without a Conftant, Moving Senfe of God's Presence with us, is, in Effect, to live as without God in the world. This is the Great, Governing Direction, which God gave to Abraham, I am the Almighty God, walk BEFORE ME, and be thou perfect. The Perfection of our Duty to God depends much upon the Perfection of our Regards to his Knowledge of us. Those

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who always walk, as in His Sight, are always fteering the Proper courfe to Eternal Life.

3ly, And more Particularly; This Do&trine of God's Omniscience fhould render us very Strict, and Careful in the Worship of him. We may poffibly Deceive One Another in this Point. A Devout Pofture and a Serious Look may pass Currently and Laudably amongst Us for Devotion and Reverence. Indeed These Things are the Proper Indications, and Tokens of Devotion, and do fo Naturally arise from a Devout Spirit, that they cannot easily be Prevented. If they were not the Proper and Natural Effects and Evidences of a Truly Religious Mind, they would not be Affected and Counterfeited, as they are, by Hypocritical and Designing Men.

But when these Marks of Piety are without the Subftance of it, they are Unprofitable and Vain. The Lord feeth not as Man feeth, but looketh on the HEART and Thoughts, and if there be no Piety, or Devotion There, our Appearance before him is an Abomination un

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to him. The Affected and Falfe Seriousness and Sanctity of a Pharifee may poffibly compass his End and Defign, may poffibly secure him of the Approbation and Applause of Men; But, for all That, his Affectation and Falfenefs will turn his very Prayers into Sin. No Sly Artifices and Devices can Escape the Knowledge of God, but will bring down his Vengeance upon us. We must take care, that our Sacrifices be fuch as He Requires, if we would have them fuch as He will Accept. Attention of Mind, and Sincerity of Heart, and Fervency of Spirit are Neceffary to Recommend our Prayers to Him, who Clearly fees, How far our Words are answerable to our Meaning, Whether our Outward Confeffions do proceed from true Contrition, Whether our Thanksgivings do flow from a Grateful Soul, and whether our Requests are Earneft enough to deserve his Regard.

4ly, God's Omniscience is a Reason of believing, that we fhall be Tried, in the Future Judgment, with much greater Strictness than we are Apt to Imagine, and

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under many Articles, which we are not wont to confider. His Knowledge Fully Comprehends and Faithfully Retains every moving Conviction of our own Minds, which we have at any time Stifled or Rejected; every Holy Refolution, which we have at any time Violated; every of thofe Terrors of Confcience, which we have Audaciously Diverted and thrown off; All the Endearing Affiftances, Inftigations and Restraints of the Holy Spirit, which we have Stubbornly Withstood or Suppreffed, and every instance of our Fruftrating the Wise Ends of his Providence, whether in Adverfity or Profperity, which we have feldom taken Notice of, or Generally Forgot.

All our Fixed Purposes of Sinning, though we could not put them in Execution; All the inftances of our Irreverence towards God and his Holy Word, whether Publick or Private; Every Attempt or Design, either to Oppofe or Diffemble, to Mifreprefent or Wreft the Truth, how Plaufible foever fuch Attempts or Designs may be; E

very inftance of our Endeavours to please Men, by Complying with them, or giving them Countenance and Encouragement, in their Deviations either from Truth, or Virtue; The Abuse or Neglect even of our Capacities to do Good; The Mischief we have done by our Examples, either in the Commiffions of Sin, whereby the Dominion of Sin hath been Propagated and Inlarged, how far by Our means Propagated and Inlarged, we cannot tell, God knoweth; or, even in the Omiffions of Duty, as of the Publick Worship, or the Neglect (much more the Abuse) of the Sabbath, whereby many Other Perfons, how many we cannot tell, God knoweth, have been led into the Like Omiffions and Neglects; These and all other Circumftances of our State and Condition and the Confequences of them, are now continually and Particularly Seen and Noted, and will hereafter be Particularly brought to account by God, who is Greater than our heart and knoweth all things. And when all the circumftances of Aggravation against us, are Particularly charged

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