perfect knowledge of their moral actions, we SER M. have a natural intimation in our own prefa- IX. ging thoughts. Thofe to whom God has not given any pofitive revealed law, yet have a rule of life written in their hearts, to which their confciences bear witness; and their own accufing and excufing thoughts, as they are attended with the greatest pleasure and pain which the mind is capable of, and which are the present fanction of the law of nature; so they are premonitions of farther rewards and punishments, to be distributed by the fupreme Judge. But to this purpose they derive all their force from a fecret impreffion, which feems to be indelibly engraven on every human heart, that God is the inspector of all our actions, and all our thoughts. With a view to a trial by men, we should have no farther folicitude than about the evidence of overt acts, because that is the rule according to which they must proceed; but fince the teftimony of conscience is the measure of our expectations from God, this neceffarily fupposes a perfuafion that he is greater than our hearts, and knows all things. The argument will be greatly strengthened by the confideration of God's moral perfections, his rectitude, his goodness and justice, which cannot be fully exercised towards rational beings, with SER M. out an infallible and compleat knowledge of IX. their works. At prefent I only fuppofe his moral government, which cannot reasonably be doubted, fince it is evident he has given us a moral nature, and a clear intimation that not only it is fit he fhould, but that he actually will call us to an account. Accordingly, it has been still the common belief of all men, who had any juft fentiments concerning the Deity, that he is perfectly acquainted with the conduct of all moral agents, and will at fome time or other, render them recompences according to their works. If the foundation upon which we believe this particular branch of the Divine Omnifcience be just, namely, the evidences of a moral conftitution and government of reasonable creatures, and the natural undeceiving impreffions on the minds of men, of their being accountable for all their actions to God as their Judge, the confequence must be allow'd, that his knowledge of our hearts, and of all that enters into the morality of our works, is very perfect. For the character of a moral governor requires, not only that the condition of men fhould be determin'd according to the moral quality of their tempers and actions in general, that it should be well with the righteous, and ill with the wicked, but also that the fentences pafs'd upon them SERM. fhould bear a proportion to the measure of IX. their goodness and finfulness in a state of trial, which fhews how exact the knowledge of their Judge muft be. * Altho' all men come under the denomination of good and bad, and accordingly the state to which they shall be adjudged, is call'd a state of happiness or mifery in general; yet both these admit of a great variety. As good men are not all alike good, and vicious men are not all alike vicious, fo neither will their enjoyments and fufferings by the judgment of God be equal. They who have fown bountifully fhall reap bountifully, and they who have fown sparingly, fhall reap alfo fparingly: That is, men fhall enjoy felicity in exact proportion to the degree of their virtuous affections and virtuous labour. On the other hand, fome evil fervants fhall be beaten with few, and fome with many fripes; their punishment shall be inflicted in proportion to the obligations they have violated, which depend on their various circumstances, capacities, and opportunities of doing good. Now to adjust all this exactly, and appoint to every man fuch a degree of happiness or of punishment, as is strictly proportionable to the measure of good or evil in his difpofitions and his works, which a perVOL. I. U * 2 Cor. ix. 6. fect SER M. fect moral government requires;-To do this, IX. I fay, none but an infinite understanding is fufficient, a clear and certain knowledge of the hearts of men, of the affections which are prevalent in them, of their motives of action, and of all the circumftances which concur to the perfection of their good works, or which either aggravate or extenuate their evil ones. This extent of the Divine knowledge must appear to us wonderful. We find ourselves fecure within the inclofure of our own breasts, from the inspection of every human eye; and we are fenfible that none of us can difcern the thoughts and defigns of other men, farther than as they discover themselves by outward figns. But how shall we form an idea of an understanding which reaches to the most hidden receffes of all mens minds, and infallibly difcerns the secret thoughts and intents of their hearts? Yet this evidently appears to be the prerogative of the fupreme Being, who without it could not be the proper Judge of moral actions, as we are convinc'd he is, and cannot remove the impreffion of it out of our minds. And indeed the confideration of his Omniprefence, naturally leads us to acknowledge it: For as our own minds perceive and operate in all parts of the little fyftems which they IX. they animate, fo the most perfect Mind being SER M. every where, not in a partial derived manner, but in the fulness of its active intelligence, must discern every thing. Thus the Pfalmift celebrates the glory of the Divine Omniscience in this amazing inftance of it, * O Lord thou haft fearched me and known me. Thou knoweft my down fitting, and mine uprifing, thou understandeft my thoughts afar off. Whither fhall I go from thy Spirit, or whither fhall I flee from thy preJence?"No change of place can hide me "from thy All-feeing eye, for in all parts of "the univerfe, I should be alike under thy inspection, and surrounded with thy power"ful prefence." Thou haft poffeffed my reins, thou haft covered me in my mother's womb. "As all the powers of my nature were de"rived from thee; as to thy forming hand they owe the beginning of their existence, "and the various fteps of their progress to perfection, and are still upheld by thy mighty providence; fo they are continually "in thy view, and every exertion of them "is perfectly known to thee." Since in God we live and move and have our being; fince all our animal and rational powers neceffarily depend upon him, and by his continued influence the frame of nature is preserved, no vital act, not even the least or moft U 2 * Pfal. cxxxix, |