SERM. moft fecret movement in our minds, or our IX. bodies, can he hid from his eye. Before we proceed any further in our inquiry concerning the Omniscience of God, it may not be amifs to make fome practical reflections on what has been already obferv'd. There is no confideration more affecting to ferious attentive minds, or which more directly tends to produce fincerity in our whole behaviour, than this of God's knowing our hearts. There is naturally a difpofition in the minds of men to approve themselves to those intelligent beings who are witneffes of their Conduct. Thus a defire of pleasing one another has a great fhare in forming our outward deportment, fo far as it is open to human obfervation. But as the Divine appro bation is infinitely more important, fo the defire of obtaining it has a vaftly more extenfive influence, reaching not only to the external behaviour, but to the inward difpofitions and the intents of the heart. How ridiculous does hypocrify appear to a man who confiders that all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do? That no outward folemnities, no forms of devotion, or appearances of zeal, can impofe on his perfect understanding? That he fees through the most subtle disguises and plau, fible pretences which an infincere heart can SER M. put on, and that they are as odious to him as IX. bare-fac'd wickedness? open Let us therefore always remember the excellent inftructions of our Saviour * concerning acts of devotion and charity, which may alfo be applied to other duties, namely, that if we would hope for acceptance with God in our prayers and our alms, it is abfolutely neceffary to avoid outward pomp and oftentation. A prevailing defire of human applause, or as he expreffes it, making it our chief end to be feen of men, will undoubtedly destroy the fincerity of religious works, so called, and cut off our claim to the Divine approbation. But if we perform our obedience only as unto our heavenly Father, with an affectionate sense upon our minds of his Allfeeing eye obferving us in fecret, and with an upright intention to please him, he will accept of our service and reward us openly. Thus religion feated in the mind, and expreffing itself by an uniform course of good actions, appears to be moft reasonable and worthy of men, for it purfues the important defign of obtaining God's favour, by the propereft means. But on the other hand, if it be certain that God knows the fecrets of all hearts, and will judge them, hypocrify is SERM.extreme folly, as well as wickednefs. For what IX. good purpose can an infincere profeffion of piety serve, fince we cannot hope to deceive him; or what rational account will a man be able to give of it to his own mind? Unlefs we will suppose the hypocrite perfuaded that God does not know, and that there is in the most high no knowledge of man's actions, which probably is the cafe of very few, the worship which he performs with the greatest solemnity, and appearance of devotion, must appear to his reflecting thoughts, the most trifling and infignificant part of his conduct. It seems yet more abfurd than the loud cries and extravagant rites of the priests of Baal, in that ridiculous light wherein the prophet Elijah elegantly fets them *; for it is not lefs unreasonable to awake a sleeping God by clamour, or call him off from other business which he is fuppofed to be attending, than to addrefs fervices to one whom we believe to be awake and attentive, yet without any defign to obtain his approbation? And not only should this confideration of the Divine Omniscience engage men to fincerity in their worship, but to universal purity of heart, and integrity in their whole converfation. For as all the parts of our moral conduct are equally under the direction of his * law, which requires us to do juftly, and to SER M. love mercy, as well as to walk humbly with IX. God; and every work shall be brought into judgment before him, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil; fo his eye is continually upon us in all the affairs of life, and in every other deliberation and defign, as well as our immediate addreffes to himself. In vain the eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, faying, no eye shall fee me, and difguifeth his face; and the murtherer rifeth with the light to kill the poor and needy, lurking as a thief in the night, till he find an opportu nity to execute his villainous purposes. For tho' fuch wicked men may be able to hide their defigns from the view of the world, and thereby escape with impunity in it, yet God is witnefs to their moft fecret devices, even to the mischief which they have meditated in their hearts, altho' their hands have never executed it, and he will discover it hereafter to their utter confufion. 2dly, Since it is God's prerogative to know the hearts of men and judge them, we should not presume to invade it by rash cenfures. Some works of men, both good and bad, are manifeft, so that we cannot avoid paffing a judgment upon them, tho' ftill it is an imperfect one, for we cannot enter into the fecret U 4 * Job, xxiv. 15. fprings * SER M. fprings and motives of action; but other works IX. are altogether hid from our knowledge, and concerning them we ought not to judge before the time, until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifeft the counfels of the heart, and then shall every man bave praise of God, the praise which is justly due to his works. It is therefore with great reafon that the apoftles infift fo much on this neceffary caution to Chriftians, that they do not judge one another; which is not only becoming the deference they owe to the fuperior knowledge of their common master, and their profeffed expectation of appearing before his tribunal, but is the only foundation upon which charity and peace can fubfift among them. It is the violation of this rule, and Chriftians adventuring to pronounce judgment upon their brethren, even upon the fecrets of their hearts, cenfuring and cafting them out of their fellowship as infincere in their religious profeffion, because of different fentiments and practices in matters confeffedly not effential;-'tis this, I fay, which has brought fo great reproach on Chriflianity, and occafion'd fuch fierce and fcandalous contentions among the followers of Jefus Chrift. On the other hand, we ought not to be immoderately affected with the unjust censures * 1 Cor. iv. 5 |