Action, no Thought can be with-holden from Him, who is the great Obferver of Mankind, the nice Difcerner of our Hearts. The Clouds of the moft fecret Obscurity cannot obftruct his all-piercing Sight; for the Darkness bideth not from Him; but the Night Shineth as the Day; the Darkness and Light to Him are both alike: The most specious Appearance of concealed Hypocrify cannot deceive his difcriminating Eye; for God hath not Eyes of Flesh, be feeth not by Appearance, as Man feeth, but trieth the very Heart and Reins. Thus then, as well by the Ubiquity of God's Prefence, as by the Intelligence of his Nature, all things are naked and open to his Eyes. But in order to give this Attribute of God's Omniscience its due Weight, we must confider the Force of thefe Words, with whom we have to do.

If the Almighty was an idle Spectator only of Human Actions, difclaiming all manner of Concern for, and all future Relation to Mankind, the Notices of fuch an Intuition would affect us but little more than if he did not fee them at

all :

all: But fince his Eyes are every where beholding the Evil and the Good; beholding it as the Great Preserver to govern, as an impartial Judge to reward and punish the Sons of Men, we cannot fully fatisfy our prefent Enquiries without confidering Him yet farther under these two Relations.

IT is the gracious Defign of the Almighty by governing and regulating the Affairs of the World, to dispose all things in fuch a Way as is moft conducive to his own Glory, and to our Happinefs. God therefore obferves all Actions and Motions of Mankind, that He may give them fuch advantageous Turns of Bleffedness as may best answer the Ends of his Providence: It is even a Delight to the Holy One to do Good to them that fear Him ; and in the Dispensations of his Government He does fo graciously and wifely improve every Circumstance of their Behaviour, that He makes all things work together for their Good. Thofe, whofe Thoughts are not according to God's Commandments, and whofe Hands deal with Wickedness, the Lord

obferves

obferves to disappoint their Devices; he is always ready to fecure his own Glory, and that is often beft effected by the Deftruction of thofe, who by the Unrighteousness of their Dealings endeavour to undermine it.

BUT again, this God, to whom all Hearts are open, all Defires known, and from whom no Secrets are hid, is likewise the great Rewarder of Mankind. I fearch the Heart, faith the Lord by the Prophet Jeremy, I try the Reins; but wherefore doth He search and try them? He himfelf tells in the next Words; even to give to every Man according to his Ways, and according to the Fruit of his Doings; for at the great Day of Retribution God will bring every Work into Judgment, and every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil; and He will accordingly deal out the glorious Recompence of Reward to them who do Good, and the full Vengeance of his eternal Wrath upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil.

THUS having by no more than a bare Comment diftinctly enlarged upon the Words

Words before us, and confidered the Almighty as prefent with us in every Place, and infpecting the Whole of our Behaviour, infpecting it as the mighty Governor and tremendous Judge of the Sons of Men. Proceed we now in the second Place,

2d, To confider what Influences this Doctrine ought regularly to have upon our Behaviour.

AND in general we must infer the Neceffity of obferving that Rule which the Royal Pfalmift lays down for the regulating his Life: I have fet the Lord always before me, faith he; and we ought, after so great and good an Example, to poffefs our Souls with fuch a lively and habitual Sense of this Article, as may effectually engage us to walk worthy of fo awful a Presence, and unblamably under fo accurate an Inspection. But to be more particular; the God with whom we have to do, is, as we have already confidered Him, the Great Governor of the World, the Great Rewarder of Mankind : The firft of these Characters relates more immediately to this Life, the other to

that

that which is to come: When therefore we confider that this nice and intimate Obferver of our Conduct and Behaviour is the fole Difpofer and wonderful Preferver of all Things, we are in the highest Degree encouraged to repofe ourfelves with Joy and Comfort, under the Direction of his wife and benign Providence. It is for our Good that the Almighty watches over us; and it is our Duty to render ourselves the proper Objects of fo gracious a Tutelage. When we are faid to be removed, to be caft out of the Divine Prefence, with respect to. this Life, we are not actually separated from such his Prefence, but are deprived only of the Bleffings of it: Through our Sins we forfeit all the favourable Regard, all the beneficial Influences of his Providence, and the Almighty watches over us, not to profper, but defeat our Enterprizes; not to crown our Labours with Success, but to turn our very Succeffes into Difappointments; but Peace and Safety are the Effects which God's Inspection has over them that put their Truft in, and pay Obedience to Him

;