times and their turns, their fall and period, as well as a rife, and a beginning. And the most durable Kingdoms, that hiftories make mention of, after they have enlarged their conquests over their neighbour nations, have at last been either ruin'd by their own ftrength, or else become a prey and spoil to another stronger than themselves. For he encreafeth the nations, and deftroyeth them, he enlargeth the nations, and fraitneth them again, Job. 12.23. But Gods government is fure and ftable, his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and his dominion endureth from generation to generation. This Kingdom fhall never be deftroy'd, but shall break in pieces, and confume all other Kingdoms, and it felf fall ftand for ever. Dan.2.44, and Pf. 10. 16. He will be King for ever and ever, even when all heathen Kings are perifht from off the earth. |

The main fupport of all government is wil dom, and power, and the defect of either of thefe (much more of both) is a fufficient caufe and reason, why all human governments are fo weak, tottering, and unstable...

And first their wisdom and knowledge is narrow, and confined. For, not to mention how frequently they are biaffed by mifinformation, prejudice, and partiality, the most spe cious undertakings have been often fhattered,

and

and broke in pieces by fuch inconfiderable accidents as ly without the sphere of the most exalted human understanding, and the fuccess of the greatest affairs of mankind depends upon future contingents, and because they are contingents, the determinate motions of them can never fall within the reach or compafs of their knowledg.

Secondly, their strength, and power is weak, and defective: they want ability to effect that, which even their own forefight tells them is neceffary for their preservation. They cannot act all things with their own hands, and can never be fure of the power, and fidelity of those agents, and instruments they make use of. But neither of these difadvantages has any place at all in Gods government of the world. For by his infinite wisdom he can certainly, and unerringly foresee the most diftant events, and make them all combine in promoting those great ends, which, before the foundations of the world were laid, he has fixt, and determin'd to himself: and his power extends it felf to the whole creation, to the winds and feas, the stars and elements of the world, he can either effectually wield and guide his inftruments, or if he pleases he may act without them, he can choose the foolish things of the world to con- 1 Cor. I. found the wife, and the weak things of the 27, 28. world, to confound the things that are mighty,

B 3

and

and the bafe things of the world,and things that are defpifed, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. For with him is wifdom, and ftrength, he hath councel, and underftanding Job.12.13. And first, of his wifdom, and knowledg

And here firft, his knowledge is like himself infinite, eternal, and unvariable, one simple, indivifible, and uncompounded act, terminated upon all objects, and not dependent upon any. It is nothing else but God himfelf, conceived as tending to all the objects of the creation, and vitally representing them by his own infinite Effence. And if God, as all Grant, be Eternal, then his knowledge, as being coexiftent to his Effence, or rather the fame with it, muft needs be Eternal too. He never began to know any thing, and shall never cease to know all things. His infinite attention can never be interrupted by fleep, or business. For all things to him are Eternally prefent, and at the fame time distinctly terminate a most fimple, and infinitely Comprehenfive knowledge.

But fecondly, One peculiar excellency of the Divine Knowledge, is an ability to penetrate into the hidden thoughts, and contrivances of the hearts of men, to discover all their fecret, and concealed designs, their aims, and intentions, purposes, and refolutions. Wo unto them, fays

the

15, 16.

the Prophet Efay, that feek deep to hide their Counsel from the Lord, and their work is in the dark, and they say who feeth us, and who knoweth us, furely your turning things upfide down fhall be efteemed as the Potters clay. For Efay 29. fball the work fay to him that made it, he made me not, and fhall the thing framed, fay of him that framed it, he had no understanding. Hence the Scripture fo frequently afcribes to God, the faculty of fearching the heart, and trying the reins, of discerning not only the motions, and operations, but even the inclinations, and propenfions of the Soul, whether, to Vertue Gen. 18. 19. or to Vice Deut, 31.21.

And furely, he muft needs know the whole bent, and inclinations of his Creatures, fince he alone at firft endued them with their feveral powers, and activities. He that made the heart, knows all its windings and turnings, all its corners, and labyrinths. For who can ever imagine that he fhould not be able to know what he hath made, or that his wifdom, to understand the motions of his Creatures, fhould be inferior to the power, whereby he firft created them. And thus the Pfalmist argues, P. 33. 15. He fafbioneth all the hearts of men, and therefore understandeth all their works, i. e. their works. acted in their hearts, in the innermoft closets,and, receffes of the Soul. His eyes, fays Elihu in Job, Fob 34.

are

21, 22.

12.

are upon all the ways of man, and he feeth all his goings, there is no darkness nor fhadow of death, where the workers of wickedness ball Zeph. 1. hide themselves. He will fearch Jerufalem with candles, pry into the clofeft, and most dark retirements. He needs no fpies to inform him of our confultations. For he keepeth our fouls, weigheth our fpirits, and understandeth our thoughts a far off. All things are naked, and open to his eyes from all eternity, long before they came to to pass.

Pf.139.2.

Crellius.

Thirdly, By this fimple, and infinite act of Knowledge, he diftinctly, and determinately from all Eternity, comprehends all the indifferent, undetermined, and contingent motions of Socinus his Creatures. There are fome indeed, who tell us, that this amounts to a plain, and palpable contradiction, that a thing may be determinately known, which is not determin'd to exist. I shall not here offer to discuss this difficult, and intricate fpeculation, nor enquire, how the contingency of future events, can confist with the neceffity of the Divine Knowledg, or the cer tainty of the Divine Knowledg, with the confest liberty of a rational creature, in what medum God beholds, and forefees contingent events, whether in their real prefence to Eternity, his own omnipotence, or decree, in their created Caufes, or in themfelves. Thefe enquirys I

leave