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way, to confider that God himfelfe ftands by A good way to and knowes all thy thoughts, and takes notice be rid of evill of them. As put this cafe; Suppofe a wife and thoughts, godly man fhould ftand by, and take notice of all thy bafe thoughts, that paffe through thy heart, wouldeft thou not bee ashamed of thy felfe? If thy body were made a glaffe, and men fhould fee all thy thoughts through it,wouldeft. thou not bee ashamed of them, and carefull in them, as we are of our actions now before men > Now confider that the wife and holy GoD beholds them, confider that he fees every thought (the leaft whereof is no light matter,) and fure ly it will bee a meanes to restraine thee. Nay confider, that the LORD doth not onely be hold them, but hee ponders all thy actions, to give thee the fruit of them: fo that God doth not stand by as a meere looker on, but hee takes fuch notice of all thy thoughts that paffe through thy heart, and all thy vaine words, that hee weighes them, as it were: And therefore hee is faid in Scripture fo often to ponder our wayes. He puts thy fins, and thofe lufts in one ballance, and his cenfure in the other, and gives thee accordingly, he puts weight for weight, he gives thee correction, if thou art his child, and judge ment if thou be wicked.Therfore thou must confider who it is that knowes them, whata one hee is: as it is Rev.2 .when he tels his Churches that Revel, as he knowes them all, then he deferibes him felfe, whatan one hee is; as his eyes to bee of flaming fire, and his feet like braffe. This, if confide

red,

Ephef. 4.6. opened.

red, would make a man to looke about him. If there was a company fet together, and there was an Informer ftanding by, and did note down in his Table-Booke what they said or did, to declare it to their enemies, or to the King and Councell, men would be exceeding wary, they would ponder every word before they fpake: fo when God is prefent, and beholdeth all that thou doeft, hast thou not reafon much more to confider thy wayes? Men say indeed, that the LORD is prefent every where, but our lives fhew that wee thinke like the Atheists in Lob, that God is fhut up in the thicke clouds, and cannot fee through them. Yea, there is no man but needs an increase of faith in this point; for if it were fully beleeved, it could not be, but that wee fhould take more heed to our wayes and thoughts than wee doe. Therefore to convince you of, and perfwade you to this, I will name two places: One you fhall find in Ephef.4.6. One Ged, one Lord, who is above you all, and through all, and in you all. First, he is above all: As a man that ftands above can fee all that is done below; fo the Lord lookes downe, and beholds all that is done onearth, as a man in an high place, fees all that is done below.!.

But it may bee objected, though a man be above, yet there may bee fome corners, fome rockes and dens, wherein he may hide him felfe from the eyes of him that is above him: therefore it is added, who is in you all; that is, hee beholds every thought, every fecret place, every

corner

corner of our hearts; nay, hee is in you all, and through all. This you fhall finde more at large in Pfal.139.1. O Lord, thou haft fearched me and knowne Pfal139.18 mee, thou knoweft my downe fitting and mine up-ri- opened. fing, thou underftandeft my thoughts afarre off, &c. The meaning of it is this: David labours to perfwade his owne heart that God is prefent with him; and hee doth it by this argument; If I goe forward,the Lord is there; if on this fide or that fide, yet ftill he is prefent, he compaffeth mee round about, hee is behinde and before: therefore it muft needes bee, that there is not a word that I fpeake or a thought that I thinke, but hee fees and heares.all. Yea, hee knowes my Similes thoughts a farre off, that is, as a man that knowes what roots hee hath in his Garden, though there doe not a flower appeare, yet hee can fay, when the fpring comes,this and this will come up, becaufe bee knowes the Garden, and knowes what roots are there: So the Lord knowes a mans thoughts a farre off, because he knowes the principles that are within, and he knowes what they would doe, when occafion is offered; and therefore faith David, I have cause to feare exceedingly before him. Nay,he doth not onely fee mens thoughts a farre off,but he will judge you a farre off for them. We use to destroy hemlocke even in the middeft of winter,because wee know what it will do,if it be fuffered to grow fo the Lord doth cut off men long before because he knowes their natures that they will doe this and this. Such paffages of his providence there

1

may

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Revel. 9.3. opened.

may be,as to cut off children and young men,out of the forefight of the evill,that they would doe to his Church,because he knowes their thoughts a farre off.

So hee knowes thy thoughts for good a farre off; therefore though a childe of GOD maybe cut off in fome undifcovered finne, when hee hath not actually repented, yet God forgives it him, because hee knowes what hee would doe if he had time to repent, and fhould come to difcover it; and therefore Go D judgeth him accordingly fo likewife if wee have begun any good worke, if wee bee cut off before wee have finished it, yet remember, that God knowes what wee would doe. And feeing hee doth this, wee fhould learne therefore exceedingly to feare before him, to ponder our owne thoughts and fpecches, feeing GoD himselfe takes notice of

them.

Againe, it should be a continuall incouragement to confider that God takes notice of all the good that we doe, as well as of the evill: Revel. 2. 3. 1 know thy workes, thy labour and thy pati ence, I know thy fufferings; that is, when a man is mifcalled, flandered, and evill fpoken of, because he ferves and feares God, because he is none of the worlds owne, and therefore it fhewes forth its hatred in a word,when it cannot indeed; (for malice must have fome vent, ) yet I knowe thy fufferings, and let it bee enough that know them, and regifter them: there is not the leaft fuffering but I take notice of it, and it shall bee rewarded

rewarded. Againe, men take much paines, and no man regards it, yet God takes notice of their labour, and their paines, and not of their workes onely, but their labour in doing them, and fees what ends they intend in all. Againe, men put up injuries, and fuffer much wrong, yet faith the Lord, I know thy patience,&c. What is said of this,may be faid of all other good actions. And it is a great honour to the Lord, that we are content with this, that he alone knowes it: Which we may be well enough, for his knowledge will bring in fure fruit with it, as Lacob faid to Laban, Gen. 31. God hath feen mine afflictions, and the labour Gen. 31. of my hands: And what followed that? Why,God taught lacob how to inlarge his wages, and fe tranflated Labans substance to him. So Pfal.1. ult. it is faid, the Lord knowes the way of the righte ous, and therefore what foever hee doth fhall profper; hee knowrs alfo the wayof the wicked, and therefore they shall perish: Hence then it is enough to us, that bee is prefent to fee and knowe our la bour.

Againe, this should stirus up to good duties, feeing hee is alwayes prefent; you know fouldiers though they are fomewhat cowardly otherwife, yet in the prefence of the Generall, if hee looke on,they will adventure much; fervants alfo that are otherwife idle, yet will doe eyefervice, they will worke while the Mafter lookes on: fo when wee confider that the Lord ftands by and lookes on, and takes notice what paines wee take, how wee doe fight his battels,

and

Pfal. x. ult.

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