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Show c/Jrljlloofteth In dt the ~in dorM Cods eye is over all the Earth. All things are naked before him with whom we have to do. His eyes run to and fro the Earth, beholding the evil and good : Ah, but God hath an rfPecial eye upon hu people : Behold the eye of ibe Lord i1 upon them tbat fear him; as he told the people of the Jews, that all the N ations of the eanh were his; but Zion he bad chofcn for a pec~liar people. So his eyes fee all the inhabitants of the-Earth; but he hath an c· fpecial eye upon his people. Ay, and more efpedally when they are in Mifery, to deliver their So~tiJ from death, &c. There are two things which confirm this from the nature of God. The firll is Gods omniprefonce and omuifcimce. Whofo truly apprehrndeth God, mull apprehend him as an infini te being, filling Heaven and Earth and all places with his effcnce; which eiTence of his is not a dark eiTence,that feeth nothing,but an ad ive operative alfeeing being;fo thAt he that fancieth a God not feein·g ,not knowing, not fully under!landing all things, all his creatures, ali their motions, and all their actions and Jla tes,fancieth an Idol inllead of the true God; for the Divine Being.mu!l needs both fill all places and fee all ACl:io.ns;hence thofe Scriptures,Heb+ r 3. All thing1 are ·naked •nd opened unto the eyu of him "it}> whom we have to tio;and -again,The <JU of the Lord TH/1 to and fro the Earth,beholding the evil ".nd the f.Ood; what faith the Pfalmill, Pfa/.94·"·?• he that planleth the ear jh>ll he 11ot hear? be th•t formed the eyejhaU he Hot foe? The (tcond is Gods love and JPecial ca~e to and for his peoplt. This maker h him more efprcially and wiflly to obferve and take notice of his people ; h_ence he is faid to TlfPefJ and to regard th<m, Pfal. rol. 17. He wiU regard the pra¥rr oftbe deftitHte, and Hot d<JPife tbeir prayer. As God feeth ali things, ali perfons; So God regardcth and refpeCl:eth the !late and condition ofhis people: Canam is called the piJcethat th< Lordcartthfor. The Love that rhe Sifter of Me[c1 had ro'Mofu could not leave him in the Ark of Flags, without any fu rther care ofhim;!he mufillana afu olf,to fee what would be done unto him, Exod. 2. 4· Hagim Love would no let her go quire away from her Child, but when !he ha·d thrown it under a !hrub, !he mull go, and a good way off, lit over againll it to fee what would become ofir. The tender Love which God hath for his Saints, engageth him when'he hath left the h oufe yet to (land under the wall,and to look in at the windows to take no. rice of theii· llate and condition. •But Se•ondly, I told you the phrafe doth not only import . Gods Gods knowledg of his peoples ftate, but his <uriotu and ex all obfrr· uation, both of the (late of hi1 people, and_ alfo of their beb~~ioiU'. A m'l!l may look into an houfe when threves have broken rn, to fee how they ufe his Family, and what thofe of his Family fuffer fro them; and he m1y look Into his houfe to fee how his Family behave themfelves when his ba•k is turned upon them. Chrill looks into his houfe for both thefe ends; he curioully obferveth his peoples fufferings, and his peoples doings; _you llull_find this eminenHy proved, almoll in every of the Ep~llles, whrch Sa~ At 'folm at Gods command wro(e to the [even Churches of Aft•, Revel. Ch<p.z. Ch•P+ God takes notice of wicked mens beh~vi· our under afflictions, I King12 r. 29. he faw Ah•b humblmg himfelf; he took notice of the I]r4tlitn cry, of H(zel<!ahJ p·rayer, of the 1•ws falling in the B•bylMijh Captivity; in fhnrt 1he Text of Scriptures might be almofl ~ithout nm~ber, .whid1 I might produce in this cafe; but the ev1dence of thrs Prof' "Jfi q on heth to the·perfeCl: nature of God, confidercd as to his Q,nnifi:ience and i!S to his Juftiu. Of the firll.I fpake uefore: 1 ~e knnwledg of God is fuch that it reacheth· to the numbrmg of harrs, the f•/1 •f a /pflr· row, &'c. God is alfo a jufi andtrighteous God. And.indeed t~is obfervation of his is neceffuy, to the end that he mtght decla.e his righteoufnefs: The /\pattie, 2 Tl,.ffil~ r. 6. faith, It i1 " rigbteouJ thing with G,,d, to reco-npm" Tr~bul•t•on to them tb<t trM<bl< hi1 p<opl< : Am/. to tbo[e that are troubltd r(!l 4Hd ~<act; either here or hereafter. Now •s ro pum!hrnent< God gtveth unto his enemies according to rhe merit of their faa, for the dp. · ing of which it is neceff.ry, rhat he (}\ould know whanhey have done. A t" l a< trnherewardJ •f hiJ P" ple, though they b~ of Grace not of debe nvt according to an exact proportion ofm6ri t;yct the Lord doth 'freely of Graco reward according to his peoples Obed ience and works ofholinefs.So that belides the plentiful evidence which 'the S.:ripture gi-veth to this truth, it appeareth alfo n~ceffary from an evidence of rcafon con!.dering rhe· righteoufoefs of God, that he fhould llrict1y and ex• Illy know and obferve l>oth the !la te and behaviour of his people. I come to the ApPlication which will ·he tor caution,Coofol•<.ion and E.xbortatiom. 'In thefirll place, Let thiS< !be (Qtt c~ution. J, Totbettmnirt.af ·r. V[e. the Church. 2 . ·'T• the peop,lt. rlf God rhemfelves. CaHti.n •. Flr!l To thNH<'miu ; ft is our vanity, that we t}>ink Gnd, futb a ~ne- as our fclvcs; fhe Pf•imill of.old compi~iotd,Th~tth•y hrok,f, |
