First, There is a strength of wisdom in knowing and discerning: God is mighty strong in this wisdom, in this knowing, this discerning wisdom, (1 Sam. 2.3.) The Lord is a God of knowledge, by him actions are weighed; He knoweth our actions exactly, and he will weigh them to a grain, he knoweth our actions to the utmost. And as he knoweth our actions, so our intentions; he knoweth our inside as well as our outside, (Heb. 4.13.) All things are naked and manifest before him, with whom we have to do; and they are not only naked to the skin, but unbowelled, and anatomized to every vein and bone, (Acts 15.18.) Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world; he knoweth all his own works, much more ours. Thus God is strong in wisdom, as wisdom consists in knowledge; and thus strong he is, he knoweth all things; First, the least things, as well as the greatest; 'tis no burden, no distraction to God, to take notice of ⟨p. 176⟩the smallest matters, even to the numbering of the hairs of our head. That's true greatness of knowledge, to know the least things and motions of the meanest creature. Secondly, he knoweth the most secret things; Secret things belong to God, (Deut. 29.29.) that is, God hath secrets which he reserves to himself, man cannot know them, man must not attempt to know them, such an attempt were insufferable intrusion. Now as God hath secrets of his own, which no man must meddle with, so be meddles with all our secrets, our secrets belong to God as well as his own; he knows the secrets of our hearts, he hath a key to that Cabinet, and can unlock it, and look into it; we may lock men, one and other, out of our hearts, but we cannot lock out God, he seeth what's there, such is the strength of his knowing wisdom. Thirdly, He knows things future, or what shall be; he knoweth what as yet is not, as clearly as what is; He declareth the end from the beginning, (Isa. 46.10.) Upon this ground the Prophet challengeth all the Idols of the world, (Isa. 41.23.) Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are Gods; tell us what shall be next, tell us what will be to morrow; that will be a demonstration of your Divinity; the Lord declareth things to come, and he only declares them. We know little of that which is, he, and he only, knoweth that which will be.
First, There is a strength of wisdome in knowing and discerning: God is mighty strong in this wisdome, in this knowing, this discerning wisdome, (1 Sam. 2.3.) The Lord is a God of knowledge, by him actions are weighed; He knoweth our actions exactly, and he will weigh them to a grain, he knoweth our actions to the utmost. And as he knoweth our actions, so our intentions; he knoweth our inside as well as our outside, (Heb. 4.13.) All things are naked and manifest before him, with whom we have to do; and they are not only naked to the skin, but unbowelled, and anatomized to every veine and bone, (Acts 15.18.) Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world; he knoweth all his own works, much more ours. Thus God is strong in wisdome, as wisdome consists in knowledge; and thus strong he is, he knoweth all things; First, the least things, as well as the greatest; 'tis no burden, no distraction to God, to take notice of ⟨p. 176⟩the smallest matters, even to the numbering of the haires of our head. That's true greatness of knowledge, to know the least things and motions of the meanest creature. Secondly, he knoweth the most secret things; Secret things belong to God, (Deut. 29.29.) that is, God hath secrets which he reserves to himself, man cannot know them, man must not attempt to know them, such an attempt were insufferable intrusion. Now as God hath secrets of his own, which no man must meddle with, so be medles with all our secrets, our secrets belong to God as well as his own; he knows the secrets of our hearts, he hath a key to that Cabinet, and can unlock it, and look into it; we may lock men, one and other, out of our hearts, but we cannot lock out God, he seeth what's there, such is the strength of his knowing wisdome. Thirdly, He knows things future, or what shall be; he knoweth what as yet is not, as clearly as what is; He declareth the end from the beginning, (Isa. 46.10.) Upon this ground the Prophet challengeth all the Idols of the world, (Isa. 41.23.) Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are Gods; tell us what shall be next, tell us what will be to morrow; that will be a demonstration of your Divinity; the Lord declareth things to come, and he only declares them. We know little of that which is, he, and he only, knoweth that which will be.
