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but there could be no room for this under a perfect Equality of Knowledge. If therefore it cannot confift with the Hierarchy of Heaven, and the Felicity of Angels, that they should know one another's Thoughts, there is the fame Reafon to conclude, that they do not perfectly know the Hearts of Men, for the Soul of Man is a Substance as truly fpiritual as an Angel.

3dly, If Angels do not know Men's Hearts, we may juftly conclude, that the Devil does not. For his Knowledge could not be improved, but was in all Probability darkned by his Sin and Fall. I will not take upon me to say, that the Devil has no kind of Knowledge of Men's Thoughts and Volitions; especially when they are tinctured with Appetites and Paffions, as they often are. For Hope and Fear, Joy and Sorrow, Love and Hatred, muft make as different Impreffions upon the Brain and Nerves, as they do upon the Countenance; and it is eafy to imagine, that the Devil may, by long Obfervation, have acquired much Skill in judging from these Appearances, what our prefent Thoughts and Difpofitions may be; and may in fome Measure serve his evil Purposes thereby. But ftill this is only guefs

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guefs Work, in which he may often be mistaken: And there is a moral Certainty, that he can go no further; for if that wicked Spirit cou'd get to the Fountain Head, and touch the Springs of our moral Actions, no Man's Virtue could be fafe; and therefore we may reft affured, that our good God has not put us fo far into the Power of our mortal Enemy.

I hope it appears evidently from these Suggestions, that neither Men, nor Angels, nor Devils, have, or can have, a direct and intuitive Knowledge of the Heart, and confequently that fuch Knowledge is the fole Prerogative of God, which was my Second general Head. I come now to the

3d and last, namely, That the Design and Intent of God in fearching and obferving Men's Hearts, is, that he may render a righteous Retribution to every Man at the Day of Judgment. I the Lord fearch the Heart, 1 try the Reins, and to what End? Even to render to every Man according to his Ways, and according to the Fruit of his Doings.

If the Words had run thus, I the Lord obferve Men's Actions, and external Performances, the Hypocrite would immediately become an happy Man; for he knows

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how to act his Part well to the Eye; but the Cafe is quite otherwife; for in God's Account, Morality lies in the Heart only, and it is wifely placed there, because out of the Heart are the Iflues of Life; and if the Root of Virtue be found there, it will never fail to bring forth good Fruit, and shew it felf in a virtuous Life.

For this Reason it is that the holy Scriptures lay every where the main Stress upon the Sincerity and Purity of the Heart; especially in the New Teftament, where by a new and gracious Covenant God is pleas'd for the Sake of Chrift, to dispense with perfect Obedience, and to accept of our fincere Intentions, and honest Endeavours in the room of it. And whoever confults that excellent Book, will find many Laws and Rules for regulating the inward Thoughts and Defires; and that the Soul is capable of much Virtue and Vice, that never carried into Execution by the

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If therefore the Heart be the only Seat of Virtue and Vice, and every Man is truly to be denominated good or bad by the Principle from which his Actions flow, it evidently follows, that the great Judge of G 4

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the World muft perfectly know Men's Hearts, in order to be qualified to make a righteous Retribution of Rewards and Punishments at the great Day. For then only it is that every Man's Goodness will be brought to the true Touchftone, and the upright Man diftinguished from the gloffy 1 Cor. 4. 5.Hypocrite, by that all-feeing Eye, who will bring to Light the hidden Things of Darknefs, and make manifeft the Counfels of the Heart; and then shall every one have Praise of God, then fhall every honeft and fincere Man be approved and pronounced fuch by the only infallible Judge.

I fhall close this Difcourfe with fome practical Inferences from the Points I have before proved. And

1st, If our Hearts are fo deceitful and desperately wicked that we cannot know them, it is every Man's Wisdom to fufpect his own Heart, and to keep out of the Way of Temptations. For Deceitfulness and a wicked Inclination joined together, are Qualities that no wife Man will truft Prov. 28.26. Without being upon his Guard. He that trufteth in his own Heart, fays Solomon, is a Fool, but whofo walketh wifely, i. e. cautiously, fufpecting his own Weaknefs, he

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fhall be delivered. The Examples before mentioned are undeniable Proofs of this; for if David had turned his Eyes from Bathsheba, and made no Enquiries after her; and if St. Peter had not thruft himfelf into the Way of being taxed for a Follower of his Mafter, they might both have escaped the fnare they fell into. St. Peter was plainly forewarned by our Saviour of what afterwards happen'd, but the Confidence of his own Strength, was the Thing that betrayed him, to his Sorrow and Shame.

No Man can be fure of the Confequence, when he runs into Temptation upon a Confidence that he has Strength to overcome it; for it may work ftronger than he imagined, his Heart may prove falfe to him, and God may withdraw his Grace for his Prefumption. It is therefore much fafer and wifer to fufpect himself, and to avoid the Temptation, than to bid it Defiance. This is Solomon's Advice in the Cafe of a lewd Woman; remove thy Way far from Prov. 5. S. her, and come not nigh the Door of her Houfe. And St. Paul gives much the fame Advice to the Corinthians in his ift Epiftle, Chap. 10. where having enumerated the fad Events of various Temptations which

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