folutely independent on any Thing without, of beyond himself, he muft be Eternal, or without any Beginning, or any End of Exiftence. For if God were not neceffarily exiftent from Eternity unto Eternity, it would be poffible he fhould not exist or be, which is diametrically adverse to the abfolute Neceffity of his Existence. But here we muft obferve, that the boundlefs Eternity of God is effentially and infinitely different from a Time that has no Beginning, and no End: Since the abfolute Eternity of God is neceffary: But abfolute Neceffity utterly precludes all Mutability, and is fubject to no Change at all. The abfolute Eternity of God, therefore, excludes all, and is obnoxious to no Succeffion of Time: Because all Succeffion implies Change, or Alteration; fince thofe Things are faid to fucceed one another, of which one begins, and another ends. But it is evident that none of thefe Things can poffibly belong to the Eternity of JEHOVAH. So that the Eternity of God, is a Duration without any Succeffion of Time.

Now where there is no Succession of the Parts of Time, there all Things are, and do exift at once and therefore all Things are fimultantous, or do actually exift at one Time in God. Hence the abfolute Eternity of God is juftly defined by Boëthius, as; Interminabilis vitæ Simul tota & perfetta Poffeffio.

But furthermore, fince God has the Caufe and

Reafon

Reason of his own Being and Existence in himlelf, he muft of Neceffity be felf-dependent, and independent on any Thing without himself. That Independency is the Attribute of God, of that God is Self-exiftent, and Self-dependent, Paul plainly teaches us, faying; For who hath known the Mind of the Lord? Or who bath been bis Counsellor? Or who hath first given to bim, and it fhall be recompenced to him again? For of him, and through him, and to him are all Things To whom be Glory for ever. Amen. Rom. xi. 34, 45, 36.

Hence he is alfo faid to be the Firft, and the Laft the Beginning, and the End.

Again, fince all complex Beings must have had a Beginning, and may have an End ; and fince God has neither Beginning, nor End of Exiftence, it certainly follows, that God is not a complex, but a moft fimple Being. At all Adventures, Mofes fupports the Unity, and abfolute Simplicity of the Divine Effence, faying; Hear, O Ifarel, the Lord thy God is one Lord. Deut. vi. 4.

And fince God is a Spirit, yea a perfect Spirit, John iv 24. Math. v. 48. It follows that God has an infinite Underftanding or an infinitely perfect Knowledge; or that God is abfolutely Ominifcient. That abfolute Omniscience is really and in very Deed the most adorable Attribute of the Deity, is a most certain Truth. For.

C

(1.)

(1.) The Lord God perfectly knows himTelf; he perfectly knows all the infinite Perfections and moft divinely glorious Exellencies of his own Being. And the three Perfons in one God alfo know one another perfectly and moft diftinctly. The Saviour presupposes that the Father knows the Son, and the Son the Father, when he tells us, Mat. xi. 27. No Man knoweth the Son, but the Father ; neither knowath any Man the Father, fave the Son.

So that the

The Holy Ghoft alfo knows God perfectly. For the Spirit Searcheth all, Things, yea the deep Things of God. 1. Cor. ii. 10. Triune, moft fupreme and eternal GOD, has a moft diftinct, and abfolutely perfect Knowlege of his own infinite Being, and most greatly tremendous Glory. But,

(2.) God alfo perfectly knows all that has been, all that is, all that will be, yea, all that can poffibly be without, or beyond himself. Therefore the infinite Understanding or Knowledge of God may be well defined as, a moft diftinct,moft clear, fimultaenous, eternal, and abfolutely perfect Reprefentation of all exiftent, of all poffible, and even of all impoffible Things, or of all Things without any Exception whatfoever. So that God not only knows perfectly whatever has been, and now is; but alfo whatfoever fhall be even unto all Eternity, in the Grand, Glorious, moft Perfect, moft Beautiful, and very beft poffible Syftem of the Universe. Yea,

God

God not only knows moft perfectly what will actually happen in this Universe throughout all the endless Revolutions of Eternity; but also what might poffibly happen in all the other poffible innumerable Worlds, or Univerfes, and Things, throughout all Eternity. Moft incomprehenfible, all knowing, infinite, moft divine Glance!

Moft certainly numberless, and almost infinitely various are the Things, which do actually exift, and numberless is the variety of Changes, and Alterations, of which they are capable, or incapable: Numberlefs are the poffible,' and impoffible Syftems of Worlds, or Univerfes; and numberlefs are the poffible and impoffible Things, both Spiritual, and Material; and numberlefs are the poffible, and impoffible Alterations, or Changes of the fame : Innumerable are the poffible and impoffible Situations of all thefe Things: Infinitely numerous, and various are the poffible, and impoffible Relations and Connections of all these Things, both material and immaterial, both moral, and natural. But above all the fe Things, most abfolutely, every Way infinitely far exceeding great and moft divinely perfect are all the uncreated and eternal Glories of the most fupreme Godhead. But nevertheless, however innumerous, however various, however infinite all thofe, and however DIVINE all thefe Things are, Jehovah, the Lord God Omnipotent, ever knows them all perfectly. For he knows wh

1

ever has been, he knows whatever is, whatever is not; whatever will be, and whatever will not be whatever might be, and whatever might not be unto all Eternity. In one Word, God perfectly knows All Things even at once! Hence we are told that All Things are naked and open unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do. Heb. iv. 13. God is greater than our Heart, and knoweth all Things. John iii. 20. Hence Peter faid unto Jefus, Lord, thou knoweft all Things; thou knowest that I love thee, Joh. xxi. 17. Yea, the Understanding of God is abfolutely infinite: For the most evangelical Prophet Ifaiah fays, Chap. xl, 28. Haft thou not beard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the Ends of the Earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no fearching of his Understanding. No Wonder then that the Pfalmift, ftruck with the very deepest Aftonishment at the abfolute Omnifcience of the Most High God, fhould cry in extafy; Great is our Lord, and of great Power: Understanding is Infinite. Pfal cxlvii. 5.

His

With God there is alfo an infinite Profundity of perfect Wisdom, Yea, God is abfolutely Allwife. The Wisdom of God is that divine Attribute, or Perfection, by which God perfectly knows and understands all Things in their Relations, Connexions, Effects and Confequences. What an infinitely great, excellent, inComprehenfibly glorious, and moft divine Attri

bute