6. He that providentially brings to light the most secret contri- vances of men, and publishes them before all Israel, and before the sun, must needs see them, and know them. How closely had Achan covered his wickedness : He never suspected a discovery, yet God brought it to light. With how much contrivance was the sin of David covered ! yet God discovered it : " Thou didst this thing ** secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun," 2 Sam. xii. 12. Histories abound with examples of God's bringing to light murders, so secretly committed, that it v/as impos- sible they should ever be revealed in this world, without a miracle of providence ; and yet so they have been brought to light. Bessus, having committed such a murder, fancied the swallows that were chattering in the chimney had said, Bessus killed a man, and thereupon confessed the fact. How secure were the contrivers of the popish powder-plot, that Catholic villany, in a double sense having sworn all their accomplices to secresy, and managed the whole design so closely that Guy Faux, upon the discovery of it, said. The devil must needs be the the discoverer of it. How easy were it to expatiate upon this theme.? But I will not be tiresome iu instances : all ages are the witnesses of this truth. 'Who can then deny or question that great or confessed truth, Dan. ii. 28. " There " is a God in heaven that reveals secrets :" and if he reveals them, he must needs know them.
7. He that will judge all secrets, cannot but know them. " Now " God will judge the secrets of men in that great day," Rom. ii. 16. *' God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, " whether it be good, or whether it be evil," Eccl xii. iilt. The Judge of the whole earth will not judge at random ; his judgment will be infallible, because his omniscience is so. " His eyes are uj^on " the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings ; for he will not lay " upon man more than right, that he should enter into judgment " with God," Job xxxiv. 21, 23.
So that the truth of this point is beyond all controversy and con- tradiction, that the whole world affords no place of secresy or security for a sinner to escape the observing eye, and righteous hand of God
3T8 THE SEAMAX 5 PRESERVAT1VI3
The uses follow in these inferences. 1. Inference^ If this be so, then time, place, and opportunity, how much soever they seem to promise secresy and concealment, should never further a temptation to sin.
Suppose all circumstances concurring, so that in the eye of reason you seem secured from the shameful consequences of sin; yet,methinks, the consideration of this truth should sufficiently deter you from a wicked purpose ; Prov. v. 20. " And why wilt thou, my son, be " ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a " stranger ,? For the ways oF a man are before the eyes of the Lord, " and he pondereth all his goings."" There be four things which strengthen temptations to sin, and particularly the sin of uncleanness upon seamen. First, The absence of lawful remedies. Secondly, The presence of alluring objects. Tli'irdly, The instigation of wicked ex- amples. Fourthly, And the hopes of concealment, being remote from their acquaintance : so that their sins, in probability, shall never dis- grace them. This last circumstance is not the least : O how many hath it prevailed upon ! but I hope you will never yield to this temp- tation, whose heart and strength are broken by this consideration of the eye of God upon jou. A chaste woman being once solicited to folly, told him that solicited her, she could never yield to the motion, until he could find a place where God should not see.
Nay, my friends, it should do more than restrain you from the gross acts of sin ; it should powerfully curb the very thoughts and first motions of sin in your hearts. That Mas the use holy Job made of this truth, Job xxxi. 1. " I have made a covenant with mine eyes ; '' why then should I think upon a maid ? Doth he not see my *' ways, and count all mv steps '^"^
Suppose you should carry your wickedness so close, that none on earth should know it ; yet the Lord sees it, and will bring it into judgment, and your own conscience is privy to it. I pray, sirs, tell me, is it not a great comfort to a malefactor, that he acted his crime so closely, that none but the judge, and one authentic witness more, (whose testimony is as good as a thousand) beheld it ? AVhy, this is the case of all secret sinners. But, to press home this great and necessary truth more particularly, I beseech you to consider,
1. God doth not only behold vou, but beholds you with detesta- tion and abhorrence in your ways of iniquitv : It is a sight that grieves him to the heart. Gen. vi. 5, 6. " And the Lord saw the wickcd- " ness of man was great on the earth, and that evei y imagination of " the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.^ Here was wickedness, great wicker! ness, breaking out externally, and evil, only evil, and \k\aX continually, working internally ; so that both heart and life w^re evil extensively, intensively, and protensively. This the Lord saw ; and how it aifected him, the sixth verse tells you : " And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth; '* and it grieved him at the heart :" Ah ! it cuts him to the heart
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to see your sinful hearts and courses. Nothing can be so contrary to the pure and holy nature of God as this is : this made the pro- phet admire how his patience could endure such a sight, Heb. i. 13. " Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look " upon iniquity ; wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal trea- " cherously ?'' &c. As if he should say, Lord, how canst thou be- hold thyself affronted by vile creatures, and hold thy hands from avenging it ? O the stupendous patience of God !
2. It doth not only grieve him to the heart, but it puts his patience to the greatest trial and exercise in beholding it : therefore he is said " to endure with much long-suffering," Rom. ix. 22. It doth, as it were, create a conflict betwixt his patience and justice : he is so provoked by your sin, that he expresses it as a difficulty to bear it, Amos ii. 13. "I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is " full of sheaves :" burdened till the axle-tree of infinite patience be ready to crack under the weight.
Nay, Thirdly, He doth not only see your evils, but he registers and records them, in order to a day of reckoning with you for all together, except ye repent; Dent, xxxii. 34. " Is not this laid up " in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures .''"'' A meta- phor taken from the clerk of the assize, who seals up the bag of indictments against the time of trial. You think if you can blind the eyes of men, all is well, you shall hear no more of it : ah ! but it is sealed up among God's treasures ; i. c. the things he records and reserves for the day of account.