Prov. XV. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every 'place, beholding
the evil and the good.
THE omnipresence of the Deity is plain and obvious to all, who have learned to acknowledge the unity of God. The heathens indeed, who worshipped a mul- titude of gods, assigned to each his proper limits.
conceiving that they who could exert their power in the hills, were destitute of power in the neighbouring- valleys. But this absurd idea arose from their poly- theism ; and vanishes the very instant we confess the true God. The Scriptures place this matter beyond a doubt : every page of the inspired volume either ex- pressly asserts the omnipresence of God, or takes it for granted as an unquestionable truth. In the words before us, Solomon not only affirms it, but declares, that God is actively employed throughout the whole universe in inspecting the ways of men. In discoursing on his words we shall shew,
I. The truth of his assertion —
[One would suppose that reason itself might discern the point in question : for, if God be not every where present, how can he either govern, or judge, the world ? His crea- tures, if removed from the sphere of his observation, would be independent of him ; and, if withdrawn from his sight, would cease to feel any responsibility for their actions ; since, being ignorant of what they did, he would be altogether unqualified to pass upon them any sentence of condemnation or acquittal.
But, to proceed on surer ground, let us notice the declara- tions of holy men, and especially of God himself, respecting this point.
If we look into the Old Testament, we shall find, that the testimony of all the prophets is in perfect correspondence with those words of David, " The Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts*." Some- times they assert this matter as a thing they knotv, and are assured of; " I knotv," says Job, " that no thought can be withholden from thee''." Sometimes, with yet greater energy, they make it a subject of appeal to the whole universe, defying any one to gainsay, or even to doubt, it ; " Doth he not see my ways, and count aU my steps''?" Sometimes they labour to convey this truth under the most impressive images ; " His eyes behold, his eye-lids try, the children of men '^."
In the New Testament, the same important truth is incul- cated in terms equally clear and energetic. Not to mention mere assertions '', or acknowledgments^, that " God knoweth all things," the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews repre- sents the perfect insight of the Deity into the hearts of men under the image of the sacrifices, which, when flayed and cut down the back-bone, were open to the minutest inspection of
* 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. '' Job xlii. 2. <= Job xxxi. 4.
^ Ps. xi. 4. e 1 joiiji iii. 20. f John xxi. 17.