66 "" it. Whither fall I go from thy fpirit? "or whither fhall I flee from thy prefence? "If I afcend up into heaven, thou art there: "if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou "art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermoft parts "of the fea: even there fhall thy hand lead "me, and thy right hand fhall hold me. If "I fay, Surely the darkness fhall cover me: "even the night fhall be light about me. "Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; "but the night fhineth as the day: the "darkness and the light are both alike to "thee." The knowledge which the divine being has of the hearts of men, whatever pains they may take to conceal them, is strongly expreffed in Jer. xvii. 9. "The heart is “deceitful above all things, and desperately 66 wicked, who can know it? I the Lord "fearch the heart, I try the reins, even "to give every man according to his ways, "and according to the fruit of his do"ings." The The unchangeable nature of God is ftrongly afferted by himself in Mal. iii. 6. “I am "the Lord, I change not:" and it is likewife expreffed, in a peculiarly beautiful and emphatical manner, Pf. cii. 25. &c. « Of "old haft thou laid the foundation of the "earth and the heavens are the work of 66 thy hands. They fhall perish, but thou "fhalt endure: yea, all of them fhall wax "old like a garment; as a vesture shalt "thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the fame, and thy (" years shall have no end." James alfo fays, ch. i. 17. "there is no variablenefs, neither fhadow "of turning." The apostle. "With God Lastly, the incomprehenfible nature of God is finely expreffed in feveral parts of fcripture, especially in the following paffages of the book of Job xi. 7. "Canft thou by fearching find out God? canft thou find "out the almighty unto perfection? It is "as high as heaven, what canft thou do? deeper than hell, what canft thou know? "The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the fea." xxxvi. 26. 66 Behold, God is great, and we know 66 Touching the almighty, we cannot find him out." David alfo fays, Pf. cxlv. 3. "Great is the "Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unfearchable.” 66 The pretences of the heathen gods are refuted in feveral parts of fcripture in a most effectual, and fometimes in a very humorous manner. It is with refpect to the knowledge of future events that the true God more especially challenges the gods of the heathens; as in If. xli. 21. &c. "Produce σε your caufe, faith the Lord: bring forth your strong reafons, faith the king of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and fhew us what fhall happen: let them "fhew the former things what they be, "that we may confider them, and know the "latter end of them, or declare us things "for to come. Shew the things that are "to come hereafter, that we may know "that ye are gods: yea, do good or do evil, "that we may be difmayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is "he that choofeth you." When it is foretold that the idols of Babylon fhould be carried away captive, it is faid, If. xlvi. 1. "Bel boweth down, Nebo ftoopeth, their idols were upon the beafts, " and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden, they are a burden to the weary beast. They ftoop, they bow down together, they could not deliver the bur"den, but themfelves are gone into cap'tivity." Jeremiah alfo ridicules thefe gods in a fimilar manner, Jer. x. 1. &c. "Hear ye the word which the Lord fpeak"eth unto you, O houfe of Ifrael. Thus "faith the Lord, Learn not the way of the "heathen, and be not difmayed at the figns "of heaven, for the heathen are difmayed "at them. For the cuftoms of the people "are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the "forest (the work of the hands of the work "nails and with hammers, that it move not. 66 They are upright as the palm-tree, but fpeak not: they muft needs be borne, be"caufe they cannot go: be not afraid of "them, for they cannot do evil, neither "alfo is it in them to do good. Forafmuch "as there is none like unto thee, O Lord, “thou art great, and thy name is great in "might. Who would not fear thee, O king of nations, for to thee doth it appertain." The overthrow of Pharoah and his hoft is reprefented by Mofes as the triumph of the true God over the falfe ones, Ex. xv. 2. "The Lord is my ftrength and song, and "he is become my falvation:" v. 11. "Who "is like unto thee, O Lord, amongst the gods? who is like thee, glorious in ho“liness, fearful in praises, doing wonders." Elijah makes ufe of a fine piece of irony, when he addreffes the priefts of Baal, on the occafion of the conteft which he proposed between the true God and that imaginary one. When these priests were unable to procure a fupernatural fire, to burn their facrifices, |
