This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
3 The eyes of the Lord in euery place, beholde the euil and the good.
If we haue in admiration, and giue reuerence to Kings and Prin∣ces of the earth, esteeming them wise and prudent, when they are verie careful and watchful to take heed to their subiects, for to know
how euery man doeth gouerne himselfe, that so much as they can, they may set al thinges in good order in their countries and domi∣nions (seeing that al the Empires, Kingdomes, and Princedomes of the worlde are nothing, in comparison of the soueraigne Lordship of our eternal God:) wee must needes bee rauished into a great wonderment, and wonderful astonishment, for to confesse the in∣estimable and incomprehensible wisedome of God, the which ouer∣seeth not one or two Kingdomes, nor by mediatours and interces∣sours (as Emperours and earthly Kings, how litle soeuer the length of their Kingdome is, haue not the power to looke ouer all and e∣uerie where, but haue neede to ordeine noble men heere and there to haue the ouersight, the guiding and gouernment of townes and villages, and that in their name and authoritie, they may set order a∣mongst the people) but hee himselfe ouerseeth al countries of the worlde, and euery particular person therin: and for to order things aright therin, he looketh not only vnto that which is done outward∣ly, as do the gouernorus of the earth: but hee perceth euen vnto the heart & thoughts, & cōsidereth & seeth al the cogitatiōs, thoughts, purposes, affectiōs & desires how deepe soeuer they be. Solomō doth expresse this same vnto vs in fewe words, when he saith, The eyes of the Lord, &c. The holy scripture attributeth sight & face vnto god. Now we cannot comprehende the sight & the face of God without eyes: and therefore the scripture applying it selfe vnto our capacitie, doth attribute eyes vnto God. And yet he is a spirit, & hath no eyes. Doest thou see as man seeth? But the scripture yeelding to our dul∣nes, speaketh of God by similitudes, & doth attribute vnto him that which is corporal, that wee may the more easily comprehende that which he declareth vnto vs. Therfore when we see that the eyes of the Lord are in al places, let vs take heed to imagine any thing carnal in him, but let vs vnderstand, that the prouidence of God is of suche length and breadth, that hee looketh not onely to one parte of the world, but hath care of al, and nothing is hid from him: There is no deepe so profounde, but hee pearceth it: for hee hath made al, and ruleth all, and nothing standeth nor abideth but by his will and ordinance. And therefore Dauid by great admiration sayeth, Whither shall I flye from thy Spirite? But that which hee most regardeth in this worlde, is man, for
whom he hath created al things: & albeit he doth prouide for the beasts, yet his chiefe care is for men. Also the Scripture maketh of∣ten mention of the sight of God ouer men. Likewise Solomon doth signifie here vnto vs after a sort that the eyes of the Lord are chiefly ouer mē. For albeit he saith that the eies of the Lord are in al places, & that he knew wel that the world was not void of beasts, yet hee saieth not that the eyes of the Lorde are ouer the beasts, but behol∣ding the euil and the good. Albeit that of our vicious & corrupted nature we are al euil, yet, because that God of his grace hath elected some before the foundation of the worlde was layde, that we should be holy through loue: therefore Solomon letteth not to parte men into twayne: that is to say, into euil and good. And it might seeme that he nameth the euil first, because that al men by their nature are such, & those which are left in that nature are a far greater number thē are those which are reformed by the grace of god, & that we are first euil before we be good: & thus hee setteth our owne nature first before our eyes, that what goodnes soeuer we haue, we should not yet boast, as though we had chāged our own selues, & not that it came by the onely grace and meere mercy of our Lord God. I say expressely it might seeme, & not that it is so: for wee must compel no man to beleue that Solomon hath had this respect, in naming the euil before the good: although that that which is sayd, conteineth true and profitable doctrine to leade vs vnto humility & lowlines, as it is necessary for vs. But to come againe to that which Solomon mindeth to teach vs, let vs note that he first saith, that God behol∣deth the euil: by the which we must vnderstand them which de∣light to hurt and to doe euil vnto their neighboures, and doe hate goodnesse. These are they which are largely spoken of here before, and also in Ieremie. Such are the wicked, who are here spoken of, Solomon doth shew it whē he deuideth them from the good, whose goodnes is neuer so perfect but that stil some seed of euil remaineth, & that we should need continually to aske forgeuenes of our sinnes but goodnes is imputed vnto them, because they delight to do wel, and that the euil which is in them, displeaseth them. Contrarily, the euil haue no delight but too doe euil. And therefore when it is sayde that God beholdeth the euill, let vs knowe that it is not for delighte that hee hath in them nor in theyr wickednesse.
For Dauid saith, Thou art not a God which louest wickednes: nei∣ther shal any euil dwel with thee. The Lorde alloweth the righ∣teous: but the vngodly and him that delighteth in wickednes doth his soule abhorre. The face of the Lorde is against them that doe euil: to roote out the remembrance of them from the earth. But contrarily, he beholdeth the good delighting in them, & preseruing them from destruction. The eyes of the Lord are ouer them which feare him, &c. The eyes of the Lord are ouer the righteous: and his eares are open vnto their prayers. Againe, When the righteous crie, the Lorde heareth them. But the Lordes delight is in them that feare him, and put their trust in his mercy. Moreouer let vs note, that the Lord doth not see as man seeth onely outwardly, but he seeth & knoweth euē the very bottome of him. Let not the wic∣ked thē loke to auoid punishmēt: seeing they haue to do with him who is righteous, and almightie. And let the good, what euill soeuer they suffer, not feare to perishe: seeing that the almightie, who is merciful, careth for them. Finally, let vs note that it is vnpossible to make any image or likenesse for to represent God, forasmuche as his eyes are in al places.
Gene. 1. 10. &. 32. 30. Exo. 3. 4. 7. &. 33. 11. Psa. 14. 2. Gene. 6. 8. &. 18. 3. Psal. 11. 4. 7 & 66. 7. Iob. 10. 4. Psal. 139. 7
Math. 6. 25. 1. Cor. 9. 9. 10
Psal. 11. 4. 7.
&. 33. 13. 14. Gene. 6. 5. & 8. 21. Psal. 14. 3. Rom. 3. 9. Ephe. 2. 3. & 1. 4.
Pro. 1. 7. 10. 24. 2. 11. Iere. 4. 22.
Psal. 5. 5. & 11. 4. &. 34. 15.
Psa. 33. 18. &. 34. 16. 17 18. &. 147. 11.