4. He knows all things at once, not successively, as we do; for if successive duration be an imperfection, (as was before observed, when we considered the eternity of God) his knowing all things after this manner, is equally so; and, indeed, this would argue an increase of the divine knowledge, or a making advances in wisdom, by experience, and daily observation of things, which, though applicable to all intelligent creatures, can, by no means, be said of him, whose _understanding is infinite_, Psal. cxlvii. 5. We shall now consider what improvement we ought to make of God’s omniscience, as to what respects our conduct in this world. _First_, Let us take heed that we do not practically deny this attribute. 1. By acting as though we thought that we could hide ourselves from the all-seeing eye of God; let us not say, to use the words of Eliphaz, _How doth God know? Can he judge through the dark cloud? Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not, and he walketh in the circuit of heaven_, Job xxii. 13, 14. How vain a supposition is this! _since there is no darkness, or shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves_, chap. xxxiv. 22. Hypocrisy is, as it were, an attempt to hide ourselves from God, an acting as though we thought that we could deceive or impose on him, which is called, in scripture, _a lying to him_, Psal. lxxviii. 36. or, _a compassing him about with lies and deceit_, Hos. xi. 12. This all are chargeable with, who rest in a form of godliness, as though God saw only the outward actions, but not the heart. 2. By being more afraid of man than God, and venturing to commit the vilest abominations, without considering his all-seeing eye, which we would be afraid and ashamed to do, were we under the eye of man, as the apostle saith, _It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret_, Eph. v. 12. Thus God says, concerning an apostatizing people of old, speaking to the prophet Ezekiel, _Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth_, Ezek. viii. 12.