Here is, 1. An instance given of the honour of God: It is his glory to
conceal a matter. He needs not search into any thing, for he perfectly
knows every thing by a clear and certain view, and nothing can be
hidden from him; and yet his own way is in the sea and his path in the
great waters. There is an unfathomable depth in his counsels, Rom. xi.
33. It is but a little portion that is heard of him. Clouds and
darkness are round about him. We see what he does, but we know not the
reasons. Some refer it to the sins of men; it is his glory to pardon
sin, which is covering it, not remembering it, not mentioning it; his
forbearance, which he exercises towards sinners, is likewise his
honour, in which he seems to keep silence and take no notice of the
matter. 2. A double instance of the honour of kings:--(1.) It is God's
glory that he needs not search into a matter, because he knows it
without search; but it is the honour of kings, with a close application
of mind, and by all the methods of enquiry, to search out the matters
that are brought before them, to take pains in examining offenders,
that they may discover their designs and bring to light the hidden
works of darkness, not to give judgment hastily or till they have
weighed things, nor to leave it wholly to others to examine things, but
to see with their own eyes. (2.) It is God's glory that he cannot
himself be found out by searching, and some of that honour is devolved
upon kings, wise kings, that search out matters; their hearts are
unsearchable, like the height of heaven or the depth of the earth,
which we may guess at, but cannot measure. Princes have their arcana
imperii--state secrets, designs which are kept private, and reasons of
state, which private persons are not competent judges of, and therefore
ought not to pry into. Wise princes, when they search into a matter,
have reaches which one would not think of, as Solomon, when he called
of a sword to divide the living child with, designing thereby to
discover the true mother.