A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 30 (Question 5)
SERMON XXX.
QUESTION V.
ARE there more Gods than ONE?
ANSWER.
THERE is but ONE ONLY, the LIVING and TRUE GOD.
IT is of Infinite Concernment, that we be rightly fixed on the Object of Worſhip; for if it be not ſuch an one as can make us happy, our Religion is vain. That this muſt be a God, the Light of Nature diſcovers, and therefore all Nations do acknowledge it: But yet how wofully have they miſt it, through their vain Imaginations, by reaſon of the Darkneſs on their Minds, whilſt they have ſought to Gods that cannot ſave? That we may not be miſtaken in this, which is as much as our Life; after the Deſcription of God by his Attributes, in the former Queſtion, our Catechiſm in this leads us to ſome further Diſcoveries of Him: In which, 1. It re…eth …s is an Unity, …aring us that there is but ONE. 2. P…ts us to ſome Diſcriminating Notes by which we may know Him, and not take another for him; and theſe are T…, 1. He is the LIVING. 2. He is the TRUE God. For the help of our Faith, theſe things may be briefly opened.
Firſt, THE Unity of the Divine Eſſence is here aſſerted: There is but ONE God. This is a Foundation Principle of the Chriſtian Religion, 1 Cor. 8.4, 5, 6. — There is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (a… there be gods many, and lords many) But to us there is but one God—. The Heathen worſhipped many Gods: Though they had ſome Notion of a Deity, yet they divided and crumbled it in pieces, diſtributing it to every thing that did them good, Sun, Moon, Stars, Rivers, Fountains, Elements, Brutes, Vegetatives: Yea, they encreaſed their Gods according to the Number of their Cities: Yea they had their Tutelar Gods, their Houſhold Gods, their Gods for all particular Callings, Concerns, Diſeaſes: We have an Account in Gentile Antiquity of Thirty Thouſand of them: The Romans had their Pantheon, a Temple in which all the Gods of the Nations were Worſhipped, the True God excepted: And tho' the true Religion acknowlegeth but One, and no more, yet even among thoſe that have profeſſed Chriſtianity, the …, and …, and …, made T…, one the Author of Good, the other of Evil; and the …r…t…enes, for the Trinity of Perſons, have ſurrogated Three Gods: It is therefore neceſſary to be well-grounded in this Article: And if our Faith will give Credit to the Divine Teſtimony, we need look no farther for Proof; the Scripture every where aſſerting it: See Deut. ….4. Hear, O Iſrael, The Lord our God is one Lord. Pſal. 8….18. That men may know, that then whoſe name alone is JEHOVAH. art the moſt high … all the earth. God denies himſelf to have …y Corrival. Deut. 4 35. Unto thee it was ſhewed, that thou mighteſt know that the Lord he is God, there is none elſe beſides him. Iſa. 44.8. — Is there a God beſides me? you, there is … God, I know not any. Ch. 45.4.…1. I am the Lord, and there is none elſe, there is no God beſides me: — There is no God elſe beſide me, a … God and a ſaviour, there is none beſide me. And … he will part with none of … Glory, Iſa. 42 … I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praiſe … graven …ges. Nay, Reaſon it ſelf, and … Light, if well improved, would convince M…n of this Truth: And therefore the wiſeſt of Heathen Parts and Philoſophers have believed this Aſſertion, and ſpoken it as far as they durſt to avoid the Severity of their Laws, whilſt they have taught that all things muſt needs proceed from One Firſt Cauſe, who is the Efficient, and prime Mover of them: Yea, Socrates ſpake i… ſo plain that he died for it: and Plato hardly eſcaped the Oſtraciſm. Among many Evidences, convictive of this, let a few ſuffice.
1. THE Firſt Being can be but One. Reaſon ſaith, that if there be a Second, there muſt be a Firſt; for all Number begins in an Unity, and to ſay there are two firſts, is a Contradiction in the Nature of things▪ Equality and Priority are inconſiſtent to the ſame Subject: Now it is one of the Divine Properties to be Firſt: And from thence God Himſelf argues … being alone; Iſa. 44.6. Thus ſaith the Lord the king of Iſrael, and his redeemer the Lord of hoſts, I am the firſt, and I am the laſt, and beſides … there is no God.
2. THE very Order of things … the World, proves that there can be but ONE God. There is a Plurality of ſecond Beings, therefore there muſt be but One firſt Being. As the Firſt can be but One, ſo there muſt be a Firſt; for where is no Firſt, there is no Order; and where there is no Order, there can be no Goodneſs; for what Goodneſs can there be in Confuſion' and where there is no Goodneſs there is Nothing; ….
3. IF there be more Gods than One, either they muſt be all Equal one to another, or elſe there muſt be Superiority & Inferiority between them: … neither … theſe can poſſibly … with right Reaſon … of. If we conceive them Equal, there can be no Chief Good; we cannot call one of them ſo, becauſe there is another as Good as he: and then the Attribute of the moſt High muſt …eaſe; for among Comparatives, there is no Superlative: If we conceive an Inequality, we cannot … them both to be God: If there be another above Him, then He is not over all God bleſſed forever: He muſt Himſelf be a dependent being, and ſo, not an adequate Object for our Faith to rely upon: If he be acknowledged Superiour to the other, then that other is a Subject weak, imperfect, and cannot be God; Supremacy being a Prerogative of the Deity. It is F…ly to count Him our God, that cannot do what he will without Control, that cannot ſave us in deſpite of all Oppoſition.
4. ALL the Divine Attributes prove that there is but One God. God hath revealed himſelf to us in and by his glorious Perfections: If then we acknowledge none to be God, but Him to whom theſe ſo belong, we muſt conclude that there is but One: There are indeed ſome Attributes that we call Communicable, a Shadow of which is in the Creature; ſuch are the Divine Vertues, as Wiſdom, Holineſs, &c. But then, if we conſider, that they belong to the Creature only in the …, to the Deity in the Abſtract, and conſequently in the Superlative, they can ſo appertain but to One: There may be many Wiſe, but … it ſelf is but One: There may be Holy O…es, but the moſt Holy cannot be more then One. As to the Incommunicable Perfections, it is impoſſible that they ſhould be multiplyed; and this more eſſentially carries conviction to his Infinity: It belongs to God to be Immenſe …; but this inſeparably belongs to Unity: The Notion of two Infinites being contradictory to all rational Conceptions; For if there be two, they muſt confine each other, and ſo neither be Infinite, &c.
Hence learn,
1. THAT Polytheiſm is but a ſort of Atheiſm. They that worſhip more Gods than God, do in effect worſhip no God at all: For they cannot worſhip any one at God, who divide their Worſhip to more than One: They therefore who thus fear God, are in Scripture ſaid, not to fear him, a King. 17.33, 34. They ſcared the Lord, and ſerved their …, …ter the … of the nations, whom they carried away from thence. Unto this day they do after former manners: they fear not the Lord—.
2 THAT there can be but One Religion. Religion is properly the Worſhipping and Serving of God: Where there is no God acknowledged, there is no Religion profeſſed, and if ſo, then, where there is but One God confeſſed, there … to be but One Religion practiſed. The Reaſon of the Heathens different Rites, was their adoring of divers Gods, whom they apprehended they muſt worſhip in a different manner: Thus therefore the Apoſtle argues, Eph. 4.4, 5, 6. There is one body, and one Sp…, even as ye are called in one hope of y…ur … …ing; One Lord, one ſaith, are baptiſm, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Secondly, THE way to Ke… this Ones God, is here pointed to us: And if there be but One, it is neceſſary that we Know Him: And here are Two Titles put upon Him, by which He is to be diſtinguiſhed from Falſe Gods & lords.
1. HE is the Living God. A… Being is better than no being, ſo a Living Being is more noble than ſuch things as are without Life: The Scripture therefore aſcribes Life to God: And becauſe there are many ſecond Beings that participate in Life, we are therefore to diſtinguiſh the Life of God, from that of the Creatures, in that they have their Life by Participation, but He hath his Life of Himſelf; according to, Joh. 5.26. For as the Father … himſelf; ſo hath he given to the S… to have life in himſelf.
LIFE, according as it refers to the Creature, is the Act of the Soul upon the Body; … more generally, a power is the … of ſelf-…tion in its proper Place: Whatever hath a… internal Principle of Motion in it, is accounted to have Life: Now Life is attributed to God by way of Analogy: And as the Rational Life is of all the moſt noble, or that which ſame call Intellectual, we therefore aſcribe that to Him: and of this Life of God, we may take this brief Deſcription;
IT is that whereby God is in Himſelf, the, Fountain or Original of all … Actings.
Here obſerve.
1. GOD Lives. He…e this Attribute is given to Him; and he ſo Lives … that it belongs eminently to him; See Pſal. 18 46. The Lord Liveth, and Bleſſed be my …. …er. 10.10 But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlaſting king—. 1 Tim. 6 17.—Nor truſt in uncertain riches but in the living God—. And by this he is differenced from …, Pſal 115.4. Their Idols are ſilver and gold, the work of men's hands, &c. The Sum i…, they are altogether Lifeleſs.
2. GOD is the Fountain of Life. He not only hath Life, but he is Life: It is one of his Attributes, and he hath it belonging to Him i… the Abſtract.
Here Two things,
1. HIS Life is His own, He borrowed it not. It is not a derivative Life, but it is originated in Himſelf; He is beholden to none for it… And herein he differs from other Living things; They live, but they are not all Life: They live, but it is a borrowed Life which they enjoy; They received it from another to whom they own Acknowledgment of its Derivation, but none gave Him His.
2. HE is the Author of Life to all other Living Beings. They are but little Springs of Life which they have, and they come from th… Fountain; Acts 17 25, 28. — Seeing he giveth to all life and breath, and all things. For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain alſo of your own poets have ſaid, For we are alſo his offspring. It is by his Favour or Indulgence that they live, but he depends on the Courteſy of none for His.
3. BY Vertue of this Life He is the Original of all eminent Actings. Becauſe he is all Life, therefore Divines call him a Pure All, having no Paſſivity, or Potentiality in Him; and hence alſo He exerteth ſuch noble Acts as no Creature can do the like; and there are Two things wherein the Eminency of God's Actings diſcovereth it ſelf, viz.
1. HE acts with the greateſt Light. His Life is moſt tranſcendently intellectual; ſurpaſſing our Comprehenſion: Hence his Thoughts which he makes known to his People are moſt wonderful, Pſal. 40.5. Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou haſt done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward. And yet the World hath but ſome Rays of this ſhining in it: and tho' the Angels and glorified Saints ſhall dwell in great Light, ſuch as is beyond our preſent Conception, yet His tranſcends them all, 1 Tim. 6.16. — Dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath ſeen, nor can ſee—.
2. HE acts with greateſt Delight. Some define a Rational Life to be an act with delight: The damned have the Light of Reaſon, but it is with Sorrow, and therefore they are ſaid to Dy: The glorified enjoy compleat Satisfaction, and in that regard are ſaid to Live: But God's Happineſs is infinite; his Pleaſures can receive no Acceſſion, no Contribution from the Creatures. Job 22.2, 3. Can a man be profitable unto God? — Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou …eſt thy ways perfect?
Hence learn;
1. THAT GOD is Immortal. This Attribute is aſcribed to Him, 1 Tim 1.17. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, inviſible, the only wiſe God, …e honour & glory, for ever & ever, amen. And herein it appears to us; for He who lives of Himſelf cannot dye: And thô Immortality doth actually belong to ſome Creatures, yet not ſo as to Him; He that gave their Life to them, is able to take it from them: Thô they cannot dye by Diſſolution, yet they may by Annihilation; And ſhould he withdraw his Upholding Hand from them, they would return to their former Nothing; For this reaſon Immortality is reſtrained to Him, 1 Tim. 6.16. Who only hath Immortality—.
2. THAT GOD is Independent. This Attribute is alſo implied in Scripture, Rom. 11.35. O… who hath …ſt given to Him? And is argued from his being the Fountain of Life, Act. 17.25. Seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. He lives of and therefore on Himſelf; He needs nothing to ſupport Him; All his Life is at home; He is ſelf ſufficient. Our Dependence ariſeth from our Derivation of all from Another: He then who derives nothing muſt be independent; He who gives all, and receives nothing, muſt needs be ſo; Thus doth God.
3. HENCE GOD muſt needs be his o… Laſt End, and the Laſt End of all other Beings. If He lives of Himſelf, He can then look no farther than Himſelf; If He lives from Himſelf, he muſt needs live to Himſelf; and if all others live from Him, they ought to live to Him: The Firſt Cauſe and the Laſt End cannot be diverſe, but muſt be the ſame; Theſe are therefore put together, Rom. 11.36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
II. HE is the True GOD. There are many Falſe gods, that are ſo called by fooliſh and deceived Men; But this One God, this Living God is the True God: And it concerns us to know Him; for if we ſerve a Falſe god, we have a Falſe Truſt, and Falſe Hopes; But if we ſerve the True God, and in Truth, we ſhall have a True Happineſs. And would we know Him from every other, we may take Theſe Rules for our Direction.
1. THE True God, is the Everlaſting Firſt Being. If we worſhip any Being from the Firſt, we worſhip an Idol: If there were any thing before it, that is not God: And this muſt be an Eternal Being: This is the Comfort which Moſts encourageth God's Iſrael withal, Deut. 33.27. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And when God would ſet on his Conſolations on his People with Efficacy, He preſſeth them with this Conſideration, Iſa. 44.…. Thus ſaith the Lord the king of Iſrael, and his redeemer the Lord of hoſts, I am the firſt, and I am the laſt, and beſides me there is no God.
2. THE True God is He who hath his Being in Himſelf, and received it of no other. O… Faith is not to live upon any one that hath … rowed his Being: He is Being it ſelf, who i… God: And therefore when God ſends Moſes to tell Iſrael under the Tyranny of Egyptian Bondage, that He would come and work a Deliverance for them. He reveals Himſelf to them under that Name, I AM, Exod. 3.14. And God ſaid unto Moſes, I AM THAT I AM: And he ſaid, Thus ſhalt thou ſay unto the children of Iſrael, I AM hath ſent me unto you. That which is but a little Crumb or Particle of Being, cannot be a God to us, nor is to be acknowledged as ſuch by us.
3. THE True God is the Author & Cr… of all other Beings. He is no God that hath … made the World, and every thing in it: God therefore often reveals himſelf to his People by this Conſideration, and proves Himſelf to be God by it, Iſa. 45.5,—13. So, Iſa. 44.24. Th… ſaith the Lord thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens … that ſpreadeth abroad the earth by my ſelf. And on this conſideration he caſts Contempt upon … the Heathen gods; Jer. 10.11. Thus ſhall ye … unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens & the earth, even they ſhall periſh from the earth, and from under theſe heavens. They are gods of no Value.
4. THE True God can See all our W… and Hear all our Cries: It is a vain thing to … upon a God that hath neither Seeing nor Hearing Pſal. 135.15, 16, 17. The idols of the heathen are ſilver and gold, the work of mens hands. They have mouths, but they ſpeak not; eyes have they, but they ſee not. They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. But ſuch is not this God whom we are called upon to Worſhip & Serve; Pſal. 34.15, 17. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, & his ears are open unto their cry. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. He is one that ſees all their ſecret Neceſſities, knows all the cloſe Contrivances of Hell againſt them, Hears their groans, and the very Deſires of their Hearts: This is a God to be truſted in.
THE True God can afford us Help every where, and in every Caſe, and all his People at once. He is not afar off, but a Preſent help: Pſal. 46.1. God is our refuge & ſtrength, a very preſent help in trouble. He is not like Baal, otherwiſe occupied, ſo as he cannot tend us; He is not only a God of the Hills, but of the Valleys too: He can help all and every where at the ſame time.
6. THE True God hath all ſecond Cauſes at his Command. He can order and diſpoſe them as he ſees meet. He hath no Dependence upon them, but they are entirely ſubordinate to Him: He can give Rain, and he can withold it; open or ſhut the Bottles of Heaven at his Pleaſure; can turn the Hearts of Men for or againſt us; and they all wait for his Word, and move at his Bidding.
7. THE True God can give Eternal Life to his Friends and Favourites, in ſpite of Men and Devils. He is a poor God who can only beſtow temporary Favours on ſuch whom he hath a delight to honour: Our God is not ſo; He gives Eternal Life, an Everlaſting Kingdom, an Infinite Glory; and he gives his People leave to challenge all the World to ſeperate them from this Love; Rom 8.38, 39. There is None that is able to pluck them out of his Hand: This is the God whom we are to acknowledge for Ours, and no other.
USE. HOW happy then are they, whoſe this One, the Living and True God is? They, and only they have made a good Choiſe, that have renounced all other, and put themſelves under the ſhadow of His Wings: Be then adviſed, Older, Younger, to labour to be able to ſay, This God is our God. It is not ſufficient to ſay, that you have a God, but ask who he is: Be able to ſay with Paul, 2 Tim. 1.12. I know whom I have believed. Do not build Altars to an Unknown God, leſt it prove a Falſe one, and then you be undone; Let it be the Living God: You ſtand in need of Life, you can find it no where elſe but in Him; all other things are dead, the Spring of Life is with him, and it is a living Spring, is always full and running over, and the Life that he hath to give is an endleſs, never-dying Life, and ſuch a Life only can make you happy. And be ſure that it is the True God, whom you Acknowledge, Worſhip, Truſt in: Every one talks of God, but how few are there who can tell who their God is? And yet the Dependence here is as much as your Souls are worth: If after all the Profeſſion you have made, and confidence you have pretended unto, it ſhould be found that you have made to your ſelves More Gods than One, or taken up with a dead Idol in the room of the Living God, a Falſe inſtead of the True One; and then when your folly comes to be diſcovered to you, this God ſhould refuſe to help you, and ſend you to the Gods whom you have ſerved, to ſee if they can ſave you; what a miſery will you labour under? Say then, Aſhur ſhall not ſave us, we will have no more to do with Idols: Make Him your only Truſt, and He will make you Happy forever.
[MAY 20. 1690.]