Use 1st. Of information. If there be but one God, then (1.) it excludes all otliei gods. Some liaA^e feigned that there were two gods : so the Valentinians ; others, that there were many gods : so the Polytheists. The Persians worshipped the sun; the Egyptians the lion and elephant ; the Gre- cians worshipped Jupiter ; these, I may say, " en-, not knowing the scriptures," Mat. xxii. 29. Their faith is a fable. God hath given them up to strong delusions, to be- lieve a lie, that they may be damned,
2 Thess. ii. 11. — 2. If there be but one God, then there can be but one true reli- gion in the world, Eph. iv. 5., " One Lord, one faith." If there were many gods, then there might be many religions, every god would be worshipped in his Avay; but if there be but one God, there is but one reli- gion ; one Lord, one faith. Some say, we may be saved in any religion. It is absurd to imagine that God who is One in essence, should appoint several religions in which he w ill be worshi])])ed. It is as dangerous to set up a false religion as to set up a false god. There are many ways to hell ; men may go thither which way their fancy leads tlieni ; but there is but one direct road to heaven, viz. faith and holiness. There is no way to be saved but this : as there is but one God, so there is but one true reli- gion.— 3. If there be but one God, then
you have but One that you need chiefly to study to please, and that is God. If there were divers gods, we should be hard put to it how to please them all ; one would command one thing, another the quite con- trary, and to please two contrary masters, is impossible ; but there is hut one God, therefore you have but One to please. As in a kingdom there is but one king, there- fore every one seeks to ingratiate himself into his favour, Prov. xix. 6., so there is but one true God ; therefore here lies our main work to please him. Be sure to please God, whoever else you displease. This was Enoch's wisdom, Heb. xi. 5., he had this testimony before he died, that " he pleased God."
Quest. IVhat doth this pleasing God imply ?
Ans. 1. We please God when we comply with his will. It was Christ's meat and drink to do his Father's will, John iv. 34., and so he pleased him : Mat. iii. 17., " A voice came from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." It is the will of God that we should be holy, 1 Thess. iv. 11. Now, when we are be- spangled with holiness, our lives are walk- ing Bibles ; this is according to God's will and it pleaseth him.
A. 2. We please God, when we do the work that he sets us about, John xvii. 4., " I have finished the work which thou gav- est me to do," viz. my mediatory work. Many finish their lives, but do not finish their work. Our work God hath cut out for us is to observe the first and second tables. In the first, is set down our duty towaids God; in the second our duty to- wards man. Such as make morality the chief and sole part of religion, set the se- cond table above the first; nay, they take away the first table ; for, if prudence, jus- tice, temperance, be enough to save, then what needs the first table? and so our wor- ship towards (Jod shall be quite left out. But those two tables which God hath join- ed together, let no man j)ut asunder,
A. 3. We please God, when we dedicate our heart to give him the best of every thing. Abel gave (Jod the fat of the offer- ing, (Jen. iv. 4. Domitian would not liave j his image carved iu wood, or ij-on, but in
BUT ONE GOD.
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gold. Tlien we please God, when we serve him witli love, fervency, alacrity; we j^ivc him golden services, here lies our wisdom and piety, to please God. There is but one God, therefore there is hut One whom we have chiefly to please, namely, (iod.
A. 4. If there be but one (iod, then we must pray to none but God. The Papists pray to saints and angels : 1. To saints. A Popish writer saith, " when we pray to the saints departed, they being touched with compassion, say the like to (lod for us, as the disciples did to Christ for the Canatinit- ish woman. Mat. x\. 23., ' Send her away, for she crieth after us.' " The saints above know not our wants, Isa. Ixiii. 16., Abra- ham is ignorant of us ; or, if they did, we we have no warrant to pray to them. Prayer is a part of divine worship, which must only be given to God. 2. They pray to angels. Angel-worship is forbidden, Col. ii. 18, 19. ; and that we may not pray to angels, is clear from Rom. x. 14., " How shall thev call then on liim in whom they have not believed?" We may not pray to any but whom we may believe in ; but we may not believe in any angel, therefore we may not pray to him. There is but one God, and it is a sin to invoke any but only God.