156 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVI r. [Ser. IV.
ever the state of things are, yet he is resolved to hold to principles. So Jer. xii. 1, he layeth it down as an undoubted maxim, ' Righteous art thou, 0 God.' God is God still. So when we meet with oppression, men pervert judgment, others forswear themselves, our innocency doth not prevail, the devil abuseth the rage of passions in such a case. As Diagoras, a noted atheist among the heathens, became so upon this occasion : he saw a man deeply forswearing himself, and yet was not stricken with a thunderbolt. Consider, though this be a sure tempta- tion, yet there is a God: Eccles, iii. 16, 17, ' I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there ; and the place of right- eousness, that iniquity was there.' What then ? ' I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked ; for there is a time for every purpose and for every work.' God will have a time to judge this matter ere long. Still recover your supreme principle out of the hands of the temptation. So in times of general oppression, when the innocent party are left as a prey to their adversaries : Eccles. v. 8, ' When thou seest the violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter ; for he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and there be higher than they.' We may lose all outward supports, but not our God. Attamen vivit Christus, el regnat. So when second causes operate and accomplish their wonted effects according to their fixed and stated course, ' All things continue as they were,' 2 Peter iii. 4, they think the world is governed by chance or nature ; so this proveth a snare. But you should see God at the other end of causes ; he can change them as he pleaseth.
SERMON IV.
And this is life eternal, that tliey might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. — John XVII. ?k
DocT. 2. The next proposition is, that this God is but one, ' Thee the only true God.' Deut. vi. 4, ' Hear, 0 Israel ; the Lord thy God is one Lord.' The heathens multiplied gods according to their own fan- cies : they ' had lords many and gods many.' Austin in one of his epistles speaketh of one Maximius, a heathen, who excuseth the poly- theism of the gentiles, that they worshipped but one supreme essence, though under divers names. Ejus quasi qua:dam membra variis supplicationibus prosequimur, ut totum colere valeamus — that they had several deities, that they might, as by so many several parcels,, adore the whole divine essence. The truth is, nature hath some sense of it ; for as it showeth there is a God, so it showeth there is but one God. Socrates was a martyr to this truth. The Platonics worshipped one supreme essence, whom they called 6 ^aatXev^. The philoso- phers sometimes called God to 6v, that being ; sometimes to ev, that one thing. TertuUian proveth that the soul was naturaliter Chris- tiana, as he speaketh, 0 testimonium animce naturaliter christiance ; which he proveth from the forms of speech then in use. Deus videt, &c. — what God shall award ; God seeth ; let God determine of me.
YeR. 3] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 157
and for me. And in troubles they cried out, 0 Grod ! and in straits they did not look to the Capitol, the imagined seat of such gods as the Romans worshipped, hut to heaven, the seat of the living God. Thus it is with the soul, saith he, when recovered out of a distemper. The truth is, it was the dotage and darkness of their spirits to acknowledge many gods, as drunkards and madmen usually see things double, two suns for one. But besides the consent of nations, to give you reasons : There is a God, and therefore but one God ; there can be but one first cause, and one infinite, one best, one most perfect, one omnipotent. If one can do all things, what need more gods ? If both be omnipotent, we must conceive them as agreeing or disagreeing ; if disagreeing, all would be brought to nothing ; if agreeing, one is superfluous. God hath decided the controversy : Isa. xliv. 8, ' Is there a God besides me? Yea, there is no God, I know not any.' As if he said. If any have cause to know, I have, but I know none.
This point is useful, not only to exempt the soul from the anxious fear of a false deity, and to confute the Manichees, Marcion, Cerdo, and others, that held two sorts of gods, and those that parted the god- head into three essences, and the pagan fry. But practically —
1. It checketh those that set up other gods besides him in their hearts. If there be but one God, why do we make more, and give divine honour to creatures ? A worldling maketh his money his god, and a sensualist his belly his god. Covetousness is called idolatry ; and Phil. iii. 19, ' Whose god is their belly.' How is covetousness idolatry ? and how can any make their belly their god ? Who ever was seen praying to his pence, or worshipping his own belly? I answer — Though it be not done corporally and grossly, yet it is done spiritually. That which engrosseth our love, and confidence, and care, and choice, and delight, that is set up in the room and place of God ; and this is to give divine honour to a creature. Now this is in world- lings and sensualists. For confidence, they trust in their riches for a supply, do not live on providence : 1 Tim. vi. 17, ' Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in un- €ertain riches, but in the living God;' Prov. x. 15, 'A rich man's wealth is his strong city ;' he is provided of a defence against all the chances and strokes of providence. So for care ; a man devoteth his time to his god, and the sensualist sacrificeth his estate, his health, his soul to his own gullet, many sacrilegious morsels to his own throat ; every day he offereth a drink-offering, and meat-oflfering to appetite. O brethren ! take heed of gods of man's making. He is as much an idolater that preferreth his wealth to obedience, his pleasures before God's service, as he that falleth down to a stock. It would be sad if on your death-beds God should turn you back, as he did the Israelites in their distress : Judges x. 14, ' Go and cry to the gods whom ye have chosen ; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.' Go to your wealth, to your pleasures.