is no Poffibility there should be

befides him: I am the Lord, and there is III. none else, fays the Text, there is no God The Truth of which I fhall

befide's me. endeavour,

II. To demonftrate unto you. And,

1. THIS Truth is plainly laid down in other Places of the Holy Writ: Hear, Deut.vi.4. O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord;

I

and, See now that I, even I, am he, and Ch. xxxii; there is no God with me: I kill and I make 39. alive, I wound and I heal: Neither is there any that can deliver out of my Hand; and the Apostle tells us, that, though 1 Cor. viil there are many who are called Gods; to 5, 6. us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all Things, and we in him; and, There is one God, and one Mediator, 1 Tim. ii between God and Men.

NEITHER is this only the Voice of the Holy Scripture, but even the Voice of Reafon itself: For whoever confiders seriously that Notion which he has of a God, muft needs conclude, that there can be but only one, to whom that Defcription can agree. Now, all Men, that acknowledge a God, do agree upon these two Things, (1.) That God is a Being who comprehends all poffible Perfection. (2.) That he is the Creator, and E 2

the

5.

SERM. the fupreme Governor and Legiflator of III. the World; from all which it is easy to demonftrate, that there can be but one God.

FOR, (1.) if we confider God as a Being of all poffible Perfection, it is plain that there can be but one God; for, if there were two Gods, there must be some esfential Difference between them, which effential Difference must be fome Perfection in the one, which is not to be found in the other; but, fince the Notion of God doth imply, that he is a Being of all poffible Perfection, there can be no Perfection but what is comprehended in him, and fo, by Confequence, there can be but one God. Let us confider this in some particular Perfection which we attribute to God: It is agreed, on all Hands, that God is omnipotent, i. e. that he can do all Things that are poffible to be done, and which do not imply a Contradiction; now, if we ferioufly confider it, it will plainly appear, that it is impoffible there fhould be two omnipotent Beings: For that Being, which has all Power, must have Power over all other Beings; for, if there is any Being exempted from its Jurifdiction, it cannot be omnipotent, because it has not the Command

of

III,

of that Being, i. e. it cannot exercise its SERM. Power over it.

WHICH will more plainly appear, (2.) ► by confidering God, as he really is, the first Caufe of all Things, the great Creator and Governor of the World. For that, which is the first Cause of all Things, must neceffarily exist of itself, and that, which is felf-existent, is but one; because it has no Dependance on any other Being: For, as a learned Author obferves, tho' the Existence and Unity of God are two distinct Truths, yet they depend so much upon one another, that they are both expreffed in one Word, and included in one Article of our Faith. Nay, we find God himself reafoning from this Topic, and proving his Unity, because he is the Original and firft Caufe of all Things: Thus faith the Lord, the King of Ifrael, Ifa.xliv.6. and his Redeemer the Lord of Hofts, I am the firft, and I am the laft, and befides me there is no God. This Argument may alfo receive Strength, by confidering God not only as a Being of all poffible Perfection, and as the firft Cause of Things, but alfo as the great Governor and Legiflator of the World. For, fince God governs this World after his own free Will, and doth according to his. Will in Dan. iv. the 35.

E 3

SERM. the Army of Heaven, and among the InIII. habitants of the Earth, as Nebuchadnezzar

tells us, there cannot be two fupreme Governors of the World; for, if there were, they might not always agree in their Determinations; in Things indifferent one might command one Thing, and another fomething else; from hence Disorder and Confufion would enfue, which would be highly derogatory from that infinite Wisdom which infpects and difpofes human Affairs; fo that Tertullian concludes, that it were far better to deny the Being of a God, than to harbour fuch a dishonourable Notion as this is of him in our Breasts. But still, we may argue farther from the Conveniency that there fhould be but one Governor of the World, and we may thence reafonably conclude, that there really is but one; for we may be affured, that whatfoever is in God, is beft and most perfect, because he is the most perfect Being. If, therefore, the Government by one is the most perfect Form of Government, we may be affured, it is that, which gives Laws to the World. That the Government by one is the most perfect Form of Government, has the Vote of the wifeft Men in all Ages, and there

fore

fore it is a received Axiom in the Schools, SERM• Fruftra fit per plura, quod poteft fieri per III. pauciora; that it is in vain to make Use of more Agents and Inftruments than are needful for the managing of any Affair it is to transcribe the Folly of that Man, who made Use of a Club to kill a Fly. Since, therefore, one God is fufficient for the Government of the World, we may be affured that there is but one who governs it. Earthly Dominions are often governed by more than one, by Reason of thofe Vices and Defects, which are frequently found in Governors; the best Men have fome Failings, their Heads are most apt to be giddy when they are upon the highest Pinacle of Honour, and it is a moft difficult Thing to withstand those Temptations which Grandeur and Power render them liable to; and therefore Law-givers have in moft Governments fet fome Limits and Bounds to their Power, not to check or awe a good Prince, but to restrain those which are bad. But now, fince God is not fubject to any of these Defects and Imperfections, fince he is a Being of infinite Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness; we may be affured, that he is able to forefee all Events; he is willing to manage and direct them to the wifeft E 4 Ends;