And although, as the apostle observes, (Romans i. 28.) "Men of "Men of corrupt minds, disliking to retain God in their knowledge, and having their foolish heart darkened, fell away to worship the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever:" sometimes idolizing the sun, moon, and stars; more frequently deifying their dead kings and principal men, out of flattery to the living: for the greatest part of the demons, or gods of the heathens, even of the polite Greeks and Romans as well as other nations, when the Gospel was first preached, were mortal men ;

Nevertheless, there was a prevailing opinion, though sadly neglected in practice, that there was but one supreme God over all; to which the world had been led in all probability by early tradition, handed down from the first parents of mankind:

So that there has seldom been any such thing as a real atheist in the world.

For, although injurious and mean representations of God, in some countries, may contribute to throw some men into the contrary extreme, of asserting that there is no God at all, rather than such as are publicly held forth and worshiped; and although such persons

sometimes

sometimes publish books in defence of their wretched errors;

Yet, in a sick or solitary hour, or when death approaches, if not suddenly snatched away, unless in some few instances of long habit, easy health, and a strong constitution of the nerves and animal spirits; they have seldom failed to betray just apprehensions of that Almighty Power, whose being they have denied.

And this furnishes a still further confirmation of this great truth, That there is a God, and moral governor of the world; namely, the force of natural conscience, by our Maker's appointment, generated within us in various ways and degrees, and scarce ever entirely to be rooted out; which fills the false, the wicked, and the injurious with boding fears of the just displeasure of Him that made them; whilst it inspires the virtuous and the sincere with pleasing hopes of his favour and approbation.

But still, this natural knowledge of God, through men's neglect of cultivating and improving it, is dim and imperfect. If some few serious inquisitive minds attained to better notions

notions of the Being that made them; the bulk of mankind, where the benefit of divine revelation did not extend, lay sunk in gross darkness and idolatry.

How welcome, therefore, and invaluable those sacred records of truth, which teach that there is a God, and who he is, with such evidence and divine authority! That

:

"The Lord our God is one Lord." And (Deut. iv. 39.) "He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else." And (1 Cor. viii. 6.) "To us, there is but one God, the Father; of whom are all things, and we for him and one Lord Jesus, by whom are all things, and we by him." i. e. "The one God, the Father and Creator of all, hath appointed (Acts ii. 36. Phil. ii. 11.) Jesus to be our Lord and Master, from whom we receive the knowledge of all things relating to the Gospel and eternal life: and we by his means. are brought to this knowledge."

Which the same apostle thus strongly expresses in another place; (1 Tim. ii. 5.) "There is one God, and one mediator between God and man," i. e. one minister employed by God, and kindly assistant to men,

(for

(for that is the meaning of the term Mediator,) "the man Christ Jesus."

II.

This doctrine of the divine Unity is of the first importance. This is seen in the very great stress that is laid upon it in every part of the sacred writings, by the servants and messengers of God, Moses and the prophets, Jesus Christ and his apostles: who all inculcate and teach that there is but one Being, the Father, the only true God, as our Saviour speaks, of power, goodness, and wisdom infinite, who is the only invisible power that we are to worship and address our prayers to; who himself heareth our prayers, and hath deputed no other to hear them in his stead; none else in whom we can absolutely confide; the fountain of all goodness ;-for that, as our Lord himself declares, (Mark x. 18.) "None is good, save one; that is God:" and whose power is equal to, and commensurate with, his goodness.

It appears from our Lord's concluding words to this scribe, as well as from all that is recorded of him at other times, and also from the writings of his apostles, that the Jews, at

that

that time, were not mistaken about the object of worship: (ver. 24.) " And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him; Thou art not far from the kingdom of God."

And if the Jews were right in this great point, in our Saviour's time; they are still so. For the strict unity of God is a fundamental point with them; and the body of their people, in their dispersion in various countries, now for seventeen hundred years, have kept invariably to it.

This may be seen in their liturgy, or book

of public prayer, which often meet with,

you

printed in English and Hebrew, and is used by them all over this part of the world: in which it is most obvious that they worship none other but one, the God of their fathers. And the book begins with thirteen articles of their belief, two of which are that God is the Creator of the universe, and that he is one, no unity like his ; and, that he alone hath been, is, and shall be, eternally their God.

There is then no other God but the one Jehovah he, whom the Jews worshiped in our Saviour's time, and whom our Saviour himself