Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A41438
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The interest of divine providence in the government of the world a sermon preached at Guild-Hall-Chappel, before the right honourable the Lord Mayor and aldermen of the city of London, Febr. xi. 1682 / by J. Goodman ...
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Goodman, John, 1625 or 6-1690.
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1683
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Wing G1109; ESTC R20428
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16,326
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48
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it is a night to be much observed to the Lord this is that night of the Lord c. In the other passage of Providence viz. the Babylonish Captivity it was foretold above Seventy Years before it came to pass and in a time of the greatest unlikelihood of any such Calamity to befal them namely in the time of their greatest Prosperity and the period of their Captivity was precisely determined to the just time of Seventy Years continuance and then they were to be delivered and restored to their own Land again and all these strange things were punctually and precisely fulfilled as appears by comparing together 2 Chron. 36. 22. and Ezra ◠1. In both which passages there are so many admirable circumstances so great were the obstacles in the way of their accomplishment and also so much of the will of man concerned in the whole case that of necessity there must be a governing Power as well as a foresight in the bringing it about in which two things lies the notion of a Providence This is the Argument of Tertullian Prescientiae or Providentiae Deus tot habet testes quot fecit Prophetas i. e. Look how many Prophets or Prophecies ever were in the World and so many infallible evidences of a Providence Thirdly My third Argument is from Miracles or the several instances of Divine Interposition either in raising and improving or in depressing suspending and altering the natural and ordinary course of second causes For most assuredly if ever the course of things hath been interrupted and brought into order again there is plain evidence of a superiour Power and Management forasmuch as it is not imaginable that natural causes should go out of course of themselves without their own decay and failure and impossible that being once out of order upon such decays and declensions that ever they should recover themselves into their former order again therefore if ever such a case hath happened it must be the over-ruling hand of Providence Now that there have such extraordinary things happened in the World as this Argument supposes the most Epicurean and Atheistical Wits do not altogether deny but endeavour to find out some wise salvo or other for them upon natural Principles in which enterprise they are much forsaken of all true Reason and Philosophy as they are destitute of Devotion for to resolve that into natural causes which is either above them or contrary to them is the greatest instance of humor and folly that can be assigned They will observe perhaps that in the Plagues of Egypt or in some of the miracles done in the Wilderness there was some appearance of natural causes but besides that those causes were apparently incompetent to the effects there was also such a strange and sudden bringing of those causes together as could not but bespeak an Almighty Power and Government But then let them try their skill to tell us what natural causes made the Sun stand still in Joshua's time or made that unnatural Eclipse at our Saviours Passion when the two Luminaries were in Opposition Or let them tell us how men utterly unlearned as the Apostles and other Primitive Disciples were should be able to speak all kind of Languages on the sudden how incurable Diseases should be healed nay men be raised from the Dead by a word speaking in all these and a thousand instances more there is undeniably the interposition of the Divine Majesty and so God governs the World Fourthly and lastly I argue for a Providence from the Conspiracy and Cooperation of all things that happen in the World to a certain and uniform end which cannot be without the direction and management of Divine Power and Wisdom Things that are and happen in the World as we see plainly have different natures and various tendencies nay sometimes run flatly cross to each other but now if all those lines meet in the same point and center if all apparent contrariety conspire to the same end then there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God in the World For if things were either carried by blind and uncertain chance it would be very strange if they should not often clash and interfere or if they be acted by their respective necessary causes yet those causes being often contrary to each other no one end can be jointly pursued and carried on between them therefore when we see all this contrariety notwithstanding all things so attempered and adjusted that they at last cooperate to one great purpose viz. the glory of God and the good of men then it is apparent that they are subordinate to one great and wise and universal cause which presides over the World There are an infinite number of noble instances of this kind in all History and Experience such as the afflictions of Joseph in Egypt which God turned into a Blessing to Joseph to all his Fathers Family to Pharaoh and to all Egypt Such was the drowning of Jonas in the bottom of the Sea and his miraculous escape thence which was made an effectual means to convince the Ninevites that God sent him with that awakening Message Thus the Persecutions of the Church which in the first aspect looked like the most effectual way to suppress Christian Religion proved in the issue the most successful method of propagating of it So the afflicted condition of good men in this World upon a superficial view looks as if virtue was under some malignant Planet or that if any God minded it at all it was only to discountenance and dishearten it yet it proves nothing else in the conclusion but a design to exercise to try and confirm it especially God so ordering the matter that ordinarily the lives of such men are intermixed and as it were checquered with Prosperity and Adversity the latter paring off their luxuriancy and not suffering them to grow light and vain and the former preserving them from melancholy and despondency the one affording them ballast and the other sails that by the help of both together they may steer an even course through the World towards Heaven This is the Argument of the Apostle Rom. 8. 29. All things work together for good to them that love God c. and that shall be my last Argument for this great Point it were easie to add a great many more but I think these fully sufficient 3. I come now to the third and last thing I propounded viz. to shew the eminent and signal advantages that mankind hath by being under such a Providence that so they may be sensible what cause they have to rejoice that the Lord reigneth And this I represent in the six following particulars First The belief of such a Providence as we have proved is the prime Pillar and the very Basis and Foundation of all Religion not only of this or that Religion in particular but of Religion it self and in the general notion of it Forasmuch as the belief of a God is by no means sufficient
condition is worse than that of inferiour Beings he is doubly miserable and that without remedy Shall then a trifling Epicurean objection nay shall a Sceptical surmise or a flash of Wit and Drollery baffle us out of that wherein the honour of our natures consists and upon which all our comfort depends Laugh at and scorn them that laugh at a Providence poor pitiful wretches that worship blind fortune or a manacled and fettered Deity bound hand and foot by fatal necessity Our God is a wise and good and free Agent restrained limited by nothing but his own Wisdom He sees all things without difficulty or deception manages all things without fatigue or weariness governs all things with just order judges without partiality pities in all adversity can relieve in all necessity and with unspeakable glory rewards those that faithfully serve him And pursuant of this belief let us in the Second place raise our affections to the highest pitch of triumph let us make a shout as in the Text The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoice let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof Or as you have it in the 10. Verse of the Psalm immediately foregoing Tell it out amongst the heathen that the Lord reigneth Let all foreign Nations and all foreign Churches all that have good will and all that have ill will to our Religion or to our Country know that the Lord is King and that we trust not to the number of our Forces or the Wisdom of our Counsels our Seas or our Rocks our Courage or Conduct but to our King to that Divine Providence which watches over us Let our Prince and our Magistrates take courage against the rage or the follies the numbers or combinations of evil men in consideration that they are the instruments of Divine Providence the Lieutenants of Gods Government and he that set them in office under himself will stand by them and bear them out in discharge of their trust and duty Let the People be quiet not listen to noise and rumours but be sure to banish all disloyal thoughts of resorting to irregular means for the asserting their pretensions Is not God in the World hath any one wrested the Scepter out of his hand why then should we not trust in him When Philip Melancthon otherwise a very wise and peaceable and mild-spirited person began to be out of humour with the then state of the World Luther addresses to him in these words Exorandus est Philippus ut desinat esse rector Mundi q. d. Good Brother Philip let God alone to govern the World Let the Oppressed the Widow the Fatherless and Friendless take comfort for he that sitteth in the Throne will judge righteous judgment and first or last avenge the cause of his meanest Subject Nay let the man that is tempted and assaulted by the Devil hold his ground and fear nothing for God is above the Devil To conclude let us all lay aside our fears and our jealousies our sighs and complaints our melancholy and despondency Is there not a balm in Gilead is there no Physician there Jer. 8. 22. Have we not a Wise and a Powerful a Glorious and a good Prince why then should we murmur why accuse his Reign why reproach his Government Novum seditionis genus otium silentium said the Historian A sullen uncomfortableness and dislike of our condition our discontent with the state of affairs is a kind of Sedition against Heaven our murmuring is no better than a libelling of Gods Government Wherefore to say no more let us stick close to this God this mighty Potentate let us hope trust and rejoice in him and he shall bless our King our Church our Magistrates and all our Concerns Now to this Universal Monarch of the World this King of Kings and Lord of Lords be all Glory and Praise Worship and Adoration World without End THE END ERRATA PAG. 12. l. 2. r. are as p. 21. l. 14. r. all-seeing eye of p. 24. l. 19. r. great Saint Books written by the Reverend Doctor Goodman and sold by R. Royston at the Angel in Amen-Corner THE Penitent Pardoned Or A Discourse of the Nature of Sin and the Efficacy of Repentance under the Parable of the Prodigal Son The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged A Sermon preached at Bishops-Stortford August 29. 1677. before the Right Reverend Father in God Henry Lord Bishop of London at his Lordship 's Primary Visitation A Serious and Compassionate Enquiry into the Causes of the present Neglect and Contempt of the Protestant Religion and Church of England A Sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir Robert Clayton Lord Mayor and the Aldermen of the City of London at the Guild-Hall-Chapel Jan. xxv 1679. A Sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir John Moore Lord Mayor and the Aldermen of the City of London at the Guild-Hall-Chapel Decemb. 18. 1681. The Interest of Divine Providence in the Government of the World A Sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir William Pritchard Lord Mayor and the Aldermen of the City of London at the Guild-Hall-Chapel February the 11th 1682.