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earth_n let_v people_n praise_v 12,053 5 10.9906 5 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A85418 Theomachia; or The grand imprudence of men running the hazard of fighting against God, in suppressing any way, doctrine, or practice, concerning which they know not certainly whether it be from God or no. Being the substance of two sermons, preached in Colemanstreet, upon occasion of the late disaster sustain'd in the west. With some necessary enlargements thereunto. / By John Goodvvin, pastor of the Church of God there. Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665. 1644 (1644) Wing G1206; Thomason E12_1; ESTC R5086 47,494 57

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designe for the exaltation of his Name The beauty of the Lord is said to be seen or to be beheld in the Wayes and Ordinances of his House or Temple Psal. 27. 4. There is no way or truth of God but carries an impression in it of some lineament or other of the glory and loveliness of his face So again Psal. 67. The Prophet having ver. 1. petitioned that at the hand of God which ver. 2. might make his way to be known on earth c. he breaks out ver. 3. in this propheticall strain Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee clearly implying that the way of God being published and made known to the world is that which increaseth the Revenues of the throne of Heaven raiseth and procureth new contributions of praise and glory from men unto God So then he that shall rise up to oppose the God of Heaven in any of those methods counsels or projections of his whereby he projects the exaltation and advancement of his own great Name and Glory in the world may in as proper a sense as the phrase lightly will bear be said to fight against God especially if we consider but this one thing further that Gods glory is his darling his unica his only one as David cal'd his life Eripe à gladio animam meam a cane unicam meam Ps. 22. 21. it is the only life which he lives in the world it is the only apple that his soul careth to eat of out of that great Orchard which he hath planted I mean the world Therefore doubtless he that shall oppose him in his gathering of this fruit hath the greater sin Thirdly and lastly there is in every thing that proceeds or derives its originall or being from another somewhat of the nature property or spirit of that from which it takes this rise or spring of its being there is somewhat of the father in the childe of the root in the fruit and in the branches c. In like manner in every Way Doctrine or Practice which is from God there is somewhat of God himself The very substance frame and constitution of them at least that which is operative quickning and spirituall in them what is it but a kinde of heavenly composition the ingredients whereof are the holiness wisdome mercy goodness and bounty of God and what are these and every of them but God himself Every Ordinance or Way of God is as it were a benigne constellation of these stars unto the world out of the midst of which he gives a gracious aspect of himself and communicates those sweet and rich influences of himselfe light and life and strength and peace and joy unto the world It is said 1 King 19. 11. that the Lord neither was in the strong wind that rent the mountains nor yet in the earthquake that followed it nor in the fire that came after that but after these there came a still voyce wherein it is implied that the Lord was The meaning is that God had neither prepared or intended either the wind earthquake or fire by or out of which to impart himself unto his Prophet Elijah he had only prepared and sanctified the still and soft voyce for such a purpose as this and therefore he is expresly denyed to have been in any other and consequently supposed to have been in this In such a sense or manner as God was in this still voyce he is in every Way Doctrine and Ordinance of his in by and out of all and every of these he communicates and imparts himself graciously unto the world Therefore whosoever shall fight against any of these by seeking to supplant suppress or keep them down that they may not run and be glorified in the world what do they else let this work and course of theirs be truly interpreted but fight against God himself We have done with the Reasons of the Doctrine we shall conclude with somewhat by way of use and application First by way of Instruction If to attempt the suppression or keeping down any Way Doctrine or Practice which is from God be of no less concernment of no safer interprepation then a fighting against God then certainly it is the greatest imprudence or improvidence under heaven for any man or rank of men whatsoever to appear especially in any hgh-handed opposition or contestation against any Way Doctrine or Practice whatsoever untill they have proof upon proof demonstration upon demonstration evidence upon evidence yea all the security that men in an ordinary way at least are capable of that such Wayes or Doctrines only pretend unto God as the author of them and that in truth they are not at all from him but either from men or of a baser parentage For what do men by such a practice and ingagement of themselves as this but run an apparent hazard of dashing their foot against that stone at which Paul stumbled when time was yea and without the highest hand of mercy that was ever lift up to save a mortall man had been utterly broken to pieces by it It is a hard thing for thee saith the Lord by a voyce from heaven to him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to kick or dash thy self against sharp goads or nails made of steele or iron for so the word signifies meaning that his undertaking or setting himselfe with such violence to suppresse that way which Christ had a purpose to advance and set up in the world was an enterprise of the sorest and most grievous consequence and portendance to him in the nature of it that ever he could have lift up either heart or head or hand unto Vho ever hath been fierce against him saith Job speaking of God and hath prospered Job 9. 4. He that is fierce against any Way or Doctrine which is from God makes a covenant with sorrow and trouble which is like to stand And to make the best of such a doubtfull and blind ingagement put the case that that Way or Doctrine which men shall prosecute with so much violence and fiercenesse of spirit shall in conclusion be found to have been mistaken erroneous and not from God yet ● In this case men shall but offer the sacrifice of fooles a kinde of sacrifice wherewith God is not delighted The Athenians worshipped the true God as appeares by those words of the Apostle unto them Act. 17. 23. Whom yee then ignorantly worship him s●ew I unto you and yet were Idolaters notwithstanding The same Apostle beares record unto his Country-men the Jewes That they had the zeale of God but this zeale of theirs not being according to knowledge in the prosecution of it they neither pleased God and were contrary to all men forbidding the Apostles to preach unto the Gentiles that they might be saved to fulfill their sins alwayes because wrath was come upon them to the uttermost Thes. 2. 15 16. The beast under the Law though it were a