Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	lord_n	voice_n	wind_n	2,550	5	9.4969	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

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

direct way it can onely be produced by that which is good There is no more friendship or fellowship naturally between good ends and ill means then is between light and darknesse Christ and Belial But 4. and lastly There being nothing in all this speech excepting onely the historicall instances the truth of which it seems was generally knowne among the Jews and is attested by Josephus their great Historian but what is fully consonant with the word of God unquestionably so acknowledged elsewhere the credit and authority of it for matter of truth is one and the same with those other Scriptures corresponding with it What we here learne saith Gualter upon the place should be unto us as an Oracle viz. that the counsells of God are not to be defeated or hindred by any strength of man but for the counsells of men they fall and sink and come to nothing of themselves In the words there be these six ensuing Points of Doctrine faire and large besides many others of a more collaterall and illative observation First From those words ver. 38. And now I say unto you Refraine from these men and let them alone for c. Observe that it is a point of much wisdome to forbeare the oppression or suppression of such persons Doctrines and wayes which men have any reasonable cause at all to judge or thinke that they are or may be from God Secondly From those doubtfull expressions of so great a Doctor of the Law and one that knew how to measure and estimate the Authoritie and weight of a Councell-determination and besides can no wayes be suspected of any disaffection or prejudicatenesse against such Authoritie from those doubtfull expressions I say of this man If this counsell or work be of men c. And againe If it be of God c. Observe That the determination of a Councell or of the major part of a Councell against a way Doctrine or practice is no demonstrative or sufficient proofe for any wise man to rest or build upon that such a way Doctrine or practice are not from God The whole Councell as you heard this one man excepted had peremptorily concluded the Doctrine and practice of the Apostles to be not from God but from men and thereupon were in high consultation to suppresse them and that by death yet all this did not satisfie Gamaliel in point of judgement or conscience he was still but where he was doubtfull and in suspence with himselfe about the businesse Thirdly From that clause If this counsell or work be from men it will come to nought Observe that every invention contrivance way or device of man especially in things either appertaining or pretending to appertaine unto God in matters of Religion will in time weare out into nothing and be dissolved Fourthly From the Connexion or dependance between the former and latter parts of ver. 39. But if it be from God yee cannot destroy it lest c. Observe That for any man or men to attempt the suppression of any Doctrine way or practise that is from God is to fight against God himselfe Fiftly From that significant phrase or expression of being FOVND fighters against God ver. 39. Observe that many who possibly for the present may conceive and thinke and that with much confidence that they fight for God when the truth comes to an unpartiall and perfect scanning will be found to have fought against him Sixtly and lastly From the importance and weight of that emphaticall particle even in the last clause Lest yee be found EVEN fighters against God Observe that fighting against God is a most dangerous posture or ingagement for a creature to be taken or found in by God at any time The dread and terror of such a misprision as this is the base and ground-work upon which Gamaliel builds the fabrick of that important counsell and advice which he gives unto his fellows thoroughout his discourse or speech made unto them We shall for the present passing by all the rest pitch upon that Doctrine mentioned in the fourth place the tenor and effect whereof was this That for any man to endeavour or attempt the suppression of any Doctrine practice or way which is from God is to fight against God himselfe For the sense and true import of the Doctrine I shall need to adde little beyond what was said in explication of the words here we briefly shewed what was meant by fighting against God I now onely adde this which is somewhat more particular that it is not every degree or kind of opposing a way Doctrine or designe of God which either the text or the Doctrine calleth a fighting against God but onely such an opposing which is peremptory and carried on with an high hand so that those Agents or Instruments of God which he hath anointed to hold forth that way Doctrine or Designe of his in the world are not suffered to execute their Commission but are countermanded either by the Authoritie or over-bearing strength and power of men It is one thing to oppose or contend against a Doctrine or way of God per modum Doctoris as when a Minister through a mistake or weaknesse of judgement pleads for Baal against God preacheth error up and truth downe which may befall the best and faithfullest of men another to doe it per modum Judicis as when men will assume an Authoritative power whether Ecclesiastique or Civill to suppresse or silence the publishing practising arguing or debating of such wayes or Doctrines with the judgements and consciences of men It is true even this kind of opposing them is sometimes incident to men otherwise upright in the maine before God but the children of this contention and contestation against their Maker must expect to be taught r●ore wisdome and reverence towards him with briars and thornes If men fight against God after any such manner as this upon such termes as if they were Gods too this will ingage him to take up armes also in his own defence and provoke him to fight against those who fight against him This for opening the Doctrine For the confirmation of the truth of it wee shall not need to cause many Scriptures to labour the word will be sufficiently established in the mouth of two or three of these Witnesses Why doe the Heathen rage saith David and the people imagine a vaine thing The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his Anointed saying Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us c. Those expressions of raging setting themselves taking counsell together against the Lord and his Anointed amount every whit as much as to a fighting against the Lord And what was it that the Heathen people Kings and Rulers of the Earth did or attempted to doe against the Lord and against his Anointed meaning Christ Was it any thing else but to quench that fire which Christ as himselfe