Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	abominable_a	abomination_n	mother_n	20	3	6.0537	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91909	The mystery of the two witnesses unvailed Wherein wee have a description of their persons time acts death and office. manner of prophecie. sufferings. resurrection. With the consequences that follow. Together with the seaventh trumpet, and the kingdome of Christ explained. by John Robotham, preacher of the Gospel in Dover.	Robotham, John, fl. 1654.	1654 (1654)	Wing R1732; Thomason E1469_3; ESTC R208689	148,859	409

5. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not put for the true forme or essence of godliness but for an externall profession and conformity thereunto by a meer resemblance vizard or shew of holinesse So all the formality of Antichrist doth consist in externall gestures behaviours rites and ceremonies without the pure efficacious powerfull inward worship of God in spirit and truth so all their formal profession is but as a dead body a Carkase without the life or spirit of Christ Secondly observe That it is not so 2 Observ much the outward forme or figures of worship that Antichrist seeks to suppresse as it is the spirit and testimonies of the Witnesses The world doth patch up their whole Religion from the externall formes or bodies of the witnesses these lye in every street of the great Citie in all the Territories and Dominions of the Antichristian Church There is not one street or part of the worldly church but hath store of these Monuments and Images of the worship and service of God that they have taken up from the Witnesses laying of them down when the Saints worship God in the inward Temple in the Wilderness then these Gentiles possesse themselves of the outward Court take it as their portion and use it at their pleasures As Mahomet tooke part of the Jewish customes and part of the Christians practice and so patch'd up his forme of worship So Antichrist hath taken the externall formes that the Witnesses had before exercised in and adding his own inventions makes up a formall R ligion that he sets up in all the stree●s and territories of the great Citie viz. the whole Antichristian Church So that there is no Church no State part or Dominion where Antichrist hath to do but there we may see the bodies of the Witnesses the forms and images of the worship that they have been exercised in and have layd aside Thirdly from the resemblance observ 3 Obser That Antichrist is full of spirituall uncleannesse and cursed cruelty All the pride gluttony fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse and filthinesse of Sodome all the wick dnesse idolatry rage envie and malice of Aegypt doth but set forth the sinfulnesse of the man of sin the sonne of perdition yea all that abominable wickedness heightned spi itualized and grown more vile and mysterious as it is acted by Antichrist Here is the silthiness of Sodome the idolatry of Aegypt the oppression of Babylon in a mysterie all under the prete●ce of piety and godliness This Citie is called the greatwhore Rev. 17. 1. because of the multitudes of her spirituall fornications And the mother of harlots vers 5. being a teacher and nourisher of others in her silthy whoredoms bringing up children of whoredoms Also she hath in her hands the cup ful of abominations a glorious cup to allure others to drink the wine of her fornicatior and to partake with her in cursed idolatrous practices Besides the enmity rage and cruelty of the Beast is alwayes vexing and tormenting the Israel of God Here is the filthinesse of Sodome and the enmity of Aegypt practiced by Antichrist in the mystery of iniquity drawn up to the greatest pitch height●ed to the utmost extreamity deposing Christ and his truths advancing flesh and sinne into Christs throne and so becomes beastly and most abominable Fourthly and lastly observe It is 4 Obser the very life spirit and image of Christ that Antichrist doth chiefly oppose in slaying the Witnesses It is not so much the persons or bodies of these Witnesses they of the world do so much oppose but the appearance and life of Christ in them it 's the same wickedness that put Christ to death in his person and it 's still the same wickedness that slayeth Christ in his Saints and truth The very name of Antichrist signifies one that opposes Christ if this were not his worke and aime he could not be Antichrist who indeed is one that fights against Christ under the very forme of Christ And as it 's Christ he aimes at so it 's Christ that is slain and crucified it 's our Lord his truth his image that 's slain in spiritual Sodome Aegypt And in as much as ' its Christ he crucifieth killeth great shall be the judgment of Babylon as wee may see in Chap. 17. when God shall recompence upon the man of fin the blood of the Prophets and the blood of the Saints and of all that were slame upon the earth vers 24. And last of all the Lord will reckon with Antichrist for the blood of Christ for crucifying the Lord af glorie Christ tels the Jewes that upon that generation should be brought all the blood of the Prophets and righteous men slain in former times because they succeded the former Persecutors finished their work and so became guilty of all the blood shed before so here Antichrist doth contract all the guilt of Sodome Aegypt and Babylon and of those that crucified Christ therefore upon him shall be recompenced the blood of all that were slain upon the earth So great shall be the fall and ruine of Antichrist that a mighty Angell of great force and power shall take a great milstone and cast i● into the sea and it shall be found no more Rev. 18. 21. A great milstone is very ponderous and weighty of it selfe and falleth with great force but much more if it be cast down with a strong hand and being in the bottom of the Sea it cannot be found any more neither will it rise again All which sheweth the exceeding violent and perpetuall destruction of Antichrist being guilty of the blood of all Saints yea and of crucifying the Lord himself VERS 9. And they of the people kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and a halfe and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves IN the former verse we heard of the place where the dead bodies lay now here we come to see what is the carriage of their Adversaries towards their dead bodies wherein we may consider these particulars First the persons exercised about these dead bodies and they are the people and Kindred and Tongues and Nations Secondly their carriages or actions towards these dead bodies and they are two First they shall see them Secondly they shall not suffer them to be put in graves Thirdly the time how long they shall thus behold these dead bodies and hinder their buriall and that is for three dayes and a halfe First concerning the persons exercised about these dead bodies and they are People Kindreds Tongues and Nations We may read the words partively thus Some of all people and kindreds c. which implies some principall ones viz. those of power strength wisdome authority rule These principall men of all Nations Kindreds and Tongues the most learned and wise the most eminent and honourable of all Nations the most choisest of men of the greatest of gifts and

Christ we finde not in Scripture Secondly it would also be as much unsavoury and harsh a similitude to assi●●late the Saints to the Eagle which is a bird of prey mentioned Job 39. 27 28. c. But if we would enquire for the minde of Christ in this Text wee are to consider the whole drift and scope of the Chapter which is no other then a full and ample declaration or rather a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem the Temple the Nation and Church of the Jewes as appeares plainly by the beginning of the Chapter Now in the middest of those tribulations desolations that should befall the State Church of the Jewes Many should say lo here or lo there is Christ vers 23. But Christ exhorts them not to beleeve those false Prophets that should say he was in the desert or in the secret Chamber and why For as the lightening cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West so shall also the coming of the Son of man be Now as it is the native property of lightning to make a full discovery of it selfe by it's lightsomenesse and brightnesse so Christ shall be eminently manifested and declared to be the Messiah by the destruction of Jerusalem of the Temple and worship of the Jewes So that Christ's coming to destroy Jerusalem was like lightning for what could more evince and testifie that Christ was the true Messiah then the destruction of the Temple worship of the Jewes which they upheld after the coming of Christ when it should all have been abolished Christ foretelling of this destruction by which himselfe should be manifested coming as lightning shining from the East to the West saith For wheresoever the carkase is there will the Eagles be gathered together Now by the carkase he meaneth Jerusalem the Temple and the worship of the Jewes which they kept up in use after the coming of Christ when the Jewish formes were to be abolished when the spirit life presence of God was departed from these things then the State Church their Temple and worship became as a dead carkase without any life or spirit in it they onely upheld the superficiall part of their forme and service when there was no breath of life nothing of the Spirit of God left in it And as for the Eagles being birds of prey they are meant of those people and Nations that besieged and at last sacked Jerusalem pulled downe the Temple scattered the people and destroyed their worship Thus it was with the Temple and worship with the people and Cities of the Jewes being left of God without his presence and spirit became as a dead carkase and the enemies like birds of prey came and devour's them So here when the Hab. 1. 8. The enemy is compared to an Eagle Church was driven into the Wilderness to worship God in his secret Temple then the Gentiles possessed themselves of the outward Court of the externall formes and figures of worship but without the presence or spirit of Christ These are the bodies of the witnesses that lie in the street of the Citie and that Antichrist will not suffer to be buried or put in graves For what is all the forme of worship and service of the carnall Church and of worldly Christians but as a dead carkase lifelesse and spirit-lesse The Jewes kept up all their formes of worship after the Messiah was come and had abolished them all and therefore it was that when the Apostle was asked why he would revile Gods high Priest he answereth he did not know him to be Gods high Priest for saith he it is written Thou shalt not speake evill of a Ruler c. Act. 23. 5. Now I verily beleeve that the Apostle knew well enough who it was that he was brought before and that he was the titular High-Priest ●ut when he saith I wist not that it was Gods high Priest he spake ironically or by way of deri●ion because he sate as high Priest when he was not at that time a lawfull high Priest the office of Priesthood being expired by the coming of the Messiah Now the Jewes were very willing to have kept up their rites and formes their worship and Priesthood when they should have been layd aside the Lord being departed from them they were but as dead carkases In like manner doth Antichrist by the outward Court or externall formes of worship that the witnesses have exercised in these they uphold and preserve these are the bodies of the witnesses they keep in the street of their Citie these they keep above ground and will no● suffer them to be buried they onely slay the testimony spirit of the witnesses but they preserve their bodies for their own use and to serve their own ends Secondly Consider the place where these bodies lie and that is in the street of the great Citie Here we have two things to enquire after viz. what is meant First by this great Citie Secondly by the street thereof First This great Citie is meant of great Babylon mentioned in Chap. 17. 5. called the mother of harlots and abominations It is an allusion to old Babylon called great Dan. 4. 30. which was eminent for tyranny and oppression Antichrist is called the mother of harlots and the great whore because as a strumpet shee doth not onely commit spirituall whoredomes but doth also teach and nourish her children in the same way and so ●ill the earth with her abominations This whorish woman is described to be this great Citie which reigneth over the Kings of the earth vers 18. I confesse that Rome hath mystically ruled the Nations and hath been as the well-bead of the filthinesse and abomination of the world But more especially this woman here called the great Citie is the carnall worldly Antichristian Church which hath as a whore departed from God and hath been led by a lying spirit and hath followed after whorish inventions of her owne braine hath gathered the nations of the world into a Church and called them by the name of Christians and all this hath been by a mystery of iniquity a very babell and confusion This woman called the great Citie is no other then the whole Church of Antichrist that rides upon the beast or earthly power and is clothed in gay cloathing of humane ordinances and formall professions pretending to be the Spouse of Christ when she is a very harlot going after other lovers and whiles she pretends Christianity shee is drunke with the bloud of the Saints This whorish woman is the great Citie where lieth the dead bodies of the witnesses Secondly by the street of this great Citie is meant the whole Territory and space the confines and large extent of the Dominion and rule of the Antichristian church and government The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being of the singular number is put for the plurall and signifies all the streets territories and places of Antichrist's rule and domination It

stability Of such an Earth-quake we reed Amos 1. 1. And the like appeared when Christ arose from the dead as it 's recorded Mat. 28 2. But here we are to understand a mysticall and spirituall Earth-quake a shaking of Kings Kingdomes States Powers Formes Goverments and the very dignities orders strengths and comforts of men The same Earthquake is meant Chap. 6. 12. And Ch. 16. 18. Thus the Lord saith He will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry land all nations Hag. 2. 6. This was partly fulfilled when Christ came in the flesh the heaven of Ceremonies and shadows and of all the Jewish worship was shaken and abolished and also the earth was shaken both Sea and dry land all the whole earth was full of great commotions and ruines But this is again to be fulfilled yet once more will the Lord shake heaven and earth The heaven of Antichrists worship Church forme order and government And the earth also all those worldly powers that have engaged to uphold and manage the cause of the Beast these powers dominion authorities and states shall be shaken also Thus we see what wee are to understand by this Earth-quake the great commotions and troubles that shal even rend tear the earth in pieces all its order power government and dominion both in Church and State shall be broken all shal be turned upside down by these violent breakings forth that shal happen upon the world at the rising and ascending of the Witnesses In the third place we have the consequents of this great Earth-quake in these words The tenth part of the Citie fell and in the Earth-quake were slaine of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven This first consequent in order is this The tenth part of the Citie fell Whereof we are to take notice of three things viz. what is meant First by the City Secondly by the tenth part Thirdly by the fall thereof First this City is great Babylon mentioned in Chap. 17. 5. which is meant of the whole universall power dominion and territories of the Antichristian Church and State The nations combined together and gathered into a Church worshipping the Beast and his image submitting to his rule and government this is the great City Babylon of which we have spoken already from vers 8. Though Rome it selfe hath mystically ruled over the Nations hath been the rise of abominations and therefore in some sense is meant by the Citie yet it cannot be taken so restrictively but it takes in the whole State and Church of Antichrist that is called this Citie the mother of Harlots that hath corrupted the earth with her abominations Secondly the tenth part of the Citie the principall thing here to be enquired after is variously interpreted Some would have the tenth part to be meant of the Levites part such a part as was offered to the Priests under the Law as a maintenance of the legall Priest-hood So that hereby the lot or portion of the Priest-hood the chiefest and most devoted part should fall that the tribute of Tythes on tenths whereby the Antichristian Ministry was maintained should fall and utterly be withheld at the rising and ascending of the Witnesses But by the tenth part of the Citie we may understand of the tenth part of the Nations and Peoples that were devoted to the service of Antichrist In Chap. 17. 13. Ten kingdoms give up their power and strength to the beast to serve and worship him Now the tenth part of those Kingdomes Nations or Peoples that have wholly given up themselves to Antichrist and have resigned up their rule and authority their worship and service to the Beast these are here called the tenth part of the Citie Thirdly this tenth part shall fall by with-drawing themselves from the yoake and bondage of the service of Antichrist as it 's foretold of them in Chap. 17. 16. These shall hate the whore eate her flesh and burne her with fire Those tenne kingdomes or nations that had formerly given up all their strength and power to the Beast and did formerly support Antichrist now they shall withdraw themselves again now they shall with one consent prepare themselves for her destruction For God hath put into their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and give their kingdome unto the beast untill the words of God should be fulfilled Chap. 17. 17. The Lord in justice gave over the nations to be servile to Antichrist for an appointed time untill he had executed all his cruelties and enjoyed his dominion and tyranny over them so at the end of his determined time God will put it into the hearts of the nations to consent and agree to rise up unto the destruction of all Antichristian dominion and power And though these nations shall not fully wholly thus rise up to effect this great worke to hate the whore eat her flesh and burne her with fire untill the last seale be opened the last Trumpet sounded and the last Viall powred out when there shall be a finall and totall destruction of Antichrist's power and raigne yet there shall be a tenth part of the nations that God will raise up to begin this worke God will honour some nation or nations first to withdraw their power and authority from the service of the beast and to oppose his tyranny and oppression and that at the opening of the sixt seale the founding of the sixt Trumpet the powring forth of the sixt Viall at the time in which the witnesses shall begin to rise and ascend Now these nations that the Lord shall first begin withall to raise up to oppose the power of the beast I say this nation or nations is meant here by the tenth part of the Citie For before that all Nations shall hate the whore and cast her off and burne her flesh with fire there shall be some particular nations that God will honour with the first of his worke and this is called the tenth part of the Citie that should fall not onely by withdrawing their owne power and assistance but also opposing and suppressing the dominion and power of Antichrist The second consequent followeth in these words And in the earth-quake were slaine of men seven thousand In the opening hereof it will be necessary that we consider of three things concerning those here that are sayd to be slaine First the persons Secondly the manner Thirdly their number The persons here slaine are expressed by an elegancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The names of men put for men of name that is of power greatnesse of office or dignity of some place or eminency The Hebrews expresse men of honour or renowne by men of name Gen. 6. 4. So here names of men being put for men of name are meant men of note and quality such as are of place and dignity men of worth and greatnesse These men here slaine by the earthquake are not of the