Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	according_a	church_n	zion_n	49	3	8.5800	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45566	The safest convoy, or, The strongest helper declared in a valedictory sermon before the Right Honourable Sr. Thomas Bendish, Baronet, His Majesties ambassadour ... / deliverd by Nathanaell Hardy.	Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.	1653 (1653)	Wing H746; ESTC R28060	22,044	37

mention of waters so rivers of waters noting the variety and perpetuity of the Churches troubles Multitudes of drops concur to make up a River and yet not one but many Rivers must be passed through standing pools are soon dry but Rivers run continually Sorrows seldome come alone it was Jobs complaint that God brake in upon him with breach upon breach and David that one deep called upon another at the noise of the water-spouts and Paul that he was in perils often by Sea by Land in City in Countrey that complaint of Megara in the Tragoedian justly befits the Church Nulla lux unquam mihi secura fuit finis alterius mali gradus est futuri wicked mens malice is boundlesse no wonder Sions troubles are lasting and the end of one misery proves the fore-runner of another so true is that of the Apostle through many tribulations we must enter into Gods Kingdome But whence may some say are these waters and rivers I answer Partly from the bottles of Heaven above which being opened pour out waters upon the earth affliction comes not out of the dust nor befals us by chance but by divine providence those cruelties to which the Saints are exposed by whomsoever acted are by God disposed both the abundance and continuance of those waters are at his appointment true it is the waters that fall from the clouds above are bred of the vapours that ascend from the earth below and it is our sins that are the cause of all troubles which are sent by God upon us we deserve he inflicts we provoke he chastiseth our iniquities are the meritorious his equity the efficient cause of all calamity Partly as many Rivers are fed by Springs out of the bowels of the earth so these waters arise out of the depths of hell it is Satan that opens the fountain of malice in wicked mens hearts whence the streams of oppressions flows upon good men heads it is the winde of diabolicall instigation which raiseth the waves encreaseth the water augments the rage of Zions adversaries thus both heaven and hell concurre to the sending forth of these waters but on a different ground and to a different end God justly Satan unjustly God for our sins the devil for our righteousnesse Finally Gods end is to cleanse our filth and wash away our pollutions the devils to overwhelm our persons and sink us into the depth of misery To apply this Oh let us be wise to look for and provide against these slabby steps in our Christian race he that goes to Sea must resolve before-hand to meet with many a cold blast dashing wave rolling tempest ere he come to his harbour let all who engage for heaven do the like sit down and consider what pains and sufferings it must cost them ere they come thither by this means we shall the lesse fear and the better bear troubles when they come praemeditati mali mollis ictus that evil which is fore-thought of by us will prove the more easie to us They say of the Basilisk that if it first see a man it kils him but if the man first see it he is safe let it be our prudence to foresee evils ere they come that we may the better undergo them when they come and surely if we consider things aright we have no reason to be discouraged at these waters for 1. It is an Argument we are in the direct way to our Countrey the path to hell is miry through corruptions to Heaven watery through afflictions Saint Pauls assertion is universall All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Christianus non est qui non crucianus Christianity entitles her professors to the crosse the way to blisse is not strewed with Roses but hedged with thorns he that lives in pleasure and enjoys the worlds favour may well suspect himself as a wanderer in the broad way but he that findes hatred and persecution from ungodly Samaritanes may at least probably conclude himself in favour with God and a Traveller in the way to Jerusalem 2. It is but a passing through not a dwelling in the waters Afflictions may be violent they shall not be permanent Athanasius said of the persecution in his time it was Nubecula citò transitura a cloud that should soon vanish a showr that would quickly cease The wicked are said to dwell with devouring fire the faithfull only passe through the Scriptures usuall Metaphor resembles Saints to strangers and pilgrims who only passe through or sojourn for a time but make no long stay why should they wonder at or be troubled with that ill usage they finde in their passage The world is fitly compared to a Sea and the Sea is no place to continue in dangers we must expect to meet with so long as we are sailing but that sailing will not be long And 3. Consider not so much through what as whither thou passest look beyond the waters to the shore the passage is calamitous the Countrey where thou art going glorious it is to possesse thy inheritance and receive thy crown O let the sweetnesse of the end mitigate the badnesse of the way and the pleasantnesse of the Countrey make amends for the tediousnesse of the journey Finally know to thy comfort thou shalt passe through these waters no remora shall withhold nor contrary windes impede thee though thou maist be molested yet not overflown by those waters which leads to the second Generall The Churches preservation in her afflicted condition they shall not overflow thee habet unumquodque periculum unde timeatur every thing threatens its peculiar danger which makes us fear the fire burning the water drowning but quod aliis exitio ipsis innoxium that which is destructive to others shall not be hurtfull to the Church let persecutions be as fire yet the Church is like Moses Bush which was burnt but not consumed let them be like waters the Church shall be as Noahs Ark which still arose higher as the waters encreased these waters may arise from the ankles to the knees from the knees to the breast from the breast to the chin but they shall never overflow the head collo licet tenus mergaris non patior te omnino demergi premendus es non perimendus we must be washt we must not sink crusht we may be killed we shall not be The boul or bladder may be dipt cannot be drowned the house that is built upon the rock may be shaken but cannot be overthrown and they that trust in the Lord saith the Psalmist shall be as mount Zion that cannot be moved Excellent to this purpose is that of S. Paul we are troubled on every side yet not distressed perplext but not in despair perscuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed 2 Cor. 4.8 9. And again in the Chap. 6.9 10. As dying and yet behold we live as chastened and not killed as sorrowfull yet

alwaies rejoycing Thus have the Saints found life in death comfort in sorrow safety in danger and though the waters have been about them yet they could not come over them true it is we finde the Prophet complaining that the waves and billows were gone over him Psal. 42.7 And the Church useth the like expression where she saith the waters flowed over my head Lam. 3.54 So may you have sometimes seen the surly waves over-topping the ship and yet at last the ship arising above the waves or a skilfull swimmer diving into the River but coming forth again and thus the Church though she be not only wet in the shallow but cast into the deep bound in the prison but thrown into the dungeon yet all this is only for a time and after all she shall come forth gloriously indeed like the palm tree the more she is opprest the more she spreads like the Camomil the more she is trod upon she groweth the faster and her greatest sufferings prove not exitiall but medicinal Nor is this lesse true of every Saint in particular then of the Church in generall In the flouds of many waters they shall not come nigh him saith David of a godly man Psa. 52.7 And surely if they shall not come nigh him much lesse shall they overflow him they may come nigh his but not him these waters may sink his state his goods his comforts nay his life but not his soul which is himself Anaxarcus told the Tytant when he beat him in a mortar it was only the casket he could not touch the pearl such is all the power that wicked persecutors have over ours not us the body not the soul they are but flesh and can do nothing but to the flesh our better part remains secure so that though they may sometime foyl yet they shall never wholly overthrow the Saints To apply this Hence then all carnall fears distracting thoughts and despairing terrors afflictions may rise high but we shall still rise above them nay let us know to our comfort that when the night is darkest the day-break is nearest and when the waters flow the highest they will beginne to ebbe What need the Mariner fear the greatest storm when he knows it shall not split his Shippe Why should the Souldier be dismayed at the sharpest combate when he is sure to win the field Why should any the greatest dangers distract the Saint when he hath a promise they shall not overtop him True it is the rod of the wicked may be painfull to the righteous but it shall not rest upon him Exercemur sed eripimur impetimur non obruimur God may suffer tribulations to exercise our graces he will not suffer them to overwhelm our persons To end this O see the happy condition of the godly Wicked men are drowned in sweet honey while the righteous escape through the bitter waters the prosperity of the fool slaies him the adversity of the wise betters him good things prove offensive to the bad the worst things shall not be destructive to the good Well might Saint Paul say in the name of himself and the rest of the Saints Nay in all these things we are more then conquerours Rom. 8.37 and if we will know the reason of all this he addeth in that verse through him that loveth us and the Text speaketh not much unlike God is with us which leades to the Third and main part of the Text Gods gracious presence the effectuall cause of the Churches preservation I will be with thee There is a double presence of God the one generall the other speciall the one with the world the other with his Church the one quatenus immensus by the immensity of his Essence the other quatenus benevolus through the benevolence of his love the one is a Monitor to duty the other a cordiall against misery In the former sense God is not only with the good but the bad yea all his creatures According to the latter he is only with his Church to her its only promised and on her it 's only conferred it is the name which the Prophet giveth the holy City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LORD is there and JOHN saw Christ in a Vision walking in the midst of the seven Candlesticks the Church being alwaies the place of Gods peculiar residence and according to the double consideration of the Church God vouchsafeth a double presence she is either triumphant or militant reigning or warring and God accordingly is present by glory and grace majesty and mercy that he manifesteth to her in heaven this on earth that in the caelestiall Countrey this while she is sayling on the tempestuous Sea When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee The end of Gods merciful presence with his people is not to be as a bare Speactator but as an active worker and he so looks on as that he acts for his peoples good when they are under evils Adest omnibus suis ex aequo verum operationes praesentiae diversimodè se habent The operations of this presence are various and excellent according to the determination of his wisedom for his own glory and our good the severall acts which by being present with he exercises towards us may be justly and are fully enumerated in these five particulars He is with us in these waters cohibendo conservando consolando dirigendo eripiendo What the banks are to the Sea that his presence is to these waters in bounding them what the plank is to the shipwrackt Marriner that is Gods presence to the Saint carrying him safe to shore Finally what a Convoy is for the guarding a Pilote for the guiding or the Shippe and a faithfull friend to comfort in a storm all this is Gods presence to the Church in her afflictions 1. God is with us in the waters cohibendo to bridle the rake of these waves and bound the fury of these waters he that sets bounds to the sea saying Hitherto it shall passe and no further restrains the power quiets the rage of wicked men and saith Thus much they shall do and no more These waters ebbe and flow at Gods pleasure he keeps the Sluce to let them in and out as he will So true is that of the Psalmist Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain Psal. 76.10 Persecutors are a rod but in Gods hand they are Lions and Wolves but chained by his Providence swelling waters but bounded by his commandment The accomplishment of this as an effect of Gods presence is plainly intimated by the Psalmist Psal. 46.9 11. In the 9. verse he assures the ceasing of warres the breaking of the bowes the burning of the Chariot that is to weaken the strength and bridle the malice of Zions enemies and if we would know how this should be effected the answer is given at the 11. verse The Lord of Hosts