Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	add_v	part_n	zion_n	36	3	9.1935	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17694	Foure sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin entreating of matters very profitable for our time, as may bee seene by the preface: with a briefe exposition of the LXXXVII. Psalme. Translated out of Frenche into Englishe by Iohn Fielde.; Quatre sermons avec exposition du Pseaume 87. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Fielde, John, d. 1588.	1579 (1579)	STC 4439; ESTC S107288	80,601	132

the Authour thereof Concerning the Texte where it is said that the foundations thereof are layd amongst the holy hilles this must bee applied vntoo God For it is a common manner of speache amongest the Hebrues too put the Relatiue before the Name of him of whō mētion is made The meaning therfore is this That he hath laid his fūdation amōg those holy hilles Many haue vnderstood this of the Temple but this agreeth not Others vnderstande it of the Psalme as-though it were saide that the argument or matter of this Psalme is too entreate of those holy mountaynes where the Temple was builded but this is no more agreeable then the former But as I haue alreadie saide the purpose of the Prophet is to showe that God hath chosen the holy mountaines to the ende he may there build his royal Cittie Ierusalem and his Temple For it followeth a little after in the text that the most highest shal establish it It is very certaine that God is the true principall founder of all the Cities in the world but this so excellent a title is not attributed too any other Citie but to Ierusalē that it should be the euerlasting resting place of God and that he wil dwel there because that he hath chosen it Psal 132.3 We muste alwayes note this difference that other Cities were not builded by the power and authoritie of God vnlesse it were for their earthly pollicie but that Ierusalem was his sanctuary and that he had specially chosen it as it were the seate of his maiestie And so also doth the Prophet Esay speake thereof What shall the messengers of the people say it is Esay 14.32 that the Lord hath founded Syon Which is more although that al the Countrie of Iudea was dedicated vnto him yet it is saide that casting al other aside hee hath reserued this Citie of Ierusalem to himselfe that he may raigne there and this is that whiche foloweth in the second verse Verse 2. The Lord loueth the gates of Syon aboue al the tabernacles of Iacob Too which agreeth that which is saide in the 78. Psalme Psal 78.60 that God hath reiected Siloh the trybe of Ephraim the tabernacle of Ioseph that he might dwell in Syon which he had loued Let vs marke well also the cause which the Prophet mentioneth here why God hath preferred one certaine place before all others to wit not for the woorthinesse of the place but for the meere loue which he bare vnto it wherefore if any man aske whence this excellent priuiledge that Hierusalem had came that it shoulde be called the holy Citie of God and his royall Pallace the aunswere is easie and short and that is because it hath soo pleased God This pleasure is as it were the fountain and roote of his loue The end as he sheweth was because he would haue there some place wherin his religiō shold haue dwelling to norish an assured vnitie of faith amongest the Iewes vntil the comming of our Lord Iesus and that in the end the Gospell should spring from thence too be published throughout the whole worlde And thus the Prophet to magnifie the Citie of Ierusalem saith that God is the founder therof and that he there ruleth as the gouernour But to the ende that men shoulde not take occasion too be proud of such an honour he addeth and sheweth that all the excellencie which Ierusalem hath must be attributed too the meere grace and adoption of God In that hee putteth Syon for the whole Citie and the gates for the whole wal and compasse of the Citie it is by taking a part for the whole By the mountaines wherof he speaketh in the plural nūber they vnderstād cōmonly Syon Moriah which butted either vpon other Now although I doo not vtterly reiect this exposition yet me thinkes one might extend this worde further too wit to the whole region For Ierusalem was situated among mountaines Ver. 3. Wonderfull thinges are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Selah Worde for worde it is that that which is saide in thee are wonderfull thinges But we haue to marke the purpose of the Prophet or rather that which the holy Ghost would here speake by the Prophet The condition of the people of the Iewes was at this time very contēptible so as there was smal account made of thē They had many great and greeuous enimies on euery side which vexed them and but few had the courage to put backe offences Euery day there fell out newe alterations beyond all hope of men in such sorte that it seemed that after thinges went so to wracke waxed worse and woorse that all in the ende shoulde come to vtter ruine in suche sort that any man coulde hardly hope that euer the Citie of Ierusalem shoulde be restored againe Now to the ende that the heartes of the faithfull shoulde not bee vtterly swalowed vp with heauinesse and dispaire they are here by the Prophete set to leane vpon that woorde which God had pronounced of the estate of his Church to come for there is no doubt but that the holy Ghoste withdraweth the faithfull in this place from the beholding of things present to the ende he might bring them vntoo the promises which did assure them of an incredible glory that God woulde shortly geue too his Church So then howsoeuer the thing that appeareth serue not to make the children of God reioice yet notwithstanding the Prophet cōmaundeth thē to lift vp their senses on high by the vertue of that worde the which is geuen vnto them too the ende they might patiently wayte vntil those thinges which had beene promised vnto them should be executed and perfourmed On this manner they were admonished and exhorted too reade diligently and to meditate day and night those auncient prophesies which concerned the restoring of the Church and specially those which were conteined in the booke of Esay from the 40. chap. vnto the ende of the booke Further that they should reach out their care and diligently hearken geuing faith and credit to the Prophets which were sent at that time to comfort them and to preache vnto them the kingdome of Iesus Christe which was neare wherevpon it foloweth that wee can not iudge aright of the felicitie of the Churche vnlesse wee iudge of it by the woorde of God Ver. 4. I will rehearse Rahab and Babylon amongest them that knowe mee beholde Palestine and Tyrus with Aethiopia he was borne there The name of Rahab is put aswell in other places of the Scripture for Egypt and here it very well agreeth to this sentence For the Prophetes minde is too describe the excellente and glorious estate of the Churche whiche then was hid Hee sayth therefore that they who before had beene deadly enimies or were altogeather straungers vnto it shoulde not onely bee her familiar freendes but as it were engraffed into one body too the ende too bee accounted for Citizens of Hierusalem I will put sayth

hee intoo myne accounte or I will enrowle Egypt and Babylon amongest my famyliars or housholde ones Further hee addeth that the Philistines they of Tyre and Ethiopia who hithertoo had had great discorde with the people of God shoulde bee vntoo him as good friendes as if they were the naturall borne of Iewry Now in speaking so therof he specifieth a singular dignitie of the Churche of GOD and that is that they which did despise it and did wishe it too bee vtterly rased and destroied shoulde gather themselues round about vntoo it yea and should account it for a great honour too be enrouled and acknowledged amongest his people For the Prophet signifieth that all of their owne accorde shoulde renounce their owne natural Countreyes wherein tofore they put all their glory This is therefore asmuch as if he shoulde say that from what quarter soeuer men were borne were it in Palestine in Tyre or Ethiopia they shoulde be gladde and well a paide too be numbred with the people of God and acknowledged for Citizens of Ierusalem The Rabbines of the Iewes make a crooked glose of this place that is that from other nations of the worlde there shall come very fewe excellent men in witte or vertue but that in their race there shall be a great number As though it were saide that there wil be hardly found a man woorthy of praise in any countrey So as they may bee pointed at which are suche with the finger But that in Sion there shal be great abundaunce The Christian Doctours with one consent apply this to our Lorde Iesus and they think that the reason is here rendred why the straungers yea the enimies of the Churche shall desire too be ingraffed and inrowled therein too wit because the sonne of God shal be borne there whose office it is too gather men which were dispersed into an holy vnitie of faith to heape the scattered members togeather too make one whole bodie thereof Nowe this sentence indeede is very true in it selfe but it agreeth not vnto the place And we must alwaies diligently take heede that the Scripture vnder colour of subtiltie bee not racked too any other sense then it ought Let it suffise vs therefore too haue the plaine and simple exposition thereof that euerye one may desire it for a great benefit to be receiued a Citizen of the Church The which is yet more fully confirmed by that which followeth Ver 5. And of Syon it shal be saide this and that man is borne in it and the most highest shall establish it As I haue saide already the Prophet continueth his sentence minding to signifie that God shal gather people togeather af all Countries of the worlde too incorporate them into his Churche as newe burgesses and Citizens Albeit that he vse an other manner of speaking it is because strangers shal be reputed among the holy people of GOD as if they were descended of the stocke of Abraham He had saide in the former verse that the Chaldeans and Egyptians should yeelde themselues to become of the houshold of the church-that the Ethyopians Philistines the men of Tyre shoulde desire too bee enrowled in the number of his Children nowe hee addeth for confirmation of his sentence that the troupe shal be great and infinite too replenish the Citie of Herusalem whiche for a time was desolate and to make it most populous or rather which had been inhabited but euen of an handfull of men in comparison of the people which should arriue there That which is heere briefely promised is declared more at large in the Prophet Esay Esay 54..1 when he saith Reioyce ô barren that diddest not beare for the widowe shall haue moe children then shee who hath a husbande Enlarge the place of thy tentes Esay 60.4 and let them spread out the cordes c. Also thy children shall come from all farre coūtries lift vp thine eyes rounde about thee all those shal be gathered together vnto thee And in the 44. Chapter he vseth the same maner of speach that we reade here Esay 44.5 or at the least which draweth very neere vnto it One shall say I am of the Lord another shal be called by the name of Israel and another shall subscribe with his hande I am the Lordes and others shall call themselues by the name of Israel Neither is it without cause that the Prophete vseth this woorde of byrth signifying thereby that the Chaldeans the Aegyptians and such like should be ioyned to the flocke of God For albeit they were not by birth of Syon and the naturall children but onely through adoption must bee incorporated into the bodie of the holy people Yet because our entrie into the Church is as a second byrth this similitude is very apte and agreeable And indeede Iesus Christe plighteth and marrieth himselfe with the Faithful vppon this condition Psalm 45.11 Gal. 4.5.16 that they shoulde forgette their owne people and the house of their Father And this is the cause why Saint Paule sayeth that wee beginne too bee the Children of GOD and of the Churche when wee are borne anewe of incorruptible Seede and are made newe Creatures And surely wee are not otherwise regenerate into the heauenly life then by the Ministerie of the Churche In the meane time let vs call too remembraunce the difference that Sainte Paule putteth here betwixt the earthly Hierusalem which as it is a seruaunt cannot but bring foorth children into bondage and the heauenly which conceaueth and bringeth forth children into libertie through the Gospel In the ende of the verse there is a promise of the long continuance of the Church for oftentimes it commeth to passe that Cities the sooner they creepe vppe into suddaine riches and greatnesse the shorter while they continue in their prosperitie To the ende therefore that men thinke not the felicitie of the Churche too bee so transitorie the Prophete declareth that shee shal haue her stabilitie in GOD and that therefore shee shall continue As though he shoulde say it is no maruaile though other Cities be alwayes shaken and subiect to many alterations because they are tossed with the worlde and haue not euerlasting keepers But the condition of this newe Hierusalem shal be otherwise for her perpetuitie being founded in God shall stand sure though Heauen and Earth shoulde fall Ver 6. The Lorde shall enrowle his people by writing he was borne there Selah The Prophete meaneth that the name of Syon shall bee so Noble and Honourable that euerie one shall desire too bee receaued there for a Citizen For hee speaketh of the principall benefite and of a thing the moste too bee wished for that euer coulde happen The meaning therefore is thus when God shall take accounte of his people or shall enrowle them the greatest benefite and honour that he can doe vnto his best beloued shal be too accounte them for Citizens of Syon rather then of any other Citie For this shal be a