Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	admire_v	king_n	zion_n	29	3	9.7180	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79993	The sect every where spoken against or, the reproached doctrine of Ely. As it was held forth in several sermons in the year, MDCLI. By Christopher Cob, lay-man, minister of an united people in Ely. Collected and analized for a private use, by Hampden Reeve, Master of Arts, one of that Society, and a constant hearer. Now published by the assent of the whole Society (as a short character, at present, of them and their way, till an opportunity of a farther and fuller discovery) for satisfaction in general.	Cob, Christopher.; Reeve, Hampden.	1651 (1651)	Wing C4769; Thomason E1251_1; ESTC R209173	234,596	386

a wonderful unnatural thing in us But well as Peter saith the long sufferance of God is salvation Shall nothing hinder No gainsayings nor longings but the long-sufferance will stand and knock and wait out all till it be our salvation This will one day be prized There is a chosen Generation amongst you that is certain Now do you hear it Do you believe it When will you open the Door and lay down all weapons and say Well I will never speak against the Lord more But say with Job what I know not teach thou me It is sure you have been the bush in which the Lord hath appeared the fire hath been trying and purging and burning in you and you are not yet consumed but when will you turn aside to see this great wonder When lay it to your heart I must leave and desire the Lord would give you understanding into what hath been said and above all that you may not war nor fight against it in your minds but soberly inquire Is this my lot Is this my Portion to be one of this chosen Generation It will at last cause your souls to admire The Poor WISE MAN And LITTLE CITY Against The GREAT KING And His BULWARKS SERM. X. May 18. 1651. ECCLES 9.14 15. There was a little city and few men within it and there came a great king against it and besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it Now there was found in it a poor wise man and he by his wisdome delivered the city yet no man remembred the same poor man The Analysis FRom the words was observed I. The Lord ever had a Little City under the Sun A People built together in Unity and Love In three respects compared to a City 1 A City is for habitation so God to dwell in his People 2 It is a place of Free-Trading so God will be free to trade in sorrows sufferings inlargements What he pleaseth with his people 3 It 's a place of safety So God looks to be safe in his People in his Name to be kept from reproach and sufferings II. This is but a Little city and that in three respects 1 It makes but little noise in the world Little notice of it 2 Little in compare of many thousands left But a small remnant 3 Little not easily seen nor found without a diligent search III. There are but few men in it Little or no help in it but a few men left and they tremblers unable to defend it Hence three things considered 1 Few men in it that no flesh might have to glory in saving it 2 All is emptied out of the room that God may dwell in it and be seen that the poor mans wisdome may appear 3 Few in it as no strength to withstand or keep off the lean enemy Every Temptation and snare too hard IV. A great King comes against this little City and builds Bulwarks Great opposition from the devil His Bulwarks are made of Earth any thing that springs thence knowledge parts zeal Hope 's these Bulwarks he can imploy to keep off the Truth V. In it is found a poor wise man and he by his wisdom delivers the City Whence two things considered 1 Where he is to be found In the City not out the kingdom of God within you Christ in you else reprobates 2 How shall this poor man be known How shall you know whether Christ be in you These seven signs were laid down of it 1 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin the man wholly convinc'd that sin is too hard for him He cannot help himself 2 Where Christ is the soul cannot utterly despair it cannot be drowned In the bottom of hell Jonah lookt toward the Temple 3 There is ever a love to that which is of it 's own kinde if God be your Father you would love me saith Christ Truth ever loves Truth 4 Where Christ is ever a light goes along to search and discover all the secret carriages and wiles of the enemy He is a true searcher 5 Where Christ is He will never yield up this City though it cost his life yet with the three children we will not worship the golden image 6 There is a secret looking after God and expecting from him in the lowest day never a whole giving up all for lost 7 Where Truth is It can look through all heaps and swarms of enemies to God that he is still able to deliver and who can tell but he may be gracious ECCLES 9.14 15. There was a little City and few men within it and there came a great king against it and besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it Now there was found it a poor wise man c. IN the verses before Solomon speaks of a strange Case which is very contrary to Reason to believe or see into vers 11. I returned and saw that the race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong nor bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skill but time and chance hapneth to them all None of these will carry through by strength shall no man prevail and the wisdom of this world is foolishness and as for Riches they make themselves wings and fly away But well saith Solomon though all this takes not this Wisdom and strength and riches and skill cannot deliver men but they are taken in an evil net like the fishes and snared like the bird Yet for all this there is a wisdom that will stand there is a condition of deliverance to be attained I saw this wisdom under the sun and it seemed wonderful unto me There was a little city and few men in it and a great King came against it and besieged it and built Bulwarks against it and yet a poor wise man was found in it and he by his wisdom delivered the City This wisdom is indeed wonderful and too high for a fool The words in themselves are a metaphor taken up by the Holy Ghost by which he would express himself in things obvious to mans sense and reason and humane capacity and thereby lead the soul into the invisible minde meaning and intent of Scriptures For there is a hidden invisible meaning runs in all the Scriptures which none can read but those that buy eye-salve of Christ to anoint their eyes those who are taught of God and led into the meaning of them by the same Spirit which once breathed them forth The Scriptures are a deep Well and none but men of understanding can draw it out for all others the Well is too deep and they have nothing to draw with they can by no means reach the invisible minde of Christ From the words these things are observable I. That always the Lord had a little City under the Sun In all times he had his people a City built together where his Name lived and this was the strait of all our Fathers in their

or four berries on an uppermost bow a few scattered gleanings after harvest when the vintage is over and it is wonderful hard to spy them out unless it be given you to understand the parable unless your understandings be opened to see into the Scriptures into them many read the letters see them without but cannot pierce into the Spirit and meaning of them None can do this but they to whom the new eye is given none else can ever finde this City It is so little a one so clouded and covered over with reproaches and scandals and meanness 't is such a despised unthought-of thing All the world never once dream that God is bound up in so little a compass that he lives in such a little City They plead Is not God everywhere Is he not with us as well as with you No He is indeed every where but he is not seen everywhere he is known in Zion that little City but all others the great and learned of the world see him not they cannot see invisibly that 's nonsense they 'll say He is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to a few Babes Therefore beware and follow not a multitude to do evil there is great need your whole souls and mindes should be intent and taken up in this thing if indeed you have a minde to find it and to live for ever that you may take no rest nor give any sleep to your eyes nor slumbering to your eye-lids till you have found out this habitation for the God of Jacob. Need there is to keep your eyes fixed and to go weeping and mourning and asking the way to Zion with your faces and hearts thitherward And thus two things in general have been opened to you 1 That God for certain hath his City under the Sun his people in the world however the whole world lie in wickedness and are lost and run the several runs to destruction yet he hath a remnant he hath reserved to himself seven hundred that have not bowed to Baal In the days when Samuel was born it is said The Word of the Lord was precious in those days and there was no open Vision and yet then God will have his Samuel Hannah brings forth this man-child this son in stead of many sons she that was barren hath brought forth seven a compleat number a remnant he will ever reserve 2. It was considered this City was but a little one 1. It makes no great noise nor stir in the world it raises no Armies nor makes Tumults to defend and enlarge it self 2. Little indeed if you consider the vast world the great multitudes and many thousands that fall short and perish It is but a small cloud of a hands bredth in compare to the whole Heavens 3. But little as being hardly seen and found Many shall seek to enter and shall not be able And therefore there is great need were but your Souls sensible of it to cry out with David O lead me and guide me in the way taht I should walk the way that leads to this City of Habitation Now to proceed III. And but few men in it c. The City is but little but that is not all it is weak also there is no might nor strength to defend it self but few men in it and therefore Paul cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. He felt how weak he was and un●ble ever to deliver himself And therefore there is nothing for any to glory in after the flesh for Who made thee to differ There is no cause for boasting for none ever prevailed by strength they obtained not the field by weapons of war It is said of David when He had slain the Philistin But there was no sword found in the hand of David And he says of himself I will not trust in my Bow neither shall my sword save me But he goes forth against the great Goliah onely in the Name of the Lord and all the saved ones ever have and will cry out Grace Grace Grace That must do all for this City hath but few men in it and they are poor fearful tremblers such as are ready to dye every moment onely they are kept up by the chin and not left quite to be drowned but alass for help to fight and withstand an Enemy little or none can be expected from them This poor wise man must do all he must save the City by his wisdom if it be ever saved it hath no help of it self 1. Let none of you then whom God hath favored glory according to the flesh for there is nothing at all you have to boast in there are but few men in the City and they poor tremblers not able for service so that if this poor man do not the whole work in every one of you use all your wits and plots and power you will never be able to deliver this City 2. But few men in it there was more once but they wasted and wasted away till but few left Whence you may consider Who ever are favoured of God to be his people this little City He will certainly rout and rout out all the old Inhabitants They shall not live quietly in it He will surely bring all the old Inhabitants down all that is sprung from the Man or Devil He will rout it out and thus is the great company within the Wisdomes and hopes and councels the lustings and hunts of the heart the fears and joyes and love all must be searched and fanned and alas but a little will be left of the great bulk There are but few men in it The Poor mans wisdome could not appear nor be taken notice of if a multitude were in the City they would take some of the work to themselves but they must be turned out that it may appear his own arm brings Salvation and none puts a hand to it 3. But few men in it not any considerable Partee to withstand an Enemy especially such a Great King as comes against it no alas they have no might to stand in any temptation if but an Alarum sounds a rumor that an enemie is indeed coming to set down and besiege Oh what a strange uproar and trembling doth it cause within All the Wisdom and hope and faith and experience how do all give back and are not able to stand to look the Enemy in the face without the Lord appear and be Captain himself whoever of you are indeed this City of God you can witness how weak and unable you are to help your selves unstable as water not able to stand to it in the least Tryall there are but few men in it and as Gehazi cryed out to Elisha when he saw the enemies round about the City Alas Master what shal we do so may we cry out indeed if we did but see the danger For IV. A GREAT KING comes against this little weak City and besieges it and builds great Bulwarks

against it c. This Great King is the same spoken of cap. 4. Better is a poor and wise child then an OLD AND FOOLISH KING that will no more be admonished c. In all Ages this old King the old serpent the Devil hath played these pranks against this little City he will never leave spitting his Venome and Poyson against the Truth to destroy it utterly That the name of Israel may be no more This Haman can have no rest so long as Mordecai lives Poor Mordecai is an eye-soar and troubles and disquiets this Great King and Gallows must be provided to hang Mordecai and D crees sent out to destroy the whole Nation of the Jews for his sake nothing lesse will serve then an utter ruine He will never be admonished this Old King will never take warning though his plots have been again and again disappointed and he hath been taken in his own snare yet he wi●l go on to besiege this little City to disturb and perplex and torment and if possible destroy this little Remnant Now I have heard many say that they never were thus troubled with the Devil they thank God He harms not them they never were under his temptations and torture and cruell batterings were they never troubled with him I but this is an Argument they are a friend to him they live in his Kingdom and there all is in peace so long as he keeps the house but if you are ever brought out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Christ if you shall ever be gathered out of the great City Babylon to this little Sion this small remnant if ever plucked out of the world then you shall feel him stirring For this old Serpent hath ever from the beginning of the World been casting out his floods after the Truth if possible to drown and destroy that and the neerer any of you shall be brought to God be sure he will be the more busie you shall have the harder encounters and assaults from the D●vil you sh●ll then see he will raise his great Bulwarks But what makes he these Bulwarks of out of what matter doth he work them Why whatsoever is of the Earth be it what it will yet if it be but an earthly material he can raise Bulwarks out of it well enough not onely out of gross earth out of dirt and mire not onely out of lusts sensual delights and pleasures but out of the finest earth out of a golden myne he can do it out of wisdom and parts and righteousness and zeal and hope and faith and what not that he cannot raise a Bulwark out of against the Truth Paul had these strong Bulwarks fram'd in him against the Truth in Stephen when he was stoned to death He was of the strictest way of the Pharisees He walked according to his Conscience He was as concerning the Law blameless and yet all these were made Bulwarks for the D●vils service And therefore all your zeal and forwardness and love which seems to be for God see whether the Devils bulwarks be not in all to keep thee off from the Truth for he works himself strangely under ground he hath strange wiles to cheat and cozen by by knowledg of the Scriptures by zeal by forwardness to venture lives and estates for the Truth as we then think by these doth he s●●ly winde in and raise his great Bulwarks and if the Lord help you not and deliver the City he will soonest of all destroy you where you think you are safest and so keep off all Truth from coming neer to touch ●ou and therefore great need you should well minde and consider the sleights for he hath bulwarks of all sorts shapes and sizes Bulwarks of dirt and clay and mire they are strong enough to destroy some Bulwarks of Gold and Silver and Pearls if need be any thing that is but this Worlds material and that takes in a great compass he can make a Bulwark to save himself and undo the Soul by Good Lord what strange devices hath h● He 'l put a man upon zeal and forwardness put him to give his goods to the poor and body to be burned and whatever you will if so be under all this he may but make a Bulwark and lurk behinde it to keep himself alive and do a mischief to the Truth Therefore there is need to consider what we lean on for if we are trusting and hoping and lightly promising our selves that God will sure help at last and we shall be delivered when he pleases and so rest in hearing and coming together when nothing is done I say all these hopes and conclusions which we get up to keep off the strait from our Souls and get ease by All these are but the Enemies Bulwarks and certainly intended by him to destroy us and if we be left to shrink away so and neglect the Truth in our day we may never be met with again when the time is once gone Sure the Lord is righteous and will not let the guilty go free though as I told you the last night he is all Love and sweetness in himself if we could but get in to him to his heart now if we could go and meet him thus as a Father and fall down and own our shame how well were it Were it not better then yet to stand out and war for the Enemy against our Brother then to joyn with the Devil in his Bulwarks against the Truth for one of these hands we must needs fall into But this is a hard case saith the Soul Am I so liable to the Devils Bulwarks and lie open dayly to all destruction and misery and is there no remedy Yes there is remedy There is Balm in Gilead V. In this City was found a Poor Wise man and he by his wisdom delivered the City A POOR WISE MAN a Jacob a plain man no such cunning tricks and deceits as the Esaus have and yet by his plain wisdom he can over-reach and supplant and go beyond all the deep plots and cunning of this great King How soon was Paul stopt in the midst of his run when he drove furiously for the Devil Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Not any great weapons are used but a wise word whispered into his Soul and that turns all and strikes the great Champion down to the Earth So Abigail comes to David but with a wise word a soft answer and how doth it prevail and prevent the great destruction intended against Nabals house It is but a word and the stream is turned I come against thee said David to the great Goliah in the Name of the Lord No more but so That Name is enough against the great Gyant and all his armor but a word Why persecutest thou me and that is enough to strike down the stoutest heart in the World if it be but set home What dost thou fight against God Art thou able to stand in his hands Alass what dost