Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	afflict_a	lord_n	zion_n	44	3	9.8177	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85121	A plain-dealing, and plain-meaning sermon, preach't in the parish church of St. Nicholas, Bristol, April. 6. 1660. Being the day appointed by the Parliament for publique fasting and humiliation for the sins of the nation, &c. Together with a prefatory epistle, and subsequent vindication both of the sermon, and author. Wherein (besides an apology for home and plain-preaching) you have something offered to allay the heat of thier stomacks, and to temper the tongues of those, who (being ignorant in scripture) reproach and revile Presbytery and Presbyters. With some hints at Satans subtlety, and the mischief of those people, who brand zeal for God and truth (in free, home, and faithfull preaching) with the reproachful names of anger, passion, and railing.	Farmer, Ralph.	1660 (1660)	Wing F443; Thomason E1025_5; ESTC R208684	39,155	50

he is so willing of his peoples returnings that they might enjoy his favourable countenance as that even when his afflicting hand is upon them he not onely nvites them to it but he even teaches them what to say and in what words to address themselves unto him that they might prevail with him so gracious and tender a Father is he This you have most sweetly and fully in this very Prophet Hosea 14.1 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast faln by thine iniquity take with you words what are they why those that follow say unto him Take away our iniquities and receive us graciously and so will we render the calves of our lips And then it follows Ashur shall not save us c. And when his people take this advice and returne unto the Lord then will the Lord heale their back-sliding and love them freely then will his anger be turned away from them c. Oh beloved what precious mercies and unexpressible kindnesses doth God offer to a repenting a returning people So tender a Father is he that he doth not only invite to repent but teaches them how to demean themselves and puts words into their mouths to come unto him withal As a tender Mother that desires to have her Child to go stretches forth her hand to it bids it come gives words of encouragement to it that so it may come Even so God the Lord calls invites incourages his people to come unto him by unfeined repentance Nay not only so but as I said he teaches them with what words to come unto him So here Come let us return unto the Lord c. Beloved it is a great incouragement to poor distressed afflicted souls that the Lord is so desirous of our repentance as that he not onely invites us to repent but also teaches us how to repent and return to him Come therefore let us return unto the Lord. Vs of this Land and Nation Vs of the three Nations Vs of this City Vs of this Congregation Let us return unto the Lord. Return unto the Lord Why have we departed from him or can we depart from him how can we depart from him Is not God present every where Pray sirs read what David tells you in Ps 139.7 Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall I flye from thy presence If I ascend up into heaven thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea even there shall thine hand lead me and thy right hand sustain me How then can we go from God and consequently return to him To this I answer It is one thing to depart from and consequently to return to Gods essentiall and all-powerful presence And it is another thing to depart from and return to his gracious and most merciful presence There is an essential presence a presence of Gods power might And there is a gracious presence a presence of his mercy and protection Now Gods essential presence is never with-drawn from his Creatures For in him they live and move and have their being But then all who partake of his powerful presence do not partake of his gracious presence God is said to be near or far off a people and they are said to be near or far from God as they are in his grace and favour When in mercy he extends his grace and favour to a people then is he said to be neare unto them Now beloved There is one thing makes a distance and separation between God and a soule or between God and a people and that is sin Isa 59.1 Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save neither his eare heavy that he cannot hear but your iniquities have separated between you and your God Your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear By sin we go away from God and then God goes away from us not by his power that he cannot do for he is present so every where But he goes away in with-drawing his grace his love and favour his most mercifull providences protections and speciall preservations from a people That 's Gods going away And we by further sin go away further from God and make the distance greater And as by sin we go away so by repentance we return again to God and so God returns again to us and receives us into grace and favour And now sirs Let me aske you Have we not sinned and gone away from God Do not our iniquities testifie against us plainly to our faces And hath not God departed from us and left us to run unto the Assyrian and King Jareb Interpreters do give various Interpretations of that word what is meant by King Jareb but yet all agree in this that it signifies vaine helps Friends all helps and refuges are vaine when God forsakes a people And by the vanity and insufficiency of all our helps and helpers that have all failed us is it not very manifest that God hath hitherto left us And why is it but because by sin we have left him and departed from him Will you give me leave to be plain and why should not I at such a time as this is Have not our Kings and Princes heretofore and our princely Priests and Bishops been as snares upon Mizpah and nets upon Tabor their high places and great offices have they not tyrannized too much Have they not revolted and been profound to make slaughter notwithstanding they have been reproved and admonished I beseech you sirs let not the apprehension of our present greater sufferings cause us altogether to forget our former iniquities People are apt generally to complain of the present burthen and murmur and forget what is past And indeed the greatnesse of our burthens may make us willing to be rid of them But yet let us not be such sottish asses as not to remember our former gal'd backs In this day of our Humiliation when we are seeking for establishment let us not forget the cause and ground of our unsettlement It was a sore Judgement that we were removed from our old foundations but we must remember who it was that removed us Friends let us consider who it was that broke us was it not the Lord Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath smitten us c. Whatsoever be the hand that gives the stroke or whosoever be the instruments yet it is God that guides it Amos 3.6 Shall there be evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it Shall there be evill in a City in a Nation in the three Nations and the Lord hath not done it By evil I understand the evil of punishment Now I say is the evill of punishment in the Nation in the three Nations or upon any particular person without the evill of sin will you say that the righteous Judge of heaven and earth hath not done right When he hath brought the evill of punishment

Isa 21.11,12 Watchman what of the night He answered the morning cometh and also the night if ye will enquire enquire Return Come Sirs there is a night and a morning this I see If you put this Querie to me Watchman what seest thou I say the morning cometh and also the night We have a night and a morning in our Text and so also in our Nation if we neglect it not We have had by Gods chastising hand upon us and oh that it may be a reforming hand nights of tearing and smiting the Lord hath torne us and he hath smitten us The hand of God upon us hath been a darke night of terrours and sorrows Dark and black dispensations hath the Lord exercised us with He hath smitten us he hath broken us these are our nights The morning now we hope also cometh He will heale us he will binde us up that 's the morning And oh Let that happy morning of Englands joy and deliverance make hast and not tarry It may be beloved as we have been under the curse and judgement formerly mentioned Isa 3. So we may also see that happy morning of joy and reviving that is promised by the same Prophet Isay 1.25,26 I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne Do you expect a settlement Truly then your sins must be purged away and then I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning Afterwards thou shalt be called a City of righteousnesse the faithfull City Sion shall be redeemed with judgement and her converts with righteousnesse Oh beloved for such a happy day when God the Lord shall delight in us and in mercy shall bestow upon us that blessing here promised of a righteous just and lawfull Government And though God should not do it in such a way as we expect yet he will do it in such a way as is best for us if we please him which let us leave to him and our Superiours Let us then return unto the Lord and leave it to him for our establishment and settlement Let us I say turn unto the Lord. Truly sirs will you give me leave to open my heart unto you my heart trembles to think of some mens turnings and of some turnings which some men look for not a turning to God but a turning further from God Many people expect a change not that they might change their lives or manners No beloved they would have a turning not to God but to the Devill Oh! how would some men turn to the Devil of drunkenness how would some men turn to the Devil of swearing to the Devil of Sabboth-breaking and all manner of prophanesse That they might live and sin without controul Friends is this the turning that God looks for Surely sirs these people if they might have their wills would bring in a night a sad and darke night in stead of a light and gladsome morning a sadder night then ever yet England saw For if the Lord should establish us and we make use of that establishment to establish our selves in sin and so provoke the Lord to go further from us and leave us we have just grounds to fear that the Lord would then never come again amongst us Do these men turn unto the Lord how many of them probably are in the Tavern at this time how many in the Alehouse at this very time At this time I say wherein as one would expect we should all as one man joyn together in our earnest prayers to implore a blessing from heaven upon the Counsel of the Parliament shortly to be assembled that the Lord would make them instruments for our settlement and establishment now after all our breakings and shakings But where are they Do these men walk in Gods wayes Do these men look for a change that may be for the better Do these men look for establishment and that the Nation should be setled upon their desires and upon their endeavours There is a place that I hope in all things doth not run parallel but in this is to our purpose It is in 1 Sam. 12.19 All the people said unto Samuel pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God that we die not for we have added unto all our sins this evill to aske us a King Now I say I do not conceive that the Text runs parallel with our case in this particular therefore mistake me not But now marke Samuel said unto the people feare not ye have done all this wickednesse yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your hearts and turn not aside for then should you go after vaine things that cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain It was not so great a sinne in them but that desiring and having a King was consistent with serving the Lord Nor had they thereby so sin'd as to forsake God Turn not aside sayes he from following the Lord but serve the Lord c. But then go on to the two last verses Onely feare the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for consider how great things he hath done for you But if you still do wickedly you shall be consumed both you and your King People think Oh I if they had a King all shall be well their state and condition shall then be prosperous and they shall be all safe But beloved If men go after vaine things if they do wickedly it cannot be a King that can help them The people of Israel they had a King according to their desires But what was that enough to secure them Surely if the Lord forsake them it could not be their King that could help them and therefore saith the Prophet vers 22. The Lord will not forsake his people for his great names sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people If the Lord hath once assumed a people to be his he will do much for them and beare long with them ere he will forsake them And therefore as the Prophet there vers 29. would pray for them so also would he teach them the good and right way Fear the Lord saith he and serve him in truth with all your hearts for consider how great things he hath done for you vers 24. And beloved hath not God done great things for us What great hopes hath he given us of a settlement after all our feares and confusions And we expect a King But if ye still do wickedly ye shall be destroyed both you and your King Mark That which the hearts of the people were set upon was a King nothing would please them but a King yea you shall have a King But yet do not go away from God and follow after vain things for if you do you shall be consumed and destroyed both you and your King together Beloved there 's nothing that so surely brings ruine and destruction upon a King and Kingdome