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_v	church_n	zion_n	22	3	9.4728	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85887	A treatise of prayer and of divine providence as relating to it. With an application of the general doctrine thereof unto the present time, and state of things in the land, so far as prayer is concerned in them. Written for the instruction, admonition, and comfort of those that give themselves unto prayer, and stand in need of it in the said respects. By Edvvard Gee, minister of the gospel at Eccleston in Lancashire.	Gee, Edward, 1613-1660.	1653 (1653)	Wing G451; Thomason E1430_1; ESTC R209520	284,427	526

taken for the clearing thereof in order to the taking effect of those prayers and the bringing on of that restauration 3. The Salvation of Sion that thereupon ensues in answer to prayer then is she called Sought out a City not forsaken by all which we are given to understand that betwixt a restless persistency in prayer and the accomplishment thereof there are ordinarily some interposing impediments which must be removed and for that reason the said accomplishment is for some time delayed The impediments which are in the way of the people of God to the mercies they pray for are for the most part either bad Rulers that are over them or bad people that are mingled and associated with them 1. Sometimes such persons as are in power and rule and are enemies to God and his people they or their enmity or oppositeness are the obstacles to be removed Whilest Daniel is afflicting his Soul and solemnly supplicating in behalf of the Church of God the Temple Dan. 10.1 2 and the City of Ierusalem three full weeks the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia stands in the way of the Angel that was dispatched to Daniel with the answer of his prayers and hinders him from arriving at Daniel for that space and so did the said Prince and divers of his successors afterwards interrupt the effecting of Daniels prayers in the instauration of the Temple and recovery of the Church of God in Iudea The Angel therefore who at the end of those three weeks comes to Daniel to deliver him his answer telleth him by way of satisfaction in the delay already past and that which was yet to come in relation to the matter or things prayed about His words were heard from the first day but he came not until then hav●ng been withstood and detained for those three weeks by the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia Ver. 12 13 20 and that as soon as he had delivered to him his message he was forthwith to return again to fight with the Prince of Persia Interpreters understand this Prince of Persia in vers 13. to be Cambyses and the resistance which he made to the Angel to be his opposing by his inhibition the building of the Temple which formerly was authorized by his father Cyrus but now whilest Cyrus is absent and imployed in the Scythian War his son Cambyses governing in his place forbiddeth it and the Prince of Persia in vers 20. is conceived to signifie those his successors by whom or during whose reigns the aforesaid work in Iudea ceased to wit Darius Histaspes Ahasuerus called Xerxes and Artaxerxes called Longimanus The Angel therefore as the Minister of God is sent first to take cognizance and course about those proceedings of Cambyses and then to bring unto Daniel matter of information and encouragement touching the subject of his prayers and after that he is to return back to the Court of Persia and there continually to attend the actions of the Princes thereof successively and to fight against those of them that withstood the rebuilding of the Temple and recovery of the state of Iudah All this work was in order to the remotion of the impediments which letted the effecting of Daniels Petitions and for this reason it was that there was so much time to run out ere they could be accomplished as the Prophet himself saith in his Preface to this Vision Vers 1. A thing was revealed unto me and the thing was true but the time appointed was long 2. Sometimes the impediments to be removed are such wicked persons as are mingled or associated with the special people of God whom neither the Will of God nor the conveniency and good of those his people will brook to be copartners with them in the mercies prayed for The Lord declareth his purpose and promise to confer sundry blessings upon a certain party whom he calleth My people that have sought me Isai 65.8 9 10. and whom he contradistinguisheth from that rebellious and provoking people whom he had described before vers 2 3 4 5. But when shall those promises take effect what is it that stands in their way to them Why that rebellious and provoking people must first be proceeded with and taken out of the way they must not survive to participate with the faithful servants of God in those mercies concerning them therefore he saith vers 11. and on-ward But ye are they that forsake the Lord that forget my holy mountain c. Therefore I will number you to the sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter c. Behold my servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry behold my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howl for vexation of spirit and ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen for the Lord God shall slay thee and call his servants by another name By that Vision of the two baskets of figs Jer. 24. the Lord sheweth the Prophet the reason why he would not grant the Jews already in captivity represented by the basket of very good figs a return from captivity presently nor until after seventy years and it was because the Lord would first consume from off the Land of Judea Zedekiah and the rest that still remained there or that dwelt in Egypt who were signified by the other basket of very evil figs see vers 8 9 10. these were first to be emptyed out and made an end of if the other the better part now in Babylon should have returned while these were left alive in Judea they must have been mixed with them and so either the better party must have fared as ill as the worse or the worst must have shared with the better in their felicity either the naughty figs would have tainted the good and so both have perished together or the happiness of the good would have been blemished by the presence of the bad it was therefore in special wisdom and mercy provided by God that these two sorts should be kept several in two baskets in two far distant Lands that the purer part was put and kept by themselves at Babylon until the more degenerate and incorrigible part were consumed out that so the other might re-enter and enjoy the Land City and Temple of God alone according hereunto is that in Ezekiel Ezek. 20.38 41 42 I will purge out from among them the rebels and them that transgress against me they shall not enter into the Land of Israel and then it 's said I will accept you with your sweet savor when I bring you out from the people and gather you out of the Countries c. 7. Lastly The delay of the Saints prayers may be to raise up their thoughts their faith their love and their longing desire unto the last day and second and glorious

entertain it and better to employ it Sol●mon observes Eccl. 3.11 God hath made every thing beautiful in its time Isai 49.8 And the Lord saith In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of Salvation have I helped thee Now the time unto which the Lord defers his answer is that time and his deferring it is which is one means of that beauty and acceptableness of the thing at that time It is with benefits obtained by prayer as with the fruits of trees and other plants these must have their time to ripen ere they be to be gathered so as to be either for pleasure or profit and it is usually sound that those fruits that are longest in growing and ripening are the most wholesom useful and lasting rathe-ripe fruits are more for fond delight then solid and durable use So it is in blessings that come by prayer they become sweet and serviceable to us by our praying and staying for them until a full time be and the longer the stay is the more comfort profit and permanency may be in them when enjoyed Psa 126.1 Sion after her long endured captivity had her mouth filled with laughter and her tongue with singing and said The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad After a laborious and tedious seeding she had a full harvest of joy Lemuels mother was very affectionate to him and sollicitous for his vertuous education and her introduction to her instructions given him yields the reason thereof Prov. 31.2 What my son and what the son of my womb and what the son of my vows She had bred him in her bowels and born him with travel and hazard she had not only endured bodily pains and sorrows for him but her soul had travelled for him as Monica for her Augustine he was the son of her vows and therefore he was very dear to her and she entirely applyeth her endeavors for his training up holily Hannah obtained her son Samuel with prayers and tears ere she could have him she was put to strong conflicting in prayer the text saith 1 Sam. 1.10 c. that in Shiloh she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore and she vowed a vow and she continued praying or multiplyed to pray before the Lord. And she her self saith to Eli I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit I have poured out my soul before the Lord out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken And coming by him so hardly and by so many so earnest suits unto God she accordingly received and disposed of him to wit with much thankfulness and officious observance of her vow of dedication of him unto God conceived and uttered before the Lord ere she conceived him in her womb The former solemn thankfulness she expresseth both in the name which she gave him at his birth Samuel that is asked of God and in the song of praise which she sung and left upon record in memory of that benefit The latter her diligent and punctual observation of her vow appeareth not only in that she denoteth him to God as a Nazarite according to her former obligation but in that she kept him no longer with her at home then until he was weaned and in the least degree capable of delivery up to God and employment in the service of his house and in that she presented him to the Lord so solemnly that is both with a large free-will-offering and a publique profession before Eli of the Lords return of her prayers in this child and of her return of him unto God as his devoted servant in lieu or consideration thereof Thus God deferreth his servants prayers not to deprive them of the fruit thereof but to frame their hearts to a higher esteem a gladder entertainment and a more thankful and profitable disposal of it It is the note of a very reverend Divine that God when he casteth out the prayers of his Saints Mr Trap on Cantic pag. 278. deals by them as the Lioness doth by her young ones which she seems sometimes to leave till they have almost killed themselves with roaring this is to make them more careful another time That which is gotten by working with God that is by instant and constant prayer is ordinarily better blessed to us it is sanctified unto a more happy enjoyment then what is earned meerly or principally by secular industry or hath not so strong and deep a tincture of prayer upon it This is according to that of the Apostle Every creature of God is good for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer 1 Tim. 4 4 5 When Iacob acted as Iacob that is a supplanter when he delt with policy he got indeed at one time the birthright at another time the blessing of his Father from his Brother Esau but those winnings of his for a long time were not so prosperous they stood him in little stead they were followed with divers bitter crosses as with his exile from his habitation and Parents and his tedious pilgrimage in Mesapotamia and the hardships there undergone but when he acted as Israel a Prince with God by importunate prayer he got a clearer blessing a blessing which was followed with sundry tokens of Gods special appearance and goodness to him 6. The delay of the prayers of the people of God may be for the removal of those persons and things which stand in their way as impediments to their receiving or enjoying the mercies prayed for In the Prophet Isaiah while the faithful resolve They for Sions and Jerusalems sake will not hold their peace and while the watchmen placed by God upon the walls of Ierusalem the Lords dayly remembrancers are commanded that they keep not silence and that they give the Lord no rest Isa 62.1 6 until the righteousness of Sion go forth as brightness and the Salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth and until the Lord make Ierusalem a praise in the Earth There is a charge given out by God unto some agents of his either Angels or men after this manner Go through go through the gates prepare ye the way of the people cast up Ver. 10 11 12 cast up the high way gather out the stones lift up a Standard for the people and then it follows Say ye to the Daughter of Zion Behold thy Salvation cometh behold his reward is with him and his work before him And they shall call them The holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called Sought out a City not forsaken Here we have clearly set forth these three things in order 1. The incessancy and importunacy of prayer imposed upon the friends and lovers of Sion that her deliverance and exaltation may be procured 2. The many blocks and obstructions that lie in the way by which Sion is to pass to the deliverance and happiness prayed for and the course that is