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	see_v	zion_n	22	3	9.3688	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69644	The life of faith in times of trial and affliction cleared up and explained from Hebrews X:XXXVIII ... / by Ioh. Brown ...	Brown, John, 1610?-1679.	1679 (1679)	Wing B5034; ESTC R7844	214,019	528

Church here should taste of the Worm-wood the Gall of Affliction and wade thorow Trouble and Persecution He hath seen it fit that she should be in a wilderness Condition here And so it hath been in almost all ages as might be evidenced if necessary 2. Not only hath the Church of God met with Affliction but the cup hath been long at her Head without any intermission The seed of Abraham were to be strangers to serve and be afflicted foure hundereth yeers and more even from Ismaels beginning to mock until they were delivered out of Aegypt Gen. 15 v. 13. Act. 7 6 7. with Exod. 12 41. Was not the Church keeped fourtie yeers wandering in the Wilderness before she came to rest And when settled in the promised Land how many yeers together was she oppressed by Enemies sometimes Eight Iudg. 3 8. then Eighteen vers 14. then Twenty Iudg. 4 v. 3. Then Senventie Years in captivity in Babylon And we know how the Christian Church was in an afflicted and persecuted condition in the primitive times three hundereth Yeers untill Constantine the great came to the Empire and how long she hath groaned under Antichrist's tyrannie 3. The Lord also thinketh good to renew the daies of the Church her sorrow after some warm blainks and some short respite as the primitive Church had in the intervals betwixt the Ten vehement and fiery Persecutions some whereof were of longer some of shorter continuance After a respite He sendeth a new storme so that her calamites are like waves of the sea ere one be well away another cometh Hence the Psalmist saith Ps. 129. vers 1 2. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth 4. Yea moreover the Lord seeth good to afflict her with billowes of waves of His displeasure and to afflict her very sore as Esai 64. vers 9 10 11 12. Be not wroth very sore Thy holy cities are a wilderness Zion is a wilderness Ierusalem a desolation Our holy and our beautiful house where our fathers praised thee is burnt up with fire and all our pleasant things are laid waste wilt thou refraine thy self for these things O Lord wilt thou hold thy peace and afflict us very sore This was a sore stroke which destroyed both Church and State 5. Some times the Church hath to do with moe Enemies than one at once See Psal. 83. ver 5 6 7 8. For they have consulted together with one consent they are consederat against thee The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the Inhabitants of Tyre Assur also is joined with them they have holpen the children of Lot This was a dreadful conspiracy of all the Enemies round about both far and neer and their designe was to cut off the people of God from being a Nation that the Name of Israel might be no more in remembrance vers 4. As Herod and Pilat will agree when they are to concurre to the cutting off of Christ so these Enemies though sometimes at variance among themselves yet can agree in one to joine their forces together to destroy and cut off if they could the Inheritance of the Lord. 6. Withall the Lord may hide His face in the midst of these outward calamities and refuse to give light comfort counsel or direction She may be afflicted and tossed with tempests and withall not comforted How hath the Lord said the Church Lam. 2. v. 1 3. covered the Daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger He burned against Iacob like a flame of fire See also Chap. 3 8 9 10 11 c. and several other passages 7. Sometime the Lord so ordereth the affliction as that the very timeing of it maketh it much more heavy than otherwise it would be as when His people are secure and crying peace peace The Israelites thought all was well when they were gote out of Egypt but ere they were awar how quickly were they invironed with new Difficulties pursued by Pharaoh all his hosts having the red sea before and no way to escape upon either hand doubtless the very season time of this new difficulty made it very grievous It cannot be but sad when it is with the Church as Ieremie saith of the Church in his time Ier. 8 v. 15. and 14 19. We looked for peace but no good came for a time of healing and behold trouble 8. Not only is the Church put to contend with open Enemies but she is also much molested with false friends who under pretence of friendship seek to ruine her These prove most dangerous Enemies as traitours within a besieged place While she is prospering many offer their service to her and seem to be cordial friends and yet are but a mixed multitude who when the first occasion offers will seek to returne to Egypt for all their profession of kindness and friendship when a fit opportunity offereth there are none more bitter Enemies than they are So that it oft fareth with her as Paul said it would fare after his death with the Church of Ephesus in respect of Hereticks and false Teachers Act. 20. vers 29 30 For I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise spea●…ing perverse things c. 9. Yea so low may the Church sometimes be brought under the feet of adversaries that little hope may remaine of her recovery yea she may be looked on by one and other as in a desperat and forlorne condition so that even many of the faithful may be shaken in their hops and saying will the Lord be favourable no more Are His mercies clean gone Doth His promise fail for ever more Hath He forgotten to be gracious Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies Such may be her condition that all humane probability of her recovery may be gone and the faithful have nothing but a bare haire ofhop to hold by or a small plank ofa promise that also under the waters of contrary dispensations to stand upon and so far may the delivery be out of sight that when it beginneth to dawne they may be as those that dream Ps. 126. vers 1. 10. Yet withall it is considerable that notwithstanding of all the opposition made by the Devil and his Instruments against the Church she hath been a burning bush and yet not consumed though she hath been many a time afflicted and that from her youth yet her adversaries have not prevailed against her the plowers have often plowed upon her back and made long their furrowes yet still the righteous Lord hath cut the cordes of the wicked Psa. 129. vers 1 2 3 4. Many an arrow have they shot at her yet mount Zion stands and she hath her Towers Bulwarcks and Palaces Psal. 48. She is founded upon the rock of ages and the ports of hell cannot prevail against her Mat. 16. No