Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	agree_v	david_n	zion_n	20	3	10.1110	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17385	A commentary upon the three first chapters of the first Epistle generall of St. Peter VVherin are most judiciously and profitably handled such points of doctrine as naturally flow from the text. Together with a very usefull application thereof: and many good rules for a godly life. By Nicholas Byfield preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex. To which is now newly added an alphabeticall table, not formerly published.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653.; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Sermons upon the first chapter of the first Epistle generall of Peter. aut	1637 (1637)	STC 4212; ESTC S107139	978,571	754

out such a project for reconciliation Besides what can God denie us if hee can give us his owne Sonne and who is pleased also in his Word to signifie so much and commanded it by his servants to be told to the parties offending that he hath found out such a way of perfect peace Thirdly Wee should hence be comforted in all the straits of godlinesse when the Lord goeth about to lay the foundation of grace in our hearts and to forme Christ in us vvee should remember it is the ●ords vvorke and it shall prosper if the Lord will have it goe on vvho can hinder it The gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it vvhen God builds it upon this Rock Fourthly it should teach us in all other distresses to trust upon God and never be afraid of the oppositions of men or the impediments of our deliverance For vvhat shall restraine Gods mercy from us If the Lord can bring about such a vvorke as this to found Sion by laying Christ as the chiefe corner stone in her then vvee may trust him in lesse matters The Lord vvill accomplish all the Counsell of his vvill and he that hath promised that all shall vvork together for the best will performe it To this end he pleade● this vvorke of ●ounding Christ in the vvomb of a Virgin of purpose to give them thereby a signe of deliverance then in a temporall affliction it is easie for him to save us and deliver us from all our troubles that can give us a Saviour for all our sinnes Lastly Ministers that are but under-Masons and Carpenters must learne to take all their directions at God both to see to it that they lay no other foundation then vvhat God hath laid vvhich is Iesus Christ and in all things to be faithfull in good vvorks as such as must make their accounts to God And thus of the Author Thirdly The time followes I lay or put Hee ●peakes in the present time yet meaneth it of a thing to be accomplished in the time to come For God laid Christ downe as the corner stone partly in his Incarnation vvhen hee sent him into the vvorld in the flesh to take our nature and partly hee is said to lay downe this corner stone vvhen spiritually by meanes he formes Christ in the hearts of men in the visible Church Now the Lord speaketh in the pres●nt time I doe lay for divers reasons ●irst To signifie that the care of that businesse was then in his head he was plotting ab●ut it and did continually minde it Secondly To signifie that howsoever the maine worke of the open restoring of the world by Christ in the calling of the Gentil●s was long after to be done yet God did spiritually forme Christ in the hearts of the remnant so as at all times he did more or lesse further his building Thirdly To note the certainty of the accomplishment of it hee saith Hee did then doe it to assure them it should as certainly be done as if it were then done which should teach us to beleeve God and never limit him When wee have his promise let us reckon upon it if God promise us any thing it is as sure as if we had it Thus of the time Fourthly The manner followes noted in the word Laid I lay There are many things imported under this similitude that Christ is laid as the Mason layes the chiefe corner stone in the earth For it imports First The divine nature of Christ that hee was before he was incarnate as the corner-stone was before it was laid for a foundation Christ descended from heaven Eph. 4.7 9. Secondly The unchangeablenesse of Gods ordinances concerning the giving of Christ. Hee hath laid him as a foundation that hee would not have taken up againe Thirdly the hiding of the glory of Christ and of his life He is of a singular use to the Church and the Frame of God's work appeareth in his members but Christ himselfe is hid with God Col. 3.3 He is like the stone hidden in the earth he is buried in the ground and therefore wee should be the more patient if our life be hid also with God Fourthly It may be by this tearme the mysterie of the birth and conception of Christ is intimated God digged the ground of our natures in the womb of Christ that he might lay Christ there c. Fifthly so it may likewise import the sanctification of the humane nature of Christ who was qualified as the stone is squared when it is laid downe Thus of the manner The place followes In Sion Sion for certaine was a Fort of the Ieb●sites built on a hill close to Jerusalem which was taken by David and called the City of David 2 Sam. 5.7 the Temple being afterward built here The Church of the Jewes was called Sion because here they assembled and so afterwards it was the title given to the Church of God both of Iewes and Gentiles that agree in one faith and true Religion Zach. 10.11 And in especiall by Sion is meant the place of the assembly of the Saints the Sanctuary In the twelfth to the Hebrewes verse 22. it is thought to signifie the Saints in heaven even the Congregation of the first borne In this place it must need● meane the Christian Church in which God built the new world laying the foundation in Christ i●car●ate whi●h began in Ierusalem even at Sion in the Letter Now when the Lord cal●s his Church by this name of Sion it is to import divers things partly to tell us what we were by nature and partly to tell us what we are by his grace and favour By nature what were our assemblies but Forts of Iebusites in which multitudes of locusts swarmed we were Ca●aanites enemies to God and all true religion we were the halt and the blinde mentioned Mich 4.6 7 alluding to that in 2 Sam. 5.6 7. But being conquered by David our King even Christ the Sonne of David we are new fortified for his use and our estate is fitly resembled by Sion 1. The Church is like Mount Sion for visibility Christians are like a Citie on a hill they are such as all sorts of men easily take notice of not that th● men of the world are in love with Christians but many times out of the hatred of the truth set they eyes and thoughts upon them Matthew 5 c. Secondly The godly are like Mount Sion for unremoveablenesse they that trust in the Lord are like a mountain men may as soon remove a mountain as remove them from God and happinesse in God Psal. 126.1 Thirdly the Church is like Sion in respect of Gods habitation there God dwels there he keeps house there and in the assemblies thereof hee feeds his people The Sanctuary is Gods foddering place it is the City of God the mountaine of his holinesse the City of the great King the City of the Lord of Hostes God shines there Psal. 48.1 2 8. Psal. 50.2

Hee is known there familiarly because his dwelling place is there Psal. 76.1 2. He hath chosen his Church out of all the world it is the place only which hee hath desired it is his rest for ever Psal. 132.13 14 15. It is the place of the name of the Lord of hosts Esay 18.7 As David by an excellency reckoned Sion to be his City of residence so God doth account of the Church as all he hath as it were in the world Fourthly it may be that the Church is resembled to Sion for the littlenes of it in comparison of the world even in Sion that is so much despised will God lay his corner-stone Fiftly but the principall thing here intended is To signifie to us that God loves his Church above all the world and that he will give Christ to none but to the Church Out of Sion there can be no salvation and in Sion there is all happines to be had The consideration hereof may serve us for many uses Vses First we should hence informe our selves concerning the excellency of the Church of God above al other Assemblies of men in the world We should learn to think of the Assemblies of Christians as the Sion of God she is the Mountaine of his holines the joy of the whole earth Psal. 48.1 2. the perfection of beauty where God shines more than in all the world besides Psal. 50.2 The Moone may be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord is pleased to shew himself to raign in Sion and before his Ancients gloriously Esay 24 23. yea the Church of God is an eternall excellency Esay 60.15 whereas all other glories will vanish And besides we should hence be informed concerning the necessitie of obtaining salvation in the Church For this text shews us that Christ is no where laid but in Sion and can no where be found but in the true Church In Sion onely hath God placed salvation for Israel his glorie Onely the godly are Gods Israel Onely in Israel doth God glorie and onely in Sion can Gods Israel finde salvation Isaiah 46. ult Secondly Hence wee should especially be moved to an effectuall care to make it so since that we are in the true Church and that we are true members of Sion and withall wee should strive above all things to procure for our selves the ordinances of God in Sion It is said of the godly distressed for want of means that going they went and weeping they did goe to seeke the Lord in Sion with their faces thitherward and with a resolution to binde themselves by covenant to the Lord to be any thing he would have them to be onely if they might find favour in his eyes herein Ier. 50.5 Quest. Now if you aske mee how the true members of Sion may bee knowne Answ. I answer first generally that all that are in Sion are not of Sion and further that we must not judge of true Christians by their number For God many times takes one of a Tribe or one of a City and two of a Tribe to bring them to Sion Ier. 3.14 But yet to answer more directly Thou must be a new creature or thou art no member of Gods true Sion For of every one in Sion it must be said He was borne there Psal. 86.5 The gates of Sion are to be opened onely that a righteous nation may enter in Esay 26.1 2. Men may deceive themselves but God will not be deceived For hee hath his fire in Sion and furnace in Jerusalem Hee will try every man and make his count onely by righteousnesse Esay 31.9 Rom. 9. and therefore the sinners in Sion have reason to be afraid Esay 35.14 And if yet wee would have signes more particular wee may try our selves by these that follow First Sion is a Virgin and all the godly are the Daughters of Sion and so the chiefe Daughter of a chiefe mother Now this is a true vertue of a true member of the Church that his love is undefiled towards Christ He is not enamoured with other things Hee will have no other God but one He accounts all things but drosse and dung in comparison of Christ He harbours no beloved sin but denieth the inticements of it with detestation and grief that he should ever be so assaulted Secondly God knoweth his owne in Sion by this signe that they are they that mourne in Sion that are farre from making a mock of sinne The Lord himselfe is their witnesse that their hearts are heavy by reason of their sins and they know no griefe like to the griefe for their sins Esay 61.2 Thirdly thou maist know thy estate by thy subjection to Christ and his ordinances For God hath set his King in Sion Now if thy Soveraigne be in heaven and thou canst be willing to be ruled by his ordinances this will be a comfortable testimony to thee as contrariwise if thou dislike his government and wouldst faine cast his yoake from thee so as this man may not rule over thee thou art of the number of the people but not of Gods people Psal. 2.6 Thus of the second use Thirdly wee should be carefull to celebrate the praises of God yea and therefore carefull for all the goodnesse hee shewes unto us in Sion Praise should wait for him The Lord is great and greatly to be praised in Sion the City of our God Psal. 48.1 Psal. 147.12 Esay 51.16 All that serve the Lord in Sion and are refreshed with the comforts of his presence should get large hearts both for admiration and celebration of his goodnesse Psal. 134. the whole Psalme Come say the godly Ier. 31.10 let us declare the work of the Lo●d in Sion c. Fourthly since Sion is the place where the Lord keeps house and gives entertainment to all his followers we should call one upon another to goe up to the Lord in Sion wee should run thither to the bountifulnesse of the Lord and in all our wants shew our selves instructed in this point by making our recourse unto Sion as the place where God is pleased most readily to declare his shining mercies Ier. 31.6 12. Fiftly we should be stirred up to much praier for the accomplishment of the building of God in Sion Our hearts should long to see this work prosper Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion● Psal. 14.1 For Sions sake we should not hold our peace Esay 62.1 but still beseech the Lord to doe good to Sion and build up the walls of Jerusalem Psal. ●1 20 Sixtly We should especially be grieved if we see that Sion prospers not Of all judgements we should most lament the desolation of Sion The whole booke of Lamentations is spent upon this subject Wee should hang our harpes upon the willowes if wee remember that Sion lieth waste and there be none to build her up Psal. 137. Seventhly the especiall use should be for consolation If the Lord doe us good in Sion we should