Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	angel_n	life_n	zion_n	34	3	8.5709	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85549	A true reformation and perfect restitution, argued by Silvanus and Hymeneus; where in the true Church of Christ is briefly discovered here in this life in her estate of regeneration, as also her persecution in the life to come, as it hath been foretold by all the holy prophets and Apostles, which have been since the world began. / By J.G. a friend to the truth and Church of God.	Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury.	1643 (1643)	Wing G1595; Thomason E55_10; ESTC R212817	46,091	47

the making parts and true nature of every particular living stone and member of which and which only the whole frame or fabrick consisteth Now to the making of any part thereof and so of every part 3 things are considerable and required that is to say the spirit water and bloud whereof the first is the worker the two last the work or matter or makeing parts of every living stone of the Church it self Of these three termes the first is literall by which we are to understand the finger of God the spirit which proceeds from the Father and the Sonne the other two are Metaphoricall by which other things are meant namely repentance and remission of sins as it is written Except a man be borne againe from above of water and the holy Ghost he cannot see the Kingdom of God Hym. I pray Sir expresse your self unto me concerning the two Metaphoricall termes Silv. That I shall willingly do and give you their definition in their due place For the first which is repentance the Lord in the working thereof unhardens the heart that naturally by sin is obdurate hard flat and quite contrary and disobedient to God and his will which graciously God of his meete and alone goodnesse by a kind of heavenly power softens and makes it plyable and inclinable to God and his will And the word of God compares this humble broken bruised contrite heart to plowed ground to soft and tender flesh and to water and such like setting forth by all these comparisons the true nature and condition thereof That as flesh differs from a stone barren fallow weedy ground from that which is broken up and plough'd and as the plyablenesse and softnesse of water differs from the hardnesse of a Dyamond so a broader and greater difference is there between this penitent heart and that it was before for that which was pleasant delightfull is now become nothing but grief sorrow of heart that which before was chiefly fought after is now most abhorred As formerly its joy and gladnesse was in such sinfull ways as carried him from God now he uncessantly seeketh prayeth desireth and longeth after every way and meanes whereby he may be brought to God to be refreshed with his favour which by his sins and transgressions he hath lost and never did any hunted and chased ha●t pant more after the water brooks than this soul doth thirst and desire the favour and grace of God in Christ No undone man no wounded man no diseased man no deadly sick man no man in bondage and thraldome so miserable and wretched in a naturall sence as this penitent man in his own apprehension in a spirituall and godly sence Therefore it is said of Iohn the Baptist the great and powerfull preacher and worker of repentance that he should prepare the way of the Lord that is make a people ready for the Lord to heale and cure and in working the preparation he bruised the reed he caused the flax to smoak he turned the hearts of the Fathers to the children the disobedient to the wisdom of the just he humbled and brought low the high and lofty the rough ridged and untoward he made gentle and smooth the crooked and perverse hearted he bent bow'd and made straight he made the rich poor the well sick the whole broken in a word all these terms do but set out and declare his great and heavenly work of repentance which he wrought in the hearts of men According as it was prophecyed of him that he should go in the power and spirit of Elias and as the Angell said to Zacharias his Father And many of the children of Israel shall he turne to the Lord his God Yea the whole life of this holy Prophet and every houre therof preached repentance for he chose the desart place in the wildernesse to dwell in before the stately City Ierusalem And hunger and thirst before dainty fare wine or strong drink and sack-cloth rather then soft rayment his Garment was hair-cloth and his Girdle a leather skin Neither boyld nor rost was his food but what he found unbought or uncared for his meate was locust and wild hony His life and Doctrine being thus one and the same and both so wonderfully powerfull and effectuall that all Ierusalem Iudea and the Region about Iordan went out to see and heare him the like Prophet being never heard nor seen before And he preached unto them repentance for the remission of sins for so powerfull was his ministery in working repentance in their hearts that the holy Ghost saith of them they were baptised of him in Iordan confessing their sins An apt and plaine figure or resemblance is the baptisme of water of that of repentance for repentance it is the preparation of the way of the Lord the signe or badge of it is the baptisme with water and so Saint Marke doth plainly preach Iohn did baptize in the wildernesse there 's the signification and preached the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins there 's the substance which heavenly gift repentance he calls the beginning of the Gospell of Iesus Christ by which he proves cleerly that the beginning of our new birth or regeneration is the beginning of the new covenant of life and salvation herein agreeing with all the Prophets who speaking of the new covenant still begin with the unhardning the heart taking away the stony heart and giving an heart of flesh Hym. You have been large in the description of repentance and I desire to heare your definition of it as you promised Silv. The supernaturall grace and first part of unregeneration may be thus defined that it is the work gift of God by which the heart is turned from all the pleasures and delights in sin into great grief and unspeakeable sorrow for them with humble confession and acknowledgment of all its sins expressive an unsatisfied desire of pardon and forgivenesse and to be received into the love and favour of God through Iesus Christ Hym. You cald to me to prove the description I made of the Church I pray therefore proove this to me Silv. It is well desired this definition of repentance and every part of it is fully set forth in the prodigall Sonne who once was so full of affection to sinfull pleasures that he rejoyced in it but God working repentance in him now is become forlorne and miserable in his own apprehension and seeing his rash rebellion and unadvised sinfulnesse against God his most bountifull and loving Father Creator and preserver in utter dislike of himself and all his doings sorrowfully resolves And in the second place returnes to his Father by which is set forth the displeasure and dislike he now takes against all his sins which have been the cause of all his misery and Gods dishonour being conscious thereof dislikes forsakes leaves them and goes from them plainly and clearly declaring his returning unto God in his heart Manifested in the third place

to be admired in all them that believe And further note that Prophet names the place where Gods people shall be comforted and he saith it shall be in Ierusalem that is in new Ierusalem Hym. I confesse it appears to me the Scriptures are not rightly understood by them for you have answered them fully but many of them have told me it is Master Brightmans opinion and I am sure it is Master Cottons Silv. Master Brightman is very corrupt and so is Master Cot●on much to be blamed as I have read him in a Sermon preached in the West-Countrey and in an exposition of his on the Canticles I remember the Text of his Sermon was in 1 Chron. 17. 9. And I will ordaine a place for my people Israel and will plant th●m and they shall dwell in their place and shall be moved no more neither shall the Children of wickednesse waste them any more as at the beginning This Scripture speaks directly of the Resurrection as our Saviour saith Let both grow together untill the harvest c. Then shall the oppressor and Children of wickednesse be separated and ●ot before not till then shall spoyling and wasting cease the fat cattel and the leane the sheep and the goates shall not be separated so long as this world lasteth and the Prophet David forespake of the Resurrection in this place and not of any temporall Translation as Master Co●ton expou●ds it and for that Treatise upon the Canticles he speaks often of the calling the Iews ●ut proves nothing so as uncertain words I give no credit to them Hym. Is it not true that many Ministers preach that the Govern●ment of the Church of England is Popish and Antichristian Silv. No for I have heard Master Callamy say in his prayer that he thankt God that the evills in our Church were not a nationall sin that is as I understood him that the Statutes and Ordinances of this Nation were free from those superstitions and corruptions that were brought in by such corrupt men as were in chief and hi●h places heretofore amongst us Hym. Then you justifie the Church of England ever since the reformation in King Edwards dayes Silv. I do affirme that those Laws which were then made and since confirmed did wholly free us and break asunder the Antichristian yoake and bondage of their abominable Doctrines and though England were before one of the ten hornes of the beast That is a Kingdom that mainteined the abomination of desolation and supported the whore that sate upon the waters that is did rule over peoples multitudes nations and tongues yet then it pleased God that his faithfull people the Martyrs did prevaile against the filthy fornications of the whore the lyes and false Doctrine of their Kingly Priests and the Kingdom might then truly be said to fall off from Rome and so still hath continued an opposer and hater and not a mainteiner Hym. I remember you spake thus long ago but within this twenty yeares things have been worse with you than before Silv. Corrupt men endeavoured to bring in many innovations but that is no more to the Christian profession established by Law in the Church of England then rust to pure mettall soyle to a cleane garment or dust in Gods temple which scouring brushing and sweeping will do away so that the truth shall seeme more glorious Hym. But what do you think of the Church of England in comparison of the Church of Scotland Low-countries France Germany and other reformed Churches Silv. I am sure I have had either conference with or reading of the most religious professors in Europe and truly of all both nationall or nominall I have found none in all respects so free from superstition nor so sound in Doctrine as the Ch●rch of England I meane as it stands by acts and ordination of Parliament not but that some things may be altered but I would Christians had wisdom to pray for and waite on our King and that great Councell which our good God hath guided already to prescribe such a forme as I know none extant like it that they that have done so much may in their wisdomes do the rest and we to further it by obeying and praying Hym. I have often heard you speak of the short time that this world shall last and that here is to be expected no such reformation nor deliverance as many have conceived I pray let us heare your Judgement of the Scriptures in this particular Silv. The Scriptures indeed are plentifull fluent and large in their Testimony and witnesse of the world to come the glory felicity and perfection of that world without end a world endles a world deathles a world sinnelesse a world curselesse a world harmelesse in which there shall be nothing but holinesse Godlinesse thankfulnesse and righteousnesse and joyfulnesse with the Saints their captivity shall be ended then shall the great deliverance and salvation come to Sion when God shall put away all her sins Therefore thus saith the Lord to his deare daughter and her little children Refraine thy voyce from weeping and thy eyes from teares for thy work shall be reward●d saith the Lord and all that devoure thee shall be devoured and all thy adversaries every one of them shall go into captivity and they that spoyled thee shall be a spoyle and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey And I will saith the Lord undo all that have afflicted thee and I will restore health unto thee and I will hea●e thee of all thy wou●d● saith the Lord because they called thee an ●ut cast saying this is Sion wh●m no man seeketh the Sonnes of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all those that dispised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet and they shall cal thee the City of the Lord the Sion of the holy one of Israel Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went through thee I will make thee saith the Lord an eternall excellency then shall be the time of Sions ●eliverance which the Devill nor mans wickednesse ca● no more prevent then they can prevent the spring when the Sun by its operation causes the ●arth to put it forth Hym. This is the thing I have a great desire to heare having had formerly some speech with you about it Silv. That I may the morefully describe the unspeakable glory of Christ the Lord and the Church his spouse I will observe this Order the time when this Kingdom heavenly Countrie City with foundations the inheritance of the Saints the purchased possession the glory the eternall life the masters joy the promised Land the perfection the resurrection the deliverance the restauration and aboundance more of such names the holy Ghost gives to the Church the new Ierusalem the lambes wife the time when I say the Scriptures that foretell of shall be fulfilled Secondly the place where it shall be inj●yed Thirdly who shall be the

King in this glorious Kingdom And lastly what are the subjects and inheritors thereof Hym. The names that the Scriptures give unto the eternall estate are very many and excellent and your method very good therefore I pray proceed Silv. The time of the Churches deliverance to the estate of perfection is at the end of this world when he that ascended shall descend as saith the Scripture whom the heavens must conteine and receive untill the restitution of all things forespoken by all the holy Prophets hath been since the world began which things therefore the world might not be ignorant of which are testified by so many witnesses for so saith the spirit every one that have spoke have spoke of these things but the cause of mens ignorance in this as in many other truths of God is in regard people do not labour with God to understand and know the Scriptures for although every one for the most part hath a Bible yet generally they are as ignorant of the intent and meaning of the Scriptures as he that never saw the written word of God at all but no more by way of digression And that the time of the Lords glorious Kingdom and the Churches deliverance shall be at the end of this world is clear by our Saviours own words in parable The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the Angels As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world the sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that do offend and them which do i●iquity as also in that Scripture where the question is made by the servants to the house-holder whether the tares the envious man sowed amongst the good seed should be pluckt up the Master answers nay let them both grow together untill harvest and sheweth what shall be done then both with the wheate and with the tares saying at his glorious comming shall be gathered before him all nations and he shall sever the Sheep from the Goates c. Then the King shall say to them on his right hand comeye ●lessed inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the wo●ld and to this agreeth the Angels words to Daniel Go thou thy ways Daniel at the end of the days shall the end be and thou shall stand up in t●y lot meaning thou shalt then be raised to shine as the brightnesse of the Fi●mament amongst them that have turned many to God even to shine as the Stars for ever and ever There is none in all the world but the Child of God the heires of salvation have the benefit of the Prophet Ieremies exhortation in these words Ier. 31. Refraine thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from teares for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord and they shall come againe from the Land of the Enemy there is the returne from captivity of the naturall Israel and there is hope in thy end saith the Lord that thy Children shall come againe to their own border there is the deliverance of the s●irituall Is●ael at their Resurrection as the Patriarks have exprest their hope as is more clearly proved in the next particular the place where the bride shall for ever enjoy her bridegroome the King of glory his gloriou● Kingdom which the holy Ghost calleth the earth in these wor●s Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth And so saith our Lord Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Their inheritance is their recompence then and not before shall the earth be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the Seas which must needs be understood of the new earth promised and to come such an earth as the Lord shall make when he will make all things new for the contrary is most true now here in this old cursed earth that ignorance fills this earth as the waters cover the Seas Hym. This is not understood in these days for I never heard these Scriptures so applied before Silv. To make it more plaine we will first cite the Testimonyes of the Prophets our Lords and his Apostles and then I will shew you how plainly and clearly the heires of the promise have particularly declared her hope and confidence in it Job had the true knowledge and comfort of it which ravisht him and made him thus to cry out as if he were out of himself Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a book that they were graven with an Iron Pen in a Rock for ever for I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall see for my self and my eyes shall behold and not another In which he clearly expresses that the place of his blessednesse after the resurrection shall be in the earth where his Saviour shall stand that is shall rule and raigne for ever David a man after Gods own heart excells in this Faith and hope what man is he that feareth the Lord saith he him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose his soule shall lodge in goodnesse and his seed shall inherit the earth And againe Let all the earth feare the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in aw of him for evill doers shall be cut off but those that waite upon the Lord they shall inherit the earth and though it be but a little while and the wicked shall not be saith he and his place shall not be found yet the meek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the aboundance of peace for such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off And so he singeth Psa. 48. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the mountaine of his holinesse beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion And also in another place The Heaven even the Heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the Children of men So testifieth the Prophet Esay saying Thus saith the Lord that created the Heavens God himself that formed the earth and made it he hath established it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited I said not saith the Lord to the seed of Iacob seek you me in vaine I the Lord speak righteousnesse I declare things that are right And the same Prophet makes proclamation Behold saith he I create new Heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind and as the new Heavens and new earth which I shall make shall remaine before me saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name remaine Which clearly shews the intent of the promise to the Patriarks and

the eternall glory of Gods people is set forth under the name of a City And so saith that holy Prophet Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God yea even as a City stately builded gloriously ordered impregnably fenced prudently governed soundly and fully taught and instructed safely kept and watched the beauty and lustre of whose building astonishes and amazes all that passe by which consider and behold it For thus saith the Lord Looke upon Sion the City of our Solemnit●es thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken downe not one of the starks thereof shall be removed neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken and the inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall bee forgiven their iniquities And I will saith the Lord make thy Officers peace and thy exactions righteousnesse Violence shall be no more heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy Walls salvation and thy Gates prayse And be you glad saith the Lord and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy and I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in thee nor the voyce of crying for from henceforth shall no more come into thee the uncircumcized nor the unclean none shal enter into this City but such only which are both in heart and in flesh circumcised as the Prophet Ezeck saith And the holy Citizens of this heavenly Citie the Sun shall no more burn them by day nor the Moon by night they shall neither suffer hunger nor weeping nor sin nor dye more saith the Lord Wherfore awake awake saith the Prophet put on thy strength O Syon puton thy beautifull garment O Ierusalem the holy City This is the City of the great King wherefore arise and shine for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee For thus saith the Lord I will extend peace unto thee like a River and the glory of the Gentiles as a flowing stream As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem This is Sion whom the Lord hath chosen he the Lord hath desired her for his habitation this is my rest for ever saith the Lord here will I dwell The glorie and safety of this Citie is so amply set forth by the Apostle when he saw her in a vision where he saith And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountaine and shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious and describes the great City in her glorious building her walls great and high having twelve Gates kept by twelve Angels and that she had twelve foundations so precious for the matter of it that it exceeds pure gold and all pretious stones and pearles magnificent for form the length the breadth and the heighth of it equall upon the twelve foundations were written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof the Nations of them that are saved shall walke in the light of it and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth c. Here is both the glory and safety of this happy City described this is the City that God prepared for the Patriarchs the City with foundations before shewed which all the faithfull expected and looked for whose builder and maker is God And upon one and all the Citizens of this City I will write upon him saith the Lord the name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is new Ierusalem which commeth downe c. And these faithfull Subjects of God the holy Ghost calls by the name of the City it selfe speaking of the evill reigne and time of Antichrist And they shall saith he tread the holy City under foot forty and two moneths but when those dayes of the Cities desolation shall be ended then she shal have a Commission under the great Seale of heaven to tread her enemies under her foot for so faith the Apostle The Saints shall judge the world And now we are come to the third particular The commission of power and authority that the Saints shall have with their Saviour which the Scriptures doe largely declare And thus the Lord saith to prove it He that overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne There is the commission and authority too even as I have overcome and am set with my Father in his Throne and so promiseth our Lord to his Apostles and assures it with an asseveration Verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration when the sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel and what in this he said unto them he said unto all And this the Prophet David well knew when he sung this song Ierusalem is buildeá as a City that is compact together whither the Tribes goe up The Tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord for there are set Thrones of judgement the Thrones of the house of David And so in another place Let the Saints be joyfull in glory let the high prayses of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishment upon the people to binde their Kings with chaines and their Nobles with fetters of Iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all the Saints praise yee the Lord And thus saith the Lord to the Church of Thiatira To him that overcommeth and keepeth my word to the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron As the vessells of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father So likewise doth he speake to the Angel of Philadelphia Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Sathan which say they are Iewes and are not but doe lye Behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and they shall know that I have loved thee So speaketh Solomon in his Proverbs the prudent are crowned with knowledge the evill bow before the good and the wicked at the gates of the righteous then shall it be most true in the world to come as hereafter shall be shewed So the Lord by the Prophet Ieremiah speaking of Israel The rod of the Lords inheritance saith thou art my battell Axe and Weapons of warre for with thee will I break in pieces the Nations and with thee will I destroy Kingdomes and with thee