Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	answer_v	jerusalem_n	zion_n	72	3	9.1649	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29531	Tears for Jerusalem, or, The compassionate lamentation of a tender hearted saviour over a rebellious and obdurate people a subject entered upon on the late day of solemn humiliation, December 6, 1655, afterwards prosecuted, and now published as useful at all times, but very seasonable for the present / by John Brinsley.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1656 (1656)	Wing B4731A; ESTC R210555	79,536	150

the head City of the Persian Monarchy the peace of the whole Kingdome and all the subjects in it depended upon that And therefore the Prophet adviseth the Jewish captives to seek the peace of that City and to pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace Jer. 29.7 Even thus was it with Jerusalem Yet again in the fifth place This City it was the City of the great King so called by the Psalmist 48.2 The great King Ierusalem the City of the great King the city of God but what king why not onely the City of David as it is sometimes called Luk. 2.4.11 the Emperial City where David and his successours had sate upon the throne for many Generations almost five hundred years together before the Captivity of Babylon There are set thrones of judgement saith the Psalmist the throne of the house of David Psal 122.5 Not onely so but it was the City of the great King of the King of heaven the City of God So our Saviour meaneth it Matth. 5.35 where forbidding to swear by Hierusalem he giveth this reason for it for it is the City of the great King i. e. of God So the Psalmist explains himself in the 8. verse of that psalme Psal 48. As we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of Hosts in the City of God As also in the first verse God is greatly to be praised in the City of our God So was Hierusalem There God dwelt The Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell Psal 132.13 14. This was the place the onely place upon earth where God manifested his presence in a fixed and constant way Here formerly was the Ark of the Covenant the pledge and token of Gods presence The glory of Israel and of the world and therefore called The glory Rom. 9.4 Here was the Sanctuary where God dwelt betwixt the Cherubins and from whence the light of salvation went forth unto all the world This was urbs sacris dicata as Grotius saith of it a place dedicated to the worship and service of God a place which God had chosen to put his name there the place whither the tribes came up to worship Psal 122.4 where the Ordinances of God were set up in their glory majesty and held forth in a publick way So as this place miscarrying it could not but go ill with the Churches of God and with the Religion of God And this it was as Gualter and Calvin note it upon the Text which above all other things our blessed Saviour took to heart Quum expenderet illam divinitus electam esse sacram sedem in qua resideret salutis aeternae foedus Sanctuarium unde prodiret salus salas toti mundo fieri non potuit quam ejus interitum graviter doleret Cal. ad loc The other considerations might move him but this above all to think that that place which God had made choice of to put his name in where he had dwelt where his Temple Part 2. the place of his publick worship was that that should be brought to such a miserable desolation The expression of Christs compassion by weeping Lachrymae sunt legati doloris Cyprianus lib. Ep. 7. as he by the eye of his divinitie saw to hang over the head of it this this it was that pierced his heart and stirred up his compassions in him drawing tears from his eies When he beheld the City he wept over it Wept over it There is the expression of his compassion Let me touch upon that also and I shall put the application of both these together He wept This Passion Weeping a passion not unsutable to Christ Mutarunt homines temerarii delicati quibus flere Christo indignis videbatur Grotius ad Text. some look upon as unsutable to the person of Christ And thereupon as both Beza and Grotius take notice of it from Epiphanus in divers of the ancient Copies this passage was left out But without any just cause Gorranus ad Text. alli Alii septies Christum flevisse asserunt Gerhard Harm ad loc To hear of Christs weeping is not such a rarity that any should boggle at it Four several times saith one Writing upon the Text we read hereof The first at his Nativity his Birth For this he citeth that Apochryphal Text Wisd 7.3 Where wisedome whereby he understandeth Christ who is so called Prov. 8. saith that she was Borne crying and weeping as all other do Thus Infants are commonly born crying whether weeping or no I will not say And thus that pretended Solomon is conceived to set forth the birth of Christ who was therein conformed to the rest of the sons of men But that being Apocryphal I leave it as I find it uncertain so as it may be believed or rejected without any prejudice to the faith The three other are clear The first at the raising up of Lazarus where we read Joh. 11.53 And Jesus wept The second here in this his Procession to Hierusalem as he calleth it He wept over it The third and last in his Passion in the Garden concerning which the Author to the Hebrews tels us that he offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryings and tears Heb. 5.7 Thus saith he did our blessed Saviour who was the fountain of life water the world with his tears which he compareth to the four Rivers which went out of Paradise to water the earth But letting that passe as more witty then weightie Weeping we see was no new or strange thing with our Saviour That ever he laughed that we read not that he wept we meet with it more then once Q. But it may be said Why Christ lamenteth what he could have remedied Wherefore should our Saviour here weep over Hierusalem what ever calamities he saw impending hanging over the head of it he could have prevented them if he had pleased And why then doth he lament that which with a word he was able to have remedied A. To this it is answered First This he did to shew the truth of his humanity To shew the truth of his humanity Carne humana circundatus vere humanos induit affectus Cal. ad loc Taking upon him our nature he took upon him also all Passions and Affections common to that nature Being made like unto us in all things sin onely excepted as the Apostle hath it Heb. 4.15 subjected to all our not sinful infirmities Thus he slept eat and drank which the nature of man requireth And thus we read that he was weary hungry thirsty and thus he wept All to shew himself truly man and that together with our nature he had also taken our Infirmities as the Evangelist Saint Mathew hath it Matth. 8.17 But secondly Hereby he testified his affection To testifie his affection to the Iews Hoc fletu testatus est

temporal and eternal Q. 2. But what were the things which belonged unto this their peace What were the things which belonged to their peace viz. Christ and his Gospel A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why in one word Christ himself and the doctrine of salvation by and through him Christ and his Gospel These were the things which conduced to their peace to the making of them a happy people and that both here and hereafter Other things there were which in a Political and civil way might have tended to the outward peace the temporal prosperity of that place But none like this none like Christ who is the Prince of peace Isai 9.6 And our peace Ephes 2.14 In him is the salvation of a people bound up This it is which maketh a people truly happy The knowledge of Jesus Christ And this knowledge the inhabitants of Jerusalem were destitute of They neither did nor would know this their Peace-maker Moses they knew he being read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day Act. 15.21 But Christ they knew not Q. 3. But what did not they know him had they not heard of him How they are said not to know these things viz. in not owning of Christ Nay had they not both heard and seen him heard his Doctrine seen his Miracles A. True but they did not receive him He came unto his own and his own recived him not Joh. 1.11 He came unto his own to Israel his own peculiar people to the land of Canaan his own Countrey he being of the seed of Abraham to Jerusalem his own City he being the Son of David but they received him not they would not own him they would not acknowledge him to be their Messias they would neither believe on him nor submit unto him This it is truly to know God and Jesus Christ To know God and Christ what to know them in an affectionate way Not barely to know and believe that there is a God and a Christ no nor yet to know that Jesus is that Christ This knowledge the Devils had and have I know thee who thou art even that holy one of God saith that unclean spirit to our Saviour Mark 1.24 But to know them affectionately with a knowledge of approbation So the word knowing in Scripture is frequently used In this sense Saint Paul saith of himself Rom. 7.15 that the things which he did he knew not So the Original hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know not meaning as our Translation giveth the sense of it that he did not allow or approve of them In this sense God is said to know or not to knovv men If any man love God the same is known of him 1 Cor. 8.3 that is approved of him Verily I say unto you I know you not saith the Bridgroome to the foolish virgins refusing to own them Mat. 25.12 And in this sense man is said to know God and Jesus Christ This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Joh. 17.3 O righteous Father the world hath not known thee vers 25. Novv in this sense the inhabitants of Jerusalem did not know Jesus Christ A general knowledge they had concerning the Messia that he should come And many of them might know Jesus but they did not know him to be the Messia they did not acknowledge him to be the Christ Christ acknowledged by a small party Q. No it may be said did not they acknowledge him What meant then that Acclamation of the people who at this time brought him into Jerusalem in triumph as Saint Matthew more fully reports the story Mat. 21.8 where he tels us how a very great multitude spread their garments in the way c. And they cryed Saying Hosanna to the Son of David Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Now did not they own and acknowledge him How is it then that he here exprobrates them with their disowning sleighting of him By whom it was A. To this it is answered True Christ was thus acknowledged by some and many at this time But by whom was it Probably by some of the neighbouring villages not by the inhabitants of Jerusalem So much seems to be intimated in the tenth verse where it is said when he came into Jerusalem all the City was moved saying who is this To whom the multitude which came along with him return answer This is Jesus the Prophet c. But again However some there were in Jerusalem that did so acknowledge him so did the Children in the Temple which sung the same song A party inconsiderable bo●h for quality and number Hosanna to the Son of David vers 15. yet who or what were they No considerable party whether for quality or number For quality they were such as were of no account being of the vulgar and meaner sort Not any of eminent place whether in Church or State that appeared any more for him Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him say the chief Priests to their Officers Joh. 7.48 At that time when those Queristers sung that Antheme in the Temple it is said that the chief Priests and Scribes were sore dipleased Matth. 21.15 And it was no otherwise with the body of the people who were generally led as for the most part they are by the example of their Rulers They did not receive him and his Doctrine And this it is which here he so passionately bewailes in them that they had not done it and so affectionately wisheth that they had done it O if thou c. Obser Not to receive Christ and his Gospel a most deplorable thing Lo then How deplorable a thing it is for a people not to receive Christ and his Gospel being offered and tendered unto them This is the observation I am now to prosecute For a people not to receive Christ and his Gospel not to give entertainment to the messengers of peace not to imbrace the offers of grace and mercy being held forth unto them in the preaching of the Gospel this is a most sad and deplorable thing This is the thing which our Saviour here so passionately laments and bewails And the same we find him doing again elsewhere Mat. 23.37 where he breaketh forth into the like pathetical exclamation O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not O Jerusalem Jerusalem the word is doubled to intimate the strong affection of the speaker How often would I have gathered thy children meaning the people of the Jews whose mother City was Jerusalem This he had attempted by sending his messengers his servants unto them then coming himself to admonish them warn them exhort them so striving to bring them to faith and repentance that so they might have been sheltred from the wrath of God and secured from those

door Among other in this way is pity and compassion often let into the heart The good Samaritane he saw the man that was fallen among theeves And when he saw him saith the text he had compassion on him Luk. 10.33 And thus our Saviour here saw the City of Hierusalem and when he saw it he was thus affected with it Seeing it as with his bodily eye so with the eye of his mind considering the state and condition of it Q. But what was it that he there saw What Christ looked upon in Jerusalem that so affected him or looked upon that did so affect and move him A. Why 1. The City it se●f magnificent for structure first with his bodily eye he took notice of the place the City it self where he beheld as goodly a prospect as the earth could afford A magnificent City beautiful for scituation Beautiful for scituation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion Psal 48.2 Beautiful for edifices and structures which were rich and stately Among which the Temple rebuilt by King Herod was the most sumptuous and magnificent pile that then the world was owner of So as had there been nothing else this alone had been enough to move compassion to think that so goodly a City as that should within a short time be ruined such stately edifices laid level with the ground This is conceived to have affected the Disciples of Christ as the story sets it forth Matth. 24.1 His Disciples came saith the text to shew him the buildings of the Temple This they did as by way of admiration being much taken with the rich magnificence of the structure so also out of pity and commiseration in as much as their master had but a little before given them a hint of the destruction thereof cap. 23.38 Behold your house is left unto you desolate intimating that both the City and Temple should be destroyed Hereupon they now shewed him the buildings thereof as pittying that sad fate that so stately a fabrick should be ruined This moved them And I will not say but it might also at the present affect their master when he had this goodly prospect in his eye to think what afterwards he speaks verse 44. that the enemy should lay that City and Temple even with the ground not leaving one stone upon another This possibly might move some compassion in him But this was but the least grain in the ballance There were divers other considerations besides this of greater importance which our Saviour might then have in his thoughts As viz. In the second place the number of people The number of people devoted to destruction Magis tamen subversionem planxit animarum quam ruinas par●etum Carthus ●d lot in that City which was great and populous All these generally he looked upon as destinated to ruin and destruction either by sword or famine or pestilence Gods three stringed whip or by exile or else miserable slavery And this questionlesse could not but much affect him So it did in another case as the Evangelist reports the story once and again Matth. 9.36 When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion in them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard And again cap. 15. vers 32. he tells his Disciples I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three dayes and have nothing to eat Thus did he pity the condition of the people having compassion both on their souls and bodies the one because they wanted instruction the other because they wanted refreshment How much more then might this stir the like affection in him when looking upon this populous City he considered how many were like to perish in that desolation which hung over the head of it As it is reported of that great Commander Xerxes that from a hill beholding his numerous Armies consisting of some hundreds of thousands of able fighting men and considering how that with in a short time 40. or 50. years not a man of them should be left alive he could not refrain from weeping And even alike consideration might here draw tears from the eyes of our blessed Saviour Which also himself gives a hint of in that 44. verse after the Text where speaking how the City should be laid level with the ground he adds and thy children within thee meaning that they also should perish the very little ones being as the Psalmist saith of the Babylonians Psal 137. dashed against the stones The qualitie of the people Gods people Thirdly To this in the third place add the quality of the people which as they were numerous so also they were a select a choice people Gods people A people whom God had chosen out of all the nations in the world whom he had adopted and taken into Covenant with himself To whom belongeth the adoption and the Covenant saith that Apostle reckoning up the priviledges of the people Rom. 9.4 Now that they through their own ingratitude and obstinacy in refusing the offer and means of grace held forth to them should perish so miserably This as Calvin noteth upon it could not but exceedingly affect him who came into the world to seek and save them Quum populum qui in spem vita aeternae ad opius erat suae ingratitudine malitia misere peri●e videret nihil mirum si lachrymas non tenuit Cal. ad loc This thought exceedingly affected the blessed Apostle as he tells his Romanes Rom. 9.1.2 I say the truth in Christ I lie not c. That I have great heavinesse and continual sorrow in my heart viz. for his countreymen the Jews to think of their obstinacy and consequently their rejection So it followeth For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh So was Paul affected with the miscarriage of that people that he could even have wished the greatest of evils to himself so as he might have prevented it in them And the like thought no question could not but exceedingly affect our blessed Saviour to think that such a people the hope of the world the onely people in Covenant with God at that time that they should miscarry they should perish Fourthly Ierusalem the metropolis the head city upon which the whole Nation had a dependance To this add in the fourth place that that City as it was the Metropolis the head City of the Kingdome of Iudaea so the whole Kingdome was concerned in it and depended upon it Yea the whole Nation of the Jews As it went with that City so it was like to go with the whole body of that nation If that miscarried it could not but prove fatal to that whole kingdome and to all the people of God in it who had all an adventure in that bottome nay were themselves imbarqued in it And so were like to swim or sink with it As it was with Babylon being

darling whom he had tendered and cockered when he understood what a fatal end he by his Rebellion had brought himself unto this makes David break forth into that passionate Lamentation O Absolon my son my son c. 2 Sam. 19.4 Thus did Ierusalems carriage and miscarriage her sin and punishment which our Saviour saw and foresaw affect him more then if it had been any other place O if even thou hadst known This was an Aggravation of his Sorrow 2. And so secondly of their Sin 2. Of her sin This also our Saviour may well be conceived to insinuate in this passionate expression If Even thou Thou which hast enjoyed such means so many mercies that hast been lifted up to heaven preferred before al places in the world in respect of spiritual favours and Gospel priviledges that thou shouldest be thus stupid thus blinde as not to see not to regard the things which belonged to thy peace and happiness this renders thee of all others most miserable and maketh thy ingratitude most superlative So he here chargeth this upon them as a heinous aggravation of their Sin calling for an answerable Iudgment Obser Means and mercies not answered great aggravations of sin and judgment And so indeed it is as Calvin maketh the observation the more means the greater mercies a people enjoy the greater is their sin and the greater shall their punishment be in case they do not walk answerably to them and in some measure worthy of them Mark it this is the Observation which this passage naturally yieldeth Means and Mercies not regarded not improved not answered are dreadful aggravations both of Sin and Judgment For this express and full is that obvious Text Mat. 11.20 where our Saviour breaketh forth into a like Exprobration against those Cities which he had honoured with his presence and doctrine as here he doth against Ierusalem Then saith the Text began he to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not verse 20. In the verses foregoing he had taxed the general morosity and frowardness of that people upon whom no means could work neither Iohns austerity nor his own Comitie this he doth vers 16 17 18 19. But ●ow he cometh more specially to deal with those particular places where he had been most conversant taxing them as being most faulty of all the rest Their sin was greater and so should their punishment be So it followeth vers 21. Woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloath and ashes Chorazin and Bethsaida two Cities upon the Lake of Gennezareth where Christ conversed much taught often wrought many miracles yet they repented not they were not thereby wrought upon to imbrace the Gospel What followeth you have it in the next verse v. 22. I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment then for you At the day of general Judgment there shall be appointed unto men different measures of punishment Now at that day our Saviour giveth them to take notice that it would go worse with them who had rejected the Gospel then with those that never heard of it though they lived more profanely then themselves did and the like he chargeth against Capernaum in the verses following And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven listed up above other places in this temporal condition in regard of wealth c. shalt be brought down to hell depressed and brought to the lowest degree of poverty aad misery So Grotius not amiss expounds both these expressions looking upon them as Proverbial phrases Ad astra tolli Sublimi feriens sydera vertice the one signifying the highest pitch of outward felicity which is called a lifting up to heaven the other the lowest degree of misery which is called a casting down to hell This the Prophet Isaiah speaking of Babylon Isai 14. describeth the change of her condition in the like langvage How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer verse 12. Thou hast said in thine heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my self above the stars of God verse 13. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell verse 15. And so Hanna in her song speaking of Gods various dispensations and dealings with the sons of men she saith that he bringeth down to the grave Sheol saith the Original ad infernum to Hell and lifteth up 1 Sam. 2.6 In a like sense saith our Saviour here of Capernaum though she was lift up to heaven flourishing with all kind of outward prosperitie being a great Port Town not unlike unto this where we now are famous for fishing and other merchandize yet she should be brought down to hell brought to extremity of misery Which accordingly afterwards came to pass in the days of the Emperour Vespasian who over-ran the whole Countrey of Galilee spoiling that place amongst others And what was the cause of this so sad a change why her not answering the means afforded her so it there followeth verse 24. For if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained unto this day In all likelihood they would have been converted thereby from their wicked wayes and so have escaped that judgment But I say unto you it shall be more tollerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgment then for thee verse 24. Sodome a place of monstrous and most flagitious wickedness infamously famous for those three things Pride fulness of Bread and abundance of Idleness Ezek. 16.49 besides many other horrid abominations which were therein it being a sink of uncleanness insomuch that God made it a spectacle of vengeance to all posterity destroying it with fire and brimstone from heaven Yet Capernaums portion of judgment at that day should be greater then hers And why so Inasmuch as she enjoyed those meanes which Sodom did not True there was a righteous Lot in Sodom whose Example might have had some influence upon them But in Capernaum was Christ himself preaching unto them and cofirming his doctrine by miracles And this it was which aggravated Capernaums sin and so heightned her judgment Thus the more light The more light the greater sin the more means a people sin against the greater is their sin This is that our Saviour saith of the Jews John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin that is comparatively their sin had been nothing in comparison of what now it is Express to this purpose are those two known Texts of the Apostle to the Hebrews the former Heb. 2.2 3. where comparing the times of the Law with those of the Gospel If saith he the word spoken by Angels the Law given upon mount Sina by the ministry of Angels as it is commonly expounded or any other message sent