Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
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A34759
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The tomb-stone, and A rare sight
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Carter, John, d. 1655.
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1653
(1653)
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Wing C656A; ESTC R36272
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81,644
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218
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a just claim thereunto Mr. Matthew Lyndsey who deceased in the midst of his Majoralty 1650. had the true right to it The Sermon was preached at his request and at his Inauguration He dying it descends by Inheritance upon these his Successors The Sight is very rare indeed but very poorly and meanly set forth Such as it is the unworthy Author humbly tenders to them with apprecation of all Grace Honour and Happinesse A RARE SIGHT OR THE LYON REVEL 5. 5. Behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah AT great Solemnities and extraordinary confluences of people it is the ancient use and custome to bring out strange sights and shew farrfetched Rarities This is a solemne day the Cities great anniversary Feast for the Inauguration of the cheife Magistrate Here 's much concourse from several parts I shal therefore at such a time as this being called to stand in the middest of such a multitude produce my Spectacle and present to your view the godliest sight that ever Heaven or Earth afforded a stately and a generous Lion from a farre Countrey Behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Concerning which I shall propound two things to your observation the parts of the Text. 1. The Trumpet Sounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold 2. The Sight or Shew presented A rare and strange Living Creature described from His 1. Species kinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Lion 2. Originall pedegree and Country the most noble and best bred Lion in the WORLD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the Tribe of JVDAH These are the parts and particulars of the Text. But I will not tye my selfe strictly and punctually to these or at least I will lay them aside a while and according to my plaine and usuall way I shall concerning this Little yea this great portion of Scripture dispatch these foure things 1. I will speak something of the sence and meaning of the words 2. I will give you the summe substance of all in one generall proposition in one plaine doctrine 3. Then in the third place I will returne to the parts and particulars I will review search and examine them for such speciall observations and Instructions as may be profitable besides the main and generall doctrine 4. And last of all I will as God shall enable me endeavour to make profitable use and application of all I stand heer by call and commission from God It s my duty to lift up my voice like a Trumpet to Usher in this rare spectacle and it is required of you that with Moses you will now turn a side and see this great sight Let him that hath an eare heare and let him that hath an Eye behold And let the Eye of the God of Heaven be upon us all for good and let the Lion of the Tribe of Judah be with us and help us and blesse us Amen 1. And first I am to open and expound the Text. Behold This demonstrative hath singular weight and moment Aliquid repentinum et insperatum demonstrat It points to something that is sudden unexpected unhoped for something that is rare excellent and admirable It hath here in this place a two fold use 1. To excite and stir up attention and intention it calls for your ears and eyes 2. To command Thus Christ made use of it It was his word of command He said unto them In his Doctrine Hearken Behold I command you to attend So here it 's the sounding of the Trumpet it invites it commands you all to fix your Eyes upon this rare and excellent sight which is now comming forth Behold then But first I pray before you look for the Lion Lift up your eyes a little higher to the first Verse There you shall see A Throne set in Heaven and one sitting upon that Throne in great glory Majesty and brightnesse That is God the Father In his right hand he holds a book written within and on the back-side and sealed with 7. Seals V. I. Q. What Book may this be A. It is none other but this Book of the Revelation Would you know the Contents of this Book It is a Propheticall-Historicall Decretall Not onely decreed but as it were ingrossed in the Court-Roules of Heaven It was a great Roule written on both sides for the multitude and variety of matters as containing a compleat History of the Church unto the Worlds end and therefore took up both sides of the Book Volume or Roule It containes the decrees Counsels and will of God concerning the future state and government of the Church It contains great Mysteries Of the Kingdome and Tyranny of Antichrist of the persecutions troubles and afflictions of the Church in all Ages till Christ shall come the second time and deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father It foreshews the patience and constancy of the faithfull the utter ruine of their Enemies and their eternall glory and faelicity at the generall judgement and Consummation These Mysteries are written in a Book i. e. in Gods eternall Praescience Providence and Decree But this Book is clasped up and sealed 1. For matter most excellent and Divine kept secret from the knowledge of al creatures and with seaven Seales most surely as mysteries of the greatest moment Worth and Certainty Therefore behold vers 2. A strong Angel proclaiming with a lond voice Like a Herauld or Officer Who is worthy for the excellency of his person or for his deserts To open the Book and to loose the Seals thereof To disclose these secret decrees and counsels of God to dive into these most deep mysteries that he may make them know to the Church of God in all ages Who O it 's a hard and difficult matter to open the Book and to loose the Seales Verse 3. None in Heaven No Angel None in Earth No Saint living None under the Earth No Saint departed whose body is under-ground or more generally no creature in Heaven Earth or Sea was able to open the Book to read understand or divulge it Neither to look thereon To have any thing at all to do with it Alas alas This is a sad thing Behold verse 5. John the Divine weeps much Because no man was found worthy to open and to read the Book c. He wept much to see himselfe and others deprived of so deep so sweet and so excellent Mysteries but especially to think that God should be deprived of the glory of them What then Shall the Church never know the Contents of that Book Yes yes it shall Behold in the fifth verse a word of Consolation One of the Elders saith unto me weep not One of the body of the Councill of State one of the Assessors one of the glorified Saints representing all the faithfull one to whom the secret of the Lord was revealed He said to John weep not q. d. This is thine infirmity what hast thou forgotten Art thou a Master and Teacher in the Church of God and dost thou
In their absence a Beare entred their Den tore and killed the young Lyons not able to defend themselves soon after the old Lyon with the Lyonesse returned to their Den and finding their young ones slaine they were filled with bitter grief and great rage out they go together to finde out the Enemy and be revenged they quickly espyed the Beare yet bloody and pursued it The Bear to escape their fury climbed up into a tree and so got out of their reach for the present The Lyonnesse stood still at the root of the tree the other Lyon went away and ranged up and downe in the Mountaines till at last he came where a man was hewing of wood He makes to the man the poore man in feare let fall his Hatchet and began to run away after hastens the Lyon gets to him casts his tayle round about him like a Girdle embraced him and licked him and by the strength of his tayle pulled him led him sayes my Author whither hee would or no First he brought him to his Hatchet and pointed to it with his foot to have the man take it up he understood not the Lyons language the Lyon then took up the Hatchet in his owne mouth and so carryed it leading the man into his Den. There he layd downe the Hatchet a while looked upon the man and then looked upon his murdered Whelps made piteous moane and then wound his tayle about the man againe tooke up the Hatchet in his mouth and having shewed him that dolefull sight led him directly to the tree where the Bear was on the top and the Lyonesse standing at the root The Lyon looks up shewed him the Bear and then the man began to suspect that it was the Beare that had done the wrong to the Lyon He takes his Axe heweth the tree downe falls the Beare and the Lyon and his mate fall upon him and tare him to peices that done the Lyon carryed the man with the Hatchet just to the place where he found him and there left him unhurt to hew wood againe This is credibly related I will not warrant the Story to be Gospel but I will warrant the application to be no lesse Tyrants and Persecutors that murder the Whelps of the Lyon of the tribe of Judah that massacre the Saints of Christ are usually called Bears in holy Writ For their security and safety they climbe up their tree and their towre is the arme of flesh their greatnesse their multitudes their amunitions their military skill their riches their freinds The rich mans wealth is his strong City and as a high wall in his owne conceite Prov 18. 11. They think in their ruffe and gallantry that none can pluck them down they vaunt who shall us controule How soon can the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah fetch Hewers out of the Mountaines and hew down their Tree wherein they trusted and teare them in peices when there shall be none to help Jesus Christ can soon call in Carpenters to cut and saw of the hornes which have scattered Judah Israell and Jerusalem And he will certainly do it I will passe their doom yet not I but the Lord and so leave them Therefore the Lord will bee unto them as a Lyon as a Leopard by the way he will observe them He will meet them as a Beare that is bereaved of her Whelps and will rent the Caule of their heart and there will he devoure them like a Lyon the wild Beast shall teare them Hos 13. 7. 8. From hence I shall slip to the third Use viz. Exhortation And here I sound the Trumpet again Behold Christo Duce Sequimini Behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah The Lyon couchant was the Ensigne of Judahs Tribe and Family And the Lord Jesus Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah is the Ensigne of his Church And in that day there shal be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensigne of the people to it shall the Gentiles seeke Isa 11. 10. Behold this Child the Child Jesus is set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Signe or Banner for many in Israel for the Church Then follow follow your Captain your Ensigne Eye him by knowledge by faith walk after him tread in his steps imitate him Christ is now lift up here he stands as Gideon and saith to you all Looke upon me and do likewise Or as Abimelech what you have seen me do make hast and do as I have done And here I must crave liberty to branch out my Exhortation and that I may as a faithfull Steward divide to every one in Gods house their part and portion I shall direct my Exhortation 1. To the New-elect and the other Magistrates 2. To the Ministers of the Gospell 3. And lastly to all promiscuously My first addresse is to the New-elect whose Inauguration we celebrate and who this day enters upon the chief place of Magistracy in this City and also to the rest of the Magistrates present whether of the City or Country that in his charge they may heare theirs Worthy Praetor you are ascending this day to the highest place of Government in this place where God hath laid out the bounds of your Habitation Behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Behold your King the Lord Jesus Christ and follow him step after step Be you a Lyon also Judah the Prince and Governour was a Lyon Judas Macchabeus that Worthy hee in all his acts was like a Lyon and like a Lyons whelp roaring for his Prey The Roman Emperours and Bishops were called Leones Lyons Many Kings and Common-Wealths have the Lyon for their Armes This was symbolized by the steps of Solomons Throne The King made a great Throne of Ivory and over-laid it with pure Gold And there were six steps to the Throne and staies on each side of the sitting place and two Lyons standing by the staies and twelve Lyons stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps And even you also give for you City Armes a Lyon with your Castle Matth. 8. 34. The Lyon is a rare Creature not bred in many places neither shall we see in the Common-wealth many Lyons indeed many beare in their Banners and Escoucheons the Lyon but in their Administration they perform none of those things which are propounded in the Lyon Be you a Lyon let the rest be Lyons carry your selves like Lyons Let me speak to you as the Prophet did to the Altar Isa 29. 1. O Ariel Ariel that is Leo Dei the Lyon of God so was the Altar called because fire came down from Heaven suddenly as a Lyon out of his Den and consumed the Sacrifice Let fire come down from Heaven upon your heart even the fire of true love to God and zeale for God Aristotle attributes to the Lyon a round face and makes it to represent the Sun the shaggy haire not being unlike the glorious rayes