Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	call_v	great_a	year_n	5,893	4	4.5292	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93834	Judex expurgatorius: or, a short examination of the doctrine of purgatory, in a sermon upon 1 Pet.3.19. Together with an orthodoxall interpretation of the text. / By Am: Staveley, A.M.	Staveley, Ambrose.	1655 (1655)	Wing S5345; Thomason E850_2; ESTC R207399	14,230	23

words of Saint Paul Ephes 2.17 When he saith Christ came and preached peace unto the Ephesians which must be meant of Christ coming and preaching by the Apostle for otherwise he in his owne person did not preach unto them And thus Estius notes it to be expounded by S. Ambrose the interlineary glosse Aquinas Lyra and Cajetan it is objected again that by Spirits in Prison cannot be understood Living Men except Saint Peter should on purpose speak improperly and obscurely I answer not Living Men but the Soules of Men separated from their Bodies are termed Spirits in prison as being in the Prison of Hell when Peter wrote of them though they were not so but were joyned to their Bodies and so both Soules and Bodies joyned together were living men when Christ preached unto them by the mouth of Noah For the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirits in Prison or Custody 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying any kind of receptacle Rev. 18.2 are those Soules of Men that lay so sheathed so uselesse and unprofitable in their Bodies immersed so deep in carnality as not to performe any service to God who inspired and placed them there and 't is elsewhere a figurative speech to expresse wicked men who are called Prisoners and in Prison that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 42.7 and Isa 49.9 and bound in Prison Isa 61.1 to these Christ that is God eternall who was yesterday and to day and forever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 went and preached in or by that Spirit not personally but by Noah the Preacher of Righteousnesse to the old world by whom he gave those treatable warnings to them who made no use of the light of Nature premonishing them of that Deluge of wrath which God was preparing against impenitent and obdurate sinners Taking this to be the true and genuine meaning of the words for you will much assist my modesty if you please to call it satisfaction there naturally arifeth this ensuing Corollary That God before he proceedeth in judgement against a People giveth some signall premonitions to forewarne them of their intended ruine Christ here by his Spirit went and preached to the Old world before he brought upon them the Deluge and inundation of waters God is not in this case like the Cannon which first Executes and then Reports but he first makes the Report that afterwards there may be no need of the Execution God needed not to have given these men any warning of his judgment they gave him no warning of their sinne no respit Yet that he might approve his mercies to the very wicked he gives them one hundred and twenty yeares respite of repenting How loath is he to strike who threats and treats so fruitlesly so ineffectually Had he delighted in revenge how easily how justly might he have surprized them unawares whereas giving them warning it was a sign he desired to be prevented The same Method doth he observe towards Sodom displaying his white flag of Mercy before he hung forth his black flagge of Defiance just Lot warneth them like a Prophet adviseth them as a Father Nineveh had Jonah dispatched to her to stand Sentinell yet within forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed Nor was Israel exempted from being partaker of this royall favour God sent his Prophets to warn her to repentance Judges 6.1 And he sent them Prophets to bring them back again to the Lord 2 Chron. 24.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostome He foretelleth what he will bring upon us for this end that he may not bring it upon us and warneth before he striketh to make us carefull to avoid the stroke Peruse all the Prophets of God in former dayes employed for Israel's reducement and we shall finde Promises mixt with threats and still Thus saith the Lord or The word of the Lord came unto me is prefixed in the Frontespiece of all their Embassies She had her sedulous watchment standing upon the top of her Towers striking up Alarums at the approach of dangers Nor doth he onely premonish by the voice of his word but his workes likewise have oftentimes a language in them calling upon men to provide for their safety and security Jerusalem may bear me witnesse in this particular The prodigious Earthquakes the portentous Eclipse of the Sun the Comet like a flaming Sword hanging over the City and continuing a yeare the great Light shining about the Altar and the Temple about nine a clock of the night upon the Feast of unleavened bread the Meteors seen through all her Regions the apparation in the clouds of Chariots and troops of armed men encompassing her walls and many such things of the like nature Eusebius calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prodigies and Sermons of God himselfe manifestly fore-signifying the approaching desolation Thus God dischargeth these warning-pieces over our heads before he gives fire to the Murdering-pieces at our Hearts and in briefe these three ensuing Reasons may be given 1. Ad benevolentiam indicandam 2. Ad apologiam tollendam 3. Ad vindictam acuendam 1. Ad benevolentiam indicandam to declare his loving kindnesse to the Sons of Men God who is rich in Mercy Eph. 2.4 and delighteth to be stiled the God of Mercies Nehem. 9.31 and the Father of Merciet 2 Cor. 1.3 abundantly manifesteth his mercy in dealing thus graciously in giving such timely notice of his approaching judgement and therefore is it he that doth arripere ansam take all advantages as it were and lay hold on all occasions to doe good but to punish and take vengeance is opus alienum as some expound that in Isa 28. His strange worke his strange act an employment wherein he taketh no delight As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked Hence proceed those debatements those rowlings and soundings of bowells those yearnings within him to shew compassion as if it were possible he could he would reconcile his Justice and Mercy to be Just to the Sinne and yet be Mercifull to the Sinner O Ephraim what shall I doe unto thee O Judah how shall I entreat thee and why will yo dye O house of Israel These are the Expostulations God useth with men whereby they may discerne how they have provoked an unwilling inflicter Vengeance cometh on heavily and drawes a sigh from God when he is necessitated to prepare his Rodde to unsheath his Sword to bend his Bow and make ready his Quiver Heu consolabor Ah I must I see there is no remedy ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies Slow to anger and loath to strike Quique dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox But gracious and mercifull and of great kindnesse abundant in Truth Joel 2.13 which is the first reason assigned for our Doctrine 2. Ad Apologiam tollendam to cut off all manner of excuse to elide all their Apologies to evacuate all the evasions which the wits of men