Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	citizen_n	london_n	mayor_n	9,097	5	11.2140	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29109	A sermon preach'd before the Right Honourable Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and citizens of London, at St. Lawrence Jewry, on Saturday, September the 28th, 1700 at the election of the Lord Mayor, for the year ensuing / by Samvel Bradford ...	Bradford, Samuel, 1652-1731.	1700 (1700)	Wing B4122; ESTC R19662	14,119	30

Levett Mayor Jovis iij o die Octobr ' 1700. Annoque Regis Wilhelmi Tertij Angl ' c. Duodecimo THIS Court doth desire Mr. Bradford to print his Sermon preach'd upon Saturday last before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Livery-Men of the City at the Parish Church of St. Lawrence Jewry before the Election of the Lord Mayor of this City for the Year Ensuing Ashhurst A SERMON Preach'd before THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The LORD MAYOR and Aldermen AND Citizens of LONDON AT St. LAWRENCE JEWRY on Saturday September the 28th 1700. At the Election of the Lord Mayor for the Year Ensuing By SAMVEL BRADFORD Rector of St. Mary le Bow and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty LONDON Printed for Matt. Wotton at the Three Daggers near the Inner-Temple-Gate in Fleetstreet 1700. Mr. BRADFORD's SERMON Preached before The Lord Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of LONDON AT St. Lawrence Jewry Septemb. the 28. 1700. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Sr RICHARD LEVET Lord Mayor of the City of London Sr THOMAS ABNEY L d Mayor Elect And the Court of Aldermen Right Honourable YOVR Ordering this plain Discourse to be printed is a publick Declaration that you approve of the Magistrates therein described That Almighty God may always incline your Hearts to act accordingly and that there may be a constant Succession of Able and Good Magistrates that you may be an Honor to this Great City and the City happy under your Administration is the hearty Prayer of Right Honourable Your most faithful and humble Servant Samuel Bradford ISAIAH I. 26. I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called The City of Righteousness the Faithful City THESE Words contain in them a Promise of God's special Favour to the City of Jerusalem the Metropolis of Judea and were spoken by the Prophet Isaiah for the comfort and support of the Pious and Good Men therein whilst they heard of the Judgments which were at that time denounced against the Impious and Wicked It was as appears by the precedeing part of this Chapter a time of very great Corruption and Degeneracy among that People for which they had already suffer'd many and great Calamities as a just Punishment for their Transgressions but were hitherto far from being reclaim'd They did indeed keep up a pretence and shew of Religion but were at the same time very faulty in their Morals Ver. 11.13 Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings they did not spare the New Moons and the appointed Festivals they constantly observed but they were notoriously guilty of Falshood Injustice Unmercifulness and Oppression A little before the Text their Character is given in very Emphatical Terms Ver. ●● ●● How is the Faithful City become an Harlot It was full of Judgment Righteousness lodged in it but now Murderers Thy Silver is become dross thy Wine mixt with Water That is They were become false to God and unjust one towards another and were Corrupted to that degree that there was hardly any thing sincere and genuine any thing true and honest among them Nor was this Corruption only among the Common People but it had tainted Men of higher Rank also even their Governors and Magistrates as we find in the next Words Thy Princes are Rebellious Ver. 23. and Companions of Thieves every one loveth Gifts and followeth after Rewards They judge not the Fatherless neither doth the cause of the Widow come unto them Now this being their Case it pleas'd God once again severely to Rebuke and Threaten them letting them know that he would yet make one Tryal more of them using greater Severity than hitherto he had done but not wholly abandoning them designing by his Judgments to cut off the Incorrigible but to preserve to himself a Remnant who should be prevail'd upon by what they should see and feel to amend what was amiss Ver. 24 25. So it follows Therefore saith the Lord the Lord of Hosts the mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies And I will turn my Hand upon thee and purely purge away thy Dross and take away all thy Tin And in order to the bringing about this thorow Reformation God promiseth to bless them with good Governors who should be his Instruments in accomplishing what he intended So we read in the Words of our Text And I will restore thy Judges as at the first c. It is indeed observable by Experience that Governors do commonly partake of the Virtues or Vices of the People over whom they are placed If a general Corruption have overspread any Community or Body of Men their Rulers also are usually tainted and God in his Providence justly punisheth the Transgressions of the People by permitting them to fall into bad Hands and 't is part of their Punishment and a terrible Effect of the Divine Displeasure toward them that these Governors still increase and propagate the Corruption of which they partake As on the other hand both by the Inclination of a Virtuous People and the Blessing of God upon them the management of their Affairs is usually committed to Wise and Just Rulers and when God out of his Infinite Goodness and Mercy designs either to reward a Virtuous Body of Men or to amend a Vicious He doth by his over-ruling Providence raise up such to Govern them as shall be careful to promote his Honour and their Welfare But to come to the Words themselves By Judges may be understood properly those who have the Authority and Power to make or to execute Laws and by Counsellors those whom they call in to their advice and assistance Or without nicely distinguishing we may comprehend under these two Words all that are in Authority or have the Management of Publick Affairs whether Supream Governors or Subordinate Magistrates By restoreing to them such as were at the first or at the beginning is meant the raising up for them such as that People were blest with when they were brought out of Egypt and conducted into the Land of Canaan who were acknowledged to have been Worthy Men every way qualified for their Trust and to have discharged it faithfully to the Honour of God and the Publick Good encouraging and promoting Piety and Virtue and keeping the Community in Peace and good Order And after this should come to pass Jerusalem should then be called that is should be fitly or properly called forasmuch as it should really be The City of Righteousness the Faithful City that is it should become thence-forward eminent for its Virtue and Piety it should be Remarkably and by way of Emphasis so as to be taken notice of and esteem'd as such The City Faithful to God and Righteous toward Men. If it be asked When this Prophecy was to be fulfill'd Some make answer At their return from Babylon And those who are of this Opinion suppose the Threatning denounced in the preceeding Words to relate