Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	great_a	king_n	people_n	9,166	5	4.4099	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87607	Lux & lex, or The light and the lavv of Jacobs house: held forth in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons at St Margarets Westminster March 31. 1647. being the day of publike humiliation. / By Robert Johnson, Eboraicus, one of the Assembly of Divines.	Johnson, Robert, d. 1670.	1647 (1647)	Wing J818; Thomason E383_6; ESTC R201430	43,460	44

no ignis fatu●s or lanthorn-man should steal away his followers yet such is the mad instability of these times that what ever presents it self new to us is welcome though unsound and rotten God hath shut up the Canon of Scripture your expectations will be frustrate if you look for another Gospel There may be new lights respectu actus revelandi enlightning both the organ and the object but these revelations are not new respectu doctrinae revelatae this were to set up another Gospel then what you have received which whosoever shall presume to bring we may not saith John bid him God speed least we pertake of his evil deeds We must as Martin Luther said he would do if any spirit suggest to us any opinion for which he hath not Scripture spit in his face yea if an Angel from heaven as the Apostle long since taught us should preach any other Gospel let him prate as much as he will of new lights he is accursed 3. Suffer not men in these times of light to walk in darknesse compell them to come in at least to an outward observance of ordinances Some have doubted though all are not of that opinion whether the Jews living in a Christian common-wealth ought not to be forced to an outward conformity but that such as are Christians by profession should not by the civil Magistrate be brought to ordinances seemeth to be out of question I move not this as supposing an outward compliance sufficient to the compleating of a Christian which is done in the work of grace upon the heart however when men come to and live within the reach of the word solidly preached they are more like to be enlightned and converted Bishop Latimer used to say he would have men come to the Church though to take a nap it may be God would take them n●pping who knows Gods time of saving souls We read of one in those bloudy Marian times who when the Protestants had a meeting in Tems-street in London to hear a Sermon came in with a purpose to have informed the persecuting Bishop B●nner against them he went away by that Sermon converted and became one of them And who knoweth what God may do though men come to his word out of bie respects We have many good and wholesome laws made by former Parliaments to this very purpose it were much to be wished they were revived and put in execution that those mulcts and punishments in them were inflicted that so ungodly men might not dare with that frequency and audaciousnesse to disfrequent the publick places of Gods worship where the light is set up under specious and coloured pretences when perhaps much worse imploied to the corrupting their weak mindes by seducers whose labour and ambition is to draw disciples after them and subvert unstable souls 4. Let it be your chief care ever Honoured Senators to set up and maintain this light of the Lord in all places of the Kingdom there being thousands of Parishes in England and Wales which are miserably destitute of this light wanting able Preachers to hold it out to them as Cumberland Northumberland Westmorland the Bishoprick yea and a very great part of Yorkeshire who like Pagans scarse know whether there be a God a Christ a holy Ghost or no Take therefore good King Jehoshaphat for an example who sent Priests and Levites in great plenty throughout all Judah and they had the Law of the Lord with them and went about throughout the Cities of Judah and taught the people He was carefull to advance the light of the Lord that his subjects might not remain in darknesse and you see in the following part of the story how the Lord remembred him for it and saith he the fear of the Lord fell upon all the Kingdomes of the land that were round about Judah so that they made no warre against Jehoshaphat And verely had more care since all the opportunities of advancing light from the beginning of these distracted times till now been taken had the people been taught by Learned Orthodox Godly discreet painfull Divines in the dark corners of this nation where very little or no light shineth by Gods blessing we should not have lost by that charge what ever covetous self-ended persons who seek their own not God or his people may suggest to the contrary Famous Oswald King of Northumberland gave testimony of his zeal for Gods glory and love to his people in the same sort by setting up a light of truth in those very dark times he sent for one Aiden a Scottish Bishop saith Beda to instruct his people who not well understanding nor pronouncing our language was not so intelligible to the hearers the King himself therefore used to interpret his Sermons as the Bishop preached But it 's not said that the King presumed to take on him the Preachers office he did not preach only which indeed was an excellency in him he interpreted to them the Preachers Sermons He well apprehended how much it concerned himself and Kingdome to advance the light of life without which they should all remain in darknesse and irregularity Which light of the Lord that it may be set up and become usefull I commend to your consideration four short directions 1. Be regardfull of the nurseries of good learning that by the means of them such students as shall de futuro be sent abroad may be compleated with knowledge in languages skilfullnesse of arts and sciences well read in story politicall and ecclesiasticall and indeed accomplisht in all good literature requisite to so high an imploiment that he may shew himself a workman which needs not be ashamed Let these Schools of the Prophets receive their due revenues and other incouragements which their pious founders and benefactours vouchsafed them Let no man have just cause to divert his childes studies to secular imploiments either for want of means conveniences or honour by which the mindes of men are much invited to study Let that other sister which hath no breasts be timely remembred of which I may say as King James said in the starre-chamber to the Judges in that of Pauls steeple that in time may be done at a lesse which afterwards cannot be at a greater charge 2. See that the places of Gods worship be maintained the neglect of which as it gives occasion to our Romane adversaries to speak evil so doth it not passe without suspition amongst the vulgar sort as if with the outward fabrick and structure your intention was to demolish worship and Religion it self Truth is the complaint now is no lesse just and I hope free from Romish tincture then it was in King Alured his daies when in most places they were exceedingly gon to wrack I am confident you conceive me not to perswade to a popish supe●sitions garnishing of Churches walls nor of a foolish opinion that prayers are heard propter s●nctitatem

are the house and family of father Jacob who prophecied of Christs manifestation in the flesh of whose line he was to come you have been educated ab incunabulis in the laws and statutes of the Lord Shall you suffer Gentiles to go before you O house of Jacob 2. Ab inhonesto How unseemly and base is it that others who are strangers to God and Christ without knowledge hope all should walk in the Lords way and you stand idle all the day long O come let us 3. Ab occasion● facili You have now a more fair opportunity of Reformation then ever You cannot pretend ignorance through want of means to instruct you You cannot deny but the Lord hath kindely invited you with tender of himself and salvation You cannot alledge that you are strangers and in darknesse Here is a light of truth a light of Scripture manifestation a light of Gospel revelation sent and set up by God himself that Light of the Lord O house of Jacob Why house why house of Jacob It were too tedious and happily not countervail the charge and labour to rear up a large structure of the various significations and acceptions of the word House In Scripture language 't is a work perfected already by our Divines in their writings you may please to take notice onely how it 's squared to our present purpose That the Church of God is often deciphered by this name is not unknown to those who are competently versed in sacred writ which because used both materially and formally be pleased to remember that it s taken speci●lly for sons or a posterity of those whom God would make happy with such a blessing As when God is said to be favourable to the Egyptian Midwives that he made them a house concerning which though in severall glosses there be variety of opinions occasioned by the changing of the gender masculine for feminine and feminine for masculine As also that some of the Hebrew Doctors conceive it meant of their preservation from the rage of Pharaoh Others with Tostatus take it for her incorporating into the Nation and Commonwealth of Israel as Rabab though it s not improbable they were Hebrew women Others with Hierom and Rupertus think it meant of the Heavenly mansions in future glory And some with Theoderet and Augustine apply it to those houses of wealth and riches the Lord for that service gave them In this variety we may not exclud● that sence which the foregoing words do reade of a numerous family and posterity wherewith God blessed them notwithstanding Pharaohs rage very great against them To the like purpose is that phrase in Gen. 16 2. in the story of Sarah when she gave Hagar to Abraham I may saith she be builded by her So Rachel and Leah are said to build the house of Israel Ruth 4. 11. And in Davids story you have that 2 Sam. 7. 11 27. and in other places The reason whereof is manifest by the Etymologie The Hebrew word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifying a sonne comes of the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Banah and is of the same root with {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Eben a stone and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Beth a house that as one stone built on another ariseth up to a house or building so of one sonne or childe by the blessing of God on the parents a family ariseth Neither is it to be restrained to this posterity as such only He mentions them as a select house a chosen people amongst whom God had set his name and worship as the Church of God is set forth often in the new Testament Heb 3. 16. But Why Jacobs house You know beloved that Abraham had but one sonne by Sarah Isaak indeed had two sons but one of them was rejected and cast out of the family But Jacob was honoured with twelve sonnes all which as they were members so were they sharers in the heirship and benefits of the temporall and spirituall family and did joyn in enlarging his house whence it is that Abraham and Isaak are silenced and so often mention is made of Jacob or Israels posterity doubtlesse they did much glory in this prerogative the prophet therefore being to deal with them takes his rise hence to perswade them to duty A priviledged people should walk sutable to those priviledges God vouchsafes them To which purpose its observable in Scripture how frequently we are exhorted to walk worthy of the Lord which sheweth that when God hath made large manifestations of favour to his Church it ought to correspond in behaviour to those benefits Hence are those connexions Deut. 6. 10 11 12. And it shall be when the Lord thy God hath brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob to give thee great and goodly cities which thou buildedst not and houses full of all good things which thou filledst not and wels digged which thou diggedst not Vineyards and olive-trees which thou plantedst not When thou shalt have eaten and be full then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage You see their priviledges are many And the last wherein he instanceth is deliverance from Egypt of which the Jews made yearly mention when they presented their first fruits unto God the intent of all which is to endear then that seeing the hearts of men are so corrupt as easily to abuse Gods bounty to wantonnesse that they would be so much more heedfull being a priviledged people that they forget not the service of the Lord his worship and Religion that 's his meaning surely for in Scripture men are said to forget the Lord when they corrupt Religion or suffer it to be corrupted also in 1 Sam. 12. 29. onely fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for consider how great things he hath done for you He might have said as the men of our times God hath done great things for us great deliverances great preservations he will not now fail us though we be not so holy Oh saith he this priviledge must binde you to duty consider what he hath done for you This is the constant language of the Scriptures But I need not compasse this truth with a greater cloud of witnesses You will say what were the priviledges of Jacobs house that he insists so much upon them Truly they were great and many both to Church and state and in them as in a mappe we may behold our own priviledges represented as St Austin saies priores omnei quotquot 〈◊〉 habuerunt Christiani dicendi sunt Israelites were Christians in his sence Christians Israelites 1. They came of Jacob eternally famous for his great strength manifested in his wrastling by faith with Christ and overcoming