Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	work_n	world_n	worldly_a	25	3	7.7745	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78766	The city remembrancer. Or, A sermon preached to the native-citizens, of London, at their solemn assembly in Pauls on Tuesday, the 23 of June, A.D. MDCLVII. / By Edm. Calamy B.D. and pastor of the church at Aldermanbury.	Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.	1657 (1657)	Wing C228A; Thomason E1676_2; ESTC R208432	25,502	90

of men or Devils 10. It exceeds all other Cities in the work imployment which the Citizens of this City have In earthly Cities men turmoil themselves with wordly businesses and are troubled about many things drowning themselves in the cares of the world c. But in Heaven there is no work but to sing Hallelujahs and to be alwayes praising God and rejoycing in his Presence 11. It exceeds all other Cities in the durableness eternity of it The pleasures of this City are everlasting and the Glory Honor Riches and Privileges c. of it are everlasting Therefore it is said to be a City which hath foundations The Apost. tels us That Abraham looked for a City which hath foundations This expressiō is put down in oppositiō to Abrahams dwelling in Tents Tabernacles A Tent is an house wch hath a covering but no foundation A Tent is a moveable house easily reared up and easily pull'd down But now the heaven of the blessed is a firm and an enduring City a City which hath foundations This Phrase signifieth Two things 1. The unchangeableness unalterableness of this Heavenly City 2. The everlastingnesse and eternity of it Both of them are expresly mentioned by the Apost. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 4. Where he calls heaven not only an immortal and undefiled but an inheritance that never fadeth away All Farthly Cities decay in time and need reparation But this is a City which never fadeth A place which needs no reparation And is as a Flower that is alwayes sweet and never withereth as excellent after 10000000. years as at the first moment of its creation It is unchangeable and unalterable And so also it is eternal and everlasting Earthly Cities have no foundation and therefore are fading and perishing They are like Cities made of wax or snow which quickly melt away like Nebucadnezzars Image whose head was of fine gold and breasts of silver but the feet which upheld it were composed of brittle clay that is easily dissolved Earthly happinesse like the earth is founded upon nothing And as the Cities we dwell in so we that dwell in these Cities have no foundation unlesse it be in the dust as Job speaks Therefore the Apostle saith We have here no abiding City but we seek one to come Heaven is a Kingdom that cannot be shaken A mansion-house as Christ saith In my Fathers house are many mansions so called from their perpetuity But we have no {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} no abiding city here Nature saith Cicero hath not given a dwelling place to us here upon earth but onely a lodging place as a guest in an Inne for a night and away Therefore it is that the Saints of God in all ages have acknowledged themselves to be sojourners pilgrims and strangers in this world traveling thorough it as thorough a strange Country unto their mansion-house in Heaven In a word All earthly Cities Persons and happinesse are subject First to alteration and next to dissolution The longest day hath its night and the longest life its death The famous Monarchies of the World have had their periods Kings dye and Kingdoms dye And great and famous Cities are in length of time ruinated and demolished We in this Nation have seen strange alterations changes and dissolutions All earthly Cities are changeable and perishing but Heaven is a City which hath foundations It is an unchangeable and everlasting City Lastly This City excells all other Cities in the builder and maker of it Earthly Cities are built by men but the builder of this City is God so saith the Apostle He looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God There are some who think that the Heaven of the blessed is an uncreated place But this a great error For every thing in the world is either the Creator or the Creature ●f heaven were an uncreated place it should he a God and not a Creature We believe in our Creed That God is the Creator of all things visible and invisible And the forementioned text tells us That God was the builder and maker of it Here are two words used {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the last word signifieth that God made it summo artificio to set out his skill and workmanship When great men build great houses for their own dwelling they build them according to their greatnesse When Ahashuerosh made a feast to shew the riches and glory of his Kingdom it was a most magnificent feast Solomons Temple built by him was justly accounted the glory of the World Pliny calls it Orbis miraculum The miracle of the World When Nebucadnezzar built a Palace for his own dwelling it was a sumptuous one The Heathens tell us of glorious structures made by earthly Kings of the Temple of Diana The Sepulcher of Mausolus The Walls of Babylon The Capitol of Rome c. and the Pyramids of Egypt one of which was twenty years building and three hundred threescore thousand men alwaies at work about it If all the Kings of the earth should joyn together to build a Palace surely it would be a rare building But if all the Angels in heaven should joyn and set their wisdom on work to build an house surely it would be an Angelical structure Much more when God himself who is an infinite Agent infinite in glory power and wisdom shall make an house to shew his skill wisdom glory and power this house surely must needs be superlatively excellent Such an house and such a City is Heaven whose Builder and curious Artificer was God And therefore it is said to be an house made without hands Not onely without earthly hands for so all the visible Heavens were made but without hands that is after a more excellent manner than the other Heavens The other Heavens are said to be made by the hand of God Psal. 19. 1. Psalm 102. 25. But this was made without hands that is after a more glorious and a more unconceiveable manner than all the other Heavens Q. But for what end did God build this glorious City A. For two ends First For his own dwelling-house Christ calls it His Fathers House God indeed dwells every where in regard of his Essence but in regard of the presence of his Glory he dwells onely in Heaven This sheweth the surpassing excellency of this Heavenly House It is an House fit for God to dwell in Secondly God made this City that it might be a place where the Saints of God shall live in the embraces of God for ever Come ye Blessed of my Father saith Christ inherit the Kingdom prepared for you c. It is a Kingdom of glory and happiness prepared for the Saints before the foundation of the world In a word God made this City to be the habitation of Angels and Saints after this life in which they shall see God face to

and have been horn in London or the Liberties thereof Here are four famous Chanels for your Charity to stream in four Excellent materials to build your Liberality upon And let me tell you That you are obliged this day both in Conscience and Honour and you can neither sasisfie God or Man unlesse you do something worthy your selves To move you consider 1. That you miscarried the last year and therefore you are the more ingaged this year When I say you miscarried I do not mean as to the faithfulnesse of the Stewards who were very carefull and exactly diligent in laying out the Money that was gathered in Testimony whereof you have 32. poor Youths here before you whom they bound out Apprentises But I mean in regard of the littleness of the sum that was gathered And this miscarriage was not for want of affection as is said of you in print but for want of contrivance not for want of liquor but Vent of matter but method c. Behold now a Method propounded Behold a Vent for your charity Let it appear this day that that which is said of you in print is true Let the Fountain of your liberality stream out in these four Chanels 2. You have most of you got your Estates here in this City Here is the place where God hath blessed you And therefore the light of Nature teacheth you to seek the good of this City where God hath prospered you in the first and chief place And there are many of you whom God hath blessed with great estates As you are Citizens of no mean City so you are no mean Citizens Now God requires of you not only to be charitable but a suitable proportion of charity according as he hath blessed you You that are rich in Estate must not only do good works but be rich in good works alwaies remembring that saying of Christ To whom much is given of them much is required 3. Your charity will be a pattern and president to other persons and places For though you must not do good works to be seen of men yet you must do good works which men may see according as Christ saith Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father w●h is in Heaven 4. I might here take occasion to tell you what the Kentish men have done lately in their Meeting and what the Warwick-shire men have done but this would be too much to undervalue you you are the Mother city and it is not fit that the Daughters should be examples to the Mother but the Mother to her Daughters I perswade my self that you will this day exceed all former patterns and be your selves a pattern to all others 5. I might also here take occasion to put you in mind of one of the last years Stewards whom God hath suddainly taken out of this world He was a godly man and of good esteem His name was Mr. John Wallington The Egyptians in all their great feasts were wont to have a Death's head served in as one dish that thereby they might be put in mind of their Mortality and learn to be sober and temperate in eating and drinking I could heartily wish that the death of this precious Christian might serve this day instead of a Death's-head to stir up your Charity and Liberality forasmuch as you know not how soon God may take you from your Estates or your Estates from you how soon God may call you to give an account of your Stewardships or whether ever you shall live to have such another publick occasion to testifie the greatness of your love to Christ by your Charity to his fellow-members And therefore while you have opportunity do good to all but especially to the Houshold of Faith But why should I use any more Arguments For the City of London hath alwayes been one of the best places in the world for Deeds of Charity Let me speak it to the Honour of God and of this City that even at this very day the City of London is a Sanctuary for all the distressed Christians of the Nation and a man may sooner get a 100 l. at a Collection in London than an hundred pence in many other places As God hath given you large estates so also hath he given to many of you large hearts And therfore why should not believe and confidently conclude that you will this day answer expectation and that you will be charitable though not to be seen of men yet so as that men may see it and bless God for you I shall adde onely this one word more You are Citizens of no mean City and no mean Citizens of this City And therefore let not your Charity this day be low and mean but transcendent and superlative suitable to the place where you were born and to such persons born in such a place So much for the use of this Proposition as it is a considerable and desirable Privilege Vse 2. I shall now further improve it as it is but an outward temporall fleshly and carnal privilege common to the worst as well as to the best of men As it is the Prerogative of Paul even then when hee was a persecuting Pharisee as it is a Privilege which a man may enjoy and yet be in the state of damnation And here likewise if time would permit I should exhort you unto three things very seasonable and profitable 1. Let us not rest satisfied in being the Children of Religious Parents but let us labour to inherit the virtues of our Parents There are many Children who are blots and blemishes to their Parents as Manasseh was to Hezekiah Conmodus unto Marcus Aurelius Antoninus of whom it is said that he had been perfectly happy had hee not begotten such a Son And that he did injure his Countrey in nothing but in being the Father of such an ungodly child Hoc solo patriae quod genuit nocuit There are many Citizens amongst us who are the wicked sons of very godly Parents let such know That it is a fearful thing to sin against good education and to walk contrary to those religious Principles which they suck'd in from their very Cradle That that which is a great mercy in it self is to them a great judgement And that their very Parents shall rise up in judgement against them and be instead of a thousand witnesses to condemn them 2. Let us not rest contented in being born of noble Parents but let those that are nobly born labour to be nobly minded For it is the noble minde makes a man noble and not the noble title It is a notable saying of Gregory the great A King may command his Subjects to call a Lyon a Lamb but he cannot make a Lyon to be a Lamb A King may give a man noble Titles but he cannot make the man a noble man because he cannot give him a noble and vertuous minde And

therefore you that are nobly born must labour to be nobly and vertuously minded Nobility without vertue is but as a scarlet-roabe upon a leprous body and like a jewel in a swines snout There are very many who are ignobly born and yet prove noble such was the Coblers son who grew to be a famous Captain and when he was upbraided by a noble man with his mean original wittily answered My nobility begins with me and thine ends in thee And there are many who are nobly born and yet prove ignoble to the dishonour of their progenitors Such were the children of Alcibiades Such was Hezekiah's son Such must not you be you must labour to be a credit to your Ancestors And you must not account it sufficient to be born of earthly Parents though never so noble but you must labour to be born of God and to be born from above for as Christ saith Except a man be born from above for so it is in the original He shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven It is not your being born from below though your Parents be never so high which will intitle you to heaven unlesse you be born from above unless you be heaven-born Christians A true Christian is of a noble extraction he is the adopted son of God Brother to Jesus Christ heir of God and co-heir with Christ He is the noblest man in the world Such must you labour to be and in comparison of this all outward nobility is but as dung and drosse 3. Let us not rest satisfied in being Citizens of this famous City of London but let us labour to be Citizens of the new Jerusalem to be Citizens of that City which is made without hands eternal in the heavens Heaven in Scripture is often called a City and it is no mean City glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of the living God all earthly Cities aremean and poor in comparison of it and not worthy to be named that day in which we speak of this City the Scripture calls it A better Countrey that is an heavenly As far as heaven exceeds the earth so far doth thisCity exceed all earthly Cities It exceeds them 1. In its greatness and bigness and therefore it is called agreat City Revel 21. 10. And that great City by way of emphasis The holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven Our Saviour Christ saith That in his fathers house there are many Mansions Who can tell how many For there are in heaven a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues If the Sun be 166times bigger than the Earth how big is this blessed City 2. In its sublimity and altitude It is a City seated above all visible heavens as the Apostle saith Ephes● 4. 10. Therefore it is called The highest Heaven and the third Heaven farre above the aëriall and aetheriall heavens And this sheweth the excellency of this City For in the Composition of the World the purest and the most excellent things are situated in the highest places The earth as the grossest is put in the lowest room the air above that and therefore purer than that the fire purer than the air the starry heaven above them and therefore of a more pure composition which Aristotle calls Quinta essentia But the heaven of the blessed is above the starry heaven and therefore of a far purer composition and as Zanchy saith It is inter omnia corpora simplicia simplicissimum 3. In its beauty and glory For this City hath no need of the Sun or Moon to shine in it But the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And herein also consisteth the excellency of this City because it is a place where we shall be filled with the glory of God The Lord God Almighty shall be the everlasting light of it and our God the glory of it 4. It exceeds all other Cities in the wealth and riches of it For it is a City of pure gold and the streets of it are of pure gold the walls of it and the foundations are garnished with all manner of precious stones and the twelve gates of it are made of twelve pearles c. These expressions are all of them Metaphorical borrowed from things that are most precious and of highest account with men upon earth to set out the incomparable wealth and riches of heaven And surely if the streets be of pure gold O how beautiful are the inner rooms How rich is the Chamber of Presence of the great King of Kings 5. In the pleasures of it There are many Cities which are pleasantly situated and wherein all earthly pleasures are to be enjoyed This famous City of London is deservedly stiled not onely The Store-House of profit but the Garden of pleasure But Heaven is a Paradise of all pleasure and therefore it is called Paradise Earthly Paradise was omnium voluptatum promptuarium A promptuary and store-house of all pleasures and delights much more is heavenly Paradise It is the Garden of the Lord wherein the Saints of God are satisfied with joyes and unspeakable delights 6. In the privileges and immunities of it Every City hath its privileges and immunities to invite men to dwell in it to be free of it But now the privileges and immunities of heaven are unexpressible There we shall all be Kings crowned with a crown of righteousness a crown of life and a crown of glory There we shall be free from all misery from the wicked and their persecutions from the Devil and his temptations and above all we shall be free from the body of sin and iniquity 7. In the necessary accommodations of it A City is a place where all things necessary for the comfort of mans life are to be found The whole Countrey round about bring in their Commodities to it We use to say of Cheap side in London That it is the best garden in England But now Heaven is a City wherein we shall have a perfect possession of all good things It is an happiness made up by the aggregation of all things desirable 8. In the excellency of the inhabitants It is one of the greatest commendations of a City when the Inhabitants of it are godly and religious But now in Heaven there are none but the Souls of just men made perfect in grace The People which dwell there are all righteous Therefore it is called A holy City because it consisteth onely of holy persons 9. In the safety and security of it It is a great commendation of a City when it is safe and secure from enemies There is hardly any City in the whole World which enjoyeth this happinesse But now in heaven there is perfect safety and security Therefore it is said That the gates of it shall never be shut They that dwell there are above the Fear and hurt