Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	day_n	night_n	pillar_n	4,391	5	10.4587	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94049	Immanuel, or The church triumphing in God with us. A sermon preached before the right honorable House of Lords, in the Abbey of Westminster; at their publique thanksgiving, November 5th 1644. By John Strickland, B.D. Pastor of the church at St Edmunds in Nevv Sarum. A member of the Assembly of Divines.	Strickland, John, 1600 or 1601-1670.	1644 (1644)	Wing S5971; Thomason E19_15; ESTC R12729	27,641	46

as a perpetuall and standing refuge to the Church in all succeeding generations wherein shee shall be kept secure and unmoved God is in the middest of her shee shall not be moved Ver. 5. Ver. 5. Though the earth be removed and the mountaines be carried into the middest of the Sea For he is not onely a rock against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile but he is watchfull and alwayes ready at the Churches right hand in the time of danger Psal 110.5 * Ju●ius Auxilium praesentissimum a very present help that never comes too late This the Church had late experience of how easily he could defeat her enemies when they rose up in greatest rage and fury ver 6. The heathen raged the kingdomes were moved he uttered his voice the earth melted and therefore shee makes this the maine of her dittie while shee triumphes over feares and dangers and enemies in the Text The Lord of Hosts is with us c. The words are a kind of Chorus or burden in this Song of praise once again repeated as being that strain wherein the Church now big with praises could best deliver her selfe in them note 2 generalls viz. 1. What it is wherein the Church so triumphantly rejoyceth in Gods presence and protection He is with us He is our refuge 2. Why Gods presēce is matter of such joy triumph to the Church there bee two grounds thereof viz. 1. He is the generall Soveraigne having all creatures at command Lord of Hosts therefore he can help her 2. He is God in Covenant with the Church The God of Jacob therefore he will never faile her Words opened Lord of hosts Lord of Hosts or Lord of the Armies of creatures whether visible or invisible whether creatures in heaven or earth for so largely the word is taken Gen. 2. 1. The heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them They are called Hosts in respect of their multitude order and obedience to their Maker * Creaturae scū Deo conserantur sunt tanquā milites nutum ducis expectantes Arist alicu●● in Metaph as an Army in martiall order or battalia ready to fall on when or where the word of command from their Generall shall require And though some conceive that name may be given unto God upon a more speciall ground as having a more especiall hand in disposing Armies and ordering the events of warre yet the former and more generall interpretation of this style in relation to all the creatures as it is particularly set forth Psal 148.2 c. whereby is holden our Gods universall dominion and soveraignty over them all suites better with the Churches purpose in this place Is with us Is with us These words hold out Gods presence with the Church But what priviledge may that be since God is every where in heaven above in hell beneath and in the utmost parts of the earth and Sea Psal 139.8 Psal 139.8 9. 9. Am I a God neere at hand and not a God far off Jer. 23.23 24. Doe not I ●●ll heaven and earth saith the Lord Jer. 23.23 24. Yea it is his nature and it cannot be otherwise * An●●●●● Deus in se no● recipit locorum vel temporum distinclionem saith one what advantage then that God is with his Church seeing he is also with her enemies Two-sold presence of God For clearing this phrase wee must observe there is a two-sold presence of God first his generall and common presence whereby he is re●● t●●● in all places and things without distinctiō or difference which is Gods omnipresence in which kind of presence to have God with her is no peculiar priviledge of the Church Secondly there is a speciall presence of God or his presence testified by some remarkable works or speciall demonstrations Effectivè whereby God may be so present in some places things as he is not in others in which kind to injoy the presence of God so it be in away of mercy is a speciall priviledge Three fold speciall presence Againe There be three sorts of Gods speciall presence all which may be justly accounted the Churches priviledge First His glorious presence or his presence testified by eminent glory and the residence thereof Thus God is said to be in heaven differentially so as he is not any where else and heaven is therefore called his throne or dwelling place 1 King 8.39 1 King 8.39 As a King is no where so majestically as upon his throne or in his Chaire of state and this is so great a priviledge of the Church as that she comes not to injoy joy it untill she be triumphant in heaven and therefore is not the presence here intended Secondly His gracious presence or his presence testified by tokens of his grace and favour toward a people whether visible as in the Temple where he chose to place his Name and wherein above all places he would be worshipped in which respect he is said to dwell between the Cherubims 2 Sam. 6.2 2 Sam. 6.2 or spirituall tokens of his grace as assistance and acceptance in the duties of his worship together with injoyment and benefit of his Ordinances Thus he is present with his Church and people in times of the Gospel Mat. 18.20 Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the middest of them Mat. 18.20 This kind of presence is a priviledge of the Church militant that he will be with her in holy and spirituall administrations and Ordinances yet this is not the presence principally intended here Thirdly His providentiall presence or his presence testified by acts of speciall providence wherein the power wisdome or any other of Gods attributes are eminently put forth either by way of assistance or defence for a people Thus the Lord was present with Israel in the Wildernesse by the pillar of fire and of a cloud Exod. 13.21 Exod. 13.21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light And as this presence was intended for a guide so was it also for a defence to his people against their enemies at which their enemies the Aegyptians were troubled Exod. 14.20 Exod. 14.20 By this kind of presence the Lord is with his Church militant in reference to her externall regiment more especially in her warfare standing up for her with her against her enemies and this is the Churches priviledge in these words The Lord of Hosts is with us The God of Jacob. The God of Jacob Jacob is in Scripture sometime the name of a person sometime the name of a people It is the proper name of Abrahams grand-child the fathe of the Patriarches and one of the feoffees in trust for the covenant of grace together with Abraham and Isaac And if any shall aske me why