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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	fruit_n	good_a	word_n	4,456	5	5.3399	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15398	Ecclesia triumphans: that is, The ioy of the English church for the happie coronation of the most vertuous and pious prince, Iames by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, defendour of the faith, &c. and for the ioyfull continuance of religion and peace by the same. With a briefe exposition of the 122. Psalme, and fit application to the time: wherein are declared the manifold benefits like to grow by these good beginnings to the church and common-wealth of England. Dedicated to the most gratious ladie and vertuous princess, Ioland Anne, by the grace of God, Queene of England, Scotland, France, &c.	Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621.	1603 (1603)	STC 25676; ESTC S114434	63,703	152

will plant the vinyard with the best plants Isa. 5. 2. But a more excellent gift can there not be then to haue the word the statutes and ordināces of Gods as Moses saith What nation is so great that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this lawe which I set before you this day Deut. 4. 8. 5. First then where are they whether papists or other whatsoeuer that say there is no Church in England haue we not the word of God and the Sacraments these are sufficient testimonies and euidences of Gods presence To say that these are not sufficient notes of Gods church as the Papists affirme is to speake ignorantly falsely for whereby was the auntient Church of Israel discerned but by the law and statutes of God and the true seruice of his name and to denie that the Church of England hath either word or sacramēts as some schismatickes doe is to speake absurdly and contrarie to their owne knowledge for if that be Gods word which is contained in the olde and new testaments and these the sacraments which Christ hath instituted then hath the Church of England both professing the first and celebrating the second We teach no doctrine but concluded out of the Scriptures we receiue no sacraments but those instituted by our Sauiour Concerning discipline neither is the Church of England destitute of it altogether for where the word of God and the sacraments are it is not possible that all discipline should be exiled I graunt that the discipline of the English Church may be much amended and I trust in time shall many defects and wants are amongst vs. We doe not conceale our imperfections nor iustifie what is amisse as is extant in the booke of common praier in these wordes vntill the said discipline may be restored which thing is much to be wished But it followeth not that where discipline is wanting the Church is fading and that the infirmitie of the one maketh a nullity of the other The Church of the Iewes thus saith of the Church of the Gentiles If shee be a wall we will build vpon her a siluer pallace if shee be a doore we will keepe her in with bonds of cedar Can. 8. 9. Shee calleth her sister because shee had a wall though not of siluer and a doore though not of cedar And England thankes be to God is a famous and beutifull sister to all reformed Churches though shee may haue some spots in externall matters But our trust is that if it yet be not her wall shall be made more costly and siluerlike and her doore of Cedar when God will In the meane time what great thanks should we giue vnto God that hath not remooued the arke of his testimonie from vs as he did from Israel when it was taken of the Philistims 1. Sam. 4. nor taken away the candlesticke from vs as from Ephesus Reuel 2. 5. Yet by our sinnes we had deserued it as much as either but hath in his mercy raised vp a Dauid vnto his church to keepe and defend the arke in Ierusalē still Lastly as these are testimonies and euidences to the whole Church the word Sacraments so ought they to be to euery true mēber of the Church that euery one also by his faithfull hearing of the word and fruitfull receiuing of the Sacraments may iudge himselfe a liuely member of Christs bodie and grow vp thereby to the assurance of his calling for as our Sauiour saith My sheepe heare my voice Ioh. 10. 16. He that heareth and beleeueth the voice of Christ our great sheapheard is certainely one of his sheepe By the fruite and effect of the word a man may discerne of himselfe whether he be good or badde ground for if the word fructifie in him he is of the good kinde but if he bring forth thornes and briars he is a reprooued ground neere vnto cursing whose ende is to be burned as the Apostle saith Heb. 6. 8. So Augustine to the same purpose Quicquid loquimur in nomine Domini Dei imber est videte qualis terrae sitis qui peior est factus ignem speres pluviam non accuset qui melior factus ●orreum speret pluuiam laudes Whatsoeuer we say vnto you in the name of the Lord is the Lords raine see you what manner of ground yee be if thereby ye become worse and bring forth thornes and brambles feare the flames blame not the showers If ye are made better and bring forth good fruit hope for the ●arne and praise the raine The 13. meditation To praise the name of the Lord. The Prophet sheweth what is the chiefe ende of going vp to the Lords house namely to praise God and call vpon his name 1. So the Lord saith by his prophet My house shall be called an house of praier to all nations Isa. 56. 7. And Ieremie saith prophecying of the Church of God They shall come and reioyce in the height of Sion chap. 31. 12. 2. Thus Anna praied in the temple when shee asked a sonne of God Shee was troubled in her mind and praied to the Lord and wept sore 1. Sam. 1. 10. And after shee had obtained her desire shee in the same place gaue thanks vnto God And Anna praied and said My heart reioyceth in the Lord 1. Sam. 2. 1. To this spirituall vse of praier Salomon consecrated the Temple Heare thou the supplication of thy seruant and of thy people Israel which pray in this place and heare thou in the place of thine habitation euen in heauen and when thou hearest haue mercie 1. king 8. 30. 3. The prophet compareth the thāks of the heart giuen vnto God vnto fresh springs all my springs are in thee Psal. 87. 7. And the prophet Ieremie speaking of those that reioyce before the Lord saith their soule is as a watered garden chap. 31. 12. He thē which giueth not thanks vnto God in his temple is as a barren ground without springs but he which praiseth the name of God is as a well watered ground refreshed with sweete springs What becommeth the temple better then incense and where should it be rather offered then there now the odours and incense of the Saints are their praiers Revel 8. 3. and their fatte calues are the fruit of their lippes as the prophet saith We will render the calues of our lippes Hosh. 14. 3. 4. For we should present the Lord with our best gifts if any thing be better then another that should be the Lords part but the sacrifice of contrition of praise thanksgiuing are the most principall as the Prophet saith Thou desirest not sacrifice c. the sacrifice of God is a contrite heart Psal. 51. 16 17. And the Apostle saith Let vs by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies vnto God that is the fruit of our lippes c. with such sacrifice God is pleased Heb. 13. 15 16. 5. First then if the house of God be principally ordained

place then the Tarpeian rocke at Rome which beeing so often smitten with lightening sheweth that God was angrie with it If Bethlem was not spared where Christ was borne much lesse Rome is priuiledged by whose authoritie Christ died If God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he spare not thee saith S. Paul to the Romans Rom. 11. 21. The Iewes then were the true naturall branches the Romans strange and adopted branches therfore if the first were plucked off for their rebellion the second must not thinke to stand in their superstition A foolish conceit therefore and imagination it is that Rome should be the mother Church and nurserie of all the world Hierome well saith Non audeo Dei omnipotentiam angusto fine concludere coarctare paruo terrae loco quem non capit c●lum I dare not conclude Gods omnipotencie with a smal bounds and to thrust him into a small roome whome the heauens cannot hold Thirdly this example of Ierusalē doth admonish all cities not to presume of their temporall and externall happines but to learne thankefully to embrace the truth least for their vnthankfulnes they be depriued both of the vertue and the handmaid thereof prosperitie Let Ierusalem of England the citie of London be warned by her sister the Iewish Ierusalem that shee take heede of her sinnes that shee tast not of her sause Let the calamitie of other neighbour cities admonish her it is some while since Lyons in Fraunce was in one night consumed sticke and stone with fire whereof Seneca maketh this lamentable mention Vna tantùm nox interfuit inter civitatem maximam nullam denique diutius tibi illam perijsse quàm perijt narro There was but the distance of one night betweene a great citie and none at all and I haue beene longer in telling you of the destruction thereof then it was in destroying Verolamium here in England situate not farre from S. Albons was a famous and great citie now not so much as the name thereof remaineth What great calamities befell most famous cities in Hieroms time he himselfe reporteth how all France was wasted of the Barbarians the city of Ments taken and many thousands slaine in the Church Ipsa Hispania iam peritura contremiscit Spaine trembleth as if it were now readie to perish And what hath hapned in other countries and cities round about vs in our time who can be ignorant The massacre of Paris the desolation of Antwerpe the sacking of Calice surprising of many townes in the low countries All these examples should warne noble cities and corporations of England to beware of those sinnes for the which the other haue been chastised As Hierome wel saith Orbis terrarum ruit in nobis peccata non ruant vrbs inclyta Romani imperij caput vno hausta est incendio The famous citie and chiefe of the Romane citie at once consumed with fire the world falleth to ruine and yet within there is no ruine of our sinnes The 9. meditation Ierusalem is built as a citie Here is expressed one principal fruit of Dauids prosperous good peaceable gouernment that the city was beutified enlarged with many goodly houses and buildings which sheweth that it is not the least temporall blessing when a citie or nation enioyeth peace that they may build them houses and plant their grounds 1. Thus the Lord saith by his Prophet I will bring againe the captiuitie of lacobs tents and haue compassion on his dwelling places and the citie shall be builded vpon her owne heape and the palace shall remaine after the manner thereof Ierem. 30. 18. The Lord promiseth this as a singular blessing that Ierusalem which was before destroied and laide wast should be reedified againe and recouer the pristine beautie 2. Thus the Psalmist doth celebrate this as a great fauour of God to Ierusalem that when the citie was besieged as it should seeme of Senacherib in the daies of Hezekiah the Lord so protected it that no part thereof was defaced Compasse about Sion goe round about it and tell the towers thereof marke well the wall thereof behold the towers that you may tell your posteritie Psal. 48. 13. 14. There was not so much as one tower or any part of the wall defaced So Dauid when he had taken the sort of Sion he built round about it called it the cittie of Dauid to which building this verse hath speciall relation and the reason thereof is giuen Dauid prospered and grew for the Lord of hosts was with him 2. Sam. 5. 9 10. 3. Like as the nest is to the birds so is a mans house as Iob resembleth it I shall die in my nest 29. 18. Euen as when the sillie birds are suffered to build their nestes quietly where to lay their young so is it with citizens when they safely and securely dwel in their houses They are as mens bowers wherein they solace and refresh themselues from the heate and cold as Ionas reioyced in the gourd that shadowed him from the sunne Ion. 4. so a ioy it is when men may sit quietly vnder their owne bowers Vnto this outward flourishing in comely and decent buildings the Lord compareth the spirituall encreasing of his Church If shee be a wall we will build vpon her a siluer pallace if shee be a doore we will keepe her in with doores of cedar 4. The preacher sheweth what is the cause of this blessing that a man sitteth quietly in his owne house and inlargeth his dwelling place and prospereth in his affaires It is of the hand of God and Gods gift for a man to take pleasure in his labors Eccles. 2. 24. c. 5. 17. 5. Wherefore much is this nation of England and especially the goodly citties and townes thereof to reioyce and giue thankes to God and the cittie of London most of all for this long time of peace whereby men doe inioy the labours of their owne hands We haue not built houses for others to dwel in nor planted vineyards and others eate the fruit thereof as the Lord threatned the Israelites 2. Deut. 28. 30. And as other citties haue had wofull experience their houses haue beene beaten downe ouer their heads and the goodly sumptuous buildings made lowe with the ground Sometime cities and famous buildings haue beene ouerthrown with water as in Noahs deluge sometime consumed with fire as Sodome and Gomorrha sometime deuoured and swallowed vp of the earth as the tents houses of Cote Dathan and Abiram beaten downe with windes as Iobs house We read in forraine stories of great calamities which haue fallen vpon citties at Antioch there was an earthquake which continued a whole yeare together At Nicomedia many houses were shaken downe with an earthquake and diuers people slaine with the fall of the houses and among the rest Cecropius and Arsacius at Constantinople vnder Leo the Emperour such a raging fire tooke the cittie that it