Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	able_a	church_n	zion_n	20	3	9.3020	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34663	A brief exposition of the whole book of Canticles, or Song of Solomon lively describing the estate of the church in all the ages thereof, both Jewish and Christian, to this day ... / written by that learned and godly divine, John Cotton ...	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.	1642 (1642)	Wing C6410; ESTC R20552	96,952	268

consent chuse either the other as when the people do give up themselves first to the Lord and then to the Ministers by the will of God Of this sort are sundry Congregations in England and very many in the Reformed forraigne Churches other Congregations which have Ministers thrust upon them without their liking and consent and whom Ministers have to them by some clandestine conveyances are more like to Concubines Againe such Congregations as come to their Ministers with a good dowry and comfortable and honourable maintenance they are like wives Others who bring little or no maintenance with them are like to Concubines though indeed the former condition is more essentiall to lawfull marriage to wit free consent and mutuall stipulation on both sides for as sometimes lawfull wives have but poore dowries and Concubines sometimes bring large maintenance with them so some Congregations that freely consent to the acceptance of their Ministers can allow them but slender maintenance whereas some others upon whom Ministers thrust themselves are richly endowed Furthermore such Congregations as enjoy the power of the keyes they are as Queenes lawfull wives The keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven are First the one of knowledge Luke 11. 52. Secondly the other of Jurisdiction Mat. 18. 18. and both of them mentioned Mat. 16. 19. Where then a Congregation enjoyeth a faithfull Ministry opening an entrance into the Kingdome of Heaven to penitent believers and shutting it against impenitent hypocrites and scandalous livers there the power of the keyes is not wanting and if withall they haye liberty exercising Jurisdiction there is their Queen-like or wive-like authority more compleat Of this sort are divers both English and forraigne Churches though sundry Germane Churches dispensing the keyes of knowledge more corruptly in their Doctrine of the Sacrament and predestination and neglecting the use of excommunication doe rather turne to the condition of Concubines But such Churches as have no Preachers or such as have no power in their gifts to open and shut the Kingdome of Heaven to the conscience and soules of men they are as Concubines Lastly such Congregations where the people remaine still ignorant in darknesse and are not brought on to be begotten of God by the lively word of Regeneration but continue altogether ignorant worldly and prophane they are as Concubines whose children inherit not though God may give them outward blessings But such Congregations where the word is lively to the begetting of soules to an immortall inheritance they are lawfull wives yea Queenes Of this sort our English and forraigne Churches have many God be blessed though the Church of Sardis hath but a few names Damosels are without number c. Damosels or Virgins in this marriage song are of lesse reckoning as being yet either not spoken to in way of marriage by Christ and his Ministers or coily refusing him Of this sort there were many Churches at the first reforming of the Gospel to whom for want of Ministers Readers were sent whence one of the Martyrs wished that every able Minister might have ten Congregations committed to his charge till further provision could be made so that such Churches there were even ten to one abundantly many that scarcely heard of Christs knocking at their hearts by any conscionable Ministry yea and how many be there at this day that either doe want such Ministers as doe espouse them to Christ or else doe coily deny their motions and stand out against Christ and their Ministers Of Queens he reckoneth threescore of Concubines fourescore A certaine number put for an uncertaine and of Churches the lesse pure the greater Damosels he reckons without number First partly because they have been exceeding many of them and are still too many Secondly partly because Christ maketh no account of them as if they were with him nullius numeri not worth the reckoning But my Dove my undefiled is one c. A Dove is noted First for her chastity Secondly mildenesse or innocency such are those Churches which goe not a whoring after any Superstition or Idolatry nor exercise that captivity of Tyranny over their Sister Churches which the Popish watchmen are taxed for that smote and wounded the Members of the Churches for seeking after Christ and tooke her vaile from her which are unspotted unde filed either First of Romish pollutions or Secondly of wordly courses Is one such congregations are First few as one to 60. or 80. Secondly at unity or brotherly love one with another as one body though scattered into many places as England Scotland Germany c. In all Christendome some Churches are more chaste milde and unspotted than others even of the same countrey and yet such are but few and though few yet at entire unity as one body The onely one of her Mother the choycest one of her that bare her In the Hebrew phrase the whole is the Mother the parts are the Members The true Catholique Church of Christ is the Mother of all Reformed Daughters and these Daughter Churches that are most chaste and milde and undefiled they are best esteemed and best beloved of the Mother Catholique Church as comming neerest to her in chastity innocency purity c. The Daughters saw her and blessed her yea the Queenes and the Concubines and they praised her These Daughters whether they be the Members of the unspotted Churches mentioned in the former verse either of both together with these Churches that are as Queenes and Concubines doe give honourable testimony of these Congregations that are most reformed and wish them all prosperity the good things of this life and a better To blesse is more than to praise Praise is the acknowledging of any good thing in her but blessing is the acknowledgement First of Divine good things And Secondly those drawing the Churches and themselves therein neerer to God Who is shee that looketh forth as the morning c. In these verses the calling and arising of the Church of the Jewes is described by six Arguments First by the unexpectednesse of her arising joyned with the admiration of it Who is she that looketh forth ver 10. Secondly by the place of her arising the morning or the East Countries Thirdly by the degrees and beauty of her grace First fresh as the morning Secondly faire as the Moone Thirdly bright and cleer as the Sun Fourthly terrible as an Army with Banners ver 10. Fourthly by Christs visitation of her with the end of it ver 11. Fifthly by the unexpected helpes which this Church found for her return v. 12. Sixthly by the earnestnesse of her calling given her Return Return four times repeated Who is this that looketh forth These words expresse the unexpected admirable arising of a new Church and that after the Reformed Churches of the Gentiles she is a Shulamite alluding to Salem the ancient name of Ierusalem the Mother City of the JEWES This Church then thus arising is that of the Jewes which

those that come after them but to admire them Who is it that commeth out of the wildernesse like pillars of smoake perfumed with Myrrhe and Frankincense c. Use 3 Thirdly this shewes what gifts and graces are most requisite in a Minister and doe most adorne him even zeale in his Ministery and fervency in prayer and all sorts of sweet graces to season and direct all sorts of his people in their severall callings as John did when the people came and said What shall we doe He answered and said He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none c. So John was perfumed with graces for all men for men must not come into the Ministery with judgement and learning alone for these may come from nature but they must come perfumed with graces to keepe themselves and others from putrefaction yea they must labour for those graces which will give a strong sent to save themselves and others Use 4 Fourthly this shewes us the manhood and Godhead of Christ Christs humane nature is the Temple or bed wherein the Godhead resteth bodily and the Godhead made this Temple or bed for himselfe no earthly father for him Use 5 Fifthly see here the protection and gardiance the Angels give to Christ and in him to the Church and all his members verse 7 8. Use 6 Sixthly wee may here see in Christ whatsoever is behoovefull for all our salvations In regard of his Priestly office hee is pure as silver to cleanse our impurity and to abide the fire In regard of his Propheticall office hee is precious as gold to enrich our poverty In regard of his Royall and Kingly office he is glorious as purple and cloathed with it to advance our basenesse His heart or middest is even paved with love of us His heart is an hearth for so the word signifieth whereon the fire of his love towards us burneth continually let us then love the Lord Jesus againe and receive the seeds and fruits of his grace and then shall we see his heart flaming with love to us and then whatsoever befals bloudshed warre captivity c. all comes from love his whole heart is paved with love Use 7 Seventhly let us take up our thoughts and meditations about Christ let us goe forth and behold him let his abundant graces fill our empty soules Use 8 Eighthly if thou beest a daughter of Sion thou art contracted to Christ and know it by this Dost thou read his letters art thou delighted with them and dost thou rejoyce to speake to him again by prayer If thou dost it may be the joy of thy heart for thy estate is good Use 9 Lastly this doth exhort us all to give up our selves as spouses to Christ and that with all gladnesse of heart since he is affected to us who yet hath nothing from us but debts and beggery and they that doe give themselves up to Christ need not feare wanting comfort for no spouses shall finde such comfort as they Shall he be glad to have us a company of beggars yea as I may say a company of deaths and was it the gladnesse of his heart to be espoused to us which was when his Father contracted him to us and shall we think it a day of deading to set our feet into Christs bed Al the merchants cannot set forth our excellency when he shall pay all our debts and adorn us with all his graces therefore let us go forth and bring him home to us we shall then finde him comfortable to us in the day of espousals THE CANTICLES OR SONG OF SONGS opened and explained THE TEXT CHAP. 4. BEhold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire thou hast doves eyes within thy lockes thy haire is as a flock of goats that appear from mount Gilead verse 2 Thy teeth are like a flocke of sheepe that are even shorne which came up from the washing whereof every one beare twins and none is barren among them verse 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet and thy speech is comely thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy lockes verse 4 Thy necke is like to the tower of David builded for an armory whereon there hang a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men verse 5 Thy two breasts are like two young Roes that are twins which feed among the lillies verse 6 Vntill the day breake and the shadowes flee away I will get me to the mountains of Myrrhe and to the hill of Frankincense verse 7 Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee verse 8 Come with me from Lebanon my spouse with me from Lebanon look from the top of Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the Lions dens from the mountains of the Leopards verse 9 Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chaine of thy necke verse 10 How faire is thy love my sister my spouse how much better is thy love then wine and the smell of thy oyntments then all spices verse 11 Thy lips O my spouse drop as the honey-comb honey and milke are under thy tongue the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon verse 12 A garden inclosed is my sister my spouse a spring shut up a fountaine sealed verse 13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranats with pleasant fruits Camphire with Spikenard verse 14 Spikenard and Saffron Calamus and Cynamon with all trees of Frankincense Myrrhe and Aloes with all the chiefe spices verse 15 A fountain of gardens a well of living waters and streames from Lebanon verse 16 Awake O Northwind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits THE EXPLANATION Cant. 4. 1. 6. Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire thou hast doves eyes within thy locks thy haire is as a flock of goates that appeare from mount Gilead c. THis Chapter describes the estate of the Church in her periods First in Christs time under his Ministery verse 1. 6. Secondly after his ascension under the Apostles verse 7. 11. Thirdly after their departure during the first ten persecutions verse 12. 16. The Church in Christs time is commended and described First by her beauty in generall Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire Secondly the beauty of her severall parts at that time most conspicuous as First Of her eyes verse 1. Secondly Of her haire verse 1. Thirdly Of her teeth verse 2. Fourthly Of her lips verse 3. Fifthly Of her temples verse 3. Sixthly Of her necke verse 4. Seventhly Of her breasts verse 5. Secondly the death of Christ falling out in her time verse 6. Behold thou art faire faire twice repeated implies by an usuall Hebraisme that shee was very faire and beloved twice