Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	heaven_n	key_n	shut_v	2,799	5	9.3206	5	true

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