Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	arise_v	glory_n	zion_n	12	3	8.8007	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89587	The strong helper or, The interest, and power of the prayers of the destitute, for the building up of Sion. Opened in a sermon before the Honorable House of Commons assembled in Parliament, upon the solemn day of their monethly fast, April 30. 1645. / By Stephen Marshall, B.D. minister of Gods Word, at Finching-field in Essex.	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1645 (1645)	Wing M790; Thomason E280_1; ESTC R200033	40,798	62

rewarded abundantly I humbly commend this to your wisdoms and faithfulnesse God hath called you to this work it would be your great glory to have it done in your hands and it would not be for your honour to have it done by other hands but done it will be I assure you the Church will be reformed If you should altogether neglect it sit still and hold your peace or if you should make but a halfe worke of it a patched reformation help and deliverance will come from some other place No stone great enough could be laid in the mouth of Christs sepulchre to keep him from rising nor can any power prevent the building of Zion when the appointed time is come no not though all the Nations of the earth should be gathered together against it The remnant of Jacob shall bee as a dew from the Lord as the showers upon the grasse that tarryeth not for man nor waiteth for the Sons of men the work is upon the wheeles and there is one engine at work that will effect it if all others faile and that is the spirit of Prayer which what efficacy it hath for the building of Zion will appear in the last branch of my Text And that is the matter wherein God will regard their prayer When the Lord builds up Zion he will regard the prayer of the destitute that is hereby it shall appear that he regards their prayer because at their prayer he will doe it it shall be done as the fruit and effect of his peoples prayers which affords us this Doctrine That the Lord will have the building of Zion the reforming and repairing of the Church to bee the fruit of his peoples prayers this is the main scope then God regarded their Prayers when he makes all the world know that at their request and for their prayers sake he did now arise in glory to build up Zion the truth of this excellent lesson will appear even to a demonstration if you please but briefely to consider these three things First Gods Providences speak it so Secondly and so doe his Commands And Thirdly his Promises First His Providences speak it there are two Providences of God use to appear at the building of Zion which alone were sufficient to shew that Prayer is the great builder on our part that it is indeed all that we can doe God usually lets it come to such irrecoverable ruine that nothing we can do besides prayer is able to doe any thing that it may appear that on our part prayer doth all Nil nisi vota supersunt When all other Anchors are come home when all other Cables are brok when all other friends have forsaken and all props snapped apeeces that either prayer must doe it or they have nothing that is the time he ordinarily chuses to build up Zion as himself said Deut. 32. When hee saw their strength was gone there was none shut up or left who might be a helper then hee himself would judge his people and repent h●m for his servants So when they were as a woman with childe near the time of delivery the children come to the birth and no strength to bring forth not any in the earth to be a deliverer then they cry unto the Lord and he delivers them this is so plentifully to be found in the Scripture that I may forbear especially in these straights of time to produce particular instances Secondly The other providence is this That when God builds up Zion he then uses to powre out the Spirit of Prayer upon his people more then at any other times he then fils them with his Spirit which inclines their hearts to be vehement and earnest with him for that very thing Zephyrus vere flat this gale never blows so sweetly as at such times Jer. 29. Then you shall pray and I will answer In that day he powres out the Spirit of supplication and mourning upon all his people Then he makes all his people say with them Esa. 62. 1. For Zions sake I will not hold my peace and for Hierusalems sake I will not rest untill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnesse and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth And this is so sure a note of it that Gods people durst make Propheticall conclusions out of the Spirit of Prayer powred out as in this very Psalme The time to deliver her the set time is come How know you that Thy servants pity the dust of it thy servants are weeping and mourning before thee therefore the time of Zions deliverance is come take all the times of building the Church and you shall see that great builders have been great praying men Moses the great builder could fall down before God forty dayes and forty nights together David Solomon Elias Ezra Nehemiah all their prayers built more then their hands did Luther a mighty man in it and the Ministers who joyned with him indefatigable and potent in prayer yea the Spirit of Prayer uses to ebbe and flow in the Church according as God purposes to retard or hasten the work of the building of the Church insomuch as the Spirit of God drawing out the hearts of his people to doe that which he would have done doth Prophesie or foretell what God means to doe There uses to be such a concord and harmony between Gods secret purposes and his peoples Prayers their prayers as such expressions of his sacred will that they even seem to decree a thing by Prayer and God establishes it in Heaven the prayers of Gods people for the building of Zion is as a John Baptist before Christ only makes way for him as the Morning star which assures you the morning is at hand Now these two Providences Gods doing it at such a time as they have nothing left but prayer and this powring out the Spirit of prayer at that time do sufficiently tell us that God will have prayer to be the great Builder on our part Secondly His Commands speak it as plainly this is a good rule in Divinity Look whatsoever God Almighty commands us chiefely to doe in reference or relation to such a work that would he have us look upon as the great instrument on our part to effect it as when God commands us to beleeve for the forgivenesse of sins you may thence conclude that Faith is the great instrument of our Justification So when God commands us to attend upon the word for our Spirituall life for our comfort for our edification you may boldly conclude that the ministery of the Word is to be the great instrument of all these things And therefore because God above all that we can doe commands that his people should pray for the building of Zion you may conclude that he will have prayer the great instrument on their part for the building of it And God hath abundantly injoyned his people that they call upon him for it You shall

Zion But the second is the main Secondly The Lord doth then answer the prayers of his people when he builds up Zion because in truth the building up of Zion is the all in all of all his peoples prayers that is as Solomon saith Money answers all so whatsoever particular suites Gods people have offered up the building up of Zion hath been such a request that the answering of that answers all others whatsoever he denies them it skils not they have enough they are abundantly satisfyed they will clear all books and break all Tallies with God they will give in all other bills whatsoever if this be but done that this is so observe I beseech you wheresoever in the Scripture you read of the prayers of Gods people as by the way you shall hardly read of any godly man but you shall read of his prayer you will finde that the strain and the stream of all their prayers runs for Zion read Moses his prayers Joshuahs prayers goe on to David to Solomon to Ezra to Nehemiah and the severall Prophets read all their prayers and you shall finde that Zion is the bulk of them all In thy good pleasure doe good to Zion and though there are many particular suites to themselves yet what they beg to themselves is only begged as a means but when they beg for Zion they beg it as an end Thy Kingdome come to Gods people is next to Hallowed bee thy name It is more to them then all the rest of the Lords Prayer Give us our dayly bread Forgive us our trespasses Leade us not into temptation Deliver us from evill They are all inferiour to Thy Kingdome come the building up of Gods Church is that which hath swayed all with the Saints in all their prayers And it must be so it can be no otherwise with true godly men if you consider either the relation that the Church hath to God or that which they have to the Church First that of the Church to Christ it is his Love his Dove his Fair one his Spouse his Jewell that which he hath laid all his own glory upon one to whom he stands in all relations which argues intimative dearnesse and tendernesse what-ever is done to them is done to himself Yee did it to them therefore yee did it to mee The Churches cause is his Her rising is his glory her reproach is his dishonour Arise O Lord plead thy own cause remember how the foolish people reproach thee forget not the voyce of thy enemies when the Synagogues of the Church was pulled down when the Church was wasted And to themselves likewise it is their Mother in whose womb they have laine whose breasts they have sucked it is the Magazine wherein all their treasure is laid up a vessel wherein all their wealth sinkes and swims if the Church be safe they are safe and no thought of safety if it miscarry salva Ecclesia salva omnia as they were wont to say of Rome Salva Roma salva patria salva omnia so next unto God the Church is their all and therefore the building up of Zion the welfare of the Church of God must needs be the answer to all their prayers Give me leave to present you with a twofold Use of this Lesson and then I hasten to that which I chiefly intended First this Lesson may serve to every of you for one of the greatest discoveries of your owne spirits that can be whether in truth your hearts be right with God thinke how you could answer this one question Would the Lords building up of the Church the setling and establishing of Religion in purity and peace would that be to thy soule the answer of all thy prayers art thou able to say it before God Build but up Zion and I have enough No man under heaven can say it but a Saint and there is not a Saint upon earth but may say it I know it lies in the bottome of his soule But how shall we know it I le give you but one way of tryall If the welfare of Zion the building up of the Church be the summe of all thy prayers then it is likewise the summe of all thy endevours thy studies thy time thy wit thy parts thy interest what ever may be called thine are mainly laid out in promoving in helping forward the welfare of Zion This you shall finde cleare in the book of God that as all the prayers of Gods people run upon Zions welfare so now I say in the second place all the endevours of all that prayed for Zion run to help it forward Zion was the summe of all their prayers and of all their joyes and cares no joy to them like the joy they had in the prosperity of Zion when the Lord at any time turned back the captivity of his people they were like men that dreamed their mouth was filled with laughter and their tongue withjoy and no sorrow like that which was caused by the affictions of Jacob then they would even dye with griefe then they would name their children Ichabod then they would mourne and not be comforted and consequently all they had or could contribute was most readily afforded The Prophets and Apostles cold preach as well as pray and all their Sermons were for Zion Kings could plot project counsell c. as well as pray all their plots and projects were to build up Zion Souldiers could fight as well as pray all their warres were the warres of God Rich men could lay out money as well as pray all their wealth was a Sacrum to God a devoted thing to him when the Church needed it their penny went as willingly as their Pater noster other learned men if any man could write histories if any Poet could make songs all was laid our about the Church about furthering the welfare of it or if any were found among them who would professe love to it and joine in prayer for it yet mind their own affaires build their owne houses and let Gods house lye wast they are branded for degenerate hypocriticall ignoble spirits These were the Potters and those who dwelt among hedges there they dwelt with the King for his work a base people who would tarry in Babylon to get wealth and not go up with their brethren to build the house of God and even thus may we judge of our selves And therefore I say to you Honourable Senators that are Noble-men and Gentlemen engaged in this great work the present service you are called to if really you doe make the building of Zion to be the answer of your prayers it is the great Parliament project this day to settle the Church I know when Nehemiahs work was to build the walls of Hierusalem one halfe of his servants were faine to carry the Arms while the other built and many times those that built were faine to have a sword in one hand as well as a trowoll in the

other hand but the swords and atmes were to defend the trowell the work of the trowell was the great project So will it be with you you will with that Emperour Ezra 6. 7 8. provide that all things shall be provided speedily and care fully for this house of God that government be setled Ministers provided encouraged maintained the Sacraments and other Ordinances kept pure and not be at quiet till the Cap-stone be sot upon the head of this building I know Armies must be provided for and Garrisons secured yet they will be looked upon but as meaner Religion the establishing of it will be the end yea your Liberties will be but as meanes Religion will be the Cap-stone the Creame and Oile which swims on the top of all if your hearts be but right with God Therefore I beseech you consider in secret what answer you could make whether you can call in your soules to witnesse that after all your combustions labours losses if God would but establish England a beautifull habitatien the people made holy that the Lord might own them and the three Nations joyned in a Covenant might be one stick in the hand of the Lord in a holy plous religious way that the flocks might have every one their shepheard and the glory of God the defence on every congregation if for these things you sweat and toile and care it is an evident token your hearts are right with God And if any of you the rest of the Assembly do make account that the building of Zion is the answers of all your prayers then if it have your prayer it will have your penny you 'll goe ride run and travell and nothing will stick with you if this be your main suit Indeed in the true notion and interpretation of prayer it is nothing but the craving of Gods blessing upon our endevours in those things which he hath appointed us to do toward the obtaining of any mercy we little better then mock him if we onely pray and set not our shoulder to the wheele And were this carried close to mens consciences how sadly would it speak to many who can abundantly satisfie themselves with joyning in a few dry prayers for the Church and in the meane while they grudge the bestowing of any other cost they can find work enough to build their owne houses and drive on their owne projects let God if he please take care to build his house and do his owne work himself let all such hypocrites know that God will indeed doe his work without them and their formall prayers will returne not with comfort into their bosomes but with vengeance upon their heads But much more sadly doth it speak against those whose lives and subtle machinations retard this work who to their utmost hinder the work of reformation and would not have it goe on for feare their lusts should be yoaked and yet set out Prayers and themselves seeme to joyne with them that God would build up Zion this is most abominable hypocrisie I remember I have read of one of the Emperours of Germany that had taken the Pope prisoner who commanded throughout the Empire solemne prayers to be made to God for the Popes deliverance out of prison and he himself kept him in prison at the same time so these wretched men say O pray for the peace of Zion pray that God would build up Zion and themselves waste it some by their wicked lives others by their pernicious counsels some by their lusts some for feare the Word of God and Ordinances should yoke them they pretend to build the wals of it and yet endevour to undermine the foundations of it God in mercy grant that no such be found among our selves but if in truth this be our great care and study and endevour to see the work goe forward that we count nothing of ours so well disposed of as what is cast into this common treasury it speaks the heart indeed to be right with God Is it so that when God builds up Zion he answers all his peoples prayers even their private prayers as well as this great one then I beseech you let this move every one of you to help forward this work even out of holy self-love you doe not know what a water'd Garden God may make your soule and family when he builds up his Church Certainly if a man were sure not to get any good to his owne soule yet if he might see the prosperity of Zion and Jerusalem he should think it a very blessed sight so thought he who pen'd the 106 Psalme Remember me O Lord with the favour thou bearest unto thy people that I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoice with the gladnesse of thy Nation that I may glory with thine inheritance So thought John the Baptist though he was sure he should decrease when Christ did increase yet to him it was the fulfilling of his joy to see the people flow in unto Christ when as the Bridegrooms friend he could heare the Bride-groomes voice rejoicing with his Bride But which is more thy peace shall be concurrent with Zions peace the Lord will satiate every afflicted soule in the day when he refreshes Zion let this therefore draw out all your hearts and bowels Remember an argument God uses in the 29 of Jeremy to them that were captives in Babylon Seek the peace of the City whither I have caused you to be carried captives and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace What must they pray for Babylons peace for Nebuchadnezzars peace that like a Dragon had swallowed them and like a Lion had crushed their bones Yes pray for the peace of that kingdome because in the peace of that Kingdome you shall have peace O how much more should every one help forward Zions peace thy mothers peace the Spouse of Christs peace because thy soule shall never have so much grace thou shalt never be so holy thy children never so blessed all about thee never made so happy as when the Lord God shall build up Zion therefore O pray for the Peace of Zion they shall all prosper who love her as he said there For my brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee So say thou for my owne sake for my children and companions sake I will seek to doe thee good especially let it prevaile with you Honourable and Beloved you noble Patriots and Parliament men further it with all your might Go up into the mountain cut downe wood build the house that God may take pleasure in it and prove God whether upon your selves and families he poure not out a blessing without measure you little imagine what a blessing the Lord will give when once this work is done it may shatter and hazzard some things carnall friends and secret enemies may fall off from you but your labour will be