Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	call_v	church_n	great_a	6,072	4	3.3088	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55302	Christus in corde, or, The mystical union between Christ and believers considered in its resemblances, bonds, seals, priviledges and marks by Edward Polhil ..., Esq.	Polhill, Edward, 1622-1694?	1680 (1680)	Wing P2751; ESTC R3312	145,980	330

he hath they may look here and there but his eyes are every where running to and fro through the earth to shew himself strong on the behalf of his people they may sometimes nod with the rains of Government in their hands and so not provide against approaching dangers but he is never surprized but always provided and at hand to defend his people in every temptation he makes a way to escape in every danger he knows a method of deliverance Again No earthly Kings have such a power to protect as he hath they have a power in their own Dominions but he hath all the power in Heaven and Earth in order to the good and preservation of his people They and their Subjects joining together are not always able to maintain themselves and their union against a foreign power but he is always able to maintain his Kingdom The Chaldean Empire was left to the Persian the Persian to the Grecian the Grecian to the Roman but his Kingdom shall not be left to other people Dan. 2.44 but by a peculiar priviledg it abides for ever no foreign power can ruine it no gates of Hell can prevail against it the posture of Christ and the Church doth evidence this Christ is at the right hand of God Psal 110.1 And the Church is at the right hand of Christ Psal 45.9 In this posture power cannot be wanting or protection fail Further As touching Rewards his bounty is beyond all parallel Other Kings may sometimes forget the good services of their Subjects Joash forgot the kindness of Jehoiada the poor wise man who by his wisdom delivered the City was not at all remembred Eccles 9.15 Many excellent services have been buried in oblivion but the Lord Christ never forgets the services of his people their sins are delivered over to oblivion but not their services no not the least of them He hath a bottle for their tears a book of remembrance for their holy thoughts a reward for a cup of cold water given for his names sake nay he is so far from forgetting their services that in the very act they find a secret reward given in to them the supplies of his spirit the irradiating beams of his love and the sweet calms and serenities in conscience tell them that he hath them always in remembrance Earthly Kings may give their servants some of the shadows here below and some of those things which lye round about them but he gives his Subjects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substance sound wisdom durable riches and real happiness he gives them himself and all that train of good things which accompanies him Here he gives them tokens and glimpses of his love but what great and glorious things are there for them in Heaven There their labours end in eternal rest their holy race arrives at a Crown of Glory their Prayers are turned into Hallelujahs their Alms are repaid in everlasting Love their good works shall have a full reward what they sowed to the Spirit shall come up in a crop of glorious immortality in Heaven they shall enter into the joy of their Lord and sit down with him in his throne they shall then see and enjoy the blessed God reading all truths in the original and drinking all good at the fountain-head dwelling in a paradise of bliss and for ever reposing themselves in the bosom of infinite sweetness Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which are prepared for them To conclude If Protection and Rewards can do any thing the Union between Christ and his Subjects must needs be very secure CHAP. III. The Mystical Vnion set forth by the Conjugal one There is a mutual consent between Christ and believers The believers consent imports a right knowledg a free choice and a present compliance with Christ Christs consent is purely gratuitous believers purely supernatural Christ and believers mutually make over themselves each to other The Emphasis of that phrase one spirit opened There is an intimate love between Christ and believers he put on an humane nature for them they put off a corrupt nature for him He died for expiation they die in mortification There is a communication of good things from Christ to the Church the Church propagates in Believers and good works The mystical Vnion set forth by that of a foundation and a building Christ laid and Believers built on him by Divine Art The double cement of faith and the holy Spirit Christ is a large and strong foundation he bears up the Church by Divine influences THE Union between a King and his Subjects being in the earthly pattern political only the Holy Ghost goes on in Scripture to set forth the mystical union by that which is between Man and Wife Marriage is the conjunction of man and woman in a conjugal society it is the first primordial society called Elementum mundi the Element of the world out of it spring Families out of these are made Cities and Kingdoms in these a Church is raised up unto God The conjugal union is that which peoples the World and Saints the Church in no earthly society is there a conjunction so great as this is Eve the first Wife was taken out of Adam he was created one then two were made out of one and again those two were one in marriage Man and Wife saith St. Austin are prima copula De bono conj c. 1. the first bond or tye of humane society By this conjugal union the Scripture shadows out the mystical one The Book of Canticles is not as some profane ones have fancied a light Love-song but an excellent Epithalamium or Divine Ditty which under the parable of a marriage points out that incomparable union which is between Christ and the Church St. Paul in the 5th Chapter to the Ephesians exhorts Wives to be subject to their Husbands as the Church is to Christ and Husbands to love their Wives as Christ loves the Church and at last he adds This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church vers 32. In the original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Christum Ecclesiam respiciens ad Christum Ecclesiam saith Piscator Though the last thing the Apostle said before was touching the earthly marriage viz. They two shall be one flesh vers 31. yet he looks back to Christ and the Church the earthly marriage was but the shadow and image of the mystery but Christ and the Church in the mystical union joined together are the very center and substance of it In this resemblance divers things may be noted First In Marriage which though founded in nature is a voluntary act there must be a consent the conjunction of Bruits is like themselves out of an impetus of nature but the conjunction of Man and Woman is as becomes rational creatures out of counsel and choice a consent is necessary Marriage is a contract and that cannot be without

it is within in the very hearts and consciences of men He makes a willing people he inspires obedience into his subjects His own Unction doth in some measure fall down upon them Earthly Kings who yet are Politically unite to their subjects cannot rule after this sort or do any thing like it Hence it is clear that if there had been no other resemblance of the union between Christ and believers but that of a Kingdom only yet that union would not have been meerly Political because his Kingdom is what others are not spiritual and of internal efficacy In Scripture our union with Christ is not only set forth by the resemblance of a Kingdom but by many other none of which are or can be thought to be in vain all of them have their significancy and that to different purposes The conjugal union imports love the architectonical one shews supportation that of the Vine and the Head speak vital influence that of food expresses a very intimate conjunction These fignificancies are not forced or strained but natural and genuine such as run into our minds at the first sight The holy Scripture the best interpreter of its own resemblances assures us that they are used to this very end and intent that we might firmly believe that those things which are genuinely in the outward patterns are really and after an eminent manner in Christ He is an Husband for his dearest Love Ephes 5.25 a foundation for his never failing support to his Church Mat. 16.18 a Vine and an Head for his vital influence Joh. 15.4 5. Ephes 4.16 aliment for his near and intimate conjunction with believers Joh. 6.56 Such is the natural tendency of these resemblances such is the interpretation of them in Scripture but now if our union with Christ be meerly Political how can these things stand what tolerable account can be given of them It is certain that nothing in all the lower world is so apt and proper to declare that union as meerly Political as the resemblance of a Kingdom nothing is so significant and fully expressive of it as that when therefore the Holy Ghost had set it forth by a Kingdom why did not he stay his hand and rest in that resemblance why would he go on and set it forth by the love of Espousals by a building cemented to its foundation by the incision of branches into a root by the copulation of members to a vital head by the incorporation of food with the body What analogy is there in an union meerly Political to these things Which way shall the Scriptural interpretation of them be maintained a Political union cannot do it Were our union with Christ no more than so these resemblances would not be apt or true to say that Christ is an husband a foundation a root or head or incorporated food that is a Political King is not apt or true but very odd and strange because in Christ as a meer Political King there is nothing that answers to the proper genuine import of these resemblances in such a case the Holy Ghost which is blasphemy to imagine would seem to speak very unfitly nay and delusively as if he would have us believe that to be in Christ which is indeed not in him surely it becomes us much rather to conclude That our union with Christ is not meerly Political but such as bears a fit and just correspondence to all the patterns and resemblances of it in Scripture Such as the bonds of union are such is the union a meer Political union hath bonds of the same nature a spiritual union hath suitable ligatures in our union with Christ the primary bond is the holy spirit Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit 1 Joh. 4.13 in Christs Kingdom it is the Spirit which makes a willing people such as subject themselves to him In the supernatural marriage believers who are joined to Christ become one spirit in the spiritual edifice the living stones are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit In the heavenly Vine the Spirit is the juice which makes the branches fruitful in good works in the Mystical Head the Spirit is unction which falls down upon the members and communicates sense and motion to them In the divine aliment it is the Spirit which quickneth the eater and transforms him into the holy Image of Christ the Spirit is the primary ligature in our union with him that union therefore is not meerly Political but Spiritual A meer Political union is made and continued by some outward Law Policy is the Eutaxy or good order of a common society Multitudes in government conspire into unity the bond of conjunction is Law Hence the Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul of a City without it all the parts and members of the body-politick sink and dissolve into meer confusion but to the making and continuance of our union with Christ internal influences are requisite Faith the great unitive grace is not produced by a meer proposal of the object but by a Divine efficacy there must be inward teachings and tractions to make men come and close with Christ in like manner other graces which make the believer bear the image and resemblance of Christ are by the Spirit drawn and engraven in the heart Hence they are called the fruits of the Spirit When these graces are produced they are still but creatures and depend upon their original the continual spirations of the Spirit bear them up in being in all respects there is a necessity of internal influences Hence it appears that our union with Christ is more than a Political one were it no more than so the outward Law might have sufficed that first and rudest draught of Pelagianism which made grace to consist only in libero arbitrio lege in free-will which is a thing natural and in the Law which is a thing Political might have been a truth St. Austin at large disputes against it and tells us that God operates in the hearts of men De Grat. Christi c. 24. Non lege atque doctrinâ insonante foria secùs sed internâ atque occultâ mirabili ac ineffabili potestate not only by Law and Doctrine sounding without but by an internal and occult wonderful and ineffable power yet if the meer Law might have sufficed there had been no necessity of internal operations the Pelagian heresie might have passed for a very truth As therefore we would avoid this great error we must confess that our union with Christ is more than a Political one 2dly The union between Christ and Believers is not meerly a Moral one such as consists in a reciprocal Love in an harmony of Wills and confederacy of Affections Very true it is that there is a very great Union of Love between Christ and Believers All the Loves and Friendships in the world are but Pictures and little Images