Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	call_v	place_n	time_n	1,940	5	3.2891	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86581	Zion's birth-register unfolded in a sermon to the native-citizens of London. In their solemn assembly at Pauls on Thursday the VIII. of May, A.D. M.DC.LVI. / By Thomas Horton D.D.	Horton, Thomas, d. 1673.	1656 (1656)	Wing H2885; Thomason E490_6; ESTC R202559	47,020	75

and appurtenances belonging unto it of a most glorious commemoration with clapping of Hands with sounding of Trumpets with ringing of Bels with feastings and sending portions to one another and gifts to the poor as it was sometimes amongst the Jewes Esth 9.22 They shall joy before thee according to the joy in harvest and as men rejoyce when they divide the spoyle That this man was born there it is spoken of Christ Esai 9.3 And it 's applyable likewise to his Members when any are by the goodnesse of God born thus they have as great cause of exulting and rejoycing as any men else in all the world It is the joy of the Angels which they celebrate and therefore which the parties themselves are more especially interested in In the Civil Sense But that 's not all in the spiritual sense of it it may be carried also to the civil Of those which were born in Sion considered as the City of David and as determined to this particular place and this particular Countrey so there 's matter of ●…on in it also And so it comes home more particularly to the occasion of our present meeting at this present time we see here a warrant for the practise of this daies solemnity in the commemoration of those which have been born amongst us here in this City Indeed these observations of Births have sometimes been called in question whether lawful in regard of the Time and it holds proportionably of the place Some of the Ancients were very much against it as Origen and Jerom c. but their grounds are very weak and superstitious It seems they were born too soon to understand the Truth of this point For we which are born after them must take leave to be of another opinion and to dissent from them in it If there be any comfort in being in life in preservation whether of parent or children certainly Birth is to be acknowledged and to be remembred as a very great Blessing and that not for time only but place It is that which we do this day and may do with these due cautions and limitations which are considerable in it The manner of celebration 1. With Modesty First with Modesty and Schriety That we make it not a piece of Pageantry an occasion of shewing our selves to the world a numbring of the people an affectation only of conformity to other Countreys as who we think would not be inferior to them but with all meeknesse and humility and self-denial It is made as a great disparagement to the observation of Birth-daies That there were none in all the Scripture that kept them but only Pharaoh and Herod two wicked ungodly men Et celebrabant convivium quia ignorabant mysterium And they observed the solemnity because they understood not the mystery to wit of original sin This is that which we for our particulars are not to be ignorant of nor yet forgetful but to understand our selves in this particular 2. Thankfulnesse Secondly with thankfulnesse and due acknowledgement for Gods goodnesse to us in our Births with all the circumstances of them not only that we are born there but born thus with other priviledges attending hereupon Not only born in the City but preserved in it and so prevented from those sad calamities which many others have fallen into before our eyes in these late heavy troubles and distractions which have been upon the Land not driven from our houses not disturb'd in our imployments not separated from our nearest friends and greatest comforts others like so many exiles banisht from their particular Countreys we have all this while been even at home without any disturbance or interruption Oh blessed be God who hath shewn us such marvellous kindnesse in a strong City Psal 31.21 3. Improvement Thirdly With improvement and to edification That must be the main businesse of our coming together at this time that we may come together for the better and not for the worse for the mutual increase of love and the seeking occasions and opportunities for the doing of good That we which are Born in Sion may promote the welfare of Sion and that in either Accept on both in the civil sense and in the spiritual In the Civil the welfare of the City and in the spiritual the welfare of the Church and in each have a respect to those which are born in either The Scripture points out both as the proper regulations of Charity Both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those which are godly and good Christians and so of the Houshold of Faith And those which are Natives and and Born Citizens and so of your Houshold that ye may shew piety or kindnesse at home 1. Tim. 5.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus to celebrate such memorials as these is very noble and honourable and thus it may be done by us This report concerning Sion it shall be first made by the children of Sion It shall be said by them themselves 2. By others Secondly it shall be said also by others and those which are strangers to it It shall be said likewise by them so the Ethiopick Translation carries it in the very Text it self and reads the words thus Forrainers have said this of thee This and that man was c. In Esai 61.9 the place before cited Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their off-spring amongst the people all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are people whom the Lord hath blest They shall point at them as it were with their fingers as they go along the streets and that not in a way of scorn and reproach but in a way of honour and high respect Loe This and that man c. The meaning of it is this That it shall be no shame to be of such a Relation or such an Extraction There are some kinde of Countreys in the world which those that are the Natives of them are sometimes ashamed to own them in regard of some infamous mark or character which lies upon them But Sion is none of these There is so much true Dignity and Renown which belongs to this as that every one shall be ready to speak for it and every one shall be ready to own it c. That 's the first Branch considerable of us in this Popular Celebration The Report It shall be said 2. The Successe The second Branch is the Successe or glorious effect and The Highest himself shall establish it Here 's a gracious and comfortable intimation concerning the Church It may be taken either as a prayer or as a promise as a Prayer Let the Highest c. Or as a Promise The Highest shall or will it is a very good sense either of them But I rather incline to the latter as it is here rendred in our own Translation Where again two things more First The Blessing signified and that is the stability of Sion Secondly

The Author of this Blessing and that 's the Lord Himself 1 The Churches stability First The Blessing it self promised And that is the stability of Sion Sion shall be establisht This is a point which the Scripture is very full and pregnant in as none more Esai 33.20 Look upon Sion c. A Tabernacle that shall not be taken down nor one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed So Psal 125.2 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever Mat. 16.16 It is said That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church And Heb. 12.28 It is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Kingdome that cannot be shaken The Ground of it The Ground of it is the strong Foundation whereupon it is built Her foundation is in the holy Mountains vers 1. of this Psalm according to some Translations of it And Esai 14.32 The Lord hath founded Sion and the poor of his people shall trust in it or betake themselves to it What is it founded upon Upon the Attributes of God upon the Word of God upon the Son of God It is founded upon a Rock On this Rock will I build my Church in the place before alledged 2. The Author This brings in the second with it and that is the Author or Bestower of this Blessing They do well being joyned together and indeed they cannot well be sever'd This is here exprest in the Text to be the HIGHEST HIMSELF 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is He that establishes Sion and every member of it He that establishes us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God And so S. Peter 1 Pet. 5.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The God of all Grace who hath call'd us c. make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you see there are four words at once for the expression of this unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Set you in joynt consolidate corroborate give you a good foundation And all from God himself who gives the Grace at first He that cals must also keep He that begins must perfect He that is the author of converting Grace must be the giver also of establishing we stand not by our own Habituals but by his Auxiliaries and Assistances c. And so here the most High There are inferiour Highnesses even below here in the world which the Preacher tels us of Eccles 5.8 Subordinate establishers of Sion All men are not of the same stature or size nor is it fitting they should be There are some Higher then others by the Head and Shoulders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the establishment of Sion does in a great measure depend upon them it is their work to do it it is their duty to do it it is their glory to do it not only to pull down Babylon but to establish Sion To establish it in the Graces of it and to establish it in the Doctrines of it and to establish it in the Ordinances of it They cannot better establish themselves then by establishing that It is the Highest Honour which God puts upon them when he does not only give them abilities and opportunities for it but likewise withall hearts and affections to it But yet the strength of the work it lies not so much in them as in Him That He which is higher then the highest regards it as there be higher then They. The Coherence Therefore it is worth our observation how these words are here brought in in the Text namely in a way of prolepsis and anticipation He had said in the words before That this and that man that is as I have already explained it this variety of eminent persons was born in Sion now from hence some might be ready to conclude that then certainly it should be sure to stand if it hath such excellent Supporters as those famous Men which were born in it then there 's no fear that it should ever decay They 'l take care to keep it up themselves Oh but saies the Spirit of God That 's not that which Sion must trust to It is an advantage indeed to Her to have such persons of note and quality to be born in Her yea but that 's not the Basis whereupon she must rest her self No no but the Goodnesse and Power and Providence of an Almighty God God will not trust his Church with the Best man alive No He will establish it Himself He will establish it Himself as a work peculiar to Him Where men shall neglect to do it there He will do it Himself by supplying their defects that He may not be beholding to them Where men shall undertake to do it there He will do it Himself by strengthening their undertakings that so they may be beholding to Him So it is still Himself which does it and upon the point Himself alone There 's none which have Bowels for it like Him there 's none which have Power for it like Him And therefore it must needs be He and so it is I the LORD do keep it Esai 27.3 And here The Highest Himself shall establish it A word of comfor● This is a Point of admirable Comfort and consolation in both the Branches of it whether we consider the work it self Sions establishment or whether we we consider the Author of this work the Lord Himself yea in both taken together it is very sweet and satisfactory Every one naturally desires the establishment of their own party and the establishment of their own Countrey that that may be sure to stand what ever becomes of any thing else This is the priviledge and advantage now of Sion i. e. the Church of God The Lord Himself has undertaken to establish it And that for ever as the Arabick Interpreter reads it in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath founded it for ever Because He ever lives that establishes it therefore it shall for ever be establisht As for Men they are mortal and their establishing is no longer then for their lives although they may lay a ground and foundation of establishment for future Ages But now the Highest Himself is for ever The ETERNAL God is thy Refuge and underneath are the everlasting Armes Deut. 33.27 Therefore thou shalt be an eternal excellency and a Joy of many generations Esai 60.15 Vse Where then are those that are ill-willers to Sion and that think to pull down that 1 Confusion to Sions Adversaries How do they befool themselves and labour in vain which All the Powers in Earth or Hell are never able to prevail against This Altissimus He is out of their reach and besides can over-reach them This City which is built upon a rock it will out-stand all flouds whatsoever 2. Comfort to particular Christians This is comfortable not only in the behalf of the whole Church but also of every particular person and member of it which stands upon the same