Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	church_n	word_n	world_n	3,040	5	4.5870	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97361	Seaven sermons. [sermons 1 and 2 only] preached vpon severall occasions. Viz. 1 The Christians prayer for the Churches peace. One sermon on Psal. 122.6. 2 One sermon on 1 Sam. 2.30 3 Baruchs sore gently opened; Gods salve skilfully applyed. In two sermons on Jeremy 45.5. 4 The araignement of coveteousnesse. In three sermons on Luke 12.15. By John Stoughton, Doctor in Divinitie, late of Aldermanburie, London.; Sermons. Selected sermons	Stoughton, John, d. 1639.	1640 (1640)	STC 23311_PARTIAL; ESTC S117838	33,512	94

reach to all the Church and to all the members of it Thirdly and more particularly and singgularly our owne Church which we haue relation to and the principalls of it as Cities and Vniversities those which wee haue a peculiar relation to doe challenge a peculiar share in our prayers II. And not onely the Mysticall Ierusalem 〈◊〉 the Literall Jerusalem should be no stranger to a Christians prayers Returne returne O S 〈…〉 e Wee should pray for the r●●●●ring of the people of God even for the 〈◊〉 and for the setting vp of the new Ierusalem as God hath promised in his word I will onely adde one thing in this As these are all included in this Ierusalem which we are to pray for So by the same reason by which these are included we must also understand there is an exclusion and collatterally a praying against them that are against Ierusalem Against Babel against all the opposites of Ierusalem for it is with Ierusalem and the enemies of it as with a paire of ballances when one scale is up the other must needs be downe and when the one is downe the other is vp if Babel get alo●t Ierusalem lyeth low and if Ierusalem rise Babel must fall So that the same prayers that are directed for Jerusalem perpendicularly b●●● that way will also collaterally reach against Babel And so I have expressed as much as I intended in this first part of the Object which is comprehended in Ierusalem Pray for Ierusalem II. But what must we pray for in the behalfe of Jerusalem● It is expressed in the 〈◊〉 in one word but the word i● very comprehensiue it is Peace And Peace comprehends 〈◊〉 the bosome of it all blessings it is the Hebrew phrase when they would wish all happines whatsoever that commeth within the compasse of making happy then they say Peace be to this house that is all happines be to it and in this respect there may be given a double sence of this word Peace First in the generall latitude of it Secondly in the more speciall propriety of it 1. In the generall latitude of it all blessings and proprieties all that is good and usefull and tends to the welfare of Jerusalem is comprehended under peace which we must pray for here As to giue an instance in two or three things We must pray for the protection of Jerusalem that God will protect his Church delivering those that are in danger and preserving from danger those that are out of it wee must pray for the perfection of the Church that God will restore those Churches that are over-runne and will refine and purge more and more to all purity and perfection those Churches that stand we must pray for the propagation of the Church of God that God will stretch the bounds and enlarge the borders of it and carry the Gospell further that he will bring more subjects to acknowledge the kingdome of Christ and to submit to his scepter whether among the heathen of the world or among those erring people that haue a name of christianity and yet rase the foundation of it that God would inlarge the borders of his Church and inlighten them So much for the generall latitude of the word 2. To take it in the propriety of it the word Peace in it selfe is an excellent blessing and of speciall consequence which our hearts should pray to God to bestow upon his Church either preserving peace where it is or bestowing it where it is not A threefold peace we should pray for A Peace with God in causing his Churches to keepe their peace with him in walking in the purity and power of his ordinances without which though they were at peace with all the world yet all will come to nothing if religion be defiled and polluted As the Cardinall made it his Embleme a Beach-tree with this inscription Take off the top and it is the ruine of all the rest The nature of that tree is such that if the top of it be cut off it will never thrive So it is true of the purity of religion tamper with that take away that defile and pollute that and all other blessings will be gone they will take themselves to their wings except there be something to soder us with God which can be nothing but our exact walking with him in his ordinances Except we keepe our peace with God all other peace will fall a 〈…〉 As that great Artificer who sometime 〈◊〉 famous buckler for 〈◊〉 the Goddesse of the Atheni●●s ●e contrived it so that hee wrought his owne name in the Center of the Buckler which was so framed of severall pieces and m 〈…〉 s that it was impossible to picke out his name who was the author of it but the whole buckler would fall in pieces So the name of God and the true religion of God is such a supporter to the world that if that be sleighted and trampled upon if you goe about to overthrow that all other blessings will fall in pieces As Peace with God so also peace among the Citizens civill peace free from disse●tion divisions and distractions that they may thinke the same things and goe the same way and vnanimously minde the glory of the Lord together the breach and losse of which Peace i● one of the greatest mischiefes and miseries that can ●efall us And a forreigne peace also from all opposition without that there may be no hostility no invasion of fo●●ine enemies upon the Churches of God These I suppose are the principalls that comprehend the summe of what is meant and couched under the name of Peace I shall onely adde one thing in this and that is If wee thinke onely of temporall peace and the blessings upon that it is not worth the while on pray for peace to the Churches of God 〈◊〉 may 〈◊〉 prosper in warre and misery For as the Father complaines In the time when they flourished they all decayed and the vigour of religion was gone but when they had no 〈◊〉 th●● they flourished in religion The primitive Church which was persecuted by the red Dragon was cloathed with the Sun and crowned with a crown of twelue Stars with the M 〈…〉 vnder her foot but the 〈◊〉 in the 17. of the R 〈…〉 was cloathed with sc●●let and gold all ●u●ward riches but no heauenly ornament about her Thus it may fall so out that to aske onely for a temporall peace may not be worth the while therefore you must ioyne in your prayers Peace that may be sanctified that we may make a good vse of it and so it is very vsefull for the worke of the Gospell and it is a great blessing to inioy it I shall expresse brie●●y a● other b 〈…〉 ch of the point which is the office of a Christian in II. regard of the Act. There is a double Act intimated in the point and contained in the Text. It is our duty to 〈◊〉 for this 〈◊〉 of Peace for our mother Ierusalem

the 22. of Esay and the 12. verse When God did call for mourning in regard of the estate of the Church and men ran to madnes and merriment he was infinitely provoked by it As I remember a common wealth when the kingdome and state was in great trouble a great many young ruffins being in a taverne were drinking and they used to crowne there heads with rushes which being done one of them lookt out at the window which did so provoke the state that they tooke away his head for it And that in Haggai Is it time for you to dwell in seiled houses and my house not built saith the Lord. It is not worth the while to mind our owne houses whilst Gods house lyes in the Dust To point at 2. or 3. places in the New Testament Saint Pauls affection in this kind that same in comparable affection in Rom. 9. 3. is not to be expressed in which he paralelled Moses if not surpassed him 〈◊〉 desire to be accursed from Christ for my brethrcus sake It noteth his infinite superlatiue affection towards them So in the 2 Cor. 11. 28. Phil. 1. 18. Col. 2. 5. You shall find how Saint Paul expresseth that all the care of all the Churches lay upon him As it was in the old law the Priest was never to enter into the holy of holiest but hee must haue his ornaments about him all the twelue tribes to offer them up to God So it was Saint Pauls case and should be every ministers and every Christians in their station but I forbeare I shall giue the grounds of the point in a word from the severall parcells which we haue touched in the explication Euery one of those make a contribution to raise the summe of a sufficient reason whether wee consider The Nature of Ierusalem or The Nature of Peace or The Nature of Prayer or The Nature of a Christian You shall find it strongly demonstrated in all these That it is the duty of every Christian to pray for the peace of Jerusalem Doe but First consider the Nature of Ierusalem what Jerusalem is the Church of God and in it there is a double relation 1. If you looke vpward the relation it hath to God it is the house of God it is the Spouse of Christ and can there bee a dearer relation to put a deeper ingagement vpon us then to tender the spouse of Christ 2. Or if you looke downeward in the relation shee hath to us Shee is the Mother of us all all the Saints of God are all the daughters of Ierusalem all members of the Church there is a naturall vnion and comunion betweene them and there should be a fellow-feeling of the good or ill of the whole by every particular member Or if you consider Peace it is the summe of all blessings it comprehends all blessings in the bosome of it The ancients were wont to paint peace with a horne of plenty 1. Peace it is the mother of all other prosperities and blessing arts and sciences trades and every thing flourish with peace and all wither if peace bee gone warre blasts all And it is not onely the mother of all inferiour blessings but 2. It is a very carefull and usefull nurse to cherish religion religion receiveth a great deale of advantage by peace as in the Acts The Church had peace and increased exceedingly As a Generall said sometimas when one came to him for justice what doest thou talke to mee of justice saith hee I cannot heare the noise of Law and justice for the sounds of the drumms There is no hearing of the Law of God the Law of justice when men haue their swords in their hands there can be no roome for religion to grow up and thriue if there bee not peace to giue it a station and a setled place 3. Or if you consider the Nature of Prayer What prayer is to mention onely the efficacy and necessity of it I. It is the most efficacious engine the summe of all policies for a Christian to worke by for Peace Is it not God that ruleth all the world and hath all hearts in his hands he can make the very stones to be at peace with a man he soders men together Peace and warre depends upon him and prayer rules God he suffreth himselfe to be overcome by Prayer Let me alone saith God by prayer a Christian ●etcheth all from God what is in Gods power is a Christians by prayer Yea there is such an efficacy in it that all the pollicies of all the men in the world is nothing to Prayer because God is abou● all and can blast all II. It is of great necessity also God will not bestow blessings but when a people will seeke him and sue to him for them and the reason is because he shall haue little honour by it if it came without our seeking it from God we should ascribe it to some other way God should have no honour by it but when it commeth begged by prayer it appeareth to be the worke of God and God hath the glory of it So that hee doth not bestow ordinarily blessings upon any but at the request of his people where hee hath a people Or Lastly If you consider the nature of a Christian take him in relation to all these three former or take him in another relation we shall adde A godly man it is the most proper worke for him that can be imagined he cannot bee excused of it I. He is a Sonne of Ierusalem it becommeth him at least to pray hard for his mother he is an vnnaturall child that will not open his mouth to saue mischeife from his mother As the Son of Cras●s that never sp●k● before the dumbe child through vehemency of tender affection seeing one goe about to kill his father cryed ou● O man wil● thou kill Crasus it opened the dumbe mans mo 〈…〉 that could not speake before to plead for his father in a case of danger So should it be withus for our Mother Ierusalem II. Every child of God is as a son of Ierusalem so a sonne of Peace we are the sonnes of the God of peace and sonnes of the Gospell of peace and have all the ingagements of 〈◊〉 the spirit is a spirit of Peace the spirit of the Dove shall rest upon the spirit of the sonnes of God they are the sonnes of Peace III. He is the sonne of Prayer it should be the very Element saith Nazia●●●● in which wee draw our breath to run towards God and towards Heaven in the way of Prayer So that a Christian that is the Sonne of God the Sonne of Ierusalem the Sonne of peace and the Son of prayer by all these necessary tyes is bound to pray for the peace of Ierusalem And so much the more because he is inabled when others cannot he hath ability and power as he is the Sonne it is in his hand and he is able to be sensible of Ierusalem and to pray