Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	assembly_n	jerusalem_n	zion_n	291	3	8.7499	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38634	An Essay to the explaining of the Revelation wherein amongst other things of great moment, is proved, that by the beast is meant an universal monarch which shall hereafter arise out of the Roman empire : that there shall be a fifth kingdom upon the earth, (namely that of the saints) together with the manner thereof, and that the New Jerusalem is a city properly so called, which God hath reserved in heaven for the saints.		1661 (1661)	Wing E3294C; ESTC R36197	107,276	171

and meer notion The same divine Author further saith Chap. 12.22 23. Ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerablt company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect In which words the heavenly Jerusalem is not only distinguished but also parted from the Church by the interposal of another thing to which we have access in the Gospel to wit the myriads of Angels so that there remaineth no tergiversation but that the New Jerusalem and the Church of God must of necessity be acknowledged for two different things Finally he saith Chap. 13.13.14 Let us go forth unto him that is Christ Jesus without the camp bearing his reproach For here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Here also the City is distinguished from the Church for none can deny that they which seek for that City to come are the Church whereas the City it self is the thing sought for It further appeareth from the first clause of this fourteenth verse to which the second hath relation that a City truly and properly so called is here meant But were all these Testimonies laid aside the very descent of the New Jerusalem out of heaven whereby the New heaven is to be understood as the foregoing verse doth shew sufficiently argueth that not the Church but a City is thereby intended For the Church consisting of faithful men and women that were both generated and regenerated on the earth and there have their continual abode cannot without great absurdity be said to descend out of heaven much less out of the New heaven which is not yet in being Moreover the description of the New Jerusalem set down in this and the following Chapter will fully evidence to us both how truly I affirm it to be a very City and also how aptly John compareth it to a Bride that is dressed and adorned for her husband Vers 3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Vers 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away The voice that is here heard out of heaven and which in likelyhood proceedeth from Angels for God is brought in speaking immediately after and Angels are elsewhere found to congratulate the salvation of men Luke 2.10 11 13 14. confirmeth what I before asserted that by the New Jerusalem is meant a place and not the Church or people of God for it is stiled upon the descent thereof out of heaven the Tabernacle of God that is with men and so is a thing different from the men themselves of whom the Church consisteth Again though the Church be sometimes in the Scripture known by the name of a Temple yet have I not met with any instance where it is called a Tabernacle Nor is it absurd that the New Jerusalem though a City that hath foundations should here be termed a Tabernacle for being described as descending down from God out of heaven it doth contrary to other Cities remove from place to place as Tabernacles or Tents are wont to do The priviledge that they enjoy who are admitted into this Tabernacle is to have the very person of God among them For so much is signified by those words wherein it is said God himself shall be with them which also intimate that during the state of this life God himself is not with his people however his favour and assistance be with them Neither let any one check at that expression of mine touching the person of God for it is borrowed from Heb. 1.3 Where Christ is called the express Image of his person When God shall thus be present with the Saints in the New Jerusalem he shall thereby become their God or Sovereign benefactour in the most perfect manner For if according to the intimation of the divine Author to the Hebrews Chap. 11.16 God be called the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob because he hath prepared for them a City how much better may he be called their God when he vouchsafeth to them the enjoyment both of that City and also of his own personal presence therein For seeing that in his presence there is fulness of joy as David testifieth Psalm 16.11 it must needs come to pass that the Saints shall by the means thereof be exempted from all misery whatsoever and as it is here expressed neither weep nor sorrow nor cry nor suffer either death or pain any more because the former state and condition of men wherein all these things had place is now quite done away Where let it by the way be marked that when it is in the Text said There shall be no more death this doth of it self put it out of doubt that what is here spoken of men concerneth not this life but that which is to come according to the testimony of Christ himself who telleth us in the Gospel according to Luke Chap. 20.35 36. That they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that other world and the resurrection from the dead are also the persons that cannot die any more Vers 5. And he that sat upon the throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithful Vers 6. And he said unto me It is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the Water of life freely Vers 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son Vers 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death The making of all things new is altogether necessary to the happiness of the Saints yet seeing this was a thing which for the greatness thereof was likely to finde but little credit amongst men as we by experience finde it come to pass God is not content with what others from heaven had spoken of it but doth himself say to John Behold I make all things new and not only so but commandeth John to write the same that it may remain upon Record for ever alledging this as the reason namely because the words which both he himself and others had uttered concerning this matter were true and faithful Which Epithets are not therefore used by God that he might only signifie that there was no falshood in the words aforesaid for then