Hosonna to the Son of David OR A TESTIMONY To the Lord's Christ Shewing His rule and reign over the people of the Jews upon Earth a thousand years together with his second personal appearance proved from the Scripture of Truth With A general word of Use from the point to Saints and Sinners By Samuel Grosvenour And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his father David Luke 1.31 32 33. LONDON Printed for L. Chapman at the Crown in Popes-Head-Alley 1659. To the Reader IT is observable throughout all generations that truth in its first appearance in the world can be very hardly entertained but rather opposed I am sure of all truths this hath not nor is not like to escape For Gospel-truths will bring Gospel-sufferings and therefore whosoever thou art that wilt inquire into this truth I begge of thee that thou wouldst first sit down and consider what it will cost thee and search the Scriptures whether things be so or no For this is no new Doctrine but that which hath been testified by the mouths of all the Prophets and consider what the Apostle saith For he hath chosen us unto salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth So that every truth is to be looked after by believers because that God who is a God of truth is sweeth to be injoyed in all truth Reader accept of this small mite and the Lord grant that the eyes of thy understanding may be inlightned in the knowledge of Christ as King Priest and Prophet unto thy poor soul and then how sweet will it be unto thee to consider that that King that rules and reigns in thy heart shall ride Conquering and to Conquer untill all his Enemies both within and without in thy heart and my heart and in the world be made a footstool which shall be the desire and prayer of him who is a servant unto the God of Jacob Sam. Grosvenour Hosanna to the Son of David Or A Testimony to the Lords Christ THe most wise God of Heaven and Earth hath so ordered and disposed of all truth revealed in his word that every truth throughout all generations hath broke forth in its due season and truely this truth that I am now speaking of it doth more particularly concern the Saints of the last times I shall make it appear how all along this truth hath been testified unto from the first to the last we shall begin with Gods promise unto Abraham the thirteenth of Genesis and the fifth verse And the Lord 〈◊〉 said unto Abraham after that Lot was separated from him Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward For all the land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever This land was the land of Canaan which God promised Abraham yea and a promise that is yet to be fulfilled Object Abraham was in the Land of Canaan and his seed after him Answ. It is true but in what condition they were strangers and Pilgrims there and this they confessed and therefore this could not be a possession of it Ob. I but God in promising Abraham the Land of Canaan it was a Type of the heavenly Canaan Answ. It is true Abraham had an eye of faith to see into the promised rest as all the seed of Abraham that are spiritual Jews have However there is more then this in the promise For observe how God cites this promise unto him it is said After that Lot was separated from him I do not question but that Lot belongeth unto the general Assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in Heaven but yet Gods Covenant must be with Abraham now observe the promise For all the land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever now we know that all the Types of the Law as that of the bloud of Bulls and Coats and others they did all center in Jesus Christ and so every true believer hath entered into that rest but consider what the Lord saith The Land which thou seest the breadth and length of it will I give unto thee and to thy seed for ever And you shall finde in many places of Scripture that when the Lord promises to bring back again the Captivity of the Jews he saith I will bring them into their own Land a Scripture as clear as the Sun for this you may see in Jer. 23.5 6 7 8. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and execute Justice and Judgement in the Earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse and in vers. 8. They shall dwell in their own Land So that here is both the two Tribes and the ten Tribes promised to enjoy their own Land again which is the Land of Canaan under the rule and reign of that righteous branch unto David which is the Lord Jesus Christ for it is said he must execute Justice and Judgement in the earth That Christ is that branch spoken of you may see plainly in the eleventh of Isaiah the first verse the whole Chapter is a sweet discovery of the Kingdom of Christ and in the ninth verse he saith The earth shall he full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea We shall now begin with all the Prophets that have spoken in the name of the Lord and that the Lord might be justified out of the mouths of the wicked stand forth wicked Balaam in the 24th of Numbers and the third verse And he took up his Parable and said Balaam the Son of Beor hath said and the man whose eyes are open hath said Pray observe in the first place it is said in the second verse that the Spirit of God was upon him from whence I would inferre this that a Soul by the common enlightning of the Spirit may come to see into this and other glorious truths and therefore it ought to be our care that we have not onely that Spirit upon us but the Spirit in us and as Christ saith Rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject unto you but rather that your names are written in heaven so I say Rejoyce not in thy knowledge of this Kingdom but rather that Jesus Christ is King in thy heart whereby thou comest to have assurance that thou hast an Interest in this glorious spiritual Kingdom when Jesus Christ shall come to be admired in all them that believe But to go on where we lest Balaam in the seventh verse He shall pour the water out of his buckets speaking of
Jacob and his seed shall be in many waters and his King shall be higher then Agag and his Kingdom shall be exalted Jesus Christ shall be higher then all the Agags and Nimrods and Potentates of the Earth For he is the great and onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 Moses also did by faith perceive what God would do for his Israel in the last dayes as you may see in Deut. 33.26 27 28 29. Hannah in her sweet song of deliverance prophesies of Christ and of his Kingdom 1 Sam. 2.10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces out of heaven shall he thunder upon them the Lord shall judge the ends of the Earth and he shall give strength unto his King and exalt the horn of his anointed Mark friends the Exaltation of Christ it lieth in the destruction of his implacable enemies Ps. 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine Enemies thy footstool he shall give strength unto his King Jesus Christ is the King of Gods own appointment a King that God hath given unto his subjects Isa. 9.6 7. For unto us a Childe is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his Nme shall be called Wonderful Counseller The mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to stablish it with Judgement and Justice from henceforth even for ever The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this That same Jesus that is the King of his Saints and people that Jesus shall also be the King over all the Nations Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me on my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father on his Throne So that here you may see that Jesus Christ hath a Throne which he calls more properly his Throne Now what this overcomer shall do you may see in Rev. 2.26 27. To him will I give power over the Nations agreeing with that Parable that Christ spake of concerning the Lord and his servants to him that had gained ten Talents his Lord saith Be thou ruler over ten Cities and to him that had gained five over five But let us a little consider this sweet Prophecie of the ninth of Isaiah Some Expositors have much reasoned whether they should call Isaiah a Prophet or an Evangelist And truly though all these names that are given unto Christ be sulfilled in respect unto his people in the state of Grace for he is the wonderful Counsellour of his people in all straits and difficulties and he is the mighty God for his own arm hath brought salvation and he is the everlasting Father and he is the Prince of peace for Christ onely is a believers peace but it is said He shall be King upon the Throne of David Now ye know that the Throne of David it was in the Land of Judea over the people of the Jews this is the Throne which Jesus Christ shall have Object How can that be for Jerusalem is destroyed Answ. Though it be yet we have the promise of God for it that it shall be again inhabited Zech. 12.6 And Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place even in Jerusalem Yea we finde that at Christs second personal appearance it is said that his feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem Zech. 14.4 and in the same day you finde that he shall be King over all the earth and there shall be one Lord and his name one in the 9. verse We know also that as Solomon in his succession to the Crown was a sweet Type of Christ so likewise in respect of his peaceable Kingdom and therein Christ shall well be called the Prince of Peace Now it is very much to our purpose to consider with what difficulty Solomon did attain unto the Crown you have the story in the 1. of Kings chap. 1. the whole Chapter is very remarkable you finde that Solomons mother in the 17. verse comes unto King David and she said unto him My Lord thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid saying Assuredly Solomon thy Son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my Throne the 18. verse and now behold Adonijah reigneth Observe it is the woman that prevailes with David and surely it must be the woman even the Church that must prevail with God for the exaltation of Jesus Christ for she is said to travel with the man-childe in the twelfth of the Revelation and she brings him forth at last in verse 10. Now is come salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ no more accusings then of Satan no no the accuser of the brethren is cast down Now observe how the woman and the Churches and Saints of Christ may agree together in their Petition for as she said My Lord thou swarest that thy Son Solomon should reign so may the Church say Lord thou hast sworn that thy Son Jesus Christ shall reign in the 89th Psalm verse 3 4. Well what follows And now saith she behold Adonijah reigneth This word Behold it is an expression of admiration Behold my servant whom I have chosen speaking of Christ Truely it should be matter of admiration unto the Sons and daughters of Zov that the Lord should have so much patience as to afford the Kings of the earth that time which is allotted unto them but the Lamb shall at last overcome them we finde that when Bathsheba had done then came in also Nathan the Prophet and he comes with the same story certainly the true Prophets of God they will in all generations joyn with the Church in that which concerns the glory of God and hereby we may come to know who are the false Prophets and who are the true The false Prophets they cry up the beast and wonder after the beast but the true Prophets they cry up Jesus Christ and admire at his excellency and are forced to cry out Who would not fear thee O thou King of Nations Jer. 10.7 and as you read in the following Chapters of the miserable end that did follow them that helped to Crown Adonijah so be assured that nothing but misery and destruction will be the end of them that are enemies to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ But as for those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me This will be Christs sentence unto such his enemies at his appearance It is my desire to run through the whole current of Scripture that the Reader may be surnished against all Gainsayers The next Scripture that hints unto this truth is in Job 19 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he
shall stand at the latter day upon the earth verse 26 27. yet in my flesh shall I see God my eyes shall behold him this was the comfort of Jobs knowledge that he knew that Christ was his Redeemer O man or whoever thou art that readest what doth thy Soul say to this canst thou say as Job said hath Christ given thee an entrance into his everlasting Kingdom of Grace believe it otherwise this truth will afford thee little comfort he doth not say A Redeemer or THE Redeemer but MY Redeemer and this Redeemer shall stand upon the earth yea saith he mine eyes shall behold him for our vile bodies shall not be taken away from us at Christs appearance but as Paul saith they shall be changed and made like unto his glorious body And now we come to the 2. Psalm where you have a plain demonstration of Christ and his Kingdom vers. 6. Yet have I set my King upon my holy Hill of Zion as sure as ever this was performed in his state of Humiliation so shall it surely be accomplished in his Exaltation Acts 4.25 yet this Psalm doth more particularly point at his Exaltation when he shall come the second time without sin unto salvation for it is said in the 9. verse Thou shalt break them with a Rod of Iron agreeing to that which is said in another place By the breath of his mouth he shall slay the wicked yea we finde sometimes that God hath so revealed this truth in his word that it cannot well be understood spiritually unlesse we will turn Scriptures into Allegories as in Psalm 47. where the very Translators or Expositors of the Bible have helped us with this Exposition The Nations are exhorted cheerfully to entertain the kingdom of Christ In the 2. verse it is said He is terrible and a great King over all the earth whereas Christ as he is King to his people he is the Prince of peace Isa. 9.6 but see the work that this King is to do in v. 3. He shall subdue the people under us and the Nations under our feet this will be more especially done at his second glorious appearing agreeing to that in Dan 12.1 And another thing that you may take notice of in the Psalm is in v. 9. where he saith The Princes of the people are gathered together even the people of the God of Abraham By Princes here I understand the Saints of God for they are made Kings and Priests by Christ unto God the Father as the Apostle saith If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise Gal. 3.29 that it is spoken of the Saints that shall rule and reign with Christ as Princes you may see in Isa. 32.1 Behold a King shall reign in righteousnesse and Princes shall rule in judgement Second verse and a man shall be as an hiding place from the winde and a covert from the Tempest this is the Man Christ Jesus born of the Virgin Marie crucified dead and buried and ascended for as he suffered as God-man in the earth so he shall be exalted as God man upon the earth witness his own words who is truth it self Mark 13.26 And they shall see the Son of man coming in the Clouds with great power and glory Christ so coming as he is the Son of David and the Son of Abraham Now the place whereunto he shall gather all his people it is said to be the excellency of Jacob which is in the Land of Canaan The next Psalm that speaks of this truth is 67. 4. O let the Nations be glad and sing for joy why what is the matter it follows For thou shalt judge the people righteously and lead the Nations upon earth It cannot be denied but that Christ doth govern and dispose of all things now but this points at his very personal being as God-man upon the earth vers. 6. Then shall the earth yield her increase I cannot believe that the earth doth now yield the same increase that it did before the fall of Adam but certainly God will make the earth as glorious for the second Adam as ever he did for the first You have also a plain Prophesie of his Kingdom Psalm 72. But I passe to the second of Isaiah in the second verse And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be exalted in the top of the Mountains agreeing to that in the fourth of Micah the first The Scripture maketh a difference between the latter dayes and the last dayes Christ saith As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the dayes of the coming of the Son of Man Object But is not Christs second coming called the judgement of the great day as in the sixth of Jude where then is any room for dayes I answer that this day of judgement may as well be taken for the thousand years rule of Christ as for one days and the Scripture doth bear witnesse that there is no difference as to God second of Peter the third and eighth verse One day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day in the fourth verse And he shall judge among the Nations and shall rebuke many people Here he is brought in performing his Kingly office upon the Throne of his father David amongst the Nations the glorious effects of this his Kingdom you have in Isa. 35. The whole Chapter is a most glorious Prophesie of the Kingdom of Christ not onely internally in the spirit of his people but also externally in the world Object Was not this already performed when Christ came in the flesh when the deaf did hear and the blind see and the lame leap Answ. Though the Prophesie hath a special eye unto that time and was specially fulfilled then yet it reacheth unto a higher dispensation as will appear if we consider the 8th verse and the 10th verse in the 8th verse it is said And an high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called The way of holinesse I know not the like expression again in all the Scripture where the way of holinesse is called an high-way I do believe that when Christ spake of the straight way and narrow Gate that leadeth unto life that he meant the way of holinesse now we know that an high way it is a broad way and a plain way and yet rightly considered they do not oppose each other for while the Prince of the power of the aire which is the Devil doth rule and bear sway in the world he as all other Kings have hath his high way which is the high way of sin error and profanesse and there are multitudes that are found galloping in this way but the way of holinesse is so strait that he that walks in that way must walk alone but when Christ cometh and shall be King over all the earth then shall be fulfilled that saying of the
Prophet Isaiah Thy people also shall be all righteous Isa. 60.21 It is further apparent if we consider Isa. 35. the 10th verse by the ransomed of the Lord I understand either the people of the Jews in general or else every true believer in particular These shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Why Gods bringing of his people now unto Zion it is with weeping and with supplication but in this day when Zion the Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be exalted in the top of the Mountains it shall be with everlasting joy agreeing to that in Jer. 31.12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion But in the 9th verse there is weeping and supplication and in the latter end of the 12th verse they shall not sorrow any more at all Certainly then this will be a time of extraordinary spiritual joy which we expect and wait for and not an outward glorious Jewish Kingdom which some speaking against it say that we look for but let such see their portion it they have a portion in Christ and how gracious Christ will be unto them in this his kingdom in that sweet Prophesie of his reign in Isa. 32.4 The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge I am perswaded that many a gracious heart in the corsideration of that glorious truth of Christs spiritual reign in the hearts of his people over sin Satan and the world hath cried down this his personal reign upon the Throne of his father David as error and Heresie I might cite much in the behalf of this truth from Isa. 65.17 to the end but I shall passe over to Jer. 30.9 And they shall serve the Lord their God and David their King whom I will raise up unto them Now observe the time when they shall serve this King it is when God shall give them to pessesse the land which he gave unto their fathers as you may see plainly in the third verse and before they do thus serve him they shall return and seek him even the Jews that are called the children of Israel Hosea 3.5 O ye Gentile Saints of the most high what room hath God made in your hearts for the poor Jews did they think upon us when we were not a people and shall not we think upon them Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence for he hath said that the Nation and kingdome that will not serve them shall perish yea those Nations shall be utterly destroyed Isa. 60.12 certainly then there is little hopes for England that would not suffer you to dwell amongst us but faithfull is God that hath promised and will accomplish even to set over them that great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls the Lord Jesus Christ Ezek 34 23. The next plain Scripture is Dan. 7.27 And the kingdom and dominion and the greatnesse of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him This is a plain Prophesie of Christs personal appearing to rule and reign with his Saints if ye consider the 22th verse there ye have him mentioned Untill the ancient of dayes came agreeing with that his title in the Revelation I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last This is a kingdom and dominion under the whole heaven certainly then it must be on earth and then shall that promise be made good which saith The meek shall inherit the earth We do not doubt as a worthy Preacher lately said of a kingdom in the heavens in that celestial place of glory prepared for us but our God hath promised us a kingdom under the whole heaven wherein Christ shall be King that one Lord both over believing Jews and believing Gentiles This kingdom it is given him by God the Father who is also called the ancient of dayes for as Christ saith I and my father are one you have it in the 13. and 14. verses of Dan. 7. I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven agreeing unto Christs words Then shall ye see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory I shall plainly lay down my Meditations concerning it and leave it to the judgement of the Christian Reader which were this Christ coming and the Saints bringing of him unto God their father for it is said in the 13th verse They brought him near before him agreeing to that in Isa. 8.18 Behold I and the children which thou hast given me And now being before their father as Christ said I go to my father and to your father to my God and to your God the subject matter of their plea is for a kingdome founded in the sufferings of Christ and so a branch of the new Covenant Isa. 53.12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoyl with the strong because he hath poured out his Soul unto death Now God the father being faithful that promised he gives the kingdom unto the Son agreeing to that in Ps. 72.1 Give the King thy judgements O God and thy righteousnesse unto the Kings Son which is fulfilled in Dan. 7.14 And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people nations and languages should serve him even him that was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief unto whom the Nations have said We will not have this man to reign over us even unto him shall this glory and dominion be given that so that which is written may be fulfilled At the name of Jefus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confesse that he is the Lord for he will be King alone in that day Hosea 13.10 The Prophet Joel is very large in declaring the signs and wonders that shall be before this great day of the Lord agreeing with those in Matth. 24. The Prophet Amos is in the latter end of his Prophesie treating of the restauration of the children of Israel which take in many special circumstances concerning this truth and will require a larger Treatise then this is for there is both heighth and depth and length and breadth in the truths of God But I passe them over and shall onely take notice of Mich. 4.3 And he shall judge among many people and rebuke strong nations afar off vers. 4. They shall sit every man under his Vine and under his Fig-tree and none shall make them afraid It shall be a Solomons kingdom in respect of peace so that in this sense he will come as the desired one of all Nations and this kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem as you may see in vers 8. but more especially in
Zeph. 3.14 Sing O daughter of Zion shout O Israel be glad and rejoyce with all the heart O daughter of Ierusalem Now see the reason why The Lord hath taken away thy judgements and then thou shalt not see evil any more O how beautiful upon the Mountains should the feet of such publishers be that would say unto Zion Thy God reigneth Isaiah 52.7 Then shall the Saints of the Lord sing that song which none shall learn but onely those who are redeemed from the earth and from amongst men Rev. 14.4 Then shall Mount Zion sing Zech. 2.10 Sing and rejoyce O daughter of Zion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord And many nations shall be joyned unto the Lord in that day and shall be my people Verse 12. The Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land and shall chuse Jerusalem again There will be such abundance of light in the latter days that the Nations shall be able to see and to distinguish between the Bride and the Whore the false Church and the true Church the house of God and Babylon that shall be made the Cage of every unclean and filthy bird even when the Gentiles shall come to the light of the Jews which shall be as life from the dead Rom. 11.15 for as sure as ever the Lord hath cast them off so surely will he receive them again but Oh the dreadfull work that the Lord must make in the earth before he shall have accomplished his designes unto his people and for this he hath appointed a day and Oh that Saints and Sinners would take notice of it Mal. 4.1 For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord Agreeing unto this is that Prophesie in Isa. 2.12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low And in vers. 20. In that day a man shall cast his Idols of silver and his Idols of gold which they made to the Moles and to the Bats All which may certifie us of a notable fiery day of Tryal which will come before the great day of Christ And truely here I may justly take up a deep Lamentation in the Consideration of that abundance of pride and wickedness which doth abound not onely amongst the common profane of the world but also amongst Professors themselves this is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation O how few have kept their first love and such as are in the day of their first Espousals if they be not very watchful will be caried away with the stream amongst Professors that have cooled in their first love certainly therefore it is a time for such as fear the Lord to be thinking upon his dishonoured Name for unto such as fear his Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings Thus far there hath been onely treated of this Kingdom from the Old Testament Prophesies I shall come now to some New Testament Scriptures wherein it is as clearly affirmed From Mat. 25.31 it is thus written When the Son of man shall come in his glory then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and in the 34 verse Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand By the man Christ Jesus the Son of David the Son of Abraham God will judge the world yea and so judge them as he is a King or elâ—e what Kingdom shall he have to deliver up unto God the Father Then cometh the end saith the Apostle when he shall have delivered up the kingdom unto the Father that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15.23 24 25. Mat. 2.2 Mark 13.26 Luk. 1.32 there God makes a promise unto Mary by the Angel that that child Jesus which was in her womb should sit upon the Throne of his Father David which is to rule and reign over the house of Jacob as it followeth in the 33 vers. And in order unto this he shall so come from Heaven as he ascended up into Heaven Now there is none that will deny this but such as will deny Christ and Scripture too that he did ascend with the same body with which he did arise this is his own testimony of his second coming when he saith Then shall ye see the Son of man coming Act. 1.9 10 11 but until that time the Heavens must receive him which will be the time of the restitution of all things Act. 3.21 2 Tim. 4.1 Paul doth charge Timothy upon the account of the appearing and Kingdom of Christ to be faithful in the work of his Ministry so that Christ as he is King and in his Kingdom shall judge both the quick and the dead but when Christ shall give up this Kingdom unto God the Father wch he shall do 1 Cor. 15. then saith Christ to his Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid And thus God the Father shall be all in all the Saints shall come into the Fathers Kingdom Come ye blessed of my Father Luk. 12.32 It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a kingdom and this is a Kingdom which was prepared for them from before the foundations of the world were laid so that the Saints of God besides that Kingdom that they shall have upon the foundation of the world shall have a Kingdom prepared for them from before the foundation of the world was laid which is a house eternal in the Heavens Amongst the twelve chosen Apostles of Jesus Christ John was the beloved Disciple who lay in the bosom of Christ and therefore he did deeply share in afflictions for Christ and being banished into the Isle of Patmos there he had the glorious things that do belong unto this Kingdom opened unto him it is the Revelation which God the Father gave unto Christ and Christ by his Angel revealed unto John I John saith he in the ninth verse who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of of us Christ John and the Saints that he did write unto were travelling towards this Kingdom yea and they were in the way too and that was through many tribulations You have in the third verse a blessing pronounced upon him that readeth and they that hear and keep the things which are written in this Prophesie that is keep up the testimony of them and the power of them being manifested in their lives and conversations Now see those sweet Motto's that he gives to Christ in the fifth verse First he is the fathful witness and that in respect of that witness that he did hold forth in the world to his Fithers glory And Secondly in respect of that witness