because we do not walk as becomes the truth but God hath promised and we do believe it that the Redeemer shall come out of Zion and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob Rom. 11.26 And then the inhabitants shall not say I am sick for the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their inquity Isa. 33.24 Oh how greatly now is Unity to be desired amongst the Saints Truly I have for a long time been running to and fro and now I will give you the report of all but I may truly say All seek their own and none the things of Jesus Christ yea even the Saints themselves in their several Forms are so zealous about shadows and are not so careful in the substantial commands of Jesus Christ that as for poor Way-faring souls they may cry out and say Lord where are thy Disciples which are to be known by their love one to another but may also come upon Jesus Christ again and say Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest VVell let the way-faring man be encouraged and let the lambs of Jesus Christ be comforted for yet a little while and there shall be but one Shepherd andone sheepsold and in the mean time see that ye are walking in the way that ye should go even in the way of holiness wherein the way-faring-man though a fool shall not err but be seeking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward And Oh that the Lord would put it into the hearts of his people according to that Isa. 57.14 Cast ye up cast ye up prepare the way take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people Surely if ye did but know how the mouths of the wicked are opened against you all you would quickly shut your mouths that ye have so opened one against another There are many I fear that are ready to say with the fool in his heart There is no God but it were to be wished that the people of God would continually remember this that whatever comes to pass it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled if a Judas betray Christ it is because the Scripture might be fulfilled Act. 1.16 compared with Psa. 44.9 If perillous times come wherein men shall be lovers of themselves covetous and the like if because iniquiâ—y shall abound the love of many shall wax cold or if we should see one servant smiting his fellow-servant or eating and drinking building and planting which so abound in our dayes in the excess of them come what will come we may say of all The Scriptures must needs be fulfilled and herein is to be admired the faithfulness truth of Him who is Truth it self who hath fore-told us all things that shall come to pass unto his second coming If many should come in His Name saying I am Christ it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled but believe it Christian whoever thou art no true Christ comes until Jesus comes who shall come in the glory of his Father and of his holy Angels So that thou shalt not need to follow Lo here or lo there for if thou art indeed a Christian one that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God thou shalt appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 Again it is written That he shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather together his Elect from the four windes that so the prayer of Jesus Christ may be fulfilled upon all his servants Father I will that they also which thou hast given me be with me where I am Joh. 27.24 Wherefore as the Apostle faith comfort one another with these words and certainly hereby will the saints be distinguished in the latter dayes from all others Because that when such as are but men shall have their hearts fail them in the sight of those Judgements Earthquakes Famines and Pestilences which shall come upon the earth then shall the Saints of the most High lift up their heâ—ds as knowing that their Redemption draweth nigh Unto which duty I will also resolve in the strength and Spirit of the Lord with the Prophet In Isa. 61.10 11. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with jewels For as the earth bringeth forth her bud and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth so the Lord will cause Righteousness and Praise to spring forth before all the Nations HOSANNA unto David's Son The Lords anointed One Who shall have the Dominion Upon his Father's Throne Triumph and shout O heavens high And let the earth rejoyce For why with Might and Majesty He shall lift up his voyce O let the Bride prepare her self Against this Marriage-day When Christ shall bring his saving health Unto his Saints for aye Let Sinners come and now fall down And worship at his feet For he alone shall have the Crown When his with him shall meet Before his golden Scepter fall Then know assuredly His Iron Red you shall not feel With grief and misery His bleeding wounds out-stretched arms And yearning bowels sure Run towards you that from all harms You might alwayes endure He is the sure Foundation-stone JEHOVAH'S Treasury He is the choice and lovely One Unto the faithful eye He is true Wisdom for the fool The sure and certain way Meat Drink and Cloathing to the Soul That trusts in him alway He is the first and eke the last Was dead and is alive And lives for aye O then to Christ All honour glory give If to the Father thou wouldst go He is the onely door O strive to enter in why so Few shall then strive the more If unto God an Offering Thou wouldst put up for sin It 's Christ our Priest hath done the thing Our sins were laid on him A Prophet to his Saints is he A King to Rule and Reign King Priest and Prophet thou may'st be Thy Title hee 'l maintain Acquaint thy self now with the Lord His Name and dwelling Place Be guided by his Spirit and Word Till thou hast run thy Race O Virgins know both Fools and Wise The Bridegroom is at hand He comes he comes let this suffice But who with him may stand It 's he that walketh rightecusly And speaketh full upright As for deceit he sets it by From evil shuts his sight His dwelling place shall be on high His bread and water sure His eyes shall see the Kings glory Injoy for to endure What blameless ones ought we to be That know he will appear From worldly cares Lord set us free Remaining in thy fear O let the glory of this day So dwell upon our Minde That we may forward press alway Forgetting what 's behinde And let the Nations Know O Lord Thou wilt thy right maintain Unto the Heathen send this word That JESUS
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
not worshipped the beast nor his Images and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years but afterwards Christ who is the Elder Brother is sole Judge of all and having finished the Judgement he delivers up all into the hands of God the Father then shall the Saints above what they know now know with admiration that the Son and Father are one and they one in them according to Christs prayer Joh. 17.21 24. Now in order unto their reigning with Christ they must be brought forth by the enjoyment of a Resurrection and this I judge to be the first Resurrection which shall be only of the Saints that sleep in Jesus for the dead in Christ shall rise first according to St. Pauls Doctrine 1 Thes. 4.10 and 1 Corin. 15. Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming I know there are some that will apply this Resurrection to the Resurrection of the Soul out of the grave of sin and corruption Well I shall not much controvert it but whoever I see so risen I do not question his part in the first Resurrection for it is said Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection It doth not speak of sinners but of saints which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeers but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand yeers were finished Quest But what are the rest of the dead that have not their part in this first Resurrection Answ. We have them set down in Rev. 21.8 and I am sure there is not a Saint amongst them they are the fearful and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars and where shall all these be why these shall be without for without are dogs and sorcerers Rev. 22.15 without that is without this holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven so that they shall not see that transcendent glory which will be manifested in this City a glimpse of which the Lord even now sometimes lets down into the spirits of his people that so they might with the Apostle groan for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our bodies yea he witnesseth that the whole Creation groans for this even for the manifestation of the sons of God and they that had received the first fruits of the spirit groaned also O then how shall the saints of the latter dayes that are under the great Promise of the Father groan and travel for the accomplishment of these things And surely such that are in some measure delivered into the beauty and spiritualness and glory of this glory cannot but long and desire to be unclothed that they might be cloathed upon John in this chapter saw a new heaven and a new earth which was prophesied of long before in Isa. 65.17 and there you have a description what this new Heaven and new Earth is in the 18 verse For behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a Joy A new heaven indeed when Jerusalem which now is which is in bondage with her children shall rejoyce with that Jerusalem which is above which is free and is the mother of us all which shall come downe from God out of Heaven there shall also be a new Earth for the Divell being bound up there will not be that Enmity in the hearts of Earthly men neither to the Saints nor amongst themselves but according to the Prophesie in Isa. 65. last The Lyon and the Lamb shall lie down together vers. 2. And I saw the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband John in the time of all this Revelation was in the spirit Rev. 1.10 I was in the spirit on the Lords day and all that was revealed unto him was spiritual from first to last he that readeth let him understand I saw saith he the holy City for nothing that is unholy can enter in flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God It is a City and it is a holy City and certainly this is the City which Abraham by faith looked for while he was a stranger in the Land of Promise Heb. 11.10 For he looked for a city that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God This City hath Foundations as you may see in the fourteenth verse and God is the Builder and Maker of it for it is of his Creation This holy City this new Jerusalem it is said to come down from God out of heaven doth not this plainly demonstrate unto us that the saints shall come down from heaven according as it is written The Lord thy God shall come and all the Saints with him and in Phil. 3.20 For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ this is an expectation of Christ from heaven and I see no difference between this expression and that of Christ's I am the true bread which came down from heaven now see in what manner this holy City doth come down and then consider whether it will be any way a disadvantage unto the Saints to come down from heaven for they come as a bride adorned for her husband O blessed Union all the Saints are Christs Bride the whole general Assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven they do but make up the Lambs Wife and thus she shall come adorned for her husband that is without sâ—o or wrinkle as will appear if we compare spiritual things with spiritual For here Christ doth by his spirit and word espouse us unto himself 2 Cor. 11.2 O but there is a marriage day Rev. 19.7 and then it shall be granted unto the Bride to be arrayed in fine linen clean and white which is the Righteousness of the Saints Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb Christ he is the Kings son according to Psal. 72 1. and God the Father he will institute a supper for his Sonne which is called The Mariage Supper of the Lamb a Supper that shall begin when all other suppers shall have ended this doth not any way diminish from the souls feeding upon Christ here according unto Christs words My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed but this is a supper the which all the Saints shall be called unto that they might be married unto Christ who were in this life espoused unto Christ and therefore when ye have the cry at midnight it is said Behold the Bridegroom cometh Christ comes unto his Saints as a Bridegroom in the glory of his Father and of his holy Angels the Saints they meet Christ as the Lambs wife yea as a Bride adorned for the Bridegroom that although he comes at midnight to the ungodly and to the seeming godly foolish Virgins without Christ in the world yet it is the Saints morning-Star
bare use and practise of them without the enjoyment of God in them or above the enjoyment of God without them He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists for the perfecting of the Saints and this should be the great aime and end of Saints in the use of Ordinances to presse forwards after perfection if that by any means they may attain unto the Resurrection of the dead which Paul pressed after but yet did not leave nor forsake any of the least of Gods Ordinances wherefore Return Return O Shulamite unto the stock of thy Companions Return O back-slidden Israel for God will heal thy back slidings for the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come unto Zion Isa. 35. ult. O hasten into the way of righteousnesse and get thee out of all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit before that word come out He that is filthy let him be filthy still vers. 29 He which testifieth these things saith Sâ—â—ely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus I had thought here to have concluded all but my thoughts being altered I have desired to speak a word unto all whether Saints or sinners And first unto the poor sinner Alas what is all this unto thee I will tell thee what it may be likened unto it may be likened unto a man that tells a poor Captive bondslive of a glorious Kingdom with the Liberties and Priviledges of the Subjects and the goodnesse of the Prince but all this while this poor man is in his Chains and Fetters and may cry out What is all this to me Why it may be that thou wilt say that thou doest believe all this and thou doest believe that Christ shall have a Kingdom this thou mayest believe and believe no more then the History of the Gospel and what will it profit thee to know the History of Christs reigning without thee and not be acquainted with the mystery of Christs reigning within thee it is only such as have followed Christ in the regeneration such onely as have here been made partakers of the spirit and grace of this Kingdom that shall hereafter be taken into the fruition of it Wherefore well it is to be noted that Christ said Straight is the way and narrow is the gate that leadeth unto life and few there are that finde it Truely we may say few there are â—hat seek it and of the a few many shall strive to enter in which shall not be able Should we then make this Atheistical conclusion To what purpose should we strive God forbid but as Christ saith strive therefore There are many that will bid fairly for the Kingdom but will not come to the set rare some there are that bid too little and others there are that bid too much and the last are worse then the first They that bid too little are they that would give Christ a part of their hearts but would keep the other part for the world they would cut off a left hand sin but not a right hand sin but let such know that Christ will either have all or none at all The second sort which bid too much not that any can either bid or give too much upon a right account are they that when the Gospel saith He every one that thirsteth let him come without money and without price yet these will bring something of their own and so from some qualifications within themselves would set up a Saviour of their own which is directly opposite to the minde of God in his revealed word and Oh that such would consider these two â—criptures Act. 4.12 1 Cor. 3.11 Alas were we but made sensible with the Church in Isaiah that all our Righteousness were but filthy Rags we would never willingly appear so before The King of Glory Truly poor sinners may be likened unto a company of strangers unto whom a Prince resorting makes Proclamation of a precious Pearl that is to be had onely for coming receiving it Now these strangers not believing the proclamation either first neglect to come or else further questioning his faithfulness bring with them their Country Coin which is but stones and rubbish Truly the comparison is rather too short to hold forth the free-Grace of God in Jesus Christ who hath made Proclamation Let him that will come and take of the water of Life freely Christ Jesus is both Prince and Pearl who hath made Proclamation by himself and by his Saints of himself unto poor sinners they are the strangers for so are all sinners that questioning his faithfulness will not come as Christ himself saith Ye would not come unto me that ye may have life and this is that when the Spirit of God comes it will convince the sinner of this great sin of not believing in Christ The second sort are they that undervaluing the worth of this Pearl will bring something of their own to purchase it If God the Father had set a price upon Christ for every one to pay before he should receive him ah wo had been to all poor sinners but now Christ is to be given he is not to be bought Object In Mat. 13.45 46. it is said The Merchant BOUGHT the Pearl The Parable is very significant but doth no way contradict what hath been affirmed First if we consider the Merchant in his seeking condition he is seeking goodly Pearls the young man in the Gospel comes to Christ saying Good Master What good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life and being directed but not carryed forth thereunto by the power of the love of Christ he uttrely failed but now this Merchant being directed to seek for Christ and finding of him is enlightened from above to see him to be the Pearl of great price so sells hates forsaketh all for Christ Now in his finding of him it is plain that Christ first found him as he saith Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you Mat. 4.18 32. Lord saith Peter We have left all and followed thee and Paul counted all things dung and dross and was willing to suffer the loss of all things that he might gain Christ which was onely the working of the love of Christ dwelling in him O poor sinner what is it that stands in thy way is it hills or mountains all the opposition that either sin or Satan can make against thee why behold He comes leaping over the mountains and skipping over the hills even He whom thou hast made thine Enemy first seeks for a Treaty O give Him entertainment while He knocks at the door of thy heart and say Welcom Jesus Rule and Reign in the midst of thine Enemies and let all thine Enemies be made thy Foot-stool But thou wilt say I am a very bond-slave unto my sins and corruptions why of a captive slive Christ will redeem thee and make thee his servant and canst thou desire a greater dignity then to be a servant of Jesus Christ and that Faith may have a
CHRIST shall Reign So come O Lord O quickly come The Bride shall glory then This is Saints joy that Christ shall come ALLELUIAH AMEN A POST-SCRIPT I Have now but this one thing more to acquaint the Reader withal and that is The reason why this little Treatise is brought forth into the world Know therefore all and every one unto whom this Treatise shall come That on a certain time I entered into a publique Assembly where a great Rabbi did speak against this Truth and called the Professors thereof Hereticks But this I should have minded before That as I was purposing in my heart to go in because I thought I might hear something that was good nevertheless I had this sweet Voice behind me from the Spirit of the Lord My Sheep hear my voice and a stranger they will not follow nevertheless wretched man that I was I went on and came in and while I was hearing I had great strivings and struglings in my soul whether I should speak or no one great Objection was a Declaration from the Higher Powers against the Disturbance of any publick Minister but by Experience have I learned that the truth of Christ is to be vindicated rather then the command of man obeyed But just and righteous was the Lord in that after I had grieved and resisted if not vexed his Spirit that he should leave me to mine own strength and so flesh prevailed and now at what time soever I came to present my self before the Lord the Words of Christ stuck as a Dart in my heart He that is ashamed of me and of my words in this sinful and adulterous generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in the glory of his Father and of his holy Angels And though I could not for some space of time afterwards see my sin yet now Satan helpt on to the uttermost so that I was in great fear that I was guilty of that Unpardonalle sin but the Lord that watched over my soul for good did first strengthen my faith from the consideration of the unvaluable preciousness of the blood of Christ but still unbelief was very powerful and great tumults there were in my soul yea I may say The bones of my peace were broken sometimes concluding this and sometimes that and at the same time under the guilt of another sin that lay heavy upon me and thus was I afflicted and tossed but not comforted but God that is plentiful in loving kindness visited my soul with so sweet a promise so sutable unto my condition as possibly my soul could wish for when he was working godly sorrow in my soul and gave me a sight of him whom I had pierced yea when I was mourning for the Abomination of others from Isa. 6.5 and had the sence of these sins upon my heart I cried out in my sorrow Lord whither shall I be carried away in this stream of iniquity It was immediatly whispered into my soul by the sweet and still voice of the Spirit of God My Grace is sufficient for thee And faithful is the Lord who hath fulfilled his Promise for whereas before I did finde that he had taken his holy Spirit from me and I had not the pourings forth of the Spirit of Grace and Supplication now his assisting grace was come and now I consessed my sin freely I question not but that also his accepting grace is sufficient for me and his rewarding grace in his due time even for me also on whom the Lord Jesus might have been ashamed Now therefore in the words of my dear Saviour I do counsel every one that hath an ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 2. A SONG OF PRAISE A Rise shine forth my Soul thy light is come Stand and admire at free-Grace and Love The morning-Star appears break forth O Sun With thy sweet Rayes descending from above Disperse all Clouds and gather my souls prayse My Love my Choice my Glory and my Crown O Thou who art the Ancient of dayes To Thee be Honour Power and Renown Sam. Grosvenor FINIS Mr. Kâ—â—llys