ground for this see Isa. 61.1 Paul the chiefest of the Apostles glorieth in this that he was the servant of Jesus Christ Rom. 1.1 and when once thou art the servant of Jesus Christ it will no longer then be thy complement unto men Your Servant Sir for Saints are bought with a price that they might not be the servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 Another it may be will say I have been an Enemie unto Christ and to his Wayes and to his People truly this is a very bad condition yet Christ makes Friends of Enemies all sinners are Enemies but God commended his love unto us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us therefore it is high time for thee to see that thou lovest aright and hatest aright if thou lovest rightly thou lovest God if thou hatest rightly thou hatest the world See what James saith Jam. 4.4 Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God And John saith Love not the world nor the things of the world If any man love the world either the lusts of the flesh or the pride of life or the lust of the eyes the love of the Father is not in him Saints do not thus learn Christ who hath said If any man will be my Disciple let him take up his Cross and follow me Of a vagabond stranger thou mayst be an adopted Son of a Begger a King and therefore seek not after the Kingdoms of this world but rather profess as once the Captain of our Salvation did before Pilat My Kingdom is not of this world I shall conclude all that I have to say with that good word of the Apostle Peter in Act. 2.36 Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Peter so preached Christ that he got three thousand souls at that time in the Net of the Gospel a good example for the Ministers of the Word to take pattern by And we shall finde that he preached unto them of the visible Kingdom of Christ as you may see vers. 30. Knowing that God had sworn with an Oath to him that of the fruit of his loynes according to the flâ—sh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne A Scripture it is so full to the truth that neither all the Sathan-like transformed Angelical light on the one side or all Political Philosophical light on the other side shall be able to deceive the truly-enlightened Soul Now therefore I intreat you unto whom this shall come that ye receive it in the love of it and marvail noâ— that ye cannot hear these things from the Great Doctors and Rabbies and Clergy men of this our age for it is the Fathers good pleasure to hide these things from the wife and from the prudent But wo unto them for their judgment is at band as it is written The wisdom of their wise men shall perish And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid Isa. 29 14. The Lord give thee an understanding heart to try whether these things be so or no AMEN I would now willingly also commend something unto such as are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints even unto as many as are preserved in Christ Jesus which have received the White Stone which none knowes but he that receiveth it That you would shew forth the Vertues of Him that hath called you and hath translâ—â—ed you out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of his marvellous light I cannot but cry out with the Apostle What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy câ—nversations and Godliness O it becomes us that look for Christ from heaven to have our conversation in heaven certainly the knowledg of this truth should makeus to trample upon the world the glory thereof as base contemptible and to content our selves in the worst of conditions in the quiet hope patient waiting of our Lord from heaven Surely the coming of Christ cannot but yield very much comfort unto the soul that is assured of its interest in Christ Are Saints the Stewards of Christ then let them know that their Lord and Master will return and call them to an account and blessed is the servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall finde so doing Are Saints the Spouse of Christ the Bride of that blessed Bridegroom then let them know that whatever their afflictions may be in this world yet their loving husband will return from his long journey and put an end to all and let not the Saints expect their full deliverance until he come but rather persecution and suffering while the world stands for he hath said In the world re shall have trouble and through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom and therefore it is our duty to arm our selves with the same minde For if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him Christ Himself hath shewn us the way and we are called by His Name O let u follow his footsteps And surely it doth highly concern us to look to it that as Christ fore warn'd us we be not overtaken with surseiting and druâ—kenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon us unawares we shall hardly win the race if our hearts be loaded with the things of this world and they will so lull us asleep that we shall endanger our selves to be found sleeping at Christs coming and therefore how doth it become the Saints at this day to be provoking one another to love and to good works exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching O let us consider that our Lord is a Person of such Highness and Excellency that he deserves our waiting for Him for he is the King of kings and Lord of lords It is but bring faithful unto the death and enduring unto the end the battel is but once to be sought and the race is but once to be run but yet the Lord knows that without his sufficient grace we shall not overcome and therefore how doth it concern us to take the oyl of the grace and spirit of God into out Lamps lest when the bridegroom cometh we should be found wanting but rather to shine as lights set upon an hill and as Bees sucking Honey from this precious flowery Truth from which so many spiders have suck'd poison as if History may be believed some out of a notion of this Kingdom to be but meer earthly and for sensual delights have run out into all manner of licentiousness and the devil hath made great use of it against the truth and no doubt but he will do still but what faith the Apostle We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth but truly with shame let it be confessed we do much in these dayes against the truth
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
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