Christs personall reigne on earth, one thousand yeares with his saints the manner, beginning, and continuation of his reigne clearly proved by many plain texts of Scripture, and the chiefe objections against it fully answered, explaining the 20 Revelations and all other Scripture-prophecies that treat of it : containing a full reply to Mr. Alexander Petrie ... who wrote against ... Israels redemption / by Robert Maton.

Preface.

Thirdly, the elect Jewes did not rest upon the Mosaicall Types, but all the Prophets gave witnesse unto Christ, that through his Name, who∣soever beleeves in him shall receive remission of sinnes, Act. 10.43. they beleeved that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ they should be saved even as we, Act. 15.11. in this faith they died, Heb. 11.13. I say this Faith, because as Faith is one in respect of the object, Eph. 4.5. So the Apostle declares our Faith by the example of the an∣cients. Neither did they rest on the promises as on earthly, but they desi∣red a better Countrey, that is, an heavenly, Heb. 11.16. and when they were tortured, they would not accept deliverance from their torments, that they might obtaine a better resurrection, v. 35. was that an earth∣ly hope? no; they believed the redemption of their soules by the Messias, Psal. 34.22. that he was to be wounded for their transgressions, and bruised for their iniquities, and the chastisement of their peace was to be upon Him, and that they were to be healed by his stripes. Esa. 53.5. and Simeon waiting for the consolation of Israel, when he saw him, blessed God, and said, Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace,—for my eyes have seen thy salvation. Luk. 2.29. He craves not longer life to reign with Christ on Earth, but was content to depart having seen the salvation of God, the light of the Gentiles, and glory of Israel.

Answer.

The elect Jewes, you say, did not rest upon the Mosaicall types, neither doubtlesse did all the non elect Jewes rest upon them: but having the knowledge of the true meanes of their salvation, did many of them seemingly, though not savingly, embrace it. And what though the elect Jewes did believe the remission of their sins, and the redemption of their soules by Christ; and that he was to be wounded for their transgressions, and bruised for their iniqui∣ties, &c. and dyed in this Faith, and could not be forc't to for∣sake it by any torments? Did they therefore believe no more then this? Did they therefore not believe that Christ should reigne with them, as well as suffer for them? nor that they should reign with him, as well as suffer with him? what! shall we think that they were not to reigne on Earth, because 'tis said in these texts; that they beleeved the remission of their sinnes, and the salvation

of their soules after their departure? Certainly wee are taught otherwise. Verily I say unto you, that yee which have followed mee, in the regeneration, when the Sonne of man shall sit on the Throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Israel, said our Saviour to his Disciples, Matth. 19. ver. 28. In which words there is their reigne, Ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And the time of their reigne, said to be, first, in the regeneration, that is, in the time, when the sinnes of the Jewes shall be blotted out: in the time when Christ shall come and turne away ungodlinesse from Jacob, as St. Paul writes, Rom. 11. ver. 26. and secondly, which is coincident with this, when the Sonne of man shall sit on the Throne of his glory. That is, when Christ himselfe shall come to reigne: when at the last Trumpet, the King∣domes of this world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Christ. This is the Masters voyce, and the voyce of his servants is like unto it. If we suffer, we shall also reigne with him, saith St. Paul, 2 Tim. 2. v. 12. and chapter 4. ver. 8. Henceforth there is layd up for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to mee onely, but to them also that love his appearing. And Rev. 5. ver. 10. Thou hast made us un∣to our God Kings and Priests, and we shall reigne on Earth, saith St. John. Now the first of these texts shewes, that the Saints shall be Kings; the second, when they shall be Kings, to wit, at Christs appearing, when they shall receive their Crownes. And the third (besides this) shewes where they shall be Kings, to wit, on Earth. I say besides this, for it shewes expressely also, that they shall be Kings: and infallibly too, when they shall be Kings; seeing it is said, and we shall reigne on earth. Which propheticall words doe sig∣nifie unto us, a reign that the Saints should enjoy on Earth, and not a reigne that they did then enjoy, and consequently, a reigne to follow their resurrection, and not to goe before it. And when the Apostle H••b. 11. ver. 14.15.16. doth alledge this as a reason, to shew that the Patriarchs did desire an Heavenly Countrey, to wit, because they did not returne to the Countrey from whence they came out, which they might have done if they would; what Countrey is this heavenly Countrey so likely to be, as the Land of Canaan which they did expect to possesse, when they and it should be restor'd to an heavenly condition? for doubtlesse had Heaven it

selfe been meant by the heavenly Countrey, which the Apostle here speaks of, they might as well have obtain'd the joyes of Heaven in their owne Countrey (where their predecessors had obtain'd them) if they had returned thither, as they could in that, where they lived as Pilgrims. But seeing Christ was promised to be their seed, and the Land of Canaan to them and their seed for a peculiar possession, they could not leave that Land, and returne to their Countrey, with any confidence to be made partakers of the bles∣sings which God had promised to bestow on them and their seed in Canaan onely, and for the expectation of the accomplish∣ment of which promise, he had cald them out of their owne Countrey, to live as strangers in that. I say, they could not returne to their countrey, salvâ fide, with a firme and sted∣fast faith in the promises, made, and to be fulfilled unto them in the land, whither God had cal'd them: although otherwise they had opportunity to have done it: although they had no out∣ward and worldly hinderance, and inconvenience to keepe them from returning. So that the Apostle doth here set forth unto us the faith of all the Patriarchs, as he did before, the faith of Abraham onely, verse 8.9.10. to wit, in this, because through the hope they had, that they should after receive that place for an inheritance, they chose rather to live as strangers in it at that time, when they were liable to the injuries and hostility of the Canaanites, then to returne to their owne Countrey, where with their kindred and ac∣quaintance, they might have lived in more outward security, and contentment. And it is observeable, that the Apostle calls not this their desire, [an earthly hope,] as you terme the Saints hope to raigne on earth, but an Heavenly hope, a desire of an Heavenly coun∣trey. And well might he call that land an Heavenly countrey, which as Ezekiel foreshews chap: 36. verse. 35. shall become like the garden of Eden, and in which the glorified Saints and Christ himself (on whom the Angels shall visibly ascend and descend) shalbe inhabi∣tants. And well might he call Jerusalem also, in relation to the time in which it is to be restored under Christ, a * 1.1 City whose builder

and maker is God, verse. 10. because as it shalbe rebuilt by Christ, so it shalbe built according to the figure and platforme, which God himself hath described by Ezekiel. And this may suffice here to shew how perversly you call this hope of the Saints [an eartly hope] and how frivolously you seeke to destroy this hope, by such texts as mention their beleif of the forgivenesse of their sins, and of our Saviours suffering for sin: and their desire to depart out of this world: and their dying in the faith; as if this were all the happi∣nesse of the Saints that is revealed unto us in the Scriptures; where∣as this is to precede their resurrection, and their resurrection to pre∣cede their raigne, and their raigne to precede their highest glory, in the new Jerusalem. And besides this, you give the Reader notice, how apt you are to wrest the Scriptures, by the plaine conversion, which you have made of the text, Acts. 15. verse 11. for you apply it to the Jewes under the Law, saying, they beleeved that through the grace of our lord Jesus Christ, they should be saved, even as we, when as S^t. Peter saith, Wee beleeve, that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shalbe saved, even as they, and so shews the Jewes un∣der the Gospell, that they should as well be saved by faith in Christ, without the ceremonies of the Law; as their Fathers had been by this faith under the ceremonies of the Law: and the text, Psal. 34. verse 22. which you apply to the redemption of the faithfull from etternall torments by the death of the Messias; is meant of Gods delivering of them, out of temporal calamities and afflictions, as the foregoing verses doe plainely shew. And lastly your argument touching old Simeon, [that he craved no longer life, to raigne with Christ on earth] doth make as much against his beliefe of Christs spirituall, as his personall raigne, and against his beliefe of Christs suffering, as against either of these: and surely though he prayed to depart, because it was revealed unto him, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ; yet the testimony he gave of Christ, that he should be the glory of his people Israel, (which doth as well intimate the generall conversion of the Jewes, and Christs raigning amongst them, as his being a light to lighten the Gentiles, doth imply the conversion of the Gentiles) this testimony, I say, doth shew, that Simeon did hope to live againe, to raigne with Christ; although he did then desire to depart, having seen him. And to this hope of the Saints, as well as to the hope of the

glory, which shall follow their reigne, S^t. Paul alludes, when he saith, that others of the faithfull Jewes, were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtaine a better resurrection.

Notes

• * 1.1

  This I con∣ceive to be the meaning of these words, although in my note. page 47. I have referred it to the new Jerusalem; the City not made with hands. For I see not why Abraham sojourning in the Land of Promise, should be a more forcible Argument, of his looking for Heaven, then if he had remained in his owne Countrey.