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.

Israel's Redemption.

And secondly, [ 16] because as the Prophet revealed, so he repeates the powring out of the Spirit, as a contemporary event with the wonders which shall be shewne, in the Heavens, and in the earth, before the great and terrible Day of the Lord come. Which Day can no way be referred to the first comming of Christ, when he came to save x 1.1 sinners, and not to destroy them. When he would not take upon him to be a y 1.2 Judge and Ruler over them. For then too the donation of the Spirit must have been an antecedent of his birth, of the time he lived: and not a subsequent of his death and departure, which hath no analogy with a day. It remaines then, that it is an expression of his second comming, which is called a great and terrible Day, in regard of the generall destruction which shall be brought on all Nations, that oppose themselves against the Jews at that time. For in mount Zion, and in Hierusalem (as you have heard) shall be deliverance, and in the Remnant whom the Lord shall call.

M^r Petrie's Answer.

1. Joel saith not, that the powring out of the Spirit shall not be til the great and terrible day of the Lord come, but he shewes so many things preceding the comming of our Saviour: neither may we thinke that all these things shall be fulfilled in the same juncture of time; if all be accomplished, even in sever all times, the prophecy abides true. 2. That day or time was terrible: for it is written, Act. 2.6. the multi∣tude came together and were confounded or troubled in minde, because that every man heard them in his owne language, and they were all ama••ed and marvelled; & verse 22. a man approved among you by miracles, wonders, and sigues. Whereby, it is mani∣sest that even to the sight of these Jews that time of Christ's comming was terrible, albeit his second comming shall be more terrible in regard

of the generall destruction, which shall be on all Nations, not for op∣posing themselves against the Jews (as they imagine) but for their not acknowledging God, and not obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 1.8.

Reply.

1. Now you tell us [that Joel saith not, that the powring of the Spirit shall not be til the great and terrible Day of the Lord come.] Nei∣ther have we said he doth; for had he said so, the Spirit could not at that time have been powred on the Apostles. But yet Joel saith that that particular powring out of the Spirit of which he speaks, is to be a figne of the neere approach of that terrible Day; and therefore cannot til that time be accomplisht. Although then we thinke not, that all the things which Joel speaks of [are to be fulfilled in the same juncture or moment of time;] yer we thinke, that they shall be all accomplisht in a very short time. But to say that one of these things shall be accomplisht in one age, and anotherin the next, or some hundreds of yeares after, and so of the rest, is to make the word of God of none effect. For Joel speakes of these things as immediately to ensue, if not to contemporate with each other: and speaks but of one powring out of the Spirit; and that also to be a forerunner of the Day of Christ's second comming: and therefore it can be but once fulfilled, and that onely in its proper season.

2. But you will make good all that you have said by and by. For the Day of our Saviou's first comming [was terrible, you say. And that because, it is written Act. 2.6. The multitude came together and were confounded, because every man heard them speake in his owne language, and they were all amazed and marvelled, and verse 22. a man approved amongst you by miracles, wonders, and signes.] And did this make him terrible? what then could make him comfortable? If to save sinners, to cast out Devils, to raise the dead, to open the eyes of the blinde, the eares of the deafe, to loose the tongues of the dumbe, the feet of the lame, to heale the lunaticke, and them that had palsies, in a word, to cure all diseases, did terrify the Jews, what could he doe to make his presence delightfull unto them? O what a terrible message the Angel came with, when he said, Behold, I bring you tydings of great joy, which shall be to all people, * 1.3 for unto you is borne this day in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord! O what a terrible noise was made, when a mu••i∣tude

of heavenly Spirits praised God, saying, Glory to God in the Highest, on earth peace, * 1.4 good will towards men! O what terrible doings there were, when Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their Synagognes, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, * 1.5 and healing all manner of sicknes, and all manner of diseases among the people! O what a terrible fight it was, when so many thousands of hungry soules were fed with five loaves and two fishes! These were wonders indeed; but all things that are wonderfull, c 1.6 are not terrible, but such onely as are either punishments, or signes of punishments: otherwise though they cause amazement at the first, as surpassing the reach of natu∣rall causes, yet being intended for man's good, they occasion glad∣nesse and not feare, unlesse it be a pious feare, which well consi•••••• with joy in the Holy Ghost. For shame then recall this doctrine, and thinke not to make any one beleeve, that the sicke person will be afraid to heare of his health, or the condemned prisoner of his pardon; and til you can doe this, perswade not your selfe, that you can prove our Saviour's presence terrible in the Day of his humiliation, wherein he was approved for so many signes, miracles, and wonders, wrought onely to make men lay hold on the meanes of their eternall happines. And if the history of these things be so wonderfully pleasant unto us, what was the performance to such as saw them, and the benefit of the miracles to such as felt the vertue of them? You goe on, and say [that the time of Christ's second-com∣ming shall be more terrible then his first was. And surely the great destroyers of the earth should else have greatest cause to climbe up to the tops of the mountaines to meet him first, (if such a thing might be) as rayling Shimei was the first of al the house of Benjamin that met King David in his returne after Absoloms conspiracy; and no need at all, to call for the mountains to hide them from his pre∣sence. But you will not have that day accounted terrible in regard of a generall destruction to be brought on the Nations, for oppo∣sing the Jews, but for their not acknowledging God, and not obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, as it is in the 2 Thess. 1.8. and had you confirmed this by shewing, that the Nations should not at that time oppose the Jews; you had said the whole truth; but seeing you have not, and indeed could not doe this (for the prophecies following doe shew the contrary) you have affirm'd one halfe of the truth to exclude the other halfe of it. And there∣fore

you must give us leave not onely to imagine, but to beleeve, that the foresaid destruction shall be for both: that those, I say, which shall then oppose the Jews, shall be the very same which the Apostle here speakes of under another notion, and in other termes. For though Christians may not, yet faith we know shall then be very scarse amongst the Gentiles, as our Saviour hath said of them, Luk. 18. verse 8.

Notes

• x 1.1

  Luk. 19.56. ch. 19.10. Ioh. 12.97.
• y 1.2

  Luk. 12.14. Ioh. 6.15.
• * 1.3

  Luk. 2.10.11.
• * 1.4

  ver. 13 14.
• * 1.5

  Mat. 4.23.
• c 1.6

  ch. 14.23.