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.

M^r Petrie's Answer.

1. That these words are not meaned of the temporall Monarchy after Christ's comming, it may be learned by the paralleld text where it is sait•• And for my owne part I am perswaded that this great Army he•• spoken of, is the very same that shall be gathered together to the battle of the great Day of God Almighty by the three unclear•• spirits like frogs, which St. Iohn saw come out of the mouth o•• the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the false Prophet; Rev. 1••.13. If he be perswaded, that this is the same battle, he might like••••••••

be perswaded, that the text of Joel 3. is not after the comming of Christ; nor immediately at his comming, for that battle is in the time of the sixt vial, after which follows another vial and time of trouble mentioned in the rest of that chap. of the Revel.

2. We may be perswaded that the gathering of the Nations Joel 3.2. is not to be understood of a battle after the comming or at the comming of Christ, if we consider the words of the first verse. for behold in these dayes and in that time &c. He knitteth this chap. with the preceding, and shewes the contents of both to be at the same time: which is not any particular yeare or age, but comprehends the whole deliverance of Israel or people of God, which was begun, when the captive Jews were brought from Babylon, and continues til Christ's second comming, as if the Pro∣phet had said, When the Lord shall deliver his people, it shall not be a short and moment any deliverance, but this protection shall continue til he have avenged him of all the enemies of his Church. As for the Name of the valley of Jehoshaphat, there is no necessity to understand thereby the valley of blessing, 2 Chro. 20.26. seeing that valley never hath this name in the Scripture: neither is it possible that all the Nations of the world can conveen in that place: but the name may rather be taken ap∣pellatively for the valley of God's judgement, as the Hebrew word imports, and the words following allude thereunto: whereby the Prophet teacheth us to consider the etymologie of the Name: and neverthelesse he would have us to consider the gracious deliverance of Jehoshaphat, that he will as certainly deliver his people in all ages, as he did Jehoshaphat. And this is a more glorious trophee, then if any one Nation were kept a thou∣sand yeares in worldly prosperity.

Reply.

1. My words doe shew, that this prophecy of Joel, cannot be meant of the time of Christ's Judging the dead (when they shall be all called out of their graves) as it is commonly expounded; and that because it speakes of the gathering together of a great Army against the Jews; but not after Christ's comming (which opinion you falsely attribute to me) although against his comming, as the parallel prophecy Rev. 16. at the 12, 13, 14. ver. doth shew, for that Army is to be gathered into Armageddon in the time of the sixth vial, and to be destroy'd at the powring out of the seventh vial, by our Saviour and his Heavenly Host, as the 15. ver. of the same chap. and the latter part of the 19. chap. of the Rev. from ver. the 11. &c. doe plainly declare.

2. That which you here begin with was the ground of the former part of your answer, but on what ground I know not; for I deny that this prophecy doth speake of a battle after Christ's comming, albeit I doe affirme, that our Saviour's comming shall be when this great Army is gathered together against the Jews as ready to destroy them. And your shewing the coherence of this chapter with the precedent, doth make more against you then you are aware of, for it is remarkeable, that you rightly conclude from hence, [that the Prophet shewes the contents which I have urged out of both (being in the Hebrew all in one chapter) to be at the same time.] And yet you say presently after [that this same time is not any par∣ticular yeare or age, but comprehends all the time from the Jews returne from Babylon to the second comming of Christ] which is as if you had said, This particular time, is not a particular time, but many par∣ticular times; yea thousands of particular times. This same time, is not the same time, but more then the same time: yea as much more then the same time, as is from the Jews returne from Babylon to this same time. For the text in the originall points emphatically to one particular time, as the seperate pronounes (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) subjoyn'd to their substantives with the praefix 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doe shew. So that it is as if the Prophet had said, In those selfe same dayes, and in that very time, in which I shall bring againe the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all Nations, &c. And besides, how I pray can the signes, that are to be shewed more often then any man knows: or in any part of so large a time as you speake of (all which your exposition grants) foreshew the neernesse of the terrible Day of the Lord? which yet is the onely end of the won∣ders, that Joel saith shall be shewed, in the Heavens and in the earth at that time. For our Saviour Mat. 24. Luk, 21. speaks of the same darkening of the Sun and Moone that the Prophet doth: and if his word may be taken, these signes shall as infallibly shew the neere approach of his second comming, as the shooting forth of the leaves of the figgtree doth shew that the summer is nigh at hand. And thus the emphasis of the Hebrew text, and our Savi∣our's intimation of the true extent of the time betwixt these signes and his appearing (the accomplishment of which signes you con∣fesse to be at the time of the deliverance which the Prophet fore∣tels) doth both discover how notoriously false your exposition of the [same time] is. And therefore the sense which you by this means

would thrust upon the prophet must needs be your owne like∣wise, and not the Prophet's. For the Prophet speakes here but of one Army, and the parallel prophecy Rev. 16. speakes but of one Army, and Ezek. who foreshewes the same battle, speakes but of one Army, and they all say that the Iews onely are to be opposed by this Army, and that a sudden destruction shall come on this Army; and consequently the deliverance here spoken of, is to be short and sudden, and the people to be delivered by it, are the Jews: And so here is nothing at all touching God's special prote∣ction of his Church in all ages, or of many deliverances, but here is an extraordinary Judgement foreshewing the dreadfull over∣throw and downefall of all the enemies of the Jews, and the then faithfull Christians. And as concerning the place where this Army is to be gathered together, this is chiefely to be taken notice of, that the prophecy speaking but of one Army, it can be meant but of one place, and that to be in the land of Judea, whither the Nations shall come up against the Jews shortly upon their returne, as the valley of Jehoshaphat here doth intimate, and Ezek. doth plainly declare. Neither is the doubt you bring, about the possibi∣lity of so many Nations meeting together in one place, of any con∣sequence; For it is not usuall for a people wholly to leave their owne countrey when they invade their enemies land (for that were the ready way to lose their owne land and to starve them∣selves) but to send forth such a strength, as they may well raise and maintaine, and the Prophet here calls for their men of war, and their mighty men; but not for all the men of these Nations, much lesse for all the people of these Nations: and who knows not, that many hundred thousands may against the time of a battle be drawne together within the space of a few miles? and at once to overthrow so mighty an Army as the Prophets speake of, and thereupon to make all that are left of the Nations willing∣ly to submit themselves as tributaries to the Jews; and to settle not onely one Nation, but the whole world in a godly peace and prosperity for a thousand yeares after, will doubtlesse set forth the Justice, mercy, and power of God in a more glorious and won∣derfull manner, then all the victories of Christians or Protestants put together, can doe. Yea it will even abolish the memory of all the miraculous victories and benefits, which God hath wrought

for the Jews themselves, since the time, that they grew up into a Nation. And yet you feare not to say, that this generall and ex∣traordinary deliverance, and exemption from future calamities, will not so much declare Gods glory, as their particular delive∣rances in former ages doe.