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.

Mr. Petrie's Answer.

To the thinking of any judicious Reader the words of the same verse may lead us unto another interpretation: for he is speaking there not of the doings of the Jews, but of their enemies, whom he calleth daughter of troups; and he shews what these enemies shall do, they shall gather themselves in troups, and lay siege against us (saith the Praphet) that is, the Jews, and they shall smite the Judge of Israel upon the cheek: which is a proverbiall phrase, as Psal. 3.8. and signifieth to intreat shamefully. Now seeing the Prophet speaks there of the enemies

laying siege against the Jews, and smiting their Judge, these words can∣not be unde stood of the smiting of Christ, albeit it be true that the Jews did smite him. In the second ver. he comforts the Jews against the fear of that calamity, with a promise of a more powerfull Ruler. Then by her that travaileth, ver. 3. the same Prophet gives us to understand another thing then the calling of the Gentiles; Ch: 4.10. Be in pain, and la∣bour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in tra∣vail. And who may not think, that the same Prophet repeating the same words in the same prophecy understandeth the same persons? that is, the Jews, and not the Gentiles, unlesse we understand the daughter of Zion spiritually. And therefore this Exposition not agreeing with the text, all that follows upon it hath no ground in the text. It is said v. 3. Then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the chil∣dren of Israel: here the children of Israel are distinguished from his brethren, and the brethren are said to return: which is a plain interpreta∣tion, that the Prophet speaks not there of the Jewish Monarchy, but that the Gentiles shall adjoyn themselves unto the Church of God, as they be called the brethren of Christ. Hebr. 2.11, 12.

Reply.

Did you not say but now, [that every ground of faith is reveal'd more clearly in the New Testament then in the Old?] and did you not speak it to make the Reader beleeve, that there can be no evi∣dent Scripture in the Prophets, to prove the Jewish Monarchy; because as you say (and would have him conceive) there is no clear text for it in the writings of the Apostles? And why then did you onely name the verses of this prophecy, as if you had been afraid to utter the text it self? Certainly it was no other∣wise. For you took the word [therefore] in the 3. ver. to be like the bad herbe in the Prophets pottage, which spoiled the taste of all the rest: and so omitted the rehearsing of the text, part∣ly that the Reader might take no notice of your letting of it slip in your Comment, the independency whereof this [there∣fore] would have discovered: and partly that he might not see the coherence of mine. But let's compare our paraphrases to∣gether. Now gather thy self together, and make thy best resistance, O populous Nation: for the Lord will certainly bring a siege against thee, because of thy contumelious behaviour towards the Judge of Israel, even the great Ruler that Bethleem Ephratah shall bring forth unto thee;

whem thy children shall smite, and deliver up unto death: and for this offence will the Lord give them up both to captivity and infidelity, untill the Church of those Gentiles, which during the time of thy blindnesse shall be taken into thy roome, hath brought forth all her children: and then again shall the remaining Israelites return both unto the faith, and inheritance of the ancient Israelites. Thus I, and You as follow∣eth. Gather your selves together, ye numerous enemies of the Jews, and lay siege against them, and smite and abuse their Rulers, but yet, O ye Jews, be of good comfort, and regard not this calamity which is coming on you, for you shall have a more powerfull Ruler then ever you had, born in Bethleem Ephrata: and therefore you shall be given into the enemies hand, and carried away captives into Babylon, there to remain, untill the daughter of Zion, who shall be in pain and labour to bring forth like a woman in travail, shall be delivered there of them, whom the Lord shall redeem from the hand of their enemies, and bring into their own land. And then shall the Gentiles adjoyn themselves to the Jews, and both shall become one Church. And now, good Reader, (utrum horum mavis, accipe) either follow me in a smooth and plain way, wherein no truth here foretold, and since accomplisht, or to be accomplisht, is crost, or conceal'd. Or else follow Mr. Petrie, who leads thee athwart so many rubs and stumbling blocks. For first he gives thee a [therefore] without a [wherfore] a punish∣ment without the intimation of any transgression. And second∣ly, he makes the Jews, that were to be given up: and She that travaileth in the time of their giving up, to be one people: which is so unlikely, that his comparing of this phrase, with that which is spoken in the 4. Ch: v. 10. will not prove it. For although they be the words of the same Prophet, yet they are not in the same particular prophecy, and therefore not fit to interpret each other, unlesse there were withall, some other circumstance to confirm it. Neither is it likely, that the tra∣vailing where it is said of the daughter of Zion expresly, be in pain and labour to bring forth like a woman in travail, is meant of such a travailing, as that is meant of, where no such pains are spoken of. And thirdly, he affirms against the plain history of Gods Word, that upon the coming back of the Jews from Babylon, the Gentiles were called to the faith of Christ; for of them he understands [the remnant of his brethren.]

Whose return was immediately to succeed [the time of her that was to travail] which he applyes to Zions travailing in Pabylon. And lastly, by interpreting the [remnant of his breth en] of the converted Gentiles, shews his willingn sse to take away all fu∣ture hope of the National conversion of the Jews Whereas [the remnant of his brethren] here, being the same with [the remnant of Jacob, in the 5. and 8. ver.] and with [the remnant of Iseael, Ch: 2. v. 12.] is meant onely of the elect Israelites that should be con∣verted to the Christian faith, after the conversion of the surro∣gated Gentiles, as Christ himself, Matth. 24. v. 22. and St. Paul, R••m. 9. v. 27. and Ch. 11. v. 28 do expound it. And consequent∣ly by her that travaileth here, cannot be meant, the daughter of Zions travailing in Babylon, to which the Jews return from that captivity did put an end. Neither will it follow, as Mr. Petric would have it, that by the [remnant of his brethren] here are meant the Gentiles, because they are distinguished from the [children of Israel] for how are they distinguished? Surely not in respect of their stock and naturall descent (which would indeed have shew'd them to have been a different people, had they been thus distinguished) but onely in respect of the distinct times of their calling; the [children of Ifrael] here comprehend∣ing all such Israelites as were then departed, or should after∣wards depart in the true faith of Christ, before the casting off of that Nation (before the giving of it up to a generall capti∣vity and infidelity) and the receiving of the Gentiles in their stead: and [the remnant of his brethren] comprehending all the faithfull Israelites, whose conversion is presently to follow the accomplisht conversion of the substituted Gentiles. And be∣sides, seeing the Babylonish captivity, whither the Jews were carried away captives for their idolatry, is foretold in the 4. Ch: at the 9. and 10. ver. why should we think, that here again the same captivity is threatned, and not rather (as some Ex∣positors say) their captivity by the Rom••ns for crucifying their Saviour, with the story of whose ••••••e usage amongst them, th•• words of the Prophet do so panct••••••lly agree? For they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, saith Mi••ah, v. 1. And when they had blindfolded him, they st••••k him on the face, and asked him, saying, propheste who is it that smote thee? saith

L••ke 22. v. 64. which wo•••••• you have craftily conceal'd: and the words of S. Paul also 〈…〉〈…〉 25. alledged to shew that by [She which travaileth] is meant the calling of the substituted Gentiles. And yet for all this, as i•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were plain on your side; and nothing so on ours, you 〈…〉〈…〉 conclude [therefore this Exposition not agreeing with the text, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that fellows upon it, hath no grou••d in the text.] Of which, now the matter hath been plead∣ed on by both, let the indifferent judge.