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A DISSERTATION ON THE INTRODUCTION AND GLORY OF THE MILLENNIUM. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, A Discourse on the TWO WITNESSES.

By ABRAHAM CUMMINGS, A. M.

"We look for the resurrection of the flesh and the thousand years."

JUSTIN MARTYR.

Published according to Act of Congress.

BOSTON: Printed by MANNING & LORING. 1797.

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CONTENTS.

  • A DISCOURSE on the Two Witnesses Page 5
  • I. Who the Witnesses are Page 6
  • II. What the Plagues are with which they smite the Earth Page 13
  • III. What is meant by their Smiting the Earth as often as they will Page 19
  • Dissertation on the Millennium. Preliminaries Page 1
  • CHAP. I. THE PLAN OF THE SUBJECT PROPOSED AND EX­PLAINED Page 4
  • CHAP. II. THE MILLENNIUM A NEW GENERAL DISPENSATION OF GRACE Page 11
  • SECT. I. There will be a State of Imperfection among Mankind in the Millennium Page 13
  • SECT. II. The Millennium introduced by Christ's personal Appearance Page 16
  • SECT. III. The next Conflagration not universal Page 41
  • SECT. IV. The Millennium introduced by the cor­poreal Resurrection of the Saints Page 52
  • CHAP. III. WHEREIN THE GLORY OF THE MILLENNIUM SHALL CONSIST Page 73
  • SECT. I. The Church Militant in the Millennium will enjoy a New Revelation Page 73
  • SECT. II. The Millennium rendered glorious by New Heavens and a New Earth Page 78
  • SECT. III. Of the Salvation of the Jews in the next Dispensation Page 85
  • SECT. IV. The Third Dispensation a glorious Ex­hibition of Christ's Kingly Character Page 98
  • MISCELLANEOUS CONCLUSION Page 116
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A DISCOURSE ON THE TWO WITNESSES.

REVELATION xi. 6.

THESE HAVE POWER TO SHUT HEAVEN IN THE DAYS OF THEIR PROPHECY, AND HAVE POWER OVER WATERS TO TURN THEM INTO BLOOD, AND TO SMITE THE EARTH WITH ALL PLAGUES AS OFTEN AS THEY WILL.

ALREADY I hear the objection, "What proper employment has the speaker here in these deep waters, where so many have sounded and found no bottom?" But such an objector would do well to consider, that the book before us is the book of reve­lation, and not of concealment. In the time of the prophet Daniel, it was closed up and sealed with seven seals, and so was to continue till the time of the end. Behold now is the time of the end, and one seal is taken off after another by the wondrous works of Di­vine Providence! And even the seventh seal [Page 6]is now opening by the concurrent explana­tion of present expositors. Hence the knowl­edge of this part of scripture increases from age to age. The book of Revelation was not put into our hands for no purpose: It is a greater benefit to us than to those in former ages: It was written more especially for our learning on whom the ends of the world are come: And he is pronounced blessed, who reads and hears the words of this prophecy, (Rev. i. 3) and keeps the sayings which are written therein, which fairly implies that we should labour to understand what we read and hear. But on the other hand, we should be careful to maintain Christian modesty, and not pronounce, too positively where there is but feeble evidence; and a sense of our mental imbecility should be joined with a spirit of prayer, that Christ, would open our understandings to understand the scriptures. Infinite Mercy grant this humility and light, while it is considered,

Who these are, which have power to shut heaven and to smite the earth.

What those plagues are with which they smite the earth. And

What is meant by their smiting the earth as often as they will.

1. Who are these which have power to shut heaven, and to smite the earth?

[Page 7] We fine by the chapter that they are two prophets, two witnesses, two candlesticks, and two olive trees, which stand before the God of the earth. And here we must re­member that the scripture is the interpreter of itself: There are, perhaps, few passages of scripture, which have not a key for them, if we can tell where to find it and how to improve it. Let us then inquire whether a key may not be found for the particular passage in view. These two witnesses are the two candlesticks, says the context: But what are the two candlesticks? is the next inquiry. Look in Zech. iv. 2, 6. 'And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps which are upon the top thereof; and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel, What are these, my lord? Then he answered and spake unto me saying. This is the word of the Lord, &c.' * i. e. this candle­stick, with the things, which accompany it, is the word of the Lord. The word of the Lord, we know, is the inspired scripture. There­fore this candlestick must be, that which is now the inspired scripture, and so the two candlesticks must be the two scriptures, the old Testament and the New. Zechariah [Page 8]saw but one candlestick; for in his time there was but one Testament revealed; but John discovers two; for then both Testaments were revealed; both candlesticks were light­ed up.

The two olive trees may perhaps signify Joshua and Zerubbabel, as types of the law and gospel. For as Joshua and Zerubbabel were two great instruments in the hand of Christ to build the second temple; so are the law and gospel for building the antitype of the second temple, which is the church of the living God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

Oil is the scripture emblem of the effusions of the Spirit. And as the oil of the two olive trees was poured into the bowl of the candlestick and lighted up all the seven lamps; so all the essential spiritual truths, which partake of the nature both of the law and gospel, were by the Holy Spirit poured into one Old Testament, and constituted a perfect light. For though the Old Testa­ment was a light shining in a dark place, yet it was a perfect one; it contained both the law and the gospel; it contained all that was necessary to practise or believe in order to salvation; and both Testaments substantially contain no more. While Zechariah saw one candlestick, he beheld two olive trees, and while John saw two candlesticks, he beheld no more than two olive trees.

[Page 9] As to the seven lamps, seven we know is the number of perfection. The Lamb has seven eyes and seven horns, perfect wisdom and perfect power. So these seven lamps signify the perfect light of the scriptures; for thy word, says David, is a light unto my feet and a lamp to my path, and the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

That these two witnesses, prophesying in sackcloth, must signify the Old and New Testament, will further appear, if we consid­er the main design of this book of Revelation, which was to support and comfort the church wading through Pagan and Popish persecu­tions, and to promise her a complete deliver­ance from all her dangers. Now, one of the greatest dangers to which the church was ex­posed in those dark times, was that of losing the Bible: It was in imminent danger not only of being grossly corrupted, but wholly extirpated from the earth. The Bible is the good man's book, better to him than thou­sands of gold and silver. What would have become of the woman of Sarepta in the time of famine in Israel, if Elijah had not been there to feed her with oil? and what would have become of the woman in the wilderness in the time of Popish famine, if these two prophets had not been there to feed her with the oil of the sanctuary? Therefore, is it not highly reasonable to expect that a few verses, at least, of this prophecy should be set apart to give promises of security to a book so [Page 10]precious to the church, and which Christ foresaw would be exposed to such imminent danger; but if no such particular promises are found in this eleventh chapter, they are not found at all in the whole book of Reve­lation.

Again; we have further confirmation of what is now advanced, by considering how unnaturally this prophecy is explained by those who have fixed a different meaning to it. Some have supposed, that gospel minis­ters and magistrates, others that true Chris­tians in general, and the Waldenses in par­ticular, are intended by these witnesses. But what key does the scripture afford for this explanation? And, if there is none, what is this but a mere conjectural gloss? Neither common Christians, ministers nor magis­trates are ever called prophets in other parts of scripture: And why should there be ex­actly two prophets and no more for one thou­sand two hundred and sixty years? Why not rather one hundred and forty-four thou­sand, beside a great multitude? for this is is the enumeration of common Christians in other parts of this book. If the number two signify only a small indefinite number, and their resurrection is the multiplication of their number, as so many suppose, some rea­son ought to be assigned why, at least, as many as three witnesses do not appear after their resurrection; but this chapter mentions [Page 11]no more than two after their resurrection, at well as, before.

Besides, the powers ascribed to these two witnesses are very unnaturally applied to common Christians or gospel ministers. When. did the Waldenses or other Christians ever shut up heaven? When did they turn the waters into blood? When did fire pro­ceed out of their mouths to devour their en­emies? Or what have they done to which these mighty works may be compared by any proper figure of speech? To evade the force of this argument, it has been answered that the saints may be said to inflict these plagues on the earth by praying that God would be avenged on their enemies; but this answer is by no means satisfactory. When did they ever pray that heaven might be shut up, or that the waters might be turned into blood, in what sense soever these, plagues may be un­derstood? Never. This construction there­fore is quite unnatural, and assigns those powers to magistrates, ministers and other Christians, which can in no sense belong to them by any figure of speech which the Bi­ble elsewhere uses. Yet these miraculous powers are very applicable to prophets, and consequently to the two Testaments, which contain the voice of all the prophets since the world began.

The death and resurrection of these wit­nesses remarkably agree with the treatment which the two Testaments have suffered from [Page 12]the opposition of their enemies, and their glorious triumph over them. 'When they shall have finished their testimony (in sack­cloth) the beast, which ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.' Rev. xi. 7. That is, the antichristian party in a large and general council at Basil, in 1437, formed a decree, that it was the busi­ness of the church to determine in what man­ner the worship of God should be carried on. This blow, to speak sigurately, took away the very life of the scriptures, and all that for which they excel every other book in the world. At that time, the four antichristian parties, which had been at variance by means of three cotemporary Popes and a difference with respect to communion, were reconciled; as Pilate and Herod were at the crucifixion of our Lord. This union is here expressed by their making merry, and sending gifts one to another. 'And they suffered not their dead bodies to be put in graves;' that is, They would not suffer them to be buried wholly out of their sight. To bury a deceased person is to manifest respect for him, and peculiar sorrow for the calamity which has befallen him: Therefore, the meaning of the figure may be this; The Papists would not suffer any one to pay that respect to the scriptures which was due, or even to mourn for the bold impiety which they had committed! * Three days and [Page 13]an half they remained in this condition, then rose and stood on their feet. About three years and an half after this Popish decree, the testimony of scripture was revived and appeared anew, in the reformation formed by the Bohemian brethren, after they had separated from the Calixtines. Soon after this, the voice was heard, 'Come up hither. And they ascend­ed up to heaven in a cloud, and their ene­mies beheld them;' i. e. the Greeks flying from Constantinople brought the knowledge of the scriptures into the West, and about the same time the two Testaments were publick­ly printed in Germany, and by Protestant protection ascended up out of the reach of their enemies, as much as if they had gone up to heaven, so that the Papists could not command them any longer from that day to this.

Finally, It is the part of a witness to testify for or against any person or thing. Christ plainly tells us, that the scriptures are his witnesses, when he says, 'Search the scrip­tures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.

II. What are those plagues with which they smite the earth?

Smiting the earth here may mean no other than the voice of their prophecy, declaring that certain plagues shall afflict mankind. As by a common figure of speech any one may [Page 14]be said to punish another, when he denoun­ces that sentence of punishment against him, which is connected with the event; so these two prophets, by denouncing certain plagues against the earth, may be properly said to smite the earth with these plagues. Thus the prophet Elisha smote Gehazi by denoun­cing against him that plague of leprosy, which should cleave to him and his seed forever. So the prophet Elijah smote the two captains and their fifties. 'If I be a man of God,' he says, 'let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty.' Therefore the plagues with which the witnesses smite the earth, are temporal, spiritual and eternal. All temporal judgments, earthquakes, sword, famine, pestilence and beasts of the earth are inflicted on mankind by these two witnesses declaring the existence of them by the voice of their prophecy.

In the same manner they smite the earth with spiritual judgments; a seared conscience, a blinded mind, and an awful sterility under the means of grace. Isa. vi. 9, 10. 'Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but under­stand not; see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes: left they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed.' With this spiritual calamity were the unbelieving Jews smitten at Rome, while 'they heard Paul persuading [Page 15]them the things concerning Jesus from morn­ing to evening, both out of the law and out of the prophets.' Paul then quoted the pas­sage now mentioned, as most solemnly appli­cable to their spiritual condition.

Of this sort are the plagues spoken of in the text. They are evidently of a spiritual nature, because no such plagues have ever been literally inflicted on mankind since the apostolic age. Heaven has not been shut up one thousand two hundred and sixty years, nor the waters turned into blood in a literal sense; but in a spiritual sense how awfully manifest have been these plagues in the Chris­tian world! There has been a great and ter­rible famine in the Christian world; not of bread and water, but of hearing the word of the Lord for one thousand two hundred and si [...]ty years: That is, from nearly the end of the second century * to nearly the middle of the fifteenth.

A lively type of this was the famine in Is­rael in the days of Elijah, and a lively type was Elijah, as well as Moses, of these two prophets. While Jezebel, the type of the Romish mother of harlo [...]s, was promoting idolatry and killing the saints, Elijah's word shut up heaven. 'As the Lord God of Israel liveth,' he says, 'before whom I stand, there shall not be rain nor dew these years but ac­cording [Page 16]to my word.' 'These years;' what years? Three years and an half. Our Lord tells us, Luke iv. 25. that 'In the days of Elias the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and great famine was throughout all the land:' And the apostle James says, that 'Elias prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.' This space of time is taken great notice of in scripture prophecy. Three years and six months are just the same as one thousand two hundred and sixty days, and just the same as forty-two months, and just the same as a time, times and an half: for a time is a year, times are two years, and half a time is half a year. The same is expressed by a time, times, and the dividing of time. That is, three years and an half, which are half seven. Seven is the number of perfection, half sever is half perfection, which is utter imperfection: and as God has measured the duration of his own perfect works by the number seven, so he has seen fit to measure the duration of these imperfect and wicked works of men with their sad consequences by just half this number. And as Elijah by his word shut up heaven and caused a great famine in Israel for three years and an half; so the two witnesses by the word of their prophecy have spiritual­ly shut up heaven, and caused a great famine upon the Christian world, for three prophet­ical years and an half. And as in the time [Page 17]of famine in Israel the prophet Elijah fed the woman of Sarepta with oil; so these two wit­nesses in the time of Popish famine have fed the woman in the wilderness with spiritual oil, that she through faith and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. She had 'a place prepared her of God, where they should feed her;' that is, where these two prophets should 'feed her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.'

Thus it appears, that not a literal, but a spiritual famine was inflicted upon the earth by these two prophets in the days of Popery; in consequence of which the waters were turned into blood. To explain which we must consider what those blessings are, which are in the same manner useful to our spirit­ual life as waters are to our natural life.

As there are rivers in the world, the streams of which delight and refresh the body; so 'there is a river, the streams of which make glad the city of God.' In the latter flow the waters mentioned in the text: and these waters must signify, either the in­ward joys and graces of the true Christian, or the external ordinances and means of grace; but they cannot signify the former, they cannot signify the inward joys and graces of the true Christian: for these, in what­ever souls they reside, are never turned into blood; but are in them, a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. There­fore the waters of the text can signify noth­ing [Page 18]else but the outward ordinances and means of grace.

But how were these turned into blood? Con­sider what the sad effect was, when Moses in Egypt turned the waters into blood, to which this passage undoubtedly alludes. By this change, the waters of Egypt were rendered not only useless, but exceedingly injurious, and tended rather to aggravate their thirst than assuage it. So that flood of errors and superstition into which the true doctrines and ordinances of the gospel were changed in the days of Popery and by the word of prophecy, was not only useless, but exceedingly injuri­ous to the souls of men. As good water is very necessary and comfortable to the body, but when turned to blood, becomes exceed­ingly hurtful to the body; so the true doc­trines and ordinances of the gospel are very necessary and comfortable to the soul; but, when turned to superstition and lies, become exceedingly hurtful to the soul. Among the Heathen and among the Papists, the truth of God was changed into a lie; and what was the consequence? 'They worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is over all, God blessed forever.' By this time it is easy to see how naturally the change of waters into blood represents the change of truth into a lie, and of genuine doctrines into vile superstitions: And that this plague was inflicted by the two witnesses, appears from Isa. lxvi. 4, and from 2 Thess. [Page 19]ii. 8; 'I also will choose their delusions.' 'And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume by the spirit of his mouth, and destroy by the brightness of his coming: even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivable­ness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth: and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie; that they all may be damned who be­lieve not the truth, but have pleasure in un­righteousness.' But

III. What is meant by their smiting the earth as often as they will?

This may signify the established and infal­lible connexion between the voice of proph­ecy and the event. It was a marvellous dis­play of power given to the prophet Elijah, when he only spake the word and down came the fire from heaven and devoured his ene­mies. A lively and solemn apprehension of this had the third captain with his fifty, when he fell upon his knees and begged for mercy. He was apprehensive that the prophet could, if he would, utterly consume him with all his armed fifty, and his apprehension was just: for the will of that prophet, under divine in­spiration, was the will of God. The same power and will have the two prophets now [Page 20]treated of. But how unnatural is it to rep­resent the two Testaments as having exercises of will, says the objector. But why more unnatural than to represent them as speaking and hearing a voice, as the scripture itself does? Yet the latter is no more true or nat­ural, when viewed in a literal sense, than the former, but in figurative language how easy is the transition from an intelligent voice to a will dictating that voice. Therefore, as the language of scripture may be properly called the voice of the scripture, so the sense of that language may be properly called the will of the scripture, being God's will and the will of all the inspired prophets. There­fore the meaning of the last clause of the text seems to be, that whatever plagues the two Testaments denounce shall certainly and in­fallibly come to pass. The word of the Lord endureth forever: heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or tittle of it shall fail. The will of these two witnesses is the will of God: therefore, whatever threaten­ings they denounce against the finally im­penitent shall surely be accomplished. Their word has alreadly destroyed a multitude of sinners; it has brought a deluge upon the old world, fire on Sodom, blood and famine on Jerusalem, and utter ruin on Babylon; and the same voice of these prophets has scat­tered the Jews over the earth: and so, where-ever these two prophets speak against their enemies, they smite; every threatening is [Page 21]a blow, every word a wound. The everlast­ing mountains shall be scattered, and the per­petual hills shall bow; but forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

A few inferences shall close the subject.

1. Is the power and authority of these witnesses so very great in the world? How dangerous then the condition of all those who despise and ridicule them, and call in ques­tion their veracity! Many such bold objects of Christian compassion may now be observed in the world. As Jannes and Jambres with­stood Moses by endeavouring to represent him as an impostor, so do these men also re­sist the truth by endeavouring to represent as impostors these two anointed ones, which stand before the God of the earth. But they shall proceed no further than the bounds allotted them by these very prophets, whom they despise, and whose never-failing predic­tions assure us, that there must come mockers to grieve the godly in the last times. Like Jannes and Jambres ere long their mouths will be stopped, and their folly will be mani­fest unto all men, as theirs also was. How swiftly the day approaches which shall burn as an oven, and all these proud, gospelized infidels shall be as stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch! For, observe the context, 'If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouths and devour­eth their enemies; and if any man will hurt [Page 22]them, he must in this manner be killed.' * The threatening is repeated, as Pharaoh's dream was, to shew, perhaps, that the proph­ecy is certain, and the plague foretold is sure.

And what is this plague? what is this fire? It is the fire which shall burn the world, the fire of hell; the fire which shall burn the beast and the false prophet.

If any man will hurt them, i. e. if any man shall take away part from the prophecy of this book,—and much more, if he take away all, 'God will take away his part out of the book of life;' 'and whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.' This is the fire which proceedeth out of their mouths: for it is the mouth of the scripture which denounceth that fire, † which shall burn the ungodly forever.

2. How terrible is the condition of all those who suffer those spiritual plagues, with which these prophets smite the earth: spiritual fam­ine, spiritual barrenness and mortality of soul under the means of grace! What greater curse than the sig-tree cursed! 'Let no man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever.' They have eyes and eye-sight, ears and hearing, and yet they neither see nor hear; they grope at noon-day as in the night, and stagger with their eyes open like a drunken man. Let [Page 23]our speculative knowledge be ever so great, if sin be indulged, the most perilous blind­ness remains. It is the very nature of sin to darken the mind and hold a false picture of things continually before our eyes. Hence follows speculative darkness with respect to moral things. The righteous providence of God often gives men over to a bad faith as the punishment of a bad heart. Such was the punishment of the ancient heathen: 'Be­cause, that when they knew God,' says Paul, 'they glorified him not as God; and did not like to retain him in their knowledge; he gave them up to uncleanness, to vile affections, to a reprobate mind; who changed the truth of God into a lie.' Such was the punishment of the Jews, cut off for unbelief: The vail is yet on their hearts, while Moses is read be­fore them. Such was the punishment of the Christians after the pure and glorious gospel had shone before them; heaven was shut up over them, as already shewn, and their waters turned into blood; and I think the scripture tells us, * that the Christian world shall be smitten once more with spiritual plagues, with strong delusion, infidelity and false religion. And if so, though the present age is very corrupt, the next will, doubtless, be more so, both in principle and practice: for the day of the Lord is at hand, and upon the wicked God shall rain snares, and then fire and brim­stone.

[Page 24] The Christian world are now more guilty than were the ancient Christians, Jews, or Heathen. Far more abundant is the light against which we rebel. Doubtless the most fatal and general delusion is at hand; yea, has not the plague already begun? What opposition, what ridicule do we hear against the witnesses and their solemn threatenings! What a plague of plagues is that which is spiritual and eternal! How perilous then is the condition of every unregenerate sinner at this day! How liable to be smitten by these modern plagues of delusion, which begin now to be so epidemical! O sinner! now is the accepted time. This moment fly to Christ and receive the love of the truth, lest that holy God who is now angry with you every day, should choose your delusion, and smite you with some modern plague, which shall be incurable and eternal. Fear not the cross; fear not self-denial; rich are the joys which accompany you even in this life: But in the future life, O how rich! Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered in­to the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them who love him.

3. What cause of gratitude have we, that these two anointed ones have ever stood be­fore the Lord of the whole earth, amidst all the opposition of earth and hell. 'My vine­yard' (my church) says Christ, 'which is mine, is before me,' ever watching for her preserva­tion. So these two witnesses are before him [Page 25]for the church's sake. The Keeper of Isra­el keeps the two great lights of Israel. They torment them who dwell on the earth, and therefore their enemies have been many and mighty. The Hebrew copies of the Old Testament were almost entirely destroyed in the reign of the Emperor Dioclesian, but ef­fectual means were found for its preservation. And what the Papists have done, has already been observed. Yet the witnesses are still alive, they have risen and ascended, and their enemies have beheld them with grief and disappointment. The Popish famine, there­fore, is nearly ended. What said Elijah when the famine in Israel was nearly ended? Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain. Such is the sound of the seventh trumpet now at hand; a day most dreadful to the wicked, and most delightful to the righteous. See! see! how it approaches with hasty steps! What steps? Revolutions, Oh how wonderful! in Amer­ica and Europe. Sit on the ground, for there is not a throne, O daughter of Baby­lon; thy plagues are come in one day. Death and mourning and famine, and the voice of harps and musicians and pipers and trumpet­ers shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatso­ever craft he be, shall be found any more at all in thee. And the voice of the bridegroom [Page 26]and the voice of the bride, shall be heard no more at all in thee.

Awake and sing, thou who dwellest in dust, O persecuted Zion! Shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Shine by diligence in eve­ry good word and work; let every word be praise, every action love, every thought spir­itual and divine: With this beauteous ap­parel make thyself ready, O bride of the Lamb! For even now thy God is on his way, and all the saints with him. Amen; even so, come, Lord Jesus.

END OF THE DISCOURSE.
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A DISSERTATION ON THE INTRODUCTION AND GLORY OF THE MILLENNIUM.

PRELIMINARIES.

THE works of God are a perfect beauty: Light and shade, angel and devil; all are necessary to constitute this perfection. All his works praise him: the wrath of man and the rage of elements: every crea­ture is thus engaged in heaven and earth and under the earth and in the sea. As for God, his way of providence is perfect. He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in work­ing. Nothing is made,—nothing is done in vain through all the immensity of space and duration.

2. All beauty is constituted by harmony or similarity in variety; such is the beauty of the natural world. It is full of resem­blances, full of imitations amidst infinite va­riety.

[Page 2] 3. The natural world resembles the spir­itual world; otherwise there could be no such thing as metaphor, type, allegory, or any comparison between matter and mind.

4. As the works of providence are not less beautiful than the works of creation, so they are not less conspicuous for similarity in variety. The annual revolutions, varied in respects innumerable, all have their days and nights, summer and winter, seed-time and harvest.

The same constitutes the beauty of ages; one order of events in one age of the world is a lively picture of another order of events in another age of the world. Hence the propriety of many types in the Old Testa­ment of persons and things, cities, nations and countries. Hence also appears the rea­son why so many prophecies in scripture have several aspects to several different periods of time, as ever has been allowed by the most learned expositors.

A single sentence in prophecy predicts an event or period of events, with all its types and antitypes. Canaan was an image of the gospel rest, and the gospel rest is an image of the Millennium, and the Millennium will be an image of heaven. Therefore the promise of Canaan to Abraham was a promise and proph­ecy of all these Canaans and all these periods of duration. And it is manifest that the prophecies, in general, of the Old Testament which predict the Christian dispensation, do [Page 3]in the same language, the same sentences pre­dict the Millennium, having an aspect to both these happy periods. 'The thing which hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done, is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.'

5. Gods, in his infinite love and mercy, has sent us, for instruction, a present from heaven, a map of his works, past, present, and to come. Blessed are those eyes which can properly survey it, and those humble hearts which can be thankful for it! On a map of the globe, cities, mountains, lakes and rivers in all countries, are distinguished by similar notations. By observing then in what manner any known country is deline­ated, we may understand too the geography of others which are unknown: So on this map of ages, by properly observing the de­lineation of any order of events already known to us, we are the better prepared to judge of the like order of events which are yet future.

6. Small maps of the globe give only some general ideas of its various regions: So the map before us, though perfectly accurate, is very small, and affords but a general idea of the stupendous and glorious events which shall be accomplished hereafter.

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CHAP. I. THE PLAN OF THE SUBJECT PROPOSED AND EXPLAINED.

A COMPENDIOUS map of the globe presents only principal objects, while the innumerable smaller are understood to be in connexion with them.

2. The Bible, the most excellent of books, continually presents to our view the most ex­cellent of God's works, that of Redemption, while it teaches, that all other works are sub­servient to it.

3. This work of redemption is commen­surate with time, and will not be finished till Christ delivers up the kingdom to the Father. It is he who carries on this most glorious work in his triple capacity of Prophet, Priest and King.

4. Accordingly, the Bible has distinguish­ed the order of the work of redemption by three general dispensations of grace, which seem to be responsive to these three offices. The first dispensation was peculiarly prophet­ical; all the types were so many prophecies, and the prophecies of the New Testament are little more than the exposition of those which are found in the O [...]d.

The second dispensation is peculiar for the exhibition of Christ's priestly character, not only in his own person, but in his people: [Page 5]Every martyr is a priest, and every martyr­dom a sacrifice, by Phil. ii. 17; and the martyrdoms, under our dispensation, are more numerous than those under the old by a thousand to one. Christ introduced our dispensation by the voluntary sacrifice of him­self, and still continues to distinguish it from the old by his work of intercession.

Accordingly, the third dispensation will be peculiar for the exhibition of Christ's kingly character, not only in his own person, but in his people, as appears by Rev. v. 10, xx. 4. 'And hast made as unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.— They lived and reigned with Christ a thou­sand years.'

5. The first dispensation was an image of the second, as appears from all the types of the Old Testament: The first had a Babylon and a vile person to afflict the church; and so has the second. In like manner the sec­ond is an image of the third, as appears in that, by the concession of the best commenta­tors, the most important events of both are predicted by the same sentences of prophecy.

6. The three dispensations must have three revelations or witnesses; the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the more immediate teaching of Christ himself. The present rev­elation explains the old, and the third will explain both. And will not Christ then ap­pear as the Logos far more gloriously than ever he did before? It does in a meas­ure [Page 6]appear by Rev. xi. 6, that Moses and Elijah, two eminent prophets, are used by the Holy Ghost as types of our two Testaments. Moses turned the waters into bloody, and Elijah shut up heaven. The Old Testament worship seems to have been a rod in the hand of him who chose their delusions to turn the waters of the Christian world into blood, as already explained in the preceding sermon. Popery in part is the misimprovement of Old Testament worship. Elijah cured the people of idolatry; and for this purpose the New Testament rather than the Old is re­markably calculated. Hence, perhaps, it was, that when the three disciples beheld on the mount the representation of Christ's fu­ture glory; the truth of which the Testa­ments unitedly confirm, Moses and Elias, rather than other prophets, appeared in har­monious converse with Jesus. *

The words which Daniel heard, but un­derstood not, (Dan. xii. 8, 9) were closed up and sealed till the time of the end, and then this sealed book was opened to John, by a new revelation from heaven. But when John had a similar vision, he had similar in­struction. 'Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not:' We must therefore expect a new revelation to explain what the seven thunders uttered. As the sealed words which Daniel heard [Page 7]were not explained but by a new revelation; so we have no reason to expect that the sealed voices of the seven thunders will be explain­ed but by a new dispensation and a new rev­elation from heaven.

7. Each dispensation must conclude by a day of judgment, severing the wicked from the just. Thus ended the first dispensation; the Jewish nation were destroyed, while the Christians, by believing and obeying Christ's word, all marvellously escaped, a Dr. New­ton tells us out of several historians. * The end of our dispensation will constitute anoth­er day of judgment, in which the separation of the righteous from the wicked will be far more general and solemn than that of the former. To both these days of judgment the prophecy of our Saviour refers, in the xxivth. of Matthew, and xxist of Luke, which shews that the former represented the latter. The end of the next dispensation will be the universal judgment, when all sin will be sev­ered from holiness, and all the wicked from the just, to associate no more forever; who­soever is not written in the book of life shall then be cast into the lake of fire.

8. Accordingly there must be three res­urrections. At the end of the last dispensa­tion, there was a resurrection of Christ and many of the saints. At the end of the pres­ent, there will be a resurrection of many [Page 8]more saints. And at the end of the next, there will be an universal resurrection of the righteous and the wicked.

The first of these resurrections gave death a wound; the second will give this enemy a deeper wound, and the third will utterly de­stroy him. 'For as in Adam all die,' says Paul, 'so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits, afterward they who are Christ's at his coming. Afterwards * cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the king­dom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power; for he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

9. So also there must be three conflagra­tions. The first destroyed Jerusalem and the temple; the second will destroy the Chris­tian world, when the Lord Jesus shall be re­vealed from heaven in flaming fire; the third will destroy the last Gog and Magog. They compassed the camp of the saints—and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

To all these three periods that may refer in Mal. iv. 1. 'Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, all they that do wickedly, shall be as stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn [Page 9]them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.'

10. As there are no more than three offi­ces of Christ revealed in his word; so, by Art. 4th, we are not to expect more than three dispensations.

It will not be denied that the Millennium, or third dispensation, will, if possible, as much excel the present for the extensiveness of its blessings, as the present excels the for­mer; and if so, it is certain that all the globe 'will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea:' and conse­quently the third day of judgment must be the day of universal judgment, and the state of all mankind must then be such as cannot admit of another antitype or fourth dispen­sation.

Three dispensations afford a natural con­struction for that in Matt. xiii. 33. 'The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.' Jehovah himself is Trinity in unity, and his works are what they are, because He is what He is. The work of mediation is a divine, most glorious and perfect work: and "in every divine, complete work," says the famous Swedenborg, "there is a Trine, which is called first, middle and last. From this ground it is, that by three in the spiritual sense of the word is meant what is complete and perfect. And whereas this is the signi­fication [Page 10]of that number, therefore it is fre­quently applied in the Word, when that sig­nification is intended to be expressed, as in the following passages, where it is written 'that Isaiah should go naked and barefoot three years.' Isa. xx. 3. 'That Jehovah called Samuel three times, and Samuel ran three times to Eli, and Eli understood him the third time.' 1 Sam. iii. 1—8. 'That Elijah stretched himself on the widow's son three times.' 1 Kings xvii. 21. And 'commanded to pour water on the burnt offering three times.' 1 Kings xviii. 34. 'That Jonah was in the whale's belly three days and three nights.' Jonah ii. 1. 'That Jesus rose the third day.' Matt. xxviii. 1. Not to mention many other passages, where the number three is named, being applied to denote a finished and perfect work." * It cannot be impertinent likewise to observe, that the next dispensation is the seventh mil­lennary: So that in the conclusion of that day both these numbers of perfection will harmonize, and render the work of media­tion a finished and perfect work.

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CHAP. II. THE MILLENNIUM A NEW GENERAL DIS­PENSATION OF GRACE.

THE positive institutions, which the Old Testament church received in different peri­ods, may perhaps be called particular dispen­sations, in distinction from the whole of them included in the Mosaic economy. For they were all of one general nature; all were pro­phetical and typical, all were a shadow of good things to come; and in those ages no institution was abolished, when a new one was introduced. Therefore all the Old Tes­tament economy was one general dispensa­tion of grace. The present state of the church is allowed to be another general dis­pensation, clearly distinct from the former. It is now to be considered, whether there will not be a new dispensation; a new order of things, with respect to the church and re­ligion, as clearly distinct from the present as the present is from that of the Jews.

Under the old dispensation, the Jews had a Millennium in prospect as well as we. They were in constant expectation of a glorious time, in which holiness and happiness should be general, if not universal; but they con­sidered that glorious time only as the con­tinuation of their own dispensation, and ex­pected that the nations would embrace their [Page 12]religion and their kind of government; that all flesh would worship at their temple, from one new moon to another, and from one sev­enth day Sabbath to another. They expected as a nation to have a portion in this promised glory with the rest of mankind. And in gen­eral it appears, that both the righteous and the wicked among them had the same lead­ing sentiments on this subject. The nature of our dispensation was doubtless as well known to the Apostles when Christ arose as to any of the pious Jews; and yet they ask, 'Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?' Of the like nature are the views and expectations of Christians in general at this day. The Millennium is at hand, say we, to make our posterity happy, and all nations happy, under the imperfect govern­ment of mere men, by their embracing the exter­nals as well as the internals of our religion; the Millennium will be a glorious continuance of our own dispensation.

Now, since these our expectations so near­ly resemble those of the Jews, it is certainly a matter of importance to inquire whether they have any better foundation in the word of prophecy. It is from the same Old Tes­tament prophecy that both Jews and Chris­tians have formed these similar ideas of their two Millenniums. And how plainly do these prophecies declare, that the promised glory shall be introduced by a day of judgment; 'A day which shall burn as an oven;' by a [Page 13]resurrection, and by the coming of Christ to take vengeance on his enemies * who shall have rebelled against the light. These and similar passages, we say, are figurative; but may not a Christian as effectually deceive him­self by a construction of prophecy too figur­ative, as a Jew by a construction too literal?

Now, if it can be proved that there will be imperfect holiness and death among man­kind in the Millennium; that the Sun of righteousness will personally appear in the morning of that day; that there will then be a partial conflagration and a resurrection; the inference is necessary, that there will be a new dispensation or order of things with respect to the church, as distinct from the present as the present is from that of the Jews. Therefore, to obtain evidence of these prop­ositions must be the attempt of the follow­ing sections.

SECTION I. There will be a State of Imperfection among Mankind in the Millennium.

THOUGH the prophecy of the new heav­ens and earth seems to have ultimate refer­ence to the perfect state of glory; yet, by the general consent of expositors, it includes [Page 14]the Millennium, that brightest image or the heavenly state, which will ever exist in the world. As the works of creation from one day to another were more and more ex­cellent, and proceeded from inferior to su­perior exhibitions of God's character; so do the works of providence, and particularly those of redemption. As the present state of the church far exceeds that of the Jews; so the millennial state will far exceed the present, and form the nexus between earth and heaven, as soon may appear more clearly.

But still there will be imperfect saints in that time, and multitudes of bold transgres­sors at the conclusion of that time: For,

1. In the description of the new earth, (Isa. lxv. 20) we plainly read of sin and death; that 'the child shall die an hun­dred years old; * but the sinner, an hundred years old, shall be accursed.' And Rev. xxii. 2, that 'the leaves of the tree (of life) were for the healing of the nations.' This sentence is not history, but prophecy, and therefore we explain it most naturally when we consider it as referring, not to that which shall then be past, but to that which shall exist in the time here predicted. Dr. Gill upon this passage, labouring to vindicate the millennari­an hypothesis, endeavours to avail himself of [Page 15]the original, and says, "That the Greek here should be rendered preserving instead of healing;" but the answer is, that healing is the most natural construction of the Greek word THERAPEIAN, and the other construction would confound the use of the leaves with the use of the fruits. Besides, here is an evident allusion to Ezek. xlvii. 12, pre­dicting undoubtedly the same period and the same events; 'The fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.' *

2. The prediction 'that the kings (or civil powers) of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into the New Jerusalem,' seems not consistent with a state of universal perfection.

3. When Satan shall be loosed at the ex­piration of the thousand years, 'he shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth.' Rev. xx. 8; but they are not the wicked raised from the dead, as some Millennarians believe; for when the wicked shall rise again, they will not be de­ceived, but undeceived. The resurrection of the wicked is spoken of afterwards, verse 12, 13, with its solemn consequences. A need­less, unnatural reversion and repetition cer­tainly, if Gog and Magog are the wicked raised from the dead.

4. The ninth verse declares, that 'Gog and Magog compassed the camp of the saints;' [Page 16]but a state of encampment is utterly incon­sistent with the perfect, uninterrupted felicity of the church triumphant. A camp implies soldiers, and consequently that there will be in that day a church in a militant and imper­fect state.

SECTION II. The Millennium introduced by Christ's personal Appearance.

IT was the ancient opinion, that the whole thousand years will be the day of judgment; in the morning whereof shall be the coming of Christ in flaming fire, and the particular judgment of antichrist; and in the evening whereof shall be the universal judgment. In the Millennium, Christ 'will judge among the nations, and rebuke many people.' 'He shall judge the living as well as the dead at his appearing and kingdom.' 2 Tim. iv. 1. So that the whole Millennium may be properly termed the day of judgment, and perhaps thousands of years succeeding it.

Now the inquiry is, Whether Christ will not personally appear when this great day of judgment shall commence? For the solution of which the following arguments are sub­mitted to the contemplation of the candid and deliberate Christian.

1. If this solemn appearance is to be at the conclusion of the Millennium, it would be [Page 17]natural to expect that some prophecy of that happy time would conclude by some plain and particular description of Christ as com­ing from heaven in the clouds, or in some other manner: For the series of a particular prophecy is ordinarily parallel with that of its accomplishment; but we no where find, either in the Old Testament or New, any such description at the conclusion of such a prophecy. The account of the Millennium in Rev. xxth. though concise is very particu­lar: And first, an angel comes down from heaven 'having the key of the bottomless pit.' "This angel is Christ," says Dr. More: "it is he who has the key of the bottomless pit; it is he who has the keys of hell and of death." At the conclusion of this chapter, Christ appears on a throne; but there is no mention of his coming from heaven in any manner whatever.

Those prophecies of the Old Testament, which most clearly predict the coming of Christ, and the Millennium, plainly repre­sent the former, not as that which shall suc­ceed, but as that which shall introduce the latter. The description of the new heavens and earth, Isa. lxvth. and lxvith. chapters, is considered by the best commentators as a prophecy of our gospel glory and that of the Millennium, and the former as the figure of the latter. And in chap. lxvi. 14—17, how plainly it appears, that the future glory is in­troduced by the coming of the Lord with fire, [Page 18]and with his chariots or clouds ('for he maketh the clouds his chariots.' Psa. civ. 3) 'to render his anger with fury, and his re­buke with flames of fire.' Now, since it is allowed that our gospel glory typifies the Millennium, and that the destruction of the Jewish world typifies the destruction of the Christian world; with equal propriety may we consider the first coming of Christ as a type or representation of his second coming. His first coming was with a 'fan in his hand thoroughly to purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner, and to burn the chaff with fire unquenchable.' Matt. iii. 12. And such will be the business of his second coming. Here then is a solemn and glorious prediction with a double aspect; to the first coming of Christ to destroy the Jewish world and introduce our dispensation; and to the second coming of Christ to destroy the Chris­tian world and introduce the Millennium, the former being a type of the latter. We have seen in what order the type has been fulfilled: What doubt then can remain of the completion of the antitype in the same order?

So in Zech. xiv. we have a clear prophecy of the Millennium [...]s introduced by the com­ing of Christ, verse 5. 'The Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.' Whenever the scripture elsewhere mentions Christ's coming with his saints, it is ever al­lowed to signify his personal coming: Here [Page 19]then the same phrase, other things being equal, should have the same acceptation. Besides, it is a maxim with divines, that the literal sense of scripture should always be pre­ferred to a sense merely figurative, when it does not oppose the analogy of faith. Other such prophecies there are, which, for brevity's sake, are omitted; but which the reader may examine as opportunity may occur.

2. It is holden by all expositors, that the seventh vial will introduce the Millennium. The sixth vial gives warning of that coming of Christ, which shall be as a thief, and which shall put the unwatchful to shame, Rev. xvi. 15. 'Behold, I come as a thief; blessed is he who watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.' Whenever the scripture else­where mentions Christ's coming as a thief, it always means his personal coming. Now, if Christ will not personally appear till the conclusion of the thousand years, no reason can he assigned why this solemn warning should be fixed under the sixth vial rather than under the seventh; but if Christ should appear in the morning of that day, the warn­ing can be no where so properly fixed as where we find it. q. d. One more vial, and then I come. Now if ever, O Christians, watch and keep your garments, lest you walk naked, and they see your shame.

3. At the marriage of the Lamb, Rev. xix. 7, all agree, the Millennium will commence. [Page 20]But in Matt. xxv. 6, the representation is, that when Christ shall come as a bridegroom, he will come personally. A [...] accordingly there is great preparation for this wedding. The bride makes herself ready with excellent attire, 'fine linen, clean and white,' Rev. xix. 8, "fit for the entertainment of so great a King, who comes as an husband to dwell with his wife. This is the scope of the forty-fifth psalm: Solomon's marriage was but a type of this." *

4. Those scriptures which represent the millennial state as the kingdom of Christ, de­scribe it in such a manner as affords clear ev­idence that the world will then be favoured with Christ's personal presence. This is David's kingdom, so frequently predicted by the prophets; by Jer. xxxiii. 15, 'I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall exe­cute judgment and justice in the earth;' and by Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24, and xxxvii. 24, 'David my servant shall be king over them (my people.) A prince over them, and a prince among them.' Such is the description of Christ's future kingdom in Zech. xiv. 9, compared with verse 5th, and in Dan. vii. and 2 Tim. iv. 1. And the time when the kingdoms of this world shall become the king­doms of our Lord, Rev. xi. 15, 18, will be the time when the dead shall be judged, and Christ will destroy them who destroy the [Page 21]earth. And that this judgment and destruc­tion will take place at the beginning of that time, appears from Rev. x. 5, 6, 7. * This kingdom of Christ will be the New Jerusalem state, of which, when John had a vision, he heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men!' Rev. xxi. 3. Behold, is an interjection of wonder. The ancient tabernacle was pecu­liarly a type of Christ's body. 'The Word was made flesh, and (eskeenoosen) taberna­cled among us.' John i. 14. Behold a wondrous event! The bodily presence of Christ is with men, 'and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God.' Therefore the name of New-Jerusalem 'from that day shall be Jehovah Shammah, The Lord is there.' Ezek. xlviii. 35.

5. Is not the waiting of the saints for the Millennium, so often mentioned in the Old Testament, the same as their waiting for Christ's coming, so often mentioned in the New? 'It shall be said in that day, (the Millennium) 'Lo, this is our God! we have waited for him.' Isa. xxv. 9. In Zeph. iii. 8, which is allowed to predict the Millennium, we are commanded to wait for it. 'There­fore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey,' &c. And in Dan. xii. 12, he is pronounced blessed who [Page 22] waiteth and cometh to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. For this glo­rious time, the saints for ages have waited and are still waiting. What time? The New Testament, which is the expositor of the Old, mentions no time thus waited for on this side of Christ's coming; but it mentions our ' looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God.' 2 Pet. iii. 12. It men­tions a day when 'to those who look for him, (Christ) he shall appear the second time with­out sin unto salvation.' Heb. ix. 28. Of a time when Christians, serving the living and true God, waited 'for his Son from heaven.' 1 Thess. i. 10. And when the saints groan­ing within themselves waited 'for the adop­tion, even the redemption of their body.' Rom. viii. 23.

6. When our Lord undertook to satisfy his disciples concerning the time of his second coming, he mentions the most remarkable preceding events; that the gospel should be preached to all nations for a witness, * Matt. [Page 23]xxiv. 14; that there should be much sin and trouble and much persecution in the Chris­tian world; but not a word of universal ref­ormation, or such a Millennium as Christians in general are now expecting. He indeed mentions the Millennium; but he plainly speaks of it as the consequence of his coming. Luke xxi. 29, 30, 31. 'Behold the fig-tree and all the trees! when they now shoot forth, ye see that summer is now nigh at hand: so likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.' Compare this with 2 Tim. iv. 1. When some thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear, Luke xix. 11, Christ rectifies their opinion by a parable. A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. *

7. The apostles, Peter and Jude, pro­phetically describing the apostasy and wicked­ness of the Christian world, 2 Pet. ii. and iii. plainly represent that God will put an end to it; not by the general reformation of this sort of sinners, but by an overthrow, like that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Peter first describes their character and then their ruin. And Jude says, verse 14, 15, that 'Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, (wandering stars) saying, 'Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to ex­ecute judgment upon all, and to convince all ungodly men of all their ungodly deeds, and of all the hard speeches which ungodly sin­ners [Page 24]have spoken against him.' Here is not the least hint of a Millennium between this general apostasy, and the Lord's coming [...] execute judgment.

8. In the viith. chapter of the book of Daniel, we have a most brilliant and solemn representation of the appearance of Christ and the saints [...] T [...]a [...] of Christ is men­tioned in verse [...] held till the thrones were cast down, [...] the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garments were as white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.' The com­ing of the faints is mentioned in verse 13; 'I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him.'

Some have supposed that this Ancient of Days is God the Father, and consequently that the 13th verse predicts Christ's ascension to him; but this explanation cannot be the true one: for, 1. This description of the Ancient of Days does not resemble any de­scription of the Father, which the scripture elsewhere affords; yet it is very similar to that of Christ in the f [...]st chapter of the Rev­elation. 2. In verse 21, 22, we find that the 'l [...]ttle horn made war till the Ancient of Days came:' And the scripture elsewhere says, that when this enemy shall have finished his work of mischief, not the Father, but the Son [Page 25]shall come in some sense or other. See 2 Thess. ii. 8. Therefore the time, when the Ancient of Days and one like the Son of Man shall come, cannot be the time of Christ's ascen­sion: for the ascension of Christ took place long before the little horn had existence, and hence it appears that the Ancient of Days can be no other but He, 'whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.' The Son of Man too, in verse 13, signifies Christ. "From hence the Son of Man came to be a known phrase for the Messiah among the Jews, and from hence it was taken and used so frequently in the gospels" for this acceptation. Yet this one like the Son of Man, which Daniel saw, must be the people of the saints, as appears from his being brought to the Ancient of Days, and from the explana­tion of this vision in the last of the chapter. To this one like the Son of Man, * says the vision, was given dominion and glory and a kingdom; and accordingly the explanation says, The kingdom and dominion, and great­ness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, was given to the people of the saints of the Most High. It is holden by all Protestants, that the beast with the little horn is the Ro­man beast with Popish power: and here we are taught that, when the Ancient of Days [Page 26]and one like the Son of Man shall come, this beast shall be slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame: and what is this burning flame but that flaming fire in which the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven taking vengeance?

That this is the personal appearance of Christ and of the saints, appears from the harmony of this description with those pas­sages, which are allowed by all to signify their personal coming. Those texts, which con­fessedly predict this solemn event, represent it as attended with fire and an innumerable company of saints and angels: And here we read that 'His throne was as the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.' Here too one like the Son of Man comes with the clouds, verse 13. And where does the scripture speak of Christ or his saints coming with the clouds, without intending their personal coming?

Indeed, it seems impossible to conceive how a mere figurative construction can be fixed on this passage which would render the sense easy and natural. What spiritual behaviour shall appear in the saints hereafter, or what shall be done to them, which may be com­pared to their collecting and meeting Christ in the clouds, by any figure of speech which the scripture uses? But, if we allow this pas­sage [Page 27]to speak for itself, how exactly it accords with other scriptures, which declare that 'the saints shall be one; * shall be caught up to­gether in the clouds, † to meet the Lord in the air, and that by the instrumentality of an­gels, who shall gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.' ‡ Besides, it is granted by all, that the fulfilment of Daniel's prophecy extends to the time of Christ's personal coming. There is no other passage in this book describing that solemn event which may not be as easily figurized as this. But must we suppose that Christ's second coming is not mentioned at all in this prophecy? Must we suppose that an event of such infinite concernment to mankind; to which all the preceding events are subservient, and to which the prophecy extends; should be wholly omitted in this prophecy? By no means. Therefore this coming of Christ and the saints must need [...] be personal, and that which shall destroy Popery and the Christian world.

9. The principal events of the above prophecy are briefly predicted, with an evi­dent allusion thereto, in the second epistle to the Thessalonians. The first chapter men­tions the future revelation of Christ in flam­ing fire; and as the subject continues to the next, the Apostle exhorts them not to be shaken in mind, or discouraged, as though Christ would not appear at all, if he did not [Page 28]appear in a few years: 'Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means.' Then he tells them what shall be first; not a Millennium, but a falling away, and the revelation of that Wicked one, 'whom the Lord shall consume by the Spirit of his mouth, and destroy by the brightness of his coming.' Here the coming of Christ, or a like phrase, is three times used in the com­pass of a very few verses. The two first verses which have this phrase, are allowed to signify that coming of Christ which shall be personal; and when it is here mentioned the third time, the same subject is continued; and the plain design of the subject is to satisfy the minds of Christians respecting the time of Christ's personal coming. Therefore, when this phrase is here used the third time, a figurative sense must not be admitted without some bet­ter reason than merely to support an hypoth­esis. Such a construction is unnatural; a perplexity of language without a beauty, and opposite to the Apostle's design, as before ob­served, leaving the mind of the Christian as much in the dark as ever with respect to the time of Christ's personal coming. * "It was [Page 29]a point of great importance," says Dr. New­ton, in favour of this comment, "for the Thessalonians not to be mistaken in this par­ticular: because if they were taught to be­lieve that the coming of Christ was at hand, and he should not come according to their expectation, they might be staggered in their faith; and finding part of their creed to be false, might be hasty enough to conclude that the whole was so. The Apostle therefore cautions them in the strongest manner against this delusion, and assures them that other memorable events will take place before the coming of our Lord." Doubtless then this passage means as it speaks, when it declares that Christ will destroy the man of sin by the brightness of his coming. So the phrase was explained by Justin Martyr: "Christ shall appear from heaven in glory," he says, "when the man of apostasy, speaking great things against the Most High, shall vex us Chris­tians." †

[Page 30] Thus it appears, that the commencement of the Millennium will be rendered glorious by Christ's personal presence. And accord­ingly, as this solemn and happy scene ap­proaches, the signs of Christ's coming begin to appear. Nothing can be more visible than the following signs of Christ's coming in the moral world.

Deism, which laughs at the idea of a God in human form appearing in the clouds, was scarcely known formerly in Christendom; but now it is come, and come it must, to con­firm what it denies, that Peter was a prophet, and Christ is at hand. 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4. 'There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?' Paul says, 2 Tim. iii. 'In the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be blasphem­ers, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith; for as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these men also resist the truth.' Jannes and Jam­bres withstood Moses by endeavouring to rep­resent him as an impostor; so do these men also resist the truth by endeavouring to rep­resent all the prophets as impostors. It is here predicted too that men shall be 'lovers of their own selves,' which may signify that the expressions of self-love should abundantly prevail. And, not to mention the abounding of selfish practices, was there ever an age in [Page 31]which selfish religion was so boldly taught as in this? Was there ever an age, in which there were half so many teachers highly es­teemed, 'who make sad the hearts of the righteous, whom God has not made sad, and strengthen the hands of the wicked; that he should not turn from his evil way by promis­ing him life.' These liberal sentiments tend to produce liberal conduct, carnal security and licentious practices. Therefore they must prevail, and undoubtedly will, more and more, over all the Christian world! For it is necessary when Christ shall appear, that he should find the world in just juch carnal security as these sentiments most evidently produce; that he should find the world re­lieved from the terror of that old fiction of eternal punishment, which frighted the Pop­ish ages. 'As in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, and marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.' Matt. xxiv. 38, 39.

Another sign of Christ's coming, which now appears, is a general belief of the con­trary. The Christians in general believe that Christ will appear some time or other, but not quickly. They expect first a long thousand years, happy years. Already they see Popery declining, knowledge and liberty prevailing, and presently they expect to see [Page 32]religion too prevailing every where through the Christian world; not considering that the prevalence of knowledge and liberty too, the latter being the effect of the former, loudly announce that 'the day of the Lord is at hand:' for 'even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.' Dan. xii. 4.

The ancient Christians, it is well known, cherished no such opinion as that which is now opposed. Polycarp, a disciple of St. John, intimately conversant with him, and who doubtless knew that apostle's opinion of his own revelation; expressly taught that Christ would introduce the Millennium by his personal appearance. So did Justin Mar­tyr, so did all the most eminent ancient fa­thers, as Dr. Hammond, a zealous opposer of the millennarians, was forced to acknowl­edge. But as Popery prevailed, this opin­ion failed; and as Popery in the sixteenth century failed, this opinion prevailed. But now again it is almost entirely exploded, and the general cry is, Peace and safety—Salva­tion for all men—brighter days are approach­ing than were ever enjoyed heretofore—to­morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundantly. We are come to the age of rea­son. If ever there was a cry of peace and safe­ty in any age of the world, there is now; but what faith the word of prophecy? 'When they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden de­struction cometh upon them, as pain upon a [Page 33]woman with child, and they shall not escape.' The scripture must be fulfilled, Christ must come as a thief, and at an hour when men in general have no expectation of him.

What is the state of the Christian world in gen­eral at this day, but a sign of Christ's coming? The Christian world in these last days, is the antitype of the Jewish world in their last days, as President Edwards has justly observed. * The Jews of that time had much more knowl­edge than their ancestors; and how much more enlightened is the present age than any former one! The Jews had many among them who maintained the form of godliness, but denied the power; and how many of this sort have we! The Jews had many Sad­ducees or infidels among them; so have we. The Jews could not get evidence enough that Jesus was the Christ. 'How long dost thou make us to doubt? if thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.' Our Deists labour under the [Page 34]same difficulty: "I remember," says Paley, "hearing an unbeliever say, that if God had given a revelation, he would have written it in the skies." The Jews said, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' Such is the lan­guage of modern catholicism. There were those among the Jews who compassed sea and land to make one proselyte, without promot­ing true piety, as our Jesuits have done in China, India, and other parts of the globe. And yet there were remarkable revivals of religion among the Jews by the ministry of John, of Christ and his apostles. So there are now among us. The dawn of our dis­pensation appeared in that day among the Jews. The light then was not clear nor dark; but it was one (remarkable) day known to the Lord, (not to men in general) not day nor night. So the dawn of the Mil­lennium now appears with us; a light not clear nor dark; a day known to the Lord, not to men in general, for they do not dis­cern this time.

The ministry of John was a lively repre­sentation of what has been performed among Christians in the three last centuries. John was Elias. And the Bible, revived by the invention of the press, and improved by the Protestant ministry, is our Elias. The glo­rious effects are as if Elias had visited the world again to cure the people of idolatry. [Page 35]'The hearts of the fathers are turned to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers.' Mal. iv. 6. The thoughts or sentiments of the first Christian fathers, with respect to religious worship, are brought into union with ours, and ours into union with theirs; and so the purity of the ancient Christian worship is restored, as the purity of the ancient Jewish worship was restored by John and by the first Elias. The reforma­tion of the first Elias was in the conclusion of the literal time, times and an half of famine. And the reformation by our Elias is in the conclusion of the prophetical time, times and an half of Popish famine: 'a famine not of bread and water, but of hearing the word of the Lord.' And thus that in Mal. iv. 5, has a secondary and antitypical accomplishment, as well as the rest of that chapter. The same prophecy, which describes the type, must ne­cessarily describe the antitype. * And as [Page 36]there were seventy weeks from the time of the return of the Jews from Babylon to their final ruin; so there is nearly the same por­tion of time from the beginning of our deliv­erance from mystical Babylon to the com­mencement of the Millennium. These and other signs which might be noticed, give con­firming evidence that the end of our world is near, and the Judge stands before the door.

INFERENCES.

1. Hence we must expect, that the Chris­tian world in future will be subject to much sin and trouble. Licentious opinions and practices will prevail almost every where. The pure gospel, and those few who embrace it, derided and rejected. 2 Tim. iii. 1—5. 'In the last days perilous times shall come: for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, diso­bedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,' &c. Even the wicked in time past have been fre­quently under close restraint by their fear of future punishment; but for the future, this fear is to be named superstition. Since the reformation, men have enjoyed a precious opportunity to know and embrace the truth; but they have not improved it. Therefore God will now choose their delusions, and first rain snares upon them, then fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup. And as the restraints of religion will be cast off, so [Page 37]it is not improbable that civil government will lose much of its energy, and men will be disposed, not only to think, but to act, that which is right in their own eyes, in op­position to the welfare of civil society, as well as religion: For they shall be 'traitors, heady, high-minded. Presumptuous, self-willed, despising government, and not afraid to speak evil of dignities,' 2 Tim. iii. 4. 2 Pet. ii. 10. Thus shall iniquity abound, and great judgments must follow, which yet will not reform mankind; but they shall harden their hearts more and more, like Pharaoh and his servants, till the day shall break forth when God will get honour upon them, so that they shall never despise his Son, nor his word, nor his people any more for­ever.

2. Hence PERHAPS, we have an easy con­struction of that in Matt. xxiv. 20, whatever primary reference it may hove to the escape from Jerusalem. 'Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day.' Winter is the time when summer and harvest are ended. Summer and harvest are similitudes, which the scripture uses to rep­resent our accepted time and day of salva­tion. 'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.' When Christ shall appear in the clouds to destroy the en­lightened world, their harvest will be past and their summer ended. The winter of divine wrath shall commence, such 'great tribula­tion [Page 38]as was not since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be' * with that sort of sinners on the earth. Then too the Sabbath will begin, the seventh mil­lennary of the world, in which the risen and changed saints shall enter into their rest; but of this rest the wicked will fall short by un­belief, and vain will be their flight to mercy for relief, or mountains to fall on them. Therefore pray ye that your flight may be in season, before the winter and before the Sab­bath day: 'for then shall be great tribula­tion, such as never was before; no, nor ever shall be.'

3. Hence learn with what propriety the commencement of the Millennium is called the end of time and finishing of the mystery of God. Rev. x. 5, 6, 7. 'And the angel, which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him who liveth forever and ever, that there should be time no longer; but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished.' Time shall be no longer; that is, the accepted time with the Christian world shall be no longer; the time of the Christian dispensation shall be no longer. All those nations of sinners, which have here­tofore enjoyed and rejected the gospel, shall now be as Sodom and be made like unto Go­morrah, [Page 39]and the vineyard, which they have des­pised, shall be given to nations bringing forth the fruits thereof. The mystery of God shall be finished. The hand of the wicked has long vexed the righteous; and while the latter have been persecuted and counted as sheep for the slaughter, the former have flourished like the green bay tree. And thus the prov­idence of God toward the church has been mysterious. He has suffered sin to practise and prosper for a time, times and an half. This has been one great part of the mystery of God; a mystery no doubt to angels as well as men. But now the mystery of God shall be finished, when the Millennium shall commence, and the seventh angel shall begin to sound. God will now proceed to 'lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the plummet, and reward mankind according to their works,' and sin will never again be suf­fered to practise and prosper as heretofore.

When Daniel had a similar vision, (chap. xii. 7) he heard the man clothed in linen swear by Him that liveth forever, that 'when he,' i. e. the man of sin, 'shall have accom­plished to scatter the power of the holy peo­pley, all these things,' i. e. all the persecutions of the church, shall be finished. Hence the propriety of the sense which our translators have given to the phrase, CHRONOS OUK ESTAI ETI, time should be no longer. To ren­der it the time shall not be yet, gives to the ar­ticle the the force of a relative; but there is [Page 40]no relative, not even an article prefixed in the original. This construction too depresses the sublimity of this passage. How majestic the posture of the angel! How terrible his voice as when a lion roareth! How solemn the oath! All to command the greatest at­tention to something he is about to utter. What is it? that the time shall not be yet? that the affairs of the world shall for a con­siderable time be as they are at present? No; but something far more solemn and in­teresting: Time shall be no longer.

The commencement of the seventh trumpet, the seventh vial and the descent of New Jerusa­lem, all synchronize by Mr. Mede's Table. Ac­cordingly, when the seventh trumpet begins to sound, Time is no longer, and the mystery of God is finished: When the seventh vial is poured out, there was a voice from the tem­ple, saying, It is done: And when New Je­rusalem descended,— It is done, said he who sat on the throne. Here then is a great con­firmation, that the sense which the translators have given to the above phrase, is the true and proper construction. Hence the seven vi­als are properly called the seven last plagues, though they all precede the Millennium.

[Page 41]

SECTION III. The next Conflagration not universal.

WHAT a solemn description is that in 2 Pet. iii. 10! 'The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up.' That this conflagration will be such literally, is manifest in that the apostle does not appear to speak in figura­tive language; but with that familiarity of style, which is always proper for an epistle. It is universally allowed that the deluge was such literally, and here in a familiar letter Peter tells his brethren, that as the old world was destroyed by water, so the present world will be destroyed by fire. 'The elements shall melt with fervent heat;' that is, the present state of the elements will be in some manner changed with fervent heat. The present state of the aerial heavens (above which the Psalmist represents the waters to be) will then be dissolved and pass away. A transi­tion perhaps not much unlike that of the air and elements in the land of the four cities when fire and brimstone rained upon them. 'The earth also and the works which are therein shall be burnt up,' as the land of the plain and the works of it once were. But the prophecy of the conslagration, like other [Page 42]prophecies, may have different periods of ful­filment, one at the beginning, the other at the conclusion of the Millennium. *

Dr. Hopkins and several others have ob­served and proved, that Ezekiel's prophecy of Gog and Magog has two periods of ac­complishment; the first introducing, and the other concluding the Millennium. Now that the first Gog and Magog will be destroyed by fire, is evident not only from Ezek. xxxviii. 22, but from the time of their destruction be­ing that in which the Millennium shall com­mence, and then, as already shewn, Christ will appear in flaming sire, taking vengeance. It is also very evident from Rev. xx. 9, that the last Gog and Magog will be devoured by sire. Therefore, as there will be two Gogs at two different periods; so there will be two fires at two different periods to devour them. The first fire, a partial; the last, a complete fulfilment of the above solemn pre­diction. The same prophecy we find in Mal. iv. 1. 'Behold, the day cometh which shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, and all they who do wickedly, shall be as stubble.' Nothing could appear merely in these words, when first written, to show that they ever would have more than one period of accom­plishment; [Page 43]yet the opposite is maintained by the most approved expositors. This text was undoubtedly fulfilled in part when the Jew­ish polity and dispensation were destroyed; but now, when the Millennium shall com­mence, it will be accomplished far more ex­tensively, and at the last period its fulfilment will be complete.

That then next conflagration will not be universal, appears by Sect. I. which implies the continued propagation of mankind in the Millennium, i. e. after the world shall have been destroyed by fire. Now, if that fire should be universal, how will any part of our species be preserved unless by a miracle? But the scripture speaks of no preserving miracle in that day, but that which shall change the saints, transmit them to the clouds and to im­mortality, in which state they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels of God in heaven. * It is most ra­tional therefore to suppose, that a part of our species will be preserved without a mira­cle, and consequently that the fire will not be universal. And does not the scripture clearly foretel such a preservation, and that not of one or two families, but of whole na­tions?

When Peter had finished his description of the conslagration, he adds, 'Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heav­ens [Page 44]and a new earth wherein dwelleth right­eousness;' that is, 'according to his promise' in Isa. lxvth. and lxvith. chapters; for no where else do we find this promise expressly mentioned in the prophets. Therefore no doubt the apostle Peter and the prophet Isaiah both speak of the same new earth, * and consequently of the same fire as that which shall immediately precede and be the occasion of it. The prophet having describ­ed the blessings of the new earth, proceeds to tell how they shall be introduced: 'For behold the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots, like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.' Isa. lxvi. 15. This text, as appears by the connexion, was fulfilled only in the type by the first personal coming of Christ, and the consequent ruin of the Jews. The far more solemn and extensive fulfilment is yet future, when the Christian dispensation and world shall be finished, and as much of the globe as the scripture terms the whole earth, and the whole world, will be destroyed by real fire from heaven. 'For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh;' verse 16. Yet not all in the unlimited sense; for observe what follows. 'I will send those that escape of them to the nations, Tarshish, Pul and Lud, that draw the bow, Tubal and [Page 45]Javan, the isles afar off, which have not heard my fame nor seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles,' &c. This was fulfilled in the type, when those who escaped the Jewish destruction pro­pagated the gospel among the nations; and as the best commentators allow that the pre­dictions in general of this chapter have a secondary aspect to a period yet future, what reason, which would not beg the question, can be offered why this passage, as well as the rest, may not look to the same future pe­riod? Tarshish, Pul, and other nations here mentioned, were Pagans, unacquainted with the Jewish gospel; but when the Jewish economy and nation were destroyed, a brighter gospel shone upon these nations than was ever enjoyed before.

And there are nations now on the globe which we may venture to call the antitype of Tarshish, Pul and Lud. They are Pagans, unacquainted with our gospel, so have a re­lation to us similar to that which we once had to the Jews. And when our economy and world shall be destroyed, then will be their time of love. Then the isles afar off, New Holland, New Guinea, Otaheite, Owhy­hee, and other dark regions, which have not heard God's fame, nor seen his glory, shall enjoy a far brighter glory than was ever en­joyed before. And thus God's dealings with mankind will be like what they have been in time past at the burning of Sodom, the over­throw [Page 46]of the Egyptians, and the ruin of the Jews: There will be three distinctions of men treated in a very different manner: The righteous, who will be saved; the enlighten­ed sinner, who will be destroyed; and the ignorant sinner, who will be spared to take notice of, and improve the warning. * This world, so soon to be ruined, is doubtless on this northern side of the Equator. Here and here only has the gospel shone with the bright­est radiance. Here the four monarchies are. Here sits mystical Babylon. Here the beast and the false prophet are; and here are they [Page 47]who obey not the gospel, and on whom Christ will take vengeance when he shall appear. * Here too we see the miraculous Aurora Bo­realis, an appearance of blood, fire, and va­pour of smoke. And are we absolutely cer­tain that this is not a sign of Christ's coming? But who ever saw just such a phenomenon in the southern hemisphere?

Parallel to the text now explained is that in Zeph. iii. 8—10, which represents the Mil­lennium as introduced by a conflagration. It declares that God will then pour upon the nations ' all his fierce anger,' and that ' all the earth shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy.' By this phrase it would seem at first view as if the whole globe would be de­stroyed; but the next verses plainly speak the contrary: 'For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, and serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my suppliants, even the daugh­ters of my dispersed, shall bring their, offering.

Thus it appears, that though the above prophecies may primarily refer to the ruin of the Jews, and ultimately to the final judg­ment; yet their next accomplishment will be [Page 48]the destruction, not of the whole globe, but only of the whole world. *

INFERENCES.

1. From what has been observed, it is plain that the general events attending Christ's second appearance, are typified by those which attended his first appearance. At his first appearance, he gathered in his elect from the Jewish world, burnt their city and temple, and gave a more glorious gospel to us than was ever enjoyed before. So in the end of our Christian world, the wicked will be sev­ered from the just, and cast into a furnace of fire, and the next world, as presently may appear more clearly, will be filled with such gospel glory as never was enjoyed be­fore. Behold here the wisdom and goodness of God! That part of the human race, who wait longest for the gospel, enjoy its bright­est glory, when it appears. And thus 'the elder serves the younger, and more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.'

2. How gloriously manifest are the wis­dom and justice of God in the destruction of our enlightened world! How reasonable it is that so many unthankful sinners, distinguish­ed [Page 49]so wonderfully from all the rest of man­kind by a day of grace, should be distinguish­ed too by a day of judgment! So the Jews were treated: 'You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore will I punish you,' said God. And are we better than they? No, in no wise. Our knowledge, and consequently our guilt, is far greater than that of the Jews. In mystical Babylon will be found the blood of all those who were slain upon the earth. The Christians have slain many more saints than the Jews. And instead of pitying the heathen, and exerting our utmost to illuminate them and diffuse the pure gospel among them; we have cheat­ed and robbed them, enslaved and murdered them. 'Our sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered our iniquities' committed in various parts of the globe; in South America and Africa, in the East and West Indies.

The advancement of pure religion among the Pagan nations? or private wealth? which of these has been generally the ultimate end of all our discoveries and commerce in distant parts of the globe? Is the question difficult? Commerce, in itself lawful and beneficial, has been carried on in a manner highly injurious to the Christian cause. The Christian world is the centre of the globe for commerce and commercial wickedness, the great antitype of ancient Babylon and Tyre. In Rev. xviii. 12—18, we may sec our variety store, and [Page 50]the manner of its utter destruction. And though the present generation may be exter­nally better than the former, in some respects, and boast, like the Jews, that we are not par­takers with our fathers in the blood of the prophets; yet are we not as corrupt, and more so, in other respects? How much less odious to the All-searching Eye is the enlight­ened blasphemer than the ignorant persecu­tor! What licentiousness in principle and practice now prevails every where! What contempt of religion and the Bible! What horrid atheism opens its mouth against the heavens! Whom does our increasing infidel­ity reject? Is it not the same Messiah who was rejected by the infidel Jews, when the utter ruin of that people was at hand? Therefore since we, like the Jews, are distin­guished from all mankind by a day of grace; so we shall soon be distinguished by a day of judgment. And

3. Hence learn how dangerous the mod­ern doctrine is that the Millennium will be introduced by the ordinary course of provi­dence. There is a generation at hand who are to see and suffer this fiery storm. The more this doctrine, which puts it far off, pre­vails among us, the more probably it will pre­vail in the succeeding generations; so that the last generation will be greatly injured, and rendered destitute of that warning, so necessary for their momentous and solemn situation. It is as really necessary to be [Page 51]cautious against deceiving the future, as the present generation.

But what a pity it is, it may be said, that so many great and good things should be destroyed, such great riches and great improvements in knowledge! The answer is, 'The Lord seeth not as man seeth.' Why are many youths, of extraordinary talents, cut off in the bloom of life? Why have the most flourishing cit­ies sunk by earthquakes? Why was the Alexandrian library destroyed by the hand of Providence? Who can tell? 'God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and his ways than our ways.' He can, if he pleases, in that day find room on the globe to preserve the elements of all useful knowledge. It is now the creed of multitudes, that the confla­gration would be on the whole for the worse, and their inference is, that it will never come at all; so they put far off the evil day. And such will be the creed of many in that very hour. 'Alas! Alas!' they will cry, 'that great city, that was clothed in sine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls: for in one hour so great riches are come to naught.' *

[Page 52]

SECTION IV. The Millennium introduced by the Corporeal Res­urrection of the Saints.

NO part of scripture more clearly describes the Millennium, its manner of beginning and ending, than the xxth. of Revelation. Here the plain account is, that One, having the key of hell and of death, will come down from heaven, free the nations from deception, and raise the saints from the dead, who shall reign with Christ on the earth a thousand years; that the rest of the dead shall not live again till the thousand years are finished, and then will follow the general resurrection and judg­ment; all which is very plain and intelligi­ble on the truth of the scheme under present inquiry. But on the truth of the contrary, the chapter is exceedingly difficult to under­stand. We find, by verse 4th. this happy pe­riod introduced by the resurrection of the saints. 'I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of them who, were be­headed for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had re­ceived his mark upon their foreheads nor in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.' That this first res­urrection is not figurative, but literal, may appear by the following arguments.

[Page 53] 1. In whatever sense we understand this chapter, whether literally or allegorically, it is certain here is no account of two sorts of death and resurrection, in those verses which expressly mention a resurrection, as so many have imagined; but the plain representation is, that two sorts of persons, who were dead in the same sense, should revive at two differ­ent periods of time. This must appear to any one who properly and attentively consid­ers this phrase, 'the rest of the dead.' If this passage is construed to signify two sorts of death and resurrection, the necessary para­phrase would be worse than tautology. I saw those who had the temper of the martyrs, and they received this temper of mind and reign­ed in a suffering state a thousand years; that is, some reigned twenty, others forty, sixty or an hundred years, till the thousand were expired. But the rest of the dead, consisting of both sorts, lived not again until the thousand years were fulfilled. The above construction cannot admit of a better paraphrase, and is it not quite unintelligible? * "This text," [Page 54]says Dr. Newton, "cannot admit of al­legory without the greatest torture and violence: For with what propriety can it be said that some of the dead, who were behead­ed, lived, but the rest of the dead lived not again; unless the dying and living again be the same in both, places, a proper death and resurrection? If the martyrs rise only in a spiritual sense, then the rest of the dead rise only in a spiritual sense; but if the rest of the dead really rise, the martyrs rise in the same manner; there is no difference between them." * "The first and second resurrec­tion must needs be of the same kind," says President Mather, "otherwise the discourse would be illogical." Piscator says, "In every rational distinction the opposite parts are of the same kind. Here is a distinction of dead men living again, some at the be­ginning, the rest at the end of the thousand years; but those, who live again after the thousand years, live as to their bodies: there­fore so must the other." †

But some, expositors, who appear sensible of this difficulty, have recourse to another in­vention in order to turn this plain and easy account of the resurrection into allegory. The martyrs, they say, will live again in the revival and flourishing of that cause which they espoused, and which had been a long time dead among a world of enemies, who [Page 55]will now die in their turn, in that their cause will die: For Satan will now deceive the nations no more for a thousand years: and then he will deceive again, and so these old enemies of religion will live again in the revival of their cause, while the martyrs in heaven will die again in their cause: Briefly, the righteous and the wicked will live and die by turns. As if John had said, I saw the souls of them who were beheaded, and they revived in that their cause revived. I saw thrones and they sat upon them in that their cause sat upon them; but the rest of those who were dead, with respect to an opposite cause, lived not again in that cause till the thousand years were finished. But here is not all the difficulty. What a needless repetition does this com­ment fix on this part of the chapter! What is the expulsion of darkness, but the effusion of light? and what is the ligation of Satan and undeceiving of the nations, in verse 1 to 3, but the revival of the martyrs' cause? If so, the account of the resurrection in verse 4th. tells nothing more than what was just told us before. The preceding verses declare plainly that the martyrs shall revive in their cause, i. e. that their cause shall revive; and the 4th. verse only repeats the same thing in another manner. Now it is usual for the word of prophecy to represent the same thing differently in different visions; but where do we find different representa­tions of the same event in the same vision [Page 56]and almost in the same verse? Besides, how uninstructive is the text rendered by this comment! If the cause of the righteous flourishes and triumphs over all a thou­sand years, what person need be told that the cause of the wicked will not flourish for that thousand years? Again, If the first resurrection be only the revival of the martyrs in their cause; then the revival of the wicked in their cause after the Millen­nium, by the loasing of Satan, will be the second resurrection. Why then does not the chapter call it a resurrection, as well as the other, the same subject being continued? Why was this omission? why this sudden, unnatural transition from one kind of alle­gory to another? Such a monster in lan­guage should never be imputed to the scrip­ture without some better reason than merely the vindication of that hypothesis, which puts the coming of Christ far off. It may be ar­gued that the first resurrection must be figur­ative, because it is here said that the souls of those, who were beheaded, lived; not their bodies. But how often do the scrip­tures speak by a synedoche like this! 'Every living soul died in the sea,' means that every living body died in the sen. Christ's ' soul was not left in hell:' His body was not left in the grave. 'O let me escape thither,' says Lot, 'and my soul shall live:' My body shall live. And thus the souls of the martyrs liv­ed, i. e. their bodies lived again. There­fore [Page 57]this passage must necessarily mean that two sorts of persons, righteous and wicked, who were dead in the same sense and at the same time, revived at two different periods. The righteous first and the rest after many days, even a thousand years. Accordingly the prophet Isaiah, predicting this very time, tells us, (chap. xxiv. 21, 22, 23) that the Lord 'will punish the hosts of the high ones, which are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth, and they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and be shut up in prison, and after many days shall they be visited.' That then the moon shall be con­founded and the sun ashamed, when the Lord shall reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his ancients gloriously.' Jerusa­lem which is above shall come down; the ancient prophets and saints will descend from heaven, assume their bodies, and Christ will reign before them gloriously in mount Zion and Jerusalem: that is, in New Jerusalem, the true glorified church collected from all preceding ages.

2. It is allowed by all, that the second event, which this chapter calls a resurrection, must be understood literally. Therefore, other things being aqual, the first must be understood so too. That the account of Sa­tan's being bound and loosed is figurative, is freely granted, and the figure appears at first view; but this is no proof that the account of the first resurrection is figurative where [Page 58]the contrary appears at first view. If this ac­count be an allegory, as so many imagine; then the other resurrection, in the conclu­sion of the chapter, is entirely another sub­ject, and has no very immediate relation to any preceding part of the chapter. But if we can allow the account of the first resur­rection to mean as it speaks, a plain and im­mediate relation appears between one part of the chapter and the other, and an easy, beau­tiful connexion, both of the style and subject, is conspicuous through the whole.

3. It will not be denied, that one great design of this chapter and of this whole proph­ecy, was to support and comfort the church under her sore trials of Pagan and Popish per­secutions. Now this great design is certainly most favoured by the explanation for which this section is pleading: It could not be so comfortable to the martyrs, when they were going to the stake, to believe that only their cause would revive, as to believe that both they and their cause would revive together. The martyrs have here a precious promise that, if they will lose their lives for Christ's sake, they shall save them; that, if they will suffer for Christ, they shall reign with him. If they will die faithfully, they shall live again and reign gloriously. And accordingly we are told in history, that a multitude of mar­tyrs understood this promise literally, and were greatly comforted by it. And here we may see how unreasonably some expositors [Page 59]have used the promise of Elias, the manner of its fulfilment, as a key to this prophecy, by saying that John had the spirit of Elias. The case of that prophet, and that of the martyrs were very dissimilar. The promise of Elias was a promise to the Jews; not to that proph­et himself: for he had ascended to heaven long before it was revealed. But the first resurrection was a promise, not only to the church in general, but to the martyrs of Jesus in particular, who have been chiefly born since this promise was revealed, and who stood in peculiar need of such a clear and special manifestation of divine love, as the literal sense of this promise affords.

4. The same literal sense is confirmed by several other passages of scripture. In Isa. xxiv. to xxvi. the resurrection of the saints is evi­dently mentioned as one of those happy events which shall constitute the glory of the Millennium. Those chapter declare, that when 'the Lord shall make unto all people a feast of fat things, and shall destroy the veil which is spread over all nations, he will swallow up death in victory.' And that this victory is not figurative, but literal, ap­pears from the apostle's quoting this passage, and expressly declaring that it will be ful­filled in the corporeal resurrection of the saints. 1 Cor. xv. 54. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' And when Paul speaks of the resurrection of [Page 60]Christ as a proof of ours, he has doubtless in view that in Isa. xxvi. 19. 'Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake! and sing, ye who dwell in dust! for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out her dead.' And the same prophecy declares, that the wicked shall not then be raised: 'O Lord, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us. They are dead, they shall not live: they are deceased, they shall not rise.' Isa. xxvi. 13, 14. That is, they shall not rise at present: for 'they shall be shut up in prison, and after many days shall they be visited.' * Chap. xxiv. 22. In chap. xxxv. which predicts the Millennium, we read that 'the ransomed of the Lord (from the grave) shall return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.' But sorrow and sighing will not flee away till the resurrection. And in chap. lxvi. 14, the prophet, foretelling the same future glory, declares, that when the saints shall see it, not only will their hearts rejoice, but their bones also 'shall flourish like an herb.'

The departed saints are perfectly holy and much more happy than they were on earth; but still the marks of God's displeasure for [Page 61]sin are upon them. 'The Lord hath put away thy sin,' says Nathan to David, 'but the child shall die, and the sword shall not de­part from thy house.' The sad consequence of sin, which serves to keep it in memory, shall yet continue with you. Such is the case of every departed saint: his sin is forgiven, but not wholly blotted out; and such his case will continue till the resurrection, by which all the marks of God's displeasure for sin will be wiped off from his people forever. Hence we have that in Acts iii. 19.—21. 'Re­pent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out:' When? 'When the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord: And he shall send Jesus, which before was preached unto you, whom the heavens must receive till the times of the res­titution of all things.'

These passages afford much confirming evi­dence, that there will be a bodily resurrection in the Millennium, and that the dead in Christ will rise long before the wicked. And why this slowness of heart to receive these com­forts, which the prophets have spoken? Would such a distinction be strange or new? We have no account in scripture that any wicked man ever yet rose from the dead; but many of the saints have risen already; why then should it be thought a thing incredible that many more saints may rise long before the resurrection of the wicked?

[Page 62] 5. Several events, which synchronize with the commencement of the Millennium, are inseparably connected with the corporeal res­urrection of the saints. When the Millenni­um shall begin, Christ will personally appear in flaming fire, as already shewn; and 'them who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise. The Lord shall come with ten thousand of his saints. The Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.' And in Dan. vii. the saints come with the clouds to the Ancient of Days, when the Ancient of Days came and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. * Doubtless these very saints appeared to John in vision, when he 'saw thrones and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.

It is allowed by the best commentators, that the thousand years will immediately succeed the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. Dan. xii. 12. And then Daniel will stand in his lot, verse 13. But 'go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest (in the grave) and stand in thy lot at the end of the days;' that is, at the end of the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. These days expire with the time, times and an [Page 63]half nearly. 'The man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, held up his his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and sware by Him who liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times and an half, and when he (the vile person) shall have accom­plished to scatter the power of the holy peo­ple, all these things shall be finished.' Parallel to this was the vision of John, Rev. x. 5 to 7. 'And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him who liveth for­ever and ever, that time shall be no longer.' But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath spoken to his servants the prophets;' and to the prophet Daniel among the rest. According­ly, when the seventh angel shall sound, 'God will judge the dead, and give reward unto his servants the prophets, to the saints and to them who fear his name, both small and great.' And what can this reward be, but Daniel's lot, and the recompense which Christ has promised to the charitable 'at the resur­rection of the just?' And that this judgment and reward will be at the beginning, as well as at the conclusion of the Millennium, appears by carefully considering, that when 'the seventh angel shall begin to sound, time shall be no longer, and the mystery of God shall be finished. Then the end will be of the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days, [Page 64]and consequently that will be the time, when Daniel shall stand in his lot. Thus we see that the time of the first resurrection is the time of Christ's coming, the time of the conflagra­tion, the time when the mystery of God shall be finished, when time shall be no longer, when Daniel shall stand in his lot, when God shall judge the dead, and give reward unto his servants the prophets. How plainly then it appears from this synchronism, that here is no other than a glorious promise of the cor­poreal resurrection of the saints.

To what has now been offered, there are some objections worthy of particular notice.

1. When our Lord was examined by the high priest whether he was the Son of God, 'Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said; nev­ertheless, I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heav­en.' Matt. xxvi. 64. Did the high priest die in the Lord? if not, he will have no pa [...]t in the first resurrection. How then will he see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven? To which it may be replied, that, besides the impossibil­ity of knowing the high priest's character when he died, and that of others present at this examination; it should be carefully no­ted that only the first part of this werse seems to have been addressed to the high priest in particular: the latter part seems to be ad­dressed to the Jews as a nation. The verb OPSESTHE is plural, ye shall see the Son of [Page 65]Man coming, &c. as when he said to the Jews, in chap. xxiii. 39, ' Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord;' that is, this nation shall not see me henceforth till ye, as a nation, are converted.

2. If there should be a resurrection before the destruction of the globe, how is it true that 'Man lieth down and riseth not again till the heavens be no more?' Job xiv. 12. The answer is,

  • 1. That man here may mean, per­haps, the greatest part of mankind, as it does in some other scriptures.
  • 2. At the next con­flagration the present state of the aerial heav­ens, as may presently be shewn, will, in some manner, pass away.
  • 3. Suppose any of the Jews in Old Testament times had been of opinion that there would be a bodily res­urrection of many saints at the end of their dis­pensation, and consequently before the final ruin of the globe;

this objection would have been as forcible against that opinion, as it is now against the opinion that many more saints will rise at the end of our dispensation. So when Christ declared, John v. 28, 29, 'The hour is coming when all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and come forth,' his words would then as fairly have proved that no saint would rise when he arose; as they will now prove that no saint will rise at the time of the first resurrection. The word hour is sometimes used for time in­definitely. The ten horns received power as [Page 66]kings ' one hour with the beast.' i. e. at one time with the beast. Rev. xvii. 12. So here 'the hour is coming:' the time is coming, when all the dead shall be alive. And it may be that the general resurrection will be ac­complished in one hour.

The objection taken from Matt. xxv. 30 to 46 must vanish, when it is considered that it does not there appear to have been our Saviour's design to measure periods, but only in general to show what a solemn distinction between the righteous and the wicked will be the consequence of his second coming. We should also remember, that 'one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.'

When we read too that in Dan. xii. 2, it seems as if all would be raised at the same time. 'And many of them who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to ever­lasting life, and some to shame and everlast­ing contempt.' But even here the revival of the righteous is mentioned first, as it is in every other text where both are mentioned together, which affords prevailing evidence that the resurrection of the righteous will be first in the order of time. But how long first? Daniel's prophecy here does not say; but the Revelation says it will be a whole day first: and the Revelation is exegetical of the book of Daniel. "As the prophets often speak of things future as if they were already effected," says Dr. Newton, "so [Page 67]they often speak of things to be brought about in process of time, as if they were to succeed immediately; past, present and to come being all alike known to an infinite mind, and the intermediate time not revealed perhaps to the minds of the prophets." *

INFERENCES.

1. Hence it appears that the Millennium is yet future. There has been no corporeal resurrection since this prophecy was revealed. The capture of Constantinople by Mahomet the Second, in the year 1453, with the con­sequent ruin of the Greek empire, has ap­peared to some expositors like Satan let loose to deceive the nations. Hence their Millen­nium begins in the year 453. But what was the condition and behaviour of mankind in that intermediate time? Are they distinguish­ed in genuine history from other ages by knowledge, piety, peace and happiness? Noth­ing more remote. Who without pain can read the miseries of our fellow creatures in the fifth and sixth centuries by the fall of the western empire, when the Barbarians, with­out compassion to age or sex, carried fire and sword, massacre and desperation among the people wherever they went? What vast desolation afflicted the world in the seventh and eighth centuries, by the conquest of the Saracens extending far and wide; from It­aly to the river Niger, in Africa; from Por­tugal [Page 68]to the remotest Indies. Before them was the garden of the Lord; behind them a desolate wilderness. And what were the ninth, tenth and eleventh centuries, but the midnight of Popish delusion? Then, if ever, the man of sin sat in the temple of God, and the house of prayer became a den of thieves. The twelfth, thirteenth and four­teenth centuries are well known to be distin­guished by the most extensive and bloody persecutions of the Petrobrussians, Waldenses, and Lollards, that ever disgraced the human nature. "It is enough to make the blood run cold to read of the horrid murders and devastations of these times! how many poor innocent Christians were sacrificed to the blind fury and malice of their enemies! It is computed that in France alone were slain a million." While the sword of the fierce Othman (horrid argument) was propagating a false religion by pouring blood and devas­tation through the eastern empire. What melancholy ages were these! What kind of reign upon earth had the saints in this dread­ful Millennium! And what matter of won­der it is, than men eminent for knowledge in divinity and history, should ever attempt to vindicate this hypothesis! A clear manifesta­tion how necessary it is that the mind should be influenced, not by great names, but great arguments, in all our inquiries for the mean­ing of prophecy, as well as every other part of the sacred scriptures.

[Page 69] 2. The first resurrection will not be merely that of the martyrs, as some have sup­posed, but of others who have not worshipped the beast. The propriety of mentioning the martyrs here expressly is easy to be seen. Other saints in general are not in such pecu­liar need of comfort from this promise as the martyrs were. And perhaps too the reign of the martyrs will be, in some respects, more glorious than that of most other saints. But there is evidence that many and perhaps all the saints who shall then have lived, will have a part in the first resurrection: for then Christ will appear in the clouds, as already shewn; and 'When Christ, who is our life, shall ap­pear,' says Paul, 'then shall ye also appear with him in glory;' that is, in a state of glory in the clouds; 'and so shall we ever be with the Lord.' Christ will come with all his saints; 'He will then send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.' Matt. xxiv. 31. And when Paul treats of the first resurrection, he says, 'We shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (for the trumpet shall sound) and the dead shall be raised incorrupt­ible, and we shall be changed.'

But when we consider how numerous mankind will be in the Millennium, it may may be asked, How will there be room on the globe for such a multitude of glo­rified [Page 70]bodies? But he who is able to raise these bodies is doubtless able to find room for them. Many of them may be employed alter­nately in other parts of the universe, and open such opulent sources of communication from the numerous islands of the ethereal ocean, as will cause the next dispensation as much to exceed the present with respect to knowledge, as the present exceeds the former. Many of them too may ascend to the third heaven, and there live for a time, while thei [...] [...]ord is upon earth, as Enoch and Elijah did [...]ile he was upon earth before; and may appear again with Christ upon earth as Elijah did when Christ was upon earth before. More­over, he who can raise the dead, can say to the deep, Be dry. Though the prophecy of the new earth has ultimate reference to that most glorious state of the church which shall succeed the Millennium; yet many of the best commentators allow, it will be fulfilled in part when that happy period shall corn­mence. Therefore that in Hag. ii. 6, and Rev. xxi. 1, may is part be fulfilled literally, as well as mystically, for any thing which yet appears to the contrary. And if only one third part of the sea should become land, it would furnish nearly as much room for in­habitants as there now is on the whole sur­face of the globe. *

[Page 71] 3. Hence it appears agreeable to the ultimate design of this whole chapter, that the Millen­nium will be a third general dispensation of grace, a new order of things with respect to the church militant, as distinct from the pres­ent, as the present is from that of the Jews. It has now been shewn, that the first resur­rection will be attended with Christ's personal appearance in flaming fire, and the inference is necessary that there will be a miraculous manifestation of things which were never be­fore exhibited to the world. But more will be offered to confirm this in the next chapter.

4. Hence it is probable, that the thousand years will only be literally such. The first and second resurrection, with the chapter in general, have a literal meaning, as already has been shewn. Therefore the thousand years, other things being equal, must be con­sidered as having the same acceptation. Three hundred and sixty-five thousand years are out of all proportion, as Dr. Hopkins has justly observed.

The week of days and the week of years, among the Jews, are allowed to be analogous to the duration of the globe; but the seventh day is no longer than any other day of the week.

The first dispensation continued four thou­sand years; the second two thousand nearly. Therefore the third dispensation, continuing only one thousand years, has the same pro­portion to the second as the second has to the first: As two are to four, so is one to two.

[Page 72] In that day it is allowed, that the imper­fect saints will have far greater degrees of holiness than the imperfect saints have at present, or ever had heretofore. And there­fore sin and its consequences will appear far more dreadful to them than they appear now to us. And hence their desires and prayers will be earnest for that far more glorious state of the church beyond them, in which the prediction of the new heavens and earth will have its complete accomplishment, and in which the whole church, collected from all ages and nations, shall appear without spot or wrinkle; sin, sorrow and death being en­tirely banished forever.

These considerations must afford some de­gree of evidence that the Millennium, though a very bright and glorious day, will not con­tinue, and that it is not a thing desirable, on the whole, that it should continue longer than literally a thousand years.

When any particular saint enjoys the lively exercise of grace, he is far more happy than he was before; yet he forgets the things which are behind, and the future perfect day is more earnestly desired than cover: So it will be with the church militant in the Millenni­um. Her desires for the perfect day will be more earnest than ever before in any former age. Therefore, comparing future time with the past, it does not appear rational to imag­ine that three hundred and sixty-five thou­sand years will be suffered to elapse before these earnest desires shall be gratified.

[Page 73]

CHAP. III WHEREIN THE GLORY OF THE MILLEN­NIUM SHALL CONSIST.

TO every inquiring mind it must now be evident, that the subject will remain unfinish­ed till something more is offered to show what the happy state of mankind will be in the Millennium. This shall now be attempt­ed; and may the Holy Spirit afford humility and light, that only the truth may be exhib­ited and the cause of Zion promoted.

SECTION I. The Church Militant in the Millennium will en­joy a New Revelation.

THOUGH nothing will ever be added to the scripture substantially different from what is now revealed; yet the proposition in view is the necessary inference from the preceding chapter, and confirmed by several other ar­guments.

1. The distinction between the present and former dispensation, chiefly consists in our having a new and more glorious revela­tion, which abrogates the old positive institu­tions; and, besides affording new discoveries, [Page 74]explains what [...] more obscurely revealed before. As much distinction and a similar one there will be, we may rationally suppose, between our dispensation and the Millennium: for it is not improbable that our positive in­stitutions will be then abolished: We have not the least evidence that baptism will con­tinue longer than to the end of this world. Matt. xxviii. 20. Nor that the Lord's Sup­per will continue any longer than till the coming of Christ. 1 Cor. xi. 26. And what necessity will there be of such a token to keep in memory an absent Friend when he shall be present?

2. It will not he denied that several an­cient prophecies do, in the same sentences, predict both the present dispensation and the Millennium, and the former as the type of the latter. And the propriety of viewing them in this light plainly appears by pre­lim. 4. Those prophecies could afford no more evidence to the Jews that their dispen­sation would be succeeded by another, than they now afford that our dispensation will be succeeded by another. We have seen what their fulfilment was in the type, and hence may infer that their fulfilment will be similar in the antitype.

3. Under the Jewish economy the ark of the testament was placed in the inner taber­nacle, never to be seen by any one, except the high priest, through that dispensation. 'The Holy Ghost this signifying,' says Paul, 'that [Page 75]the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing;' that is, while that old dispensation remained. Therefore, to open or make manifest the way into the holy of holies, and consequently to bring the ark of the testament into view, required a new dis­pensation. Heb. ix. 1—10. Hence it ap­pears, that for any prophet to predict that the ark of the testament shall be seen, is im­plicitly the same as to predict a new dispensa­tion. But when the seventh angel sounded, there were great voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. And the temple of God was opened in heav­en; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.' What is this sudden ap­pearance of the ark of the testament, con­cealed for ages, but a figure significant of a new revelation? * The ark of the testament contained the glories of law and gospel. The same is predicable of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the future revelation. †

[Page 76] 4. Then doubtless, and not till then, will be known what the seven thunders uttered. If we compare Rev. x. 1—7, with Dan. xii. 6—9, we shall plainly perceive that of John and that of Daniel to be similar visions. Now, as the sealed words which Daniel did not un­derstand were not explained but by another revelation in a new dispensation; so we have no reason to expect that the sealed voices of the seven thunders will be explained but by another revelation in a new dispensation. And as the former were explained by the opening of the seven seals; so we have reason to expect that the latter will be explained by the next revelation.

5. It will not be denied that every part of the Bible is given for the benefit of the church militant in some age or other. There­fore it is highly reasonable to expect that the whole of it will be understood before the final judgment. But how is all this knowledge to be attained without extraordinary assistance? What poor, dark apprehensions had the an­cient Israelites of their own Bible, till Christ explained it by another at his first coming! And how will both these now be perfectly understood without the third volume at his second coming? What a large and valuable portion of scripture is yet under a veil, which the most elaborate, ingenious and learned commentaries have never taken off! How will those prophecies, the solution of which depends on the knowledge of some ancient [Page 77]hieroglyphics, be ever perfectly understood without miraculous instruction? But if we suppose that the revived saints will remember the events of their former life, as all acknowl­edge who believe the resurrection; it is easy to see how this knowledge may be revived, and this part of scripture be known as well as the rest. And it is not improbable that the history of all preceding ages may be rec­tified and made sacred by this divine instruc­tion, as that of Moses was from the beginning to his own time.

Thus it is reasonable to suppose, that though the essentials of religion will be always the same, there will yet be another revelation, and probably (as human memory will then be finite) a record, distinct from the present with respect to precept, prophecy and history. And without doubt it will be far more ex­plicit and glorious than the present revela­tion; more immediately and far more ex­tensively known, so that the feeble shall be as David, and the house of David as God; and the nations of them who are saved will so walk in the light of New Jerusalem, as they never did before.

The general events of our dispensation are predicted by the opening of seals and the sounding of trumpets; (when a seal is open­ed, none but readers can immediately under­stand the subject.) But the next prophetic revelation is represented as being uttered by articulate thunder, which much more than a [Page 78]trumpet will sound instruction far and wide. Multitudes will hear it at once; a nation born in a day. Thunder is the voice of God, loud and solemn. It is the God of Glory who thundereth. It is Christ who will teach the nations more clearly and gloriously than ever before; though probably not without the ministry of infallible saints. This instruction will be so clearly understood as to harmonize the whole church militant; all will see eye to eye. * Truth published by thunder will make swift progress, and the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth as the waters cover the seas.

SECTION II. The Millennium rendered glorious by New Heavens and a New Earth.

WHEN the apostle Peter had finished his solemn description of the conflagration, he comforts believers with the promise of new heavens and a new earth. 2 Pet. iii. 13. 'Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth where­in dwelleth righteousness.' Whatever spirit­ual [Page 79]blessings these words, by having a double reference, may presignify, the literal sense of them must not be excluded. That word of prophecy, which is like silver seven times tried, is not only fulfilled in different periods, but sometimes in different senses. 'The desart shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.' Isa. xxxv. 4. 'I will give—to thy seed—the land of Canaan.' Gen. xvii. 8. These and several other passages seem to have a literal as well as spiritual fulfillment. The same may be observed of the first prophecy after the apostasy respecting the enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent: It is now as clearly fulfilled in the literal as in the spiritual sense. Therefore, if it were proved that the above promise of a new world has a spiritual aspect, it would by no means follow that there will not be also a literal fulfilment of it.

As God is one, so his works are one. A glorious uniformity of design is conspicuous through the whole of them. It is a great beauty in the works of our Creator, that, amidst all their variety, one species, of created existence represents another, and one period of events represents another. Hence the much in a little of the word of prophecy. Accord­ingly the present state of the natural world resembles that of the moral. Now what great absurdity is there in supposing that the works of the same God will in future time be similar to what they have been in time [Page 80]past? that the future state of the moral world will be represented by the future state of the natural? that as, by what has been proved, there will be a great miraculous change for the better in the moral world, so there will be the like in the natural? Why is the renovation of the earth after its ruin any more incredible than the renovation of our own earth after the ruin of our bodies? Why then may not the above promise mean as it speaks; especially since it is a maxim with divines, that the literal sense should always be preferred to the figurative, when it does not oppose the analogy of faith.

It is proved that the former part of this chapter treats of a literal deluge and a literal conflagration. And now when it treats of a new earth, must another subject present it­self to view all at once, or a most unnatural transition from the literal to the figurative? Certainly not without some better reason than the support of that hypothesis, which has al­ready been shewn to be erroneous. * The suppo­sition [Page 81]that the new earth only means the abun­dant righteousness of that day, is refuted by the very words of this promise, which plainly distinguish the new earth from the righteous­ness which shall dwell in it. 'We look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwell­eth righteousness.' So in Isa. lxvi. 22, the new heavens and earth are clearly distinguished from the church which shall flourish in that day: 'As the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, so shall your seed and your name remain.' And in Rom. viii. 19, which by an emphati­cal prosopopoeia represents the whole creation as waiting and groaning for this renovation, the same distinction is manifest. 'And not only they, but we ourselves also, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of our body.'

These passages plead for the literal sense of this glorious prediction of the new heavens and earth. And how agreeable is this con­struction to what is known to be God's man­ner of working both in the natural and moral [Page 82]world. The most salubrious air, the cheer­fullest sun, the purest sky, are often the im­mediate consequence of the most violent storms. The present beautiful creation rose from chaos. And in the moral world the greatest good often succeeds the greatest evil. 'In the place where it was said, Ye are not my people, there shall they be called, The children of the living God.' So this part of the creation which, is now subject to vanity and the curse, and reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men, it is not unreasonable to suppose, will thenceforward be the subject of restitution and the most glorious exhibitions of mercy. But, though the aerial heavens in that time may become much more salutary and pro­ductive of longevity than ever before over all the globe, on which account, as well as on account of the new state of things in general, the whole globe may be said to be new; yet there is no difficulty in the hypothesis that the next restitution will be only partial, only the commencement of that which shall be complete at the final judgment. The curse which afflicts the earth for man's sake, seems to have had two periods of fulfilment; the first immediately after the apostasy; the sec­ond at the deluge. For though Dr. Burnet's theory, as such, cannot agree with the scrip­ture, yet in this matter his reasoning is wor­thy of particular notice.

[Page 83] The new spiritual creation has two periods of accomplishment: The first, that of regen­eration; the second, that of perfection. And the human soul in the intermediate time is the subject of the widest extremes. It has been proved too, that the prophecies of Gog and Magog—of the resurrection and confla­gration —have yet two periods of accomplish­ment.

When all these things are considered, we are not without evidence that there must be a second period to fulfil all the happiness pre­dicted of the new heavens and earth.

What this new earth will be, we know not any more than we know what our bodies will be; but doubtless a glorified earth will be a suitable mansion for glorified bodies, and consequently for that New Jerusalem which shall come down from God out of heaven.

This new earth will be the land of Israel, the antitype of Canaan, and a most glorious fulfilment of the promise to Abraham, 'that he should be heir of the world through the righteousness of faith.' This will be the in­heritance of the meek, Matt. v. 5; and of those children who obey their parents in the Lord, Eph. vi. 1—3, and thereby become the true children of Abraham. The apostle, to encourage the true obedience of children, instead of the type, presents to their view the antitype; instead of saying, 'Thy days shall be long upon the land,' he says, 'Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first [Page 84]commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the earth.' Not the present earth: for here obedient children in general live no longer than others; but on the new earth, of which Abraham's spiritual children are heirs, and which is the antitype of the land given to obedient children by the fifth com­mandment.

To this land of the spiritual Israel, it seems, Rachel's children will return, those babes of Bethlehem, who were slain by the cruelty of Herod. The thirty first chapter of Jeremiah contains a prophecy of the Millennium, or of the next dispensation, as well as this; and in verse 15, 16, 17, we have these words—'A voice was heard in Rama, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children, refused to be comforted for her children, because they are not. Thus saith the Lord, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, and they shall come again from the land of the enemy, and there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own bor­ders.' The same pious parents in Beth­lehem, whose affliction is here predicted, are here exhorted to patience and resignation, and are comforted too with the glorious prom­ise that their children shall return to their own borders, i. e. to the antitype of their own bor­ders. They shall come again from the land [Page 85]of the enemy, a land of which Babylon was a resemblance, and which the scripture else­where calls the land of darkness and the shad­ow of death: For death, we know, is the great enemy of the saints through all ages, and the last enemy which shall be destroyed.

The New Testament prophecy, which is the greatest expositor of the Old, knows of no other land of Israel below the third heaven but the new earth. This then will be the in­heritance, the heaven begun below, of the spiritual Israel, whether they be Jews or Gen­tiles. On this part of the globe, where sin and misery have abounded, holiness and hap­piness will much more abound. The vilest of sinners once inhabited Canaan; but the Lord cast them out before the children of Israel. And the city of the Jebusites became the city of David, and the place which the Lord chose to put his name there.

SECTION III. Of the Salvation of the Jews, in the next Dispensation.

ANOTHER great event which will serve to constitute the glory of the Millennium, is the salvation of the Jews. That they will yet embrace the Christian faith is very man­ifest, not only from several passages in the [Page 86]Old Testament, but from Rom. xi. and 2 Cor iii. 16. By an eye of faith they will first look on him whom they have pierced and mou and then be brought into the land of Israel. The prophets represent their gracious return as the happy consequence of their repentance and humiliation in their s tate of captivity and dispersion, as appears from Levit. xxvi. 40 to 45. Jer. iii. 14. Ezek. xxxvi. 37. and several other passages.

Though infidelity and all manner of wick­edness will doubtless continue to prevail among us to the end; yet, from what has been shewn, we may expect that, by remark­able revivals here and there, God will call in his elect at different times, till at length the Jews will embrace the truth as it is in Jesus. And when these natural branches shall be graffed in again, the wild olive branches shall be broken off. As the Jews in general were given over to infidelity and false religion when we were converted; so the Christians in general will be given over to infidelity and false religion when the Jews shall be con­verted. * This appears not only by Chap II. Sect. 2 and 3; but by Rom. xi. 18—22 'Boast not against the branches; thou stand­est by faith: Be not high-minded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest lie also spare not thee. Behold [Page 87]therefore the goodness and severity of God! on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

The injurious treatment which the Jews have received from the Christians, and from that church in particular to whom this epistle was directed, plainly manifests how necessary this admonition was. The Gentile Christians in general have not continued in that good­ness of God which has so wonderfully distin­guished them from the Jews. They have been high-minded, and boasted against the natural branches. Instead of pitying them, and using the best means for removing their prejudices, we have despised them, and in many instances not allowed them the com­mom privilege of citizens. They have been a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse among us; yea, we have plundered and per­secuted them from age to age. What then are we to expect but the dreadful accomplish­ment of the above solemn threatening, that the greatest part of the Christian world will in that day be given over to infidelity and false religion, to hardness of heart and blind­ness of mind?

Hence also we may expect, that when the Jews shall become true believers, the Christian Gentiles will become their enemies and furious persecutors; and as, when the Gen­tiles first believed, some Jews united with them so, when the Jews shall believe, some [Page 88]Christians will probably unite with them, and all shall be in one sheepfold, constitute one Israel, and have fellowship in the same suffer­ings.

Here will be the last persecution of our dis­pensation, Gog and Magog; the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Vast mul­titudes of false, sensual and infidel Christians, and perhaps Mahometans, will probably unite their efforts to extirpate the truth from the earth, and destroy a people brought back from the sword of Rome heathen, and Rome Christian, by the hand of Providence, which, perhaps shall then have given civil and relig­ious liberty to all that part of the globe, where the Jews are chiefly dispersed. Against these sierce persecutors God will plead with pesti­lence and blood; and at last Christ will end the dispute by his own personal appearance. Then the fishes and fowls and beasts, and 'every creeping thing which creepeth upon the earth, and all the men who are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at his presence,' while he shall rain upon that wretched mul­titude an overflowing rain, great hail-stones, sire and brimstone. 'Lo! he cometh in clouds, and every eye * shall see him, and they also which pierced him.' Before this they will see him with an eye of faith and mourn; now probably they will see him with bodily eyes and mourn, for their bodies will not be [Page 89]changed till after the resurrection. Christ will first appear, then the dead shall rise, and then the living saints will be changed. 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. 'The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive on the earth shall be caught up together in the clouds.' In this manner will the dead and living of the true Israel be gathered from the four winds and be brought into their own land, that is, into the new earth, the glorious antitype of ancient Canaan. And according­ly the dead, as well as the living, have re­ceived a promise, that they shall return into the land of Israel. Isa. xxxv. 10. 'The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy shail be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.' But sorrow and sighing will not flee away till the resurrection.

A like promise we have in Ezek. xxxvii. one design of which was particularly to com­fort those pious Jews, who, by reason of the Babylonish captivity and that of Salmanezer, were in a state of despondency, and said, Our hope is lost, our bones are dry, we are cut off for our parts; q. d. the captivity will indeed return after seventy years; but as for us, we shall never live to return. Our bones will be dead and dry long before that happy pe­riod. Ah! but you shall return, saith the Lord; 'Behold! O my people, I will open [Page 90]your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel, * and ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. Then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken and performed it, saith the Lord;' which strongly intimates, that they should not know before the very important and glo­rious signification of this prophecy.

That this is not a spiritual resurrection, as many have supposed, must be evident by the following arguments.

1. It is allowed by Dr. Hopkins to be a good argument that the Millennium will be literally a thousand years, that the prophecy repeats that number of years several times. As well may it be argued that the resurrection now in view will be literal, because it is sev­eral times declared that God will 'open their graves and bring them up out of their graves.'

2. Regeneration in another part of scrip­ture, though it is sometimes called a resur­rection, is no where expressed by opening the grave or coming up out of the grave. Where­ever any person or persons are spoken of as coming up or brought up from the grave, a lit­eral [Page 91]resurrection is always intended. When a person is regenerated, he is said in scripture language to live or rise from the dead; but never to come forth from the grave. Both kinds of resurrection are mentioned by our Lord in the same discourse. John v. 25, 28, 29. This is universally acknowledged; and see how he expresses himself in order to be understood: 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.' This is the spiritual resurrection. 'Marvel not at this; the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and come forth; they who have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they who have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.' Here Christ plainly means the corporeal res­urrection, and his manner of expression is just like that of the prophet in the passage be­fore us.

3. Though this prophecy refers to the whole spiritual Israel, it is evident that one special design of it was to comfort those pious captives, who said, Our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts, and to convince them that their hope was not lost, and that they were not wholly cut off for their parts. But if only a spiritual resurrection is here intend­ed, the prophecy leaves them as it finds them, without any more hope, as to their own case, than they had before. For the prophet only [Page 92]to tell these captives that there will be a great reformation among mankind some time or other, was certainly not the most direct meth­od to convince them that their hope was not lost and that they were not cut off for their parts. But if this prediction be literal, it speaks directly to their case, and is full of consolation for those who were to die in that grievous captivity.

4. This chapter is evidently parallel with the xxth. of Revelation. Both chapters predict the resurrection of God's people. Both have a similar design. Both are intended to give consolation to persons in a similar condition. The former to comfort those who died in the captivity of Affyria and Babylon; the latter to comfort those who died in mystical Baby­lon. And as, in the book of Ezekiel, the prophecy of Gog and Magog is next in order to that of the resurrection and David's reign over the land of Israel; so, in the book of Revelation, the prophecy of Gog and Magog is next in order to, that of the resurrection and Christ's reign over the new earth. These considerations afford evidence that the proph­et Ezekiel here foretels the very same resur­rection as that in the xxth. of Revelation. And as the latter has already been shewn to be literal in Chap. II. Sect. 4, it is certainly most rational to understand the former in the same light. *

[Page 93] The prophet in the latter part of this chap­ter seems to foretel the perfect union of God's people of Israel and Judah, and perhaps of Jews and Gentiles, as their antitype; repre­sented by two sticks, which became one in his hand, that the glorious church, thus unit­ed, shall have David for their king, and the land of Israel for their habitation; but here David is Christ, and consequently the land of Israel must be the land of Christ, the new earth on which Christ will reign with his saints a thousand years,

Thus it appears that, not the type, but the antitype; not the old Canaan in its present or former state, but the New Canaan, far more excellent and glorious, is reserved for the Jews, in common with other believers, when they shall have embraced the true Mes­siah. That they should have no better habi­tation than their ancient land through the Millennium, is too gross a conception to en­tertian of gospel glory or that of the Millen­nium. * If not, it is strange that we find no particular account of it in the New Testament, and especially in the book of Revelation, where it might be so naturally expected.

The same Old Testament prophecies which have been supposed to predict the return of the Jews to their old land do as plainly predict the return of their ancient ceremo­nial [Page 94]worship; the sanctuary, sacrifice, taber­nacle, new moons, appointed feasts, and Da­vid for their king. Therefore we have just as much evidence from the Old Testament that the Jews will return to their ancient economy, as that they will return to their an­cient country to dwell there through the Mil­lennium, in the manner so commonly imag­ined. Some better thing is doubtless provid­ed for that poor, stupid, and punished people, who are still beloved for the fathers' sakes. A better worship, a better country, and a far more glorious accomplishment of the promise made to Abraham.

INFERENCES.

1. Hence it appears probable, that the true gospel church at the coming of Christ will consist chiefly of Jews. Their conver­sion will afford another important argument in favour of divine revelation; but the Chris­tian infidels will not regard it at all. The Bible will still be ridiculed, and the doctrine of Christ's coming in particular. And many of those who shall believe it, will consider it far distant, and place it beyond the Millennium. Though the knowledge of scripture among the pious will be greatly increased, as well as every other branch of knowledge in the world, still 'the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of them shall understand; but the wise shall understand.' The Jews shall un­derstand, and shall look for Christ's coming: [Page 95]for unto them who look for him shall he ap­pear the second time without sin unto salva­tion They shall say, Blessed is he who co­meth in the name of the Lord. Agreeable to that in Matt. xxiii. 39, 'Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord.'

2. Hence, perhaps, we may find what is, intended by the fulness of the Jews and ful­ness of the Gentiles, Rom. xi. 12 and 25. The fulness of the Jews must be the fulness of the elect among the Jews. This will read­ily be granted. And the fulness of the Gen­tiles must in this verse signify the fulness of the elect among our Christian and Mahometan Gentiles, and not among the millennial Gen­tiles, as some might imagine: For 'blindness in part,' say, Paul, 'is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.' * But this blindness in part, it is allowed, will continue no longer than till about the time when the Millennium shall commence, and consequently this fulness of the Gentiles will take place about the same time; but surely the fulness of all the nations on the globe will not take place till a thousand years af­terwards. Our Lord predicted that Jerusa­lem [Page 96]should be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Luke xxi. 24. The times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled 'when time shall be no long­er;' that is, when our Christian day of grace shall be finished, and consequently when the fulness of our Gentiles shall come in, and not when the thousand years shall be finished: For then Jerusalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles through the thousand years, which all deny who either maintain or oppose the millenarian doctrine.

Here then is another proof that the fulness of the Gentiles in the above passage is the fulness of our Gentiles, who enjoy the present gospel dispensation. The elect number of the Jews and of the Christian Gentiles will of the ungodly will be consigned to ruin. And yet the fulness of the Jews will be the riches of the Gentiles and life from the dead to the Gentiles. Because, not only will the salvation of our elect Gentiles be then com­pleted, but this event will be followed by the conversion of all the Pagan Gentiles to a far more glorious gospel than was ever enjoyed in any preceding age of the world.

3. How often should the conversion of the Jews be the subject of prayer! It is our indispensable duty to pray for all men now living, if peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth. Paul prayed for the Jews even after [Page 97]they were rejected: 'My heart's desire,' he says, 'and prayer to God for Israel is, that they may be saved.' But at the present time the saints have peculiar encouragement to pray for their conversion. It is a glorious even swiftly approaching. From what has been observed, it must precede the coming of Christ, and may be expected within a few years. Before Christ's coming they will say, 'Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord;' but they will not say this before their conversion.

We now see the dawn of the Millennium; a day neither clear nor dark, and delusion and wickedness will make it still darker. 'But it shall come to pass, that at the evening time it shall be light; * with the Jews first and then with the Pagans. Therefore, since mul­titudes who bear the name of Christians, must and will reject the power and purity of the gospel, how joyfully, how thankfully should every true saint embrace the encouragement in favour of the Jews which the promises af­ford, and improve it by frequent and fervent prayer for their speedy reformation; that the veil may be removed from their heart, while [Page 98]Moses is read before them; that they may truly accept of the punishment of their ini­quities, which divine justice has inflicted upon them for so many ages, that so the true peo­ple of God, Jews and Gentiles, may consti­tute one gospel church, and dwell together in the glorious land of the spiritual Israel. But from hence it must not be inferred that we should not pray for the Christian nations; the plan of this subject is entirely consistent with very great reformations in the Christian world. And the present Concert in Prayer affords encouragement that the Lord is about to pour out his Spirit upon us, and that he will soon fill the whole earth with his glory. But 'by terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation.'

SECTION. IV. The Third Dispensation a glorious Exhibition of Christ's Kingly Character.

THE doctrine of Christ's personal reign with his saints on the earth is the necessary inference from the preceding reasoning, es­pecially that in Sect. 2 and 4, of Chap. II. All who maintain that Christ will appear per­sonally when the thousand years shall com­mence, and that the first resurrection will be corporeal, freely allow and believe that Christ's personal reign will be the happy consequence. [Page 99]It is acknowledged by all, that when Christ shall come to the earth, he will continue here till the long day of judgment shall be finished; and that the saints will be raised and contin­ue here with him through all that time: And while they continue here, they will certainly reign here, as their triumphant song declares, Rev. v. 10. 'And hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.' Therefore the same scriptures which prove that their resurrection shall take place, and that Christ will personally appear when the Millennium shall commence, do neccessarily prove their millennial reign.

But, since this doctrine is considered by many as very unreasonable, it is necessary to take partitular notice of the arguments which are offered against it. There are sev­eral in Dr. Hopkins's Treatise on the Millen­nium; the consideration of which, how much soever that excellent performance is to be esteemed, cannot be omitted: One is taken from Col. iii. 4, 'When Christ who, is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.' "Appearing with Christ in glory," says the Doctor, "means appearing with him in heaven, as that is the place of glory." *

But the earth will be the place of glory, it may be answered, 'when the Son of Man shall come in his glory,' and 'all the earth shall be filled with his glory.' The Doc­tor himself says, that "when Christ shall [Page 100]come personally, he will appear, and the saints with him, somewhere near the earth, and that here they may continue to judge the world many thousand years." But how then is it true, that when Christ shall appear, the saints shall appear with him in heaven?

To show how contrary it is to all reason that Christ will come personally on the earth, the Doctor offers the following arguments:

1. "He is in the most convenient and agreeable situation to govern the world and take care of his church." *

And he will be in the most convenient sit­uation for these purposes after his second com­ing, which situation the Doctor allows, will be somewhere near the earth, and that for many thousand years.

2. "It does not appear agreeable to his station and office, as King and Head over all things, for him to descend in the human na­ture and erect a throne on earth, which, so far as can be conceived, would be no advan­tage to his person, design, and work, but very much to the contrary."

And yet the Doctor says, that "Christ will descend and erect a throne somewhere near the earth, and may judge mankind here many thousand years." And Job says, 'I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earths.' Where then is the difficulty of supposing that one of these many thousand years will be im­proved for judging the living? Why is it [Page 101]"contrary to all reason," that all nations should enjoy a theocracy hereafter, any more than that one nation should have enjoyed this kind of government heretofore? And why will it be a greater disadvantage to Christ's person, design or work, for him to be a glorious King on the earth for a thousand years, than it was for him to have been a poor servant on the earth for thirty years. Angels and the just made perfect, are now fully satisfied. that Christ is infinitely just and righteous; but when he shall have governed a world of nations for several ages without failing of per­fect rectitude in a single instance, how much more firmly will his character, as Judge, be established in the view of all! How much more clearly and joyfully will the saints at last behold his qualifications for that infinitely solemn business which shall then follow, of judging the wicked and determining the final condition of the whole human race! How will the happy myriads shout with loud voices, 'Worthy is the Lamb who has reigned, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength, and to reward every man according to his works:' (for in righteousness hath he ruled the world) and justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

Hitherto God, in his manner of working, has ever proceeded from inferior to superior displays of his character. How then can it be "contrary to all reason" to imagine, that the inferior displays of his character, as Judge, will precede the employment of that most [Page 102]solemn tribunal which can be conceived of in the aniverse. When these things are con­sidered, how will Christ's personal reign be any disadvantage at all to his person, design or work? Some have considered the first coming of Christ as a great disadvantage to his per­son, and of course have denied that there was ever such an event; but the truth is, we are poorly able to determine, till Christ has told us, what is most for the advantage of his per­son, design or work.

3. "He is now in the best situation to be adored and worshipped by his church on earth, though they now do not see him; yet believing and loving him, they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. And it would not tend to increase this faith, love and joy, to have him come from heaven and live in some place on earth in his human na­ture; but the contrary: For but few, com­pared with the whole inhabitants of the world, could have access to him or see him more than they now do. And when the human nature is in heaven, all may equally have ac­cess to him;" that is, spiritual access, and such access all may equally have too when the human nature is upon earth. Christ's human nature has been once on the earth al­ready. And then all had equal access to his spiritual presence, and some had peculiar ac­cess to his bodily presence, and such the case may be hereafter. And though Christ is now, and always will be, "in the best situa­tion to be adored;" yet this best situation, [Page 103]the Doctor allows, will not always be in heaven; but will yet be, for a long time, somewhere near the earth. And though ma­ny saints, in that day, should not see him with bodily eyes, it does not follow that they would enjoy a less degree of faith, love and joy, than if he were to continue in heaven without their seeing him. His bodily absence from their sight will not hinder their being far more happy under his glorious government than they could be in this world without it.

If the tendency of Christ's personal pres­ence is to render the saints on earth lets holy and happy, certainly the apostles had reason to mourn, while the bridegroom was with them. Strange, that the best society near, the best instruction and the best government, should tend to make the saints less holy and happy than if they were without them!

4. "It does not appear to be any advan­tage to the departed saints to come to live a thousand years in this world before the gen­eral resurrection. So far as can be conceiv­ed, it would be no addition, but a diminution to their happiness; a degradation, which on no account can be desirable to the spirits of the just now made perfect in heaven: they could not know or enjoy so much of the pros­perity and happiness of the church in the sal­vation of men, were they to live in bodies on earth in that time. Such a change of place could be no privilege or reward; but rather a calamity."

[Page 104] But why will such a change from heaven to the new earth be a greater calamity at the commencement of the Millennium than it would be at the end of it, when, according to the Doctor's opinion, the saints will begin to live somewhere near the earth many thou­sand years? And how does it appear that they could not know or enjoy so much of the prosperity of the church militant, were they to live in bodies at that time? If they can enjoy the glory of God, as it shines among bodily objects, better without bodies than with them, why cannot they enjoy the glory of the third heaven or of the ultimate judgment bet­ter without bodies than with them? And if they can, why need th [...]y ever rise from the dead at all? What can such a transition be to them but everlasting calamity? Though it is far better to be present with the Lord than to be absent in a body of sin and death; yet the separation of soul and body, as President Edwards has observed, is an unnatural state, and consequently far worse than the state of a glorified body perfectly free from sin and misery.

The resurrection is frequently mentioned in scripture as a great enlargement of human happiness. But why is it so, unless because the glory of God cannot be discerned among bodily objects in the clearest manner without the assistance of bodily organs? Now can we suppose that it will be a great calamity to the patriarch Abraham, by the assistance of cor­poreal organs, to look east, by west, north and [Page 105]south, and most clearly behold the promise that he should be heir of the world, fulfilled, as it will then be, in such a spiritual, exten­sive and glorious manner? Nothing more re­mote. * Jerusalem which is above, for want of bodily organs, cannot now so clearly be­hold the glory of God among corporeal ob­jects. Therefore, when the promises reveal­ed to them shall have complete and universal accomplishment in the world, Jerusalem which is above, must come down, that their faith in these promises may be changed into perfect vision and fruition.

It has been the earnest prayer of God's people in all ages, not only that the exhibit­tion of mercy in the conversion of sinners may be universal; but also that they may see it. Therefore, in answer to their prayers, God will give them bodily organs in that day, that they may be under the best advantage to s [...]e the good of his chosen, to rejoice in the gladness of his nation, and glory with his in­heritance.

[Page 106] Is it contrary to all reason, to suppose that the Millennium will be introduced in such a manner that the excellency of it may most conspicuously appear to be of God and not of man? The Mosaic economy was introduced by miraculous exhibitions of the divine pres­ence; and the Christian dispensation by the miraculous presence of God in the flesh. Why then may not the next dispensation be introduced by the miraculous presence of the same God in the clouds?

The sun shall be confounded and the moon ashamed when the Lord shall reign in Mount Zion before his ancients gloriously. That day will cast a veil on all other days before it: there will be such an earthquake, such a rev­olution, as hath not been since men were up­on the earth, 'so mighty an earthquake and so great.' Surely it cannot be contrary to all reason to imagine that this most extra­ordinary of all changes which the world ever saw, will not be introduced merely by ordi­nary sinful instruments in the common course of Providence; but in such a manner as to give an easy construction to that in Rev. xxi. 22.

The long cessation of miracles among the Jews before the first coming of Christ, was no proof that no more would ever be seen. And the long cessation of miracles among us, before his second coming, is no proof that the greatest miracles are not at hand that ev­er surprised the world. That sort of men who ridicule miracles never prevailed as they now do. Therefore will not a miracle, "a [Page 107]revelation written in the skies," ere long be seasonable to convince them that there may be such a thing as a miracle to their own de­struction?

Therefore, for any thing which yet appears to the contrary, it is agreeable to reason that Christ should quickly and personally appear and reign with the faints on the earth. *

The happy New Jerusalem, it is reasonable to suppose, will be a society entirely distinct fom the church militant, or 'the nations of them who are saved,' who will not then walk in New Jerusalem, but only 'in the light of it.' † In New jerusalem 'there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nei­ther shall there be any more pain.' But the nations of them who are saved will be imper­fect, and be in need of healing.

But how is this consistent, it may be asked, with Rev. xxii. 15? 'Without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.'

[Page 108] But New Jerusalem, it may be answered, is now in existence, and dogs, and sorcerers, are without it now, as much as they will be in that future time; yet the church militant are now without it too: And such will be their case in that day. This passage declares not that only the wicked are without that city; but the plain meaning of it is, that no finally impenitent sinner shall have a part in the blessedness of that city, as no such one now shall ever go to heaven.

In opposing the doctrine of Christ's per­sonal reign, Mr. Poole's continuators have an objection like this: 'If Christ should live on earth through the Millennium, the saints who shall die in that time will not go to Christ.' But is not this a great mistake? They certainly will go to Christ when they die; even if he should reign on the earth. Already Christ has lived upon earth more than thirty years. And in that time the saints who died went to Christ: for the Son of Man was then in heaven; and there too he will be through the thousand years. 'This day shalt thou be with me in paradise:' Glo­rious promise! But Christ's bodily presence was not in paradise that day. And we have not the least evidence that departed saints now enjoy Christ's bodily presence any more than if this bodily presence was now on the earth: That sublime felicity is doubtless re­served for the resurrection.

But it may be asked, How will the doctrine of Christ's personal reign agree with his sitting [Page 109]on the right hand of God, and interceding for his people till his enemies be made his foot­stool? But the answer is, When Christ shall appear the second time, he will destroy Gog and Magog, as already has been shewn. He will destroy them, who destroy the earth. And the spared nations will cheerfully sub­mit unto him. In some part of that day, it seems, all will be saints, perfect or imperfect. Then 'to the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear, of things in heaven and things in earth and things un­der the earth;' that is, there will be cordial and universal submission to Christ all round the globe. Then doubtless, yea and before, his enemies will be made his footstool.

But if 'sitting on the right hand of God' means the same as 'sitting on the right hand of power,' which probably no one will deny, then he will still sit on the right hand of God when he shall appear in this world: For he tells the Jews expressly, Matt. xxvi. 64, 'Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sit­ting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.' And if he can ap­pear at God's right hand one hour in this world, then doubtless he can appear in this exalted station a thousand years in the same world.

And as to his intercession, will not that work be finished at his second coming, even if another dispensation should follow? Did Christ carry on the work of intercession in [Page 110]the time of the prophetical dispensation? No. Is not our dispensation peculiar for the exhi­bition of Christ's priestly character? Be sure it is: 'The way into the holiest of all' is now made manifest, and Christ now intercedes for his elect, and why not for all his elect of each dispensation, of the future as well as the past? But suppose this work of intercession should continue through the Millennium, why may it not continue upon earth? Christ has once interceded for his people already on the earth. John xvii. Why then may he not in­tercede for them on earth hereafter?

But on the whole, the greatest of all ob­jections to this doctrine among the faints seems to be that of the heart. The saints, in the exercise of grace, do not love to live in this world again. They had rather be in heaven; and no wonder; earth is a tiresome place, full of sin and sorrow. But a new earth with Christ, and a heaven upon it, will not be tiresome, but ineffably delightful. Heaven is not constituted by locality, but by perfect holiness and happiness.

There objections now considered, a few ar­guments directly proving this doctrine shall close this part of the Section.

The prophet Zechariah declares, (chap. xiv. 5, 9) that, 'when the Lord his God shall come with all the saints, the Lord shall be King over all the earth: In that day there shall be one Lord and his name one.' Hitherto this world has had many supreme [Page 111]rulers or lords; but in that day there shall be only one supreme ruler: Abraham's seed shall possess the whole. 'There shall be one Lord and his name one.' Then will be ful­filled that of the prophet Isaiah; 'He shall judge among the nations and rebuke many people.' The terms judge and rebuke mean something more than merely the effusions of the Spirit on mankind, and something too be­sides ecclesiastical government, as appears from what follows: 'They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears in­to pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.' The design of ecclesiastical government is the support of the Christian character: The design of civil government is the preservation of life, peace and proper­ty. It is the latter which is here mentioned as the happy effect of Christ's judging among the nations and rebuking many people. And, as if it was a thing difficult for men to be­lieve, we have the same almost verbatim, in Mic. iv. 3, 4.

Christ judging 'the living and the dead at his appearing and kingdom,' (2 Tim. iv. 1) implies that he will erect a kingdom on earth when he shall appear. He said to his disci­ples, when he had predicted the signs of his coming, 'When all these thing begin to come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand!' To show how the kingdom of God should appear, 'A certain nobleman,' [Page 112]he says, 'went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.' *

The time when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, is expressly declared to be the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that God should give reward unto his servants, the prophets. And it has been shewn how we are to understand that in Isa. xxxv. 10, Dan. chap. vii. and Rev. xx. which so plainly speak of the saints reviving and appearing with the clouds, their reigning and Christ's reigning before them a thousand years, in which 'the kingdom and dominion and greatness of the kingdom (not above, not in the third heaven, but) under the whole heav­en, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.'

[Page 113] Another argument is the third petition of the Lord's prayer; 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' If the world awe to have such a Millennium as is commonly ex­pected, God's will can never be done on earth as it is heaven. Would Christ set his people to make a prayer which he knew never would be answered in any age of the world? But if heaven should come down to the earth and reign upon earth, we easily see how God's will may be done upon earth as it is in heaven.

Thus it appears, that the crown of Christ will be as conspicuous in this world as the cross once was, will put down all rule and all authority and power: And then will be manifest, as never before, this glorious truth, 'The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, the world, and they who dwell therein.'

INFERENCES.

1. Hence we may expect that the church militant in the Millennium will have much more knowledge of he heavenly life than the present dispensation affords. We are now possessed of much more light respecting our future state than was ever enjoyed under the first dispensation. Many prophets and wise men desired to see the things which we see, but could not see them. They enjoyed some degree of light respecting the future life of man, yet it was a light shining in a dark place! They beheld the promises afar off; but now 'life and immortality are brought (more clearly) to light by the gospel.' And so the [Page 114]next dispensation will afford much more knowledge of life and immortality than the present. The church triumphant on earth wil be the house of David, the royal reign­ing family. They will be as God, perfectly holy as God is, and free from error: and before the feeble church militant they shall be as the angel of the Lord to instruct and govern them, as already has been observed. Therefore doubtless the church militant will then have such clear apprehensions of the state of a glorified body, and perhaps of the separate state, as the present dispensation nev­er affords. They who shall walk in the light of New Jerusalem will undoubtedly know better what that city is than we can know at present.

2. Observe the glorious contrast between the best government contrived by human wisdom, and that which King Jesus shall con­trive by his infinite wisdom. Before his first personal coming to teach the way of salvation, great opportunity was afforded to human wis­dom in the ancient philosophers to exert her utmost in teaching mankind the way to hap­piness: and hereby the insufficiency of hu­man wisdom and the excellency of divine wisdom were presented to view in a much stronger light than if no such opportunity had previously existed: to see first what man could do to illuminate and reform the world. So now, in these last days, great opportunity is afforded to human wisdom to do her best in the art of government, and to form the [Page 115]most excellent constitutions, which perhaps ever existed, such as these in America, * and those which will probably appear in Europe; to see whether it be in man who walketh to direct his steps; whether mere man is fit to govern the world; whether poor, imperfect, miserable sinners are sufficiently qualified to keep the world in order, and to administer justice impartially and perpetually every where. And when these new governments shall be corrupted, perhaps more than any former ones, and human insufficiency with respect to this affair, shall be plainly exhibit­ed; then Christ will take to himself his great power and reign. Then shall the loftiness of man be humbled, and the haughtiness of man be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Happy nations! who are to see the glorious difference between what is now called government (and for the present to be highly respected as such) and that which shall be practised by infinite wis­dom and benevolence! What love and joy will warm every breast, sparkle in every eye, and flow through every land!

[Page 116]

MISCELLANEOUS CONCLUSION.

THE subject of this Differtation, in what light soever the reader may view it, is unde­niably of great importance. The time here treated of is at hand; and the present revo­lutions and concussion of nations loudly so­licit our attention thereto. The man of sin has become old; grey hairs are here and there upon him. He cannot live long, and therefore it cannot be matter of indifference how we are to understand those prophecies which predict the manner and circumstances of his death. It cannot be matter of indiffer­ence or mere speculation whether the Judge stands far off or before the door.

But important as the scheme is, if true, it must not be generally received in these last days: For if such a belief should become general, there would be a general expecta­tion of Christ's coming. But it has been shewn, that Christ will come in a day when men in general look not for him, and in an hour that they are not aware of. The opin­ion which has been so common ever since the fourth century (an age remarkable for the prevalence of error) will doubtless con­tinue so to the end, that the scripture may be fulfilled.

If some things now advanced be true, a time of trouble for the church is hastening; [Page 117]a bitter cup which she must drink at the hand of illuminated sinners. The liberality of sentiment every where prevailing at this day, is no evidence of the contrary at all. Tran­sitions from one extreme to another among mankind, are no strange events.

The next generation, it is highly probable, will be more corrupt than this, both in prin­ciple and practice. And the hearts of all must be revealed sooner or later; every sort of men must be known. We know what method was taken to manifest the hearts of the liberal Jews; and Divine Wisdom will certainly find some method hereafter, clearly to manifest that the greatest catholicism of an unregenerate man, is entirely consistent with inveterate enmity against the true religion. But in all this futur e trouble, the church will be supported and comforted. They who know their God will be strong, and do ex­ploits, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. The conversion of the Jews will afford matter of abundant joy to the precious, believing remnant of the Gentiles. It will serve to strengthen their faith, and pre­sent to their view a sweet prospect of their speedy and perfect deliverance from all the opposition of earth and hell. Christ will take as much care of his people in that day as he does now or ever did in any former age of the world.

To conclude. Many questions will doubt­less rise in the reader's mind, which this Dissertation has not resolved. Some object­tions [Page 118]may appear not sufficiently answered, and some texts not clearly explained: But after all it might not hence follow, that the whole scheme should be hastily rejected. It should be carefully considered, whether the resolution of those questions be necessary to the support of the scheme; and whether the unanswered objections might not be an­swered. Errors here and there may-appear, while the system may be true, and entirely consistent with reason and scripture. * If it be so, Infinite Mercy grant that it may ap­pear so to believers, and comfort those who love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory in the church world with­out end. AMEN.

ERRATUM.

In the Discourse, page 20, line 5, for hearing read having.

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