Two Academical Exercises on Subjects Bearing The Following Titles: Millennium, Last-Novelties

Rev Morgan Edwards

NOTE: This is a copy ofthe entire text of a book Two Academical Exercises by Morgan Edwards, which he originally wrote asa senior essay in 1744 while at Bristol Baptist College in BristolEngland. It was published later inPhiladelphia in 1788, with minimal change from the original essay. This copy was made from the Library ofCongress in Washington, D. C. Spelling has been modernized. There may be some mistakes in this text from the original. Page numbers from the original copy arenoted when they occur in the text on the left side. This copy has been provided for those who want to read forthemselves the statements by Morgan Edwards, which we believe teach apretribulational rapture.

TWO

ACADEMICAL EXERCISES

ON

SUBJECTS BEARING THE FOLLOWING

TITLES;

MILLENNIUM,

LAST-NOVELTIES.

PUBLISHED BY

MO RG.A N E D WA R D S, A.M.

AND QONDAM FELLOW OF R.I. COLLEGE.

May we know what thisnew doctrine, whereof thou speaketh, is for thou bringeth certain strange thinsto our ears: We would know, therefore, what these things mean.

ACTS XVII. 19. 20.

PHILADELPHIA:

Printed By Dobson and Lang,

In Second Street, between market and ChesnutStreet.

M.DCC. LXXXVIII.

(1788)

Millennium

Rev. XX. 4, 5.

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And I sawthrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I sawthe souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the wordof God, and which-had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither hadreceived his mark upon there foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived andreigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not againuntil the thousand years were finished: This is the first resurrection.

And is it come to my lotto treat of the Millennium, or Christ thousand years reign on earth? Thousandpities, fir, that you had not allotted the task to one of these older and ablerstudents! But since it is your pleasure, I will do my possible: and in theattempt will work by a rule you have often recommended, viz. "To take thescriptures in a literal

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Sense, except when thatleads to contradiction or absurdity." I need say no more to inform you,sir, that I with to be understood as a minister of the letter only while Itreat of the said Millennium. Very able men have already handled the subject inmystical, or allegorical, or spiritual way: and could I rest satisfied withtheir sentiments, I might have colleted those sentiments, and deliver, themperhaps) with applause; as that would show my reading, and, at the same time,free a novice from the affectation of singularity and taking too much upon him,like another son of Levi. And glad I am that I may speak freely to the matter.It is what I could not have done in a late reign, for fear of being called afifth monarchy man (as Venner and his company); and being cut to pieces bysoldiers. But George the second is not Charles the second: George (whom Godlong preserved) is not afraid of the fifth monarchy, nor would be loth to giveup his kingdom to him by whom kings reign and princes decree justice. Butenough of preambling. Come we now to the doctrines of the Millennium; some ofwhich are visible in my text; as

I. There will be.Two resurrections;

Fora first resurrection supposes a second; and the supposing and supposed are inmy text. Paul advances the same doctrine in his first letter to theThessalonians ''the dead in Christ shall rise first." (Chap. iv. 16). But more of this in another place.

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II. The distancebetween the first and second resurrection will be somewhat more than a thousandyears.

Isay, somewhat more; because the dead saints will be raised, and the livingchanged at Christ's " appearing in the air" (1 Thes. iv, 17); andthis will be about three years and a half before the millennium, as we shallsee hereafter: but will he and they abide in the air all that time? No: theywill ascend to paradise, or to some one of those many "mansions in the father's house of God" (John xiv: 2),and to disappear during the foresaid period of time. The design of this retreatand disappearing will be to judge the risen and changed saints; for " nowthe time is come that judgment must begin," and that will be at the houseof God" (1 Pet. iv. 17): to this •refers that part of my text, " andI saw thrones; and judgment was given," viz. 'the saints were judged, andtheir rewards specified; of. -Which, mark hereafter. Knowing all this, thedevil will follow to accuse the brethren to the judge; and will continue at itday and night in hope of preventing their acquaintance: their pleas against himwill be those borrowed from the " blood of the lamb, and the word of theirtestimony:" by these they Will prevail in judgment; and their accuser wi1l behurled down to the earth by the strong arm of Michael; and with him will come,that notable voice; ''Wo unto the inhabits of the earth for the devil is come

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Down among you, havinggreat wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time;" viz. threeyears and a half, as before (Rev. xii. 7-11). Add to the above, that between the end of the, millenniumand the second resurrection the devil is to be let loose, and Gog and Magog'sarmy to be destroyed, which will require a considerable time, tho' John callsit "a little season." (Rev. xx. 3.)

III. Christ personal reign on earth willbe a thousand years at least.

I call it personal, todistinguish it from that proxical dominion which he hath exercised on earthsince he quitted it, and retired to heaven. And I have added at least athousand years because he will-.not quit the earth, nor resign his delegationtill after the last judgment; and the presentation of all the saints beforeGod, with a " Behold I, and the children ". Which thou hast givenme!" (Heb. xi. 13). Then hismediatorial. kingdom and reign will cease; and he and they be subject to thefather till the new earth be prepaid for another kind of reign.

IV: Christ's kingdomon earth will be universal.

No people orstate will be left out. And hereinit will exceed the Roman, Grecian, Persian or Babylonian monarchies, which alsolaid claim to universality; for Christ will ''reign from sea to sea, and

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From the river to theends of the earth" (Zech. ix. io). ' The kingdoms of the world shallbecome "the kingdoms of Christ." (Rev. xi, 15). "All kings shall falldown before him, and all nations shall sever him." (Psalm. Xxx): surely Davidhad in his eye that son, who was also his Lord; for to his son Solomon theabove text is by no means applicable. See Dan. viii.

V. That spot of earth which. Christ willmake the seat of his governments Mount Zion, in Jerusalem.

Jerusalemand the temple will be rebuilt, as we shall prove by and by and that templewill be the house of Christ kingdom. A prophet and an angel allure us that the above doctrine is true,"He will reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem before his ancientsgloriously, faith a prophet, (Isreal. xxiv.23); and that he means what we meanevident from the New Testament, where the words are quoted, and applied to thisvery subject. Gabriel adds hissuffrage thus, God will give

him the throne of hisfather David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever." (Lukei, 32,33): this throne has hot yet been given to the son of David; but themillennium

Many more passages bequoted to support our four hand our other doctrines; but this would besuperfluous; as one text, rightly applied is proof sufficient of any religiouspoint. Millennium will make steadfast the words spoken by angels.

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VI. The risenand changed saints shall reign with Christ on earth a thousand years.

I do not mean that allwill be kings; for some are to be Christ's priests, some judges, some rulersover cities, some over his household, some over his goods, (as wee shall seeanon) and some his special chorister and musicians: neither does my text authorizeany such fancy; for the thrones and judgments there, are for persons of aparticular description, viz. Such as "were beheaded for the witness of Jesus,and "had not worshipped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark inthe forehead or hand." And I said,in my doctrine, that they shall "reign with Christ On earth; for in heaven theycannot reign: how will they find subjects there? They will not reign over one another; nor yet over angels inheaven, tho' they will on earth (1 Cor. Vi. 3): in heaven (while they continue*there) They and their lord will be subjects and not kings (1 cor.xv.24);therefore they reign with Christ at all they must reign with Christ at all theymust reign with him on earth; he supreme king and they subordinate, as Cesarand Herod reigned over the Jews at the same time.

* That continuance willbe no longer than while the old earth is burning, and the new earth created;for after those events he and they will descend to he new earth where indwelleth righteousness forever. 2 Pet iii. 13.

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And so, faith, my text,"The saints shall reign with Christ [on earth] a thousand years." Othertexts say, that all " kingdoms and dominions under the whole heaven shallbe given to the saints." (Dan. Vii-- 18. 27): That the saints" shalljudge men and angels." (1 Cor. vi, 2. 3). Miserable work do theAntimillenarians make of these texts. And as miserable of the following; "When the son of man shall sit on his throne, ye [my twelve disciples] shall siton twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes Israel." (Matt. xix. 28)."I appoint unto you a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table, inmy kingdom. (Luke xxii. 29, 30.) " Hence forth I will not drink of thefruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my father'skingdom." (Mat. xxvi. 29.) " To sit on my right hand and on my left[in my kingdom] is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them " forwhom it is prepared of my father." (Matt. xx.23). The meek shall inherit theearth." (Matt. v, 5. " Thy kingdom come" &c. (Matt. vi. I)Literal millennarianism alone will do justice to these texts and many others;for if all the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of Christ (and hereside in Jerusalem), he must have deputies to manage the civil and religious"affairs of foreign countries the saints will be the men; and thus thesaints will be his kings and priest: thus the kingdoms of world will be givento the saints: thus the saints will judge the world: and as the world to comewill

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Not (like the present)be in subjection to angels but to the saints, * (Heb. ii. 5) it follows thatthe angels will be superseded, and the saints take their authority from them:thus the saints will judge angels. And if the twelve tribes return to theirformer inheritance, and a throne of government be set up in each tribe (as willbe shown presently) who fitter to fill those thrones than their countrymen thusthe twelve apostles shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel: and if some mustsit on Christ's right hand and left in his, kingdom, it cannot be the kingdomof heaven, else some would sit between him and the father. The last judgmentwill admit of no partnership or assistant judges; neither of juries, orsomething equivalent to", juries,' which is the usual way of accountingfor. The saints judging angels and men. Again; if Christ reside in Jerusalemhis vice-roys, judges, priests and ambassadors attend his court to pay homageo, the universal monarch, he must have tables to entertain them at thus thesaints shall eat and drink at his table in his kingdom. I am aware of whatphilosophy and vain deceit will object. viz. That the raised and changed saints are not capable ofeating.

*It is plain that angelshave authority in the government of this world: hence we read of one Michaelwho had charge of the Jews and their affairs (Dan. x, 21.) ; of another whomanaged the affairs of the Persian empire (ch.x. 13). Some have power over theelements, as fire (Rcv. xiv. 18 :) water, (Ch. xvi, 5); light (Ch. xix,); thewinds (Ch. vii. 1); the bottomless pit (ch. ix. 1. 2.) It would be endless to enumerate all the instanceswherein this world is in subjection to angels; not so the world to come ormillennium.

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Eating and drinking,because their bodies are spiritual, incorruptible and immortal." I fearnot the objection. Did not Christ (after his resurrection) eat and drink? (Actsx. 41). And, for fear some chemical theologies should subsidize fact intophantasm, the species of eatables are mentioned, viz, bread, filth, andhoney-comb (Luke xxi. 30,42.) and why may he not eat-and drink in his kingdom?Or, why may not the risen saints eat and drink with him? Are" their bodies morerefined than his? Are we not told that angels ate on earth? Nay, do they not eatin heaven? How else come we to read of angel's food? (Psalm. lxx. 25). And, if the Israelites despised it astoo light for their gross bodies it well suits the refined nature of angels andsaints. (Rev. ii. 17). It appearsto me that all created beings stand in need of some alimen1tary accession, thotheir bodies were pure another. Milton laughs to scorn those theologists whoexplain scripture othcrwis Ethan in a Literal sense, when angels are said toeat and drink; and finely describes the manner in which superior natures arenourished by the inferior. (Par. 1. 65.1. 405.)

V11. Preclusive to themillennium, and preparatory for it, are the following events.

1.The present usurpers of the country given to Abraham and his seed willbe dispossessed, viz.

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The Turkish or OttomanEmpire will be demolished; for otherwise the right owners cannot posses theirinheritance. The said demolition' of the Turk (or beast that started out of theearth) is exhibited at the opening of the first seal, when .a horseman with hisbow issues forth conquering an to conquer, (Rev. vi. 2): his exploits arespecified at the sounding of the first trumpet (ch. Viii.7), and at the pouringof the first vial (ch. XVi, 2). The fifteenth chapter of Esdras is a prophecy ofthese events wherein Asia is particularly. Mentioned, (ver. 46.)

2.The twelve tribes (is observed before) will return to their ancientinheritance, else how can the twelve apostles be their judges? Men have thoughtthat the ten tribes are lost, viz. have dwindled away, so as to cease to be apeople, like many other nations; but Christ faith that the Jewish nation shallnot pass away till he come in his glory. (Matt. xiv. 34.) The other two tribesare in being yet, and are seen in most parts of the world a distinct people.But all Israel must be saved, according to Paul (Rum. i, 25. 26); therefore theten tribes are in-being, and a distinct people: a prophet + of their own faith"that, after Shalmaneser

*The present. Situationof the Turrkish empire comrades attention from all that look for the coming ofthe Lord Jesus to reign upon earth: the combination of the copiers of Russiaan, the emperor of Germany, and their success the last year (1787) against thatempire are the ressen: should they prevail, the Jews (like the crusades) willrepair from all quarters towards the holy land.

+It may be observed, that the books of Esdras were, by the primitive Christians(for near four hundred years) esteemed Canonical, as appeared by threecatalogues yet extant: among some western Christians they are yet so esteemed;but granting they are not canonical, yet Esdras's account of the ten tribes ismore credible than any other profane history; because he must be betteracquainted with the fact he relates.

*The abomination intentioned by Daniel is supposed to be that which AntiochusEpiphanes set up in the temple; but that was before Christ time many hundredyears; the Romans set up no abomination in the temple; for it was destroyedbefore they could gain possession of it; therefore Christ refers to a thingthat is yet to come; and to a temple that is not yet extant.

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Shalmaneserhad led them captive, they assembled together, crossed the Euphrates, andmarched in a body for a year and a half till they came to a country where noman dwelt." The name of that farcountry is Arsareth. (2 Efd. xxi.). This account is the more credible, because they are expressly said tocross the Euphrates. In they're way back to their own country. (Rev. xvi.12). But the western Jewswill return before them, "Jerusalem shall be inhabited again, and the Lord willsave the tents of Judah first. (Zech. Xii. 6. 7.) And when they are returnedthey will all coalefee into one body, as before the division in Rehoboam'stime, and no longer be styled the Kingdome of Israel and the kingdom of Judah,but be one, and their name one this is particularly described by Ezekiel, (ch.Xxxvii), and is full to our purpose, because the prediction was not fulfilledat the return of the Jews from the Babylonith captivity. (John iv. 9). In this united capacity they willrebuild Jerusalem in its place, and the temple in its place on mount Zion; forin this temple will antichrist sit as god, and be the abomination * mentionedby Daniel, and referred to by Christ

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As a prelude to hiscoming to reign; and an alarm to the Jews to flee for their lives Mat. xxiv. 1535)- Into the same temple will Christ come after the destruction o Antichrist,and there fix his, residence (Zech. xiv. 4, 5.) Ezekiel is more particular inhis forty third and forty fourth chapters. The same Ezekiel describes thistemple in the eight last chapters of his prophecy: it is vain to say "that he " means the. Temple begun by Zerubbabel and finished byHerod." Let anyone read the description of this 'temple in Josephus, andcompare it with Ezekiel's temple, and he will soon see that they are not thesame, and that the latter has never yet had an existence.

3. Another event priorto the millennium will be the appearing of, the two Witnesses mentioned in Rev.xi. And Zech. iv. One of which will be Elias: this I gather from Malachi, (IV,)and from Matthew, Elias truly shall come; and restore all things" (ch.'xvii. Ii): this, indeed, is applied to John the Baptist in the next verse, butit is in a way of accommodation of prophecy, and not of accomplishment; forJohn was come and gone too) at the time that Christ faith in future, EliasSHALL come: besides; John was a fetter forth of new things rather than. Arestorer of the old, which is the description of Elias: add to all, that Johnhad denied that he was the Elias whom Malachi spake of, and. the Jews enquiredafter, John

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(John i. 21), and Christdoes not contradict him. The otherwitness I take to be the apostle John. My reasons for it follow: of thisapostle, Jesus faith, "if. I will that he tarry till I come what is thatto thee?" (John xxi. 22); now Christ did not use lightness in any of hisintimations, which would have been the case it he did not mean that John shouldnot die for so the disciples understood the matter (ver. 23): in another placehe faith, " There be some standing here which shall not taste of deathtill the son of man come in his kingdom" (Mat. xvi. 28); that ".Coming of his in the "glory of his father, and with his angels (ver. 27) is yeta thing future; and therefore there be some alive now that were alive then, andwill be alive till Christ make his appearance in the air to raise the dead andchange the living. But plainerthan all is what the angel told John in the isle of Patmos, "Thou must prophesyagain before many "people, and nations, and tongue, and kings, (Rev. 11.): thishe never did; and therefore has it to do in a future day. Add to all, That the accounts we haveof John's death are so very fabulous, that nothing sure can be inferred fromthem than; that the people of Ephesus knew not what became of the old man: thetruth is, he (like Elias) was caught up to paradise, which is in the thirdheaven, (2 Cor. Xii. 2. 4.) and was, in all likelihood, that angel that wasseen "flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel topreach to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people on the earth (Revxiv. 6). Where these two witnesseswill prophesy or preach is not hard to guess: Elias, no doubt

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Will minister to theJews to take the veil off of their eyes when they read Moses; and to restorehis ceremony to its primitive exactness both as to sentiments and practice(wherein the Jews were very corrupt, and had been corrupt long before theirdispersion) and so prepare thein for the reception of their long expectedMessiah, that they may know him when

• The composer of the above paragraph wasaware how. Subject to objections is his. Representing Elias as therestorer of the Mosaic ceremony, viz. That it would-be restoring typesand' shadow, which had vanished at the coming or the substance. The sameobjection hath been made against the return of The Jew to their owncountry; the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple &c: but the proofsof these last events among prophets and apostles are too plain: to becontroverter: the description of Ezekiel's temple alone authorizes thesupposition. But there is. A wide difference between," restoringtypes and shadows emblems of good things to come; and, restoring types asemblems of good things past: in this last sense Paul used circumcision,vows, purification, &c. (Acts xvi.3. ch, xxi. 24.): in the same sense,a great number of priest that believed, and other Jews, used temple worshipmany years after (Acts xxi.20); in this sense the apostles, and allChristians ministers since, make use of Moses's types and shadows topreach up the Messiah that is already come in the same sense will thepriests (under the instruction of Elias) preach over their circumcision,sacrifices, divers washings, sprinklings, $c. I do not wonder thereforethat Luther was so positive, that the temple service would have continuedto this day, had the Jews understood matters before their dispersion, asthey will after their restoration; or as the apostles and succeedingChristians did, and do understand them (Com. On Gal. Ch. Iii). Anyhow Elias must fulfill theprophecy, viz. be the restorer of all things in the Law of Moses.

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He appears in the airand my shout, "Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord" (Marxviii.39). The other witness, viz.John, will preach to the Gentiles; for people, nations, tongues, and kings areapplicable to none but them. When these witnesses will appear is hard to say;for though their time of prophesying is sackcloth is 1260 days or three yearsand a half (allowing thirty days to a month) yet they may preach out ofsackcloth long before; for the 1260 days reset only to the time that the holycity and the outer court of the temple shall be trodded under foot of theGentiles (or Antichrist and his army) viz. 42 months, which make exactly 1260days, allowing 20 to a month (Rev. xi. 2): but the ministry of the witnessesrequires many more years to perform than the time of their wearing sackcloth;and there are no more than about 204 years between now and their death: Ishould therefore expect that their appearance is not far off. I have hintedbefore that the two witnesses and Antichrist will be in Jerusalem during the said42 months: they in the temple defending it: and Antichrist and his army in thetown besieging the temple: and he will prevail not with standing the dreadfulpowers the witnesses are armed with (Rev. xi.5), and will bring them out intothe street of Jerusalem, and there slay them (Rev. xi. 7,8.): I say, into thestreet of Jerusalem: for the street of the city where our Lord was crucifiedcan be no other; it is spiritually Sodom and Egypt, but literally the citywhere our Lord was crucified, and where the temple was which John measured(rev. 4.)

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The struggling ofAntichrist towards the mastery of the world, and his assumption of Godhead willalso precede the millennium. Whothis Antichrist will be is hard to say. I take him for the last of them, who have plagued the world under thenames of Popes; for Antichrist is to be destroyed at Christ's coming to reign(2 Thess. Ii.8.); and pope will last till then; and therefore more cruel thanever it began to strive for mastery in Paul's time, but was checked by the thenRoman empire (2 Thessii8): when that empire fell it prevailed exceedingly, tillchecked again by the reformation in Germany, and the starting up of theprotestant states: it has begun to prevail over these (for tho' the power ofthe pope is lessening, his votaries multiply), and will prevail till checkedanew by the two witnesses mentioned in the book of Revelation: when he hasslain them, the pope will spring up to godhead, "exalting himself above, andapposite all gods, showing himself in the temple of God. (At Jerusalem) to bethe god and Lord of all the earth (Zech. Iv 14. Rev. xi 4. Then, and not till then will thatwicked one be revealed who has hitherto assumed no higher title than the vicargeneral of Christ on earth; but then off goes the mask. He will hold his godhead for 2300 daysaccording to Daniel (ch. Viii. 14); but according to John only for 42 months;viz. 1260

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Days, allowing 30 to amonth; the difference between these two numbers is 1040 days: and these are thedays which the lord hath shortened for the sake of the elect nation of theJews, Left they should all be destroyed. (Matt. Xxiv. 22); so that the last and most dreadful persecution willcontinue but three years and fix months, instead of six years two months andtwenty days. Blessed therefore (faith Daniel) is he that cometh to the end ofthe 1260 * days; for then Christ will begin to reign, and Daniel will stand inhis lot his own country (ch xxi. 12,13), and Antichrist be no more.

5. Another event previous to theMillennium will be the appearing of the son of man in the clouds, coming toraise the dead saints and change the living, and to catch them up to himself,and then withdrawing with them, and observed before, This event will come topass when Antichrist be arrived at Jerusalem in his conquest of the world; andabout three years and a half before his killing the witnesses, and assumptionof godhead. The signs of Christ'sappearing in the clouds, will be extraordinary "wars and rumors of wars, earthquakesand famines," &c.(Matth. Xxiv. 6, -8.) I sayextraordinary; for otherwise they would be no signs at all: because such thingshad been before, and have been since the wars,

*Thenumber referred to in Daniel (ch.x ii. 12) contains 75 days more than hisnumber in ver. 7; the reason is, the last begins at the time of the visions;the other at sealing the book that contained the visions, which made adifference of 75 days. This being granted, the two numbers agree with that ofSt. John, as they surely must; because both the writers speak of the sameevent.

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It should seem, will bethose of Antichrist; that is, of the kingdoms that aid and appose him: thefamines and plagues will be those inflicted by the two witnesses: theearthquakes will be those which will cause the earth to rock to and fro, so asto make the stars appear to fall, as they do at sea when the ship heels; for inno other sense can real stars fall to the earth. The signs of his coming, inthe heavens, will be the trump of God, vapor and smoke, which will darken thesun and moon, and make them look like blood (as they often do in very hazyweather. And also cause thosemeteors called falling stars. (Acts ii. 19. Matth. Xxiv.) The effect will be "the terror and wailing of all the kindred of the earth, their hiding in cavesand dens, bidding the rocks and mountains to cover them," &c. (Matt. Xxiv.Rev. xi. ) But the fright will soon be over with wicked men, as with the wickedif Israelites when the terrors of Sinai ceased. And therefore, wonder working spirits of devils will takeoccasion to counterfeit the preceding wonders in heaven and earth, (as theEgyptian magicians did those of Moses) causing" fire to come down from heaven,& c (Rev. xiii. 13. chap.xvi.13.): by which means he will not only take theattention of the people from the foresaid miracles of Christ, but arrogate themto himself, as reasons why he should be entitled to godhead. And that godheadhe will now assume, after killing the two witnesses, and gaining the templebehold, them, "the man of sin fitting in the temple of God, showing that hehimself is God. (2

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Thess. Ii. 4.) Now the great persecution of the Jewswill begin; who (though bad men) cannot submit to him as God; and such apersecution as would extirpate the whole race had not God cut off 1040 days ofantichrist's reign, as was before observed. Such of the Gentiles, as had somuch sense as to refuse him in the character of a god, would have shared thesame fate, had they not hid themselves in wilds and deserts of his reign as god(Rev. xii. 14.). Nevertheless, it appears that many of the nominal Christians,and Jews outwardly, will apostatize to him, and become his idolaters (Matt.Xxiv. 10. Dan. Xi.35.)

6.Another event previous to the Millennium will be, the destroying of thatAntichrist or false god. And thiswill come to pass about a month before said millennium: I say about a monthbefore; for there is another number in Daniel which supposes as much, "From thetime that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination which makethdesolation is felt up is 1260 days." (Chap. Xii. 11.): but he will maintain hisgodhead only for time, times, and half a time (chap. Xii. 7.); that is, for ayear, two yours and half a year or 1260 days, as observed before: thedifference between these numbers is 30 days, or one month: time little enoughto demolish his god ship, bury his army and cleanse the temple, &c. Themanner of his destruction is thus described by Daniel, (chap. Vii. 25) "He shallbe broken without "hand:" and well did he foresee; "for he will be consumedwith the spirit of Christ's mouth, and not with hands (2 Thess. Ii. *.).

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7.Another event prior to the Millennium is thebinding of Satan and shutting him up in the abyss for a thousand years (Rev.xx. 1, 2, 3.). An event thislong foreseen and dreaded by the devils (Matth viii. 29.). Poor work do the Antimillenarians orspiritualizing Millenarians (who are much the same) make of this matter: Theysay that the devil was bound when Chris came in the flesh; because (surfeit)oracles were silenced, and possessions checked: but if the Devil has not beenloose these thousand years past, and for seven hundred and forty -two yearsbesides, he never was loose in his life. It is not long ago since I heard a grave divine maintaining, "that Satanwas bound when the Hebrew boy was born, according to prophecy of theSibyls: and yet before he finishedhis sermon he cautioned his flock against the temptations of the devil: somehappened the laugh at the inconsistency; and his reverence broke the thread ofhis discourse to admonish them. But is it fair to tickle one first and then breaking one's head forlaughing? Is it not more like truth to say, that the devil has been loose, isloose, and will be loose, till the Millennium begins?" However, the wicked during thatmillennium cannot say, as they do now, the devil tempted us.

8.The last event, and the event that will usherin the millennium, will be, the coming of Christ from paradise to earth, withall the saints he had taken up thither (about three years and a half before tojustify, against the accuser of the brethren; and to fettler their futurebusiness and rewards, "the time is come that "thou should give rewards to thyservant the

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Prophets,and the saints, &c. (Rev. xi. 18) as it is written, "be thou ruler over allI have thou authority over ten cities thou over five be thou ruler over all mygoods thou over all my household be thou judge of such a tribe of Israel thouking of such a kingdom thou priest of such a parish, &c. &c. (Luke xii,42. Xix, 7. 8. Matt. Xxiv, 47,48) the number of these saints is said to be10000 (Jude 14); a definite for an indefinite number surely! For we read of 144,000 that "follow theLamb whether forever he goeth." (Rev xiv, 4): these are his suit or retinue,who attend his person in his tours thro' his vast dominions; and consequentlyin his coming to the earth! Millions and millions of saints will have been onearth from the days of the first Adam, to the coming of the second Adam. All these will Christ bring with him.The place where they will alight is the "mount of Olives, which is beforeJerusalem on the east." Zech. Xiv, 4. The mountain will cleave and form a valley, and the water, which Ezekielspeaks of, will spring from the sanctuary and fill the chasm. (Ex. Xlvii). ThenChrist will enter the city by the east-gate, which will ever after be keptshut, as a memorial, that thro it the Lord came into the temple, and filled thehouse with glory, (Ez. Xliv). "Andnow behold the son of David, Sitting on the throne of his father! Behold the prophecy concerningJerusalem fulfilled. "The Lord is there1" Behold the happy millenniumbegun! O my God, let me be there,if it were only to be servant of servants to my lord the king!

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VIII. Coincident with theMillennium will be the following events.

1.Reducingto the obedience of Christ all the kingdoms and states that will be refusesubmission to him, or to the viceroys that he shall appoint over them. Resistance will be made, not withstanding the wonders in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, whichhappened but three years and a half before; and not with standing the recentand awful destruction of antichrist, and the descent of Christ and his saints,from heaven to earth, which will be fresh in all memories. Paul intimates that resistance will bemade; where else would be the occasion of Christ's "putting down under his feetall rule, power and authority? (I Cor. Xv. 24). Why else should he command the enemies that would not thathe should reign over them, to be brought to his presence, and slain before him?(Luke xix, 27) Why else thiscaution, "Kiss the son left he be angry and ye perish; for then God shall haveset his king on the holy hill of Zion, to rule the heathen kings that rage: andto dash them to pieces as a potters vessel?" (Psalm. Ii. 1-9). Why else shouldhis vice Roy "have power over the resisting nations, to rule them with a rod ofiron? (Rev. ii. 26. 27). After thisquelling of the refractory, the most eminent of Christ saints shall reign inpeace, as observed before. Afterthis will Christ's priests reform religion where it is, and plant it incountries

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Where it is not, so asto cause pure religion to cover the earth as the waters do the sea. (Hab. Ii.14). Now begins the spiritual reign, or the latter day- glory, which divinestalk too much of, tho none of them (to my knowledge) has assigned it to itsproper time and place. By the samemeans another branch of popery will be overset; for the popes have already putkingdoms and churches in subjection to the saints; but popish saints andChrist's saints may not be all alike: I suspect that St. Thomas a Becket mustresign his church; and that St. George St. David, St. Andrew and St. Patrickmust give up their kingdoms to their betters. In this reformation of religionthe Lord's supper will be discontinued; for that is to be used no longer thantill the Lord comes (I Cor. Xi. 26). Not so baptism. But instead of he Lord'sSupper another feast will be instituted, as we shall see by and by.

2. Another notable event that willcommence with the millennium is, taking away the enmity and hatred between manand man; "for men will not more learn the art of war, but beat their swordsinto plough shares, and spears into pruning hooks. * Ephraim shall not envyJudah, or Judah"

• By the above account it is certain thatvine- dressing and agriculture will be used in the millennium state of theworld: and if agriculture, then the beasts will be employed, but notabused; and if lions and serpents, &c. will be there, but not allother animals, it harmless? Sure it is that fishing will be continued, thothe fishes will not devour one another, as now. (Ez. Xlviii.10). I can see no reason why trade,navigation, and all other used and innocent employments should not becarried on, as at present. Marrying and propagation will remain among all, except the raisedand changed saints; and, by reason of a meliorated state of earth and air,and the good government of Christ's kings and priests and regularity andsobriety in living it seems that there shall be no infant of days amongthem, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: the child shall die onhand. And the days of the people shall be as the days of Noah ()

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Vex Ephraim, nor theEnglish, the French, nor the French the English, nor any other nation envy andvex one another." (Isaiah. 4. ch xi. 13). The variance and violence between animal creations shall cease. The wolfshall dwell with the Lamb, the leopard with the kid, the calf with the lion,and a child shall lead them; a child shall play on the hole of the asp, and puthis hand on the cockatrice's den, and not be hurt." (Isaiah. Xi). Now the dumb beast shall no longergroan for the cruelty of man, or their own cruelty to one another; nor thefouls under the altar cry, how long? The earth will be restored to a conditionlong?" The earth will be restoredto a condition far better than the present. "God will make the wilderness asEden, and the desert as the garden of God." (Isaiah. Li. 3). Besides plenty and peace, somethingsanative will be a part of the millennium earth's furniture: Ezekiel gives aspecimen of it in chapter xlvii; for the water of his river (which sprang fromthe sanctuary when Christ lighted on the mount of olives) healed wherever itran, and the fruit of the trees by its side were for meat and medicine; so heexpresses their virtue.

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3. Another affair thatwill be set up in the beginning of the millennium, and will continue with itis, an annual feast to be celebrated in an about Jerusalem. Of this feastZechariah speaks largely under the name of the feast of tabernacles: but thathe means not the Jewish feast of tabernacles is evident; for that was to beobserved only by Israelites born. (Lev. Xxxiii. 42;) this is commemoration oftabernacles used in the wilderness; this, to worship the king: the penalty ofneglecting that is not mentioned; the penalty of neglecting this is very extraordinary,"countries used to rain shall have none, if they come not up to the feast yearby year, and countries that have no rain shall have the plague (ch.xiv.17,18). Besides; the prophetthroughout the chapter is speaking of things that have not yet hadexistence. Nothing plainertherefore than that he does not mean any Mosaic feast, but a millennium feast;he calls this last a feast of tabernacles for an obvious reason. Viz. Becauseit must be celebrated in tabernacles, or tents, or booths; for it will beimpossible to find houses for all that will then resort to Jerusalem to feast;and worship the king. This annual resort accounts for the long and particulardescriptions which the prophets give of the fine and safe roads to Zion, thro'deserts, and across rivers and mountains. (Isaiah xi. Xxxv. Zech. Viii. Rev.xiv.)

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IX. Subsequent to the millennium are thefollowing events.

1.The Loosing of the Devil from the bottomless pit; and his going about the worldto seduce all the hypocrites from their allegiance to Christ, and hisvice-roys, tho' they, and their allegiance to Christ, and his vice-roys, tho'they, and their progenitors, had experienced the happiness of his reign for athousand years. The effects willsoon show themselves. St. John's *Gog and Magog (whoever they be) will raise an army numerous as the sand on thesea shore, and will march along the breadth of the earth with their rebel clanstowards Jerusalem: and when they are come, and have encompassed the camp of thesaints (who had retired to their Lord to give notice of the insurrection) andare sure of victory, then fire will come down from heaven, and devour them all.(Rev. ss. 7-9)

2. Sometime after will come on the secondresurrection, hinted at in my text; a resurrection both of the just and unjust:for during a ministry of a thousand years we must suppose that. Christ'spriests had made many converts; who died; and that many will be made alive atthat time: and if so, those must be raised, and these changed, as in the firstresurrection. After this thejudgment will sit; and when trial is over and sentence pronounced, the deviland the wicked will be cast into the lake; and the righteous, with their Lord,will ascend to heaven to be presented to God; with a behold I, and the childrenthou hast given me! And there theywill abide till the Old earth is burnt, and the new earth created, and the NewJerusalem built in heaven: then they and he will descend in all the happinesshuman nature is capable of.

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Ihave done, Sir, except a wonder or two.

*HisGog and Magog cannot be the same with those of Ezekiel; because there is somuch difference between the countries whence they are to come, their exploits,and the places and manner of their overthrow. I rather think the places and manner of their overthrow. Irather think the latter will make their appearance between the establishment ofthe Jews, and the millennium.

1.Iwonder that Christ's thousand years reign is not more thought of by modernChristians; for in the earliest ages of Christianity it was a sure article offaith, and a favorite topic of conversation: the writings of the three firstcenturies are full of it, with but one exception of any notes; and he discardedthe book of Revelation from the canon of scripture, which was a tacitconfession that the doctrine was there. And I wonder the more for the following reasons; Christ has retainedexpectations of it ever since he sat down at the right hand of God (Heb. X.13);the four living creatures in the midst of his throne, and the four and twentyelders who surround it make this the burden of their long. We shall reign upon earth (Rev.v.10);the apostles, even after the day of Pentecost, were expecting it, and wishingfor it; nay the whole animal creation, by a kind of instinctive prescience,groaned for its delay, as well instinctive prescience, groaned for its delay,as well as all they who had the first fruits of the spirit (Rom. Viii. 19-23);Paul recommends at as a comfortable theme

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Of meditation (Thess. Iv. 18). But what little effect has these thingson the present generation! Should Christ now appear in the clouds he wouldhardly find upon earth any faith in the millennium! Surely the signs of Christ's coming do now appear; for whenhe had spoken of that coming in Mathew (ch. Xxiv.), he adds in the samediscourse, while the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept. In the fourth and following centuriesthe Christian had a reason for being shy of the doctrine, which we have not: thenthe kings of the earth became Christian, and consequently were jealous of thefifth monarchy.

2. I wonder that none9 to my knowledge)have written of the millennium in a temple and literal manner: especially asthat involves in it no absurdity or improbability, or any thing contrary tosound faith and good manners: and I wonder the more, as so many parts of theBible point to the subject in that light, and can have no meaning suitable tothe words and dignity of prophets and apostles, but upon a supposition, thatsuch as thing will be in reality, and not is some mystical or allegoricalwhimsies. Let any one try his skill (for instance) with Ezekiel's temple, andwith many other texts quoted in this piece, and see if all men of sense(manners permitting) will not laugh at him except mystics? I will recite only that petition in theLord's prayer thy kingdom come; the kingdom of grace was come at that time; thekingdom of glory is never to come to men: the millennium kingdom therefore isthe object of that petition:

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And when it is come, thepetition will be improper.

3. I wonder that so many great men havetaken upon them to fix the time when the millennium and its preceding eventsare to take place, by an arbitrary use of Daniel and john numbers: I sayarbitrary; denominate years, and then rummage the histories of Rome pagan andRome papal for points to begin at; and yet their gross mistakes, discovered bytime, give no warning! I havetaken the arithmetic of those two divine chronometers under the denominationswhich they themselves give their figures (but with what success time willshow); and am content with the old, and hitherto, unconsumed hypothesis, viz."that this world is to last seven thousand years, and that at the end of thesixth thousand the millennium will begin." This hypothesis is grounded partly, on a prophecy of Elias,which the Jews have among them; where they got it we cannot tell, any more thanwe can tell where Jude found the prophecy of Enoch: and partly on Mosesseptenaries, such as the seventh day, and the seventh year, &c. which daywas a day of rest to man and beast, and which year was a year of rest to theland; and if one day be a thousand years with the Lord, (2 Pet. Iii, 8), itfollows, that the six days of the week are six thousand years, and that theseventh is a thousand years of rest: Paul confirms this signification of theseventh day by making it typical of the sabbatism which remains for the peopleof God. (Heb.iv. 4-9). To theabove we may add the septenaries of Saint John, such as

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The seven seals, theseven trumpet, the seven vials, &c. for under the opening of the sixthseal, the founding of the sixth trumpet, the pouring of the sixth vial (allwhich I take to be synchronic) we may find passages that exactly correspondwith the near approach of Christ coming to reign; and under the seventh seal,seventh trumpet, and seventh vial we have him and his saints on earth. Let me add, that I have not met withany of the fathers of the three first centuries who as much as questioned thevalidity of the above hypothesis. I ask their venerable leave to join issuewith them; and then assert, that from the present year (1788) to thecommencement of the millennium are but two hundred and eight years. I make itout thus; from the creation (according to the Hebrew chronology) to the birthof Christ 4004; from the birth of Christ to the present year, 1788: theseyears, added together, make 5792; and 208 added to these make 6000: it is true,a late chronologic places the birth of Christ in A.M. 4007; and makes it outthat dionisius exiguous fixed the Christian area 3 years too late: if so, thereare but 205 between us and the millennium. Time little enough to bring forththe events we have already mentioned, viz. The destruction of the Ottomanempire; the restoration of the Jews, and their rebuilding Jerusalem and thetemple; the exploits of antichrist towards the mastery of the world, &c.Therefore we may expect soon the see the fig tree budding and putting forth itsleaves.

4. I wonder, Sir, if your patience werenot exhausted with the length, and perhaps, nonsense of my sermons?

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The reply of the tutorwas to this effect. "You finishedyour discourse with a supposition that the length and nonsense of it had tieredmy patience. If you used lightness you are to blame. But as I hope you are always in earnest when you study thethings of God, I have to assure you that the novelty and ingenuity of yourattempt have entertained me not a little. And when you are more master of time than at present, I advise you tostudy your subject closely, and you will see cause to alter some parts of yourplan, and correct the errors of others. You also dropped a hint or two touchingthe New Heavens and the new earth, which founded a little strange. Let us hearwhat you have to say on those subjects, when it comes to your turn to appear inthat desk again."

Letme tell thee, gentle reader, that the composer of the millennium took thetutor's advice: and that it has undergone several alterations and correctionssince the photograph was exhibited in the said desk. Let me tell thee further,that the other advice, or rather command of the tutor was attended to; and adiscourse delivered in the same desk, on the New Heavens and New Earth. A copy of which follows under thetitle, last novelties. And if thou like it half as well as I do; thou wilt notbegrudge the eleven penny bit it cost thee.

The Following errors escaped notice in some ofthe preceding sheets if is left out before threesome in p; 10, 1, 25. Is forare, p. 14.1.5, of the note.

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Last-Novelties.

Neverthelesswe, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, whereindwelleth righteousness and I saw a new heaven, and a new earth: for the firstheaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And IJohn saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out ofheaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and will dwell withthem. (2 Pet iii. 13. Rev. xxi. 1-3).

Thoughmy text contains a new heaven to come, as well as a new earth, new inhabitants,and a new city; and also old heavens, old earth and old sea to pass away, yetam I not obliged, Sir, by your direction to discourse of all those subjects andtheir predicates; nor of any of them beside the new heaven, new earth, Newinhabitants, and New Jerusalem. And these are tasks sufficient; for I never saweither; nor, indeed, have I seen much of the old heavens and old earth, havingbeen born, and having hitherto lived in this northern corner of the earth,within, almost, the smoke of my father's chimney. My knowledge of the rest ofthe creation is owing to your help, Sir, and the help

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Of books of astronomy,geography, history, &c. But Ihave no such helps towards knowing the new heaven, new earth, and NewJerusalem: some of them who shall be the inhabitants I may have seen. Nor do Ifind that any man ever saw these surprising Novelties besides St. John thedivine. Tertullian, indeed (in histhird book against Marcion) informs us that the New Jerusalem had been seen forforty nights successively; and further he saith not. It is from St. John,Therefore that I must fetch my knowledge of the said novelties; and chieflyfrom his last chapter of the apocalypse. I begin with the New Heaven.

Bywhich I understand the atmosphere, which will surround the new earth. The present atmosphere is often calledheaven and heavens, in the plural: the reason of the plural is obvious; forheterogeneous matter floats in the air in different altitudes and so divide itinto regions: but the atmosphere of the new earth will be homogeneous, andtherefore pure and serene; because free from those noxious vapors which causethunder and storms, nay cause sickness and death; for we often draw in bothwith our breath; therefore john speaks of it in the singular number, newheaven: and so would Peter and Isaiah had they seen it as St. John had. Whatfine air will the inhabitants of the new earth breathe in! And consequently,how fine their weather! The fableof the halcyon days will then be fact! You see, Sir, that I have confined my notion of the new heaven and

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The old heaven to theatmospheres of their respective earths; because no other heaven belongs to thisearth either in its past, present, or future state. I come now to the newearth.

Concerningwhich St. John's account affords us the following remarks (1) it will owe itsextraordinary quality to the mighty power of God, "I make all things new" (Rev.xxi. 5.). Isaiah uses a stronger expression; "I create new heavens and a newearth" (LXV. 17). One would thinkby this that the old earth is to be annihilated in the fire which my textmentions: but this is not credible; for fire annihilates nothing, and is itselfbut matter into brisk motion, as we see by many accidents in common life: thematter therefore of the old heaven and old earth will remain, to an atom, afterthe fire has had its will of it; of which God will form the new. Nor does the word create forbid such anotion; for though it properly signifies "making something out of nothing, yetin the writings of prophets and apostles it often signifies no more than " togive things that did previously exist some new form or quality: so God formeddust and a rib into man and woman, and called it the creation of Adam and Eve:so he makes a saint of a sinner and calls him a new creature: just so in caseof the new heaven and new earth: they will rise, like the Phoenix, from theashes of the old, and that refined like gold out of the furnace. O glorioussaints!

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The first earth in itspristine state was not equal to it! That was to be broken with floods and dissolved with fire; but this isto last forever, and therefore put off of hand with exquisite finishing! (2)Another hint that St. John gives us in his geography of the new earth, is, thatit will have no sea, but be all terra firma and there was no more sea, faith mytext. Nevertheless it will notwant water; "for he showed "me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystalproceeding out of the throne of God, and the lamb in the New Jerusalem "(Rev.xxii.1). This river, like that ofparadise (to which esurience is had) will divide, and compass the new earth, asthat did the lands of Havilah, Ethiopia, and the east: but the spot where thelamb's throne will stand (in the New Jerusalem) will not be the only source;for we read of fountains of waters elsewhere (Rev. vii. 17. xxi. 6. xxii.17). The new earth will aboundwith such springs and rivers. But here it will be asked, what comes of all thewater of life if there be no sea? Go, ask Dr. Halley what comes of the watersof the ocean: they evaporate: so will the rivers of the New earth; and theblessed inhabitants will breath life, as well as drink life and eat life! Andnow since we are come to the banks of our river, let us pause a while for thepurpose of admiration: Water clear as Christa! Who ever heard of such waterbefore! How still the courses of such rivers, and how firm the soil, if theywill be never muddy! Water of life! Well May they live forever who drink it!What is wine in comparison of such nectar! So exhilarating and delicious is it,that a draught therefore is made the

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Reward of victory, and amotive to Godliness (Rev. xxii. 17). I proceed to the inhabitants of the newearth.

Andthey are righteous persons, as appears by one clause in my text, whereindwelleth righteousness: the abstract for the concrete, to denote perfection inrighteousness. Some of thedwellers on the old earth are righteous, but not perfectly so the raised andchanged personages in the millennium earth will be perfectly righteous: not sothe rest of the inhabitants of the New earth: so holy will it and itsinhabitants be, that the father in a symbol, and Christ and angels in personswill dwell with them. We haveheard of a heaven on earth; but now we see earth itself become a heaven: holyangels, the holy Jesus and the holy father (in a symbol) altogether uponearth! We see earth made perfectat last! Air made pure! And sustenance refined to the uttermost! Fruits of lifefor food! And aqua vita for drink! O happiness beyond compare! Who would not be a saint in a prospect ofsuch profusion of happiness! Onething more of these righteous dwellers on earth, viz. They will be divided intonations, and governed by kings: what else can be the meaning of these words andthe nations that are saved and the kings of the earth shall bring their honorand into the New Jerusalem. (Rev. xxi. 24. 25). In this New Jerusalem like the Millennium Jerusalem) willChrist sit upon the throne of majesty and

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Hither will hisvice-roys and the nations that are saved, and their kings repair to acknowledgehis supremacy, and to offer him their honor and glory. Let it not be thought strange thatthere should be thrones, principalities, dominions, &c. on the new earth; forare there no such things in heaven; among holy angles? (Col. i., 16). If therebe archangels in heaven, why not arch saints on earth? Governors and governedthere must be, else how can any of the saints reign with Christ for ever andever: their reigning with him for a thousand years is not reigning with himforever and ever: and of his kingdom in the new world there shall be no end,tho there will be in the old. (Luke i. 33) So much for the earth in itseverlasting state. Other parts of scripture give us a view of it in its earlycondition; then it was void and without form. * (Gen. I). But God gave it a form;

"TheHebrew word, used in this place, signifies became, rather than was, hence somegather that the chaotic state of this earth, which Moses presents to our view,was not its original state; but a state of concession into which sequent thecreation of the earth, which Moses speaks of can mean no more than reducing aruined globe into the beautiful form and furniture it bore when Adam and Evewere put in possession of it; for it is not credible that the matter of theearth did not exist till about six thousand years ago, or that God had beenunactive from all eternity till then. Its first inhabitants that sinned arethose spirits, which we call souls. It may be so; for if souls now exist when they lose their bodies, whymight they not before they had them? Could the ancient doctrine of the pre existence and delinquency of soulsbe established, it would not only confirm the article of original sin, in ourcreeds; but give it a form that would neither hurt our feelings, nor staggerour faith, as is now the case. Nothing is plainer in the Bible than that wecome into this world under guilt; and that we no sooner have our beginning init than punishment begins, even before we do either good or evil: how can thispossibly be, except we deserved punishment in a prior state? To account for it,some suppose that all mankind, souls and bodies, were seminally in Adam, whosinned before he began to propagate the species and that as the root, so thebranches. But this hypothesis isreprobated; and another assumed, which has good luck if it escape reprobation,viz. That God creates a foul for every fact that is produced, which, by thisrule, God must create souls in constant succession: by this rule he must createthousands every day, Sunday not excepted. But the notion of pre-existence and delinquency solves all difficulties;and affords us a clue that will lead us thro all the mazes of revelation andprovidence, as far as the doctrine of original sin is concerned. I observed that the pre-existence ofsouls is not a novelty: it was held by the Gym nosophists of Egypt, thebrachmans of Greece and Italy, and by the Christian fathers. The Jews believed the doctrine. Nay theApostles believed if as appears by their question in John. Ix. 2; for theysupposed the blind man had sinned before he was born; and Christ's notcontradicting, was authorizing the doctrine."

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Form; and the mostperfect of all forms, the form of a globe; and furnished it with all thingsthat live and vegetate, so that it became very good. Afterwards it is shown us under a curse, and torn to piecesby a deluge. Time is coming whenit will be restored to

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A better state,viz. The time of millennium. Afterwards it will be seen all in ablaze. Then comes it to be the newearth we have been speaking of. These changes are obvious to all that read the Bible: if any such wereignorant of them they are willingly ignorant. Peter had to do with some such.(2 Ep. Iii. 5.) We come now to the metropolis of the new earth, viz. NewJerusalem.

Isay metropolis; for we cannot suppose that there will be no other city or townin the new world: the division of the inhabitants into kingdoms and nationsintimates and contrary. But the New Jerusalem will be the chief of all citiesand towns, and the metropolis of the entire world. Concerning which thefollowing things are specified in the book of Revelation.

1.Its name, with periphrases of its proprietor: the name is New Jerusalem. It is so called, partly, to distinguishit from the old Jerusalem; partly to show the peaceableness of it, forJerusalem bears that signification; and the gates of the New Jerusalem are tobe open day and night (Rev. xxi. 25): but chiefly, because it is to be the residenceof deity, as the old Jerusalem was. The periphrases of its proprietor is, the bride, the lamb's wife: it iscalled a bride to denote its brilliancy, as the sun is called a groom; and thelamb's wife, because its is the lamb's property as a man's wife is his own, andwhat is here called the bride is in the next clause called the tabernacle ofGod with men; nevertheless some are led by the above

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Phrase to imagine, thatit is no city at all, but the church triumphant, altho' it has all thecharacters of a real city; viz. Length, breadth, height, trees, river, walls,gates, guards and kings, and nations bringing honor and glory into it: toadjust all these to a number of persons* is not staring but stark madness; butan accommodation of them to a city is neither uncouth nor uncommon. Is not thecity Jerusalem considered as God's bride? Else how comes he to charge her with adultery when the chose otherlovers? Is not the city of Romecompared to a woman richly attired a little before my text? Not to a virgin butto a harlot, married to antichrist. The very word city is feminine in most languages, which makes thecomparison easy and natural. But if what hath been said will not save our finecity from Vanishing in an allegory let it be observed, that Christ and hissaints are to descend from heaven to the new earth; and that the New Jerusalemis to descend from the same place to the same earth; but not empty; no; Christand his saints will descend in it; if so, the contained will be the lamb'swife, if not the thing containing. Either way we save the finest city in theworld from annihilation. Precedewe.

2.To the origin of the New Jerusalem: and we find that to be heavenly; for if ithad not been in heaven it could not have been seen coming down out of heave, asnoticed in my text. And indeed, no place but heaven could furnish suchmaterials as this city is made have: for instance; twelve pearls of suchmagnitude as to form, each, a city gate!

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*Inchap. Xxii. 17. The bride may mean persons, and not a city because a personalaction is ascribed to her.

(Ver. 21). A city built and paved with gold clearas glass! Who ever saw transparent gold? A wall surrounding the city of amazinglength and height, and built with precious stones! (Ver. 18.) With foundationsof jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonix, sardius, chrystolite,beryl, topaz, chrysophrasus, jacinot, and amethyst (ver. 19, 20)! O whatarchitects are in heaven! What materials there for master builders! Can there bea finer building in heaven? Is there any archangel possessed of such anothercity? I throw not; for this is built for the Lord of Angels. The Father's cityand palace may be more superb.

3.The dimensions of the New Jerusalem are remarkable; for the length, breadth,and height of it are equal. It isa perfect cube, each side measuring 3000 furlongs, or 12000 in all, equal to1200 English miles, allowing 8 furlongs to a mile? What a number of stories and rooms may be in houses that arefifteen hundred miles high, allowing twenty four feet to a story! A numberequal to all that is saved. The wall of this city is said to be "great andhigh" (ch. Xxi. 12.) viz. One hundred and forty cubits or two hundred andsixteen feet, allowing eighteen inches to a cubit: this is the height of thewall. The word great refers to length of it, which is not set down; neither wasthere any, occasion, since the length of each side of the city had been given:for we may conclude the wall to be a square, like the city, and that it standsat a proportion able distance from the city. Surprising long wall therefore!Great Britain will not afford length and breadth sufficient

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For the fire of the NewJerusalem, unless joined to the continent of Europe.

4.The descent of this city from heaven to earth claims our notice; for descend itwill, as my text expressly asserts. Peter saw a great vessel descending from heaven to earth (Act. Xi.5-10.) Three times, and as many times ascending to heaven: and a very greatvessel it must be to contain all manner of four footed beast of the earth, andwild beast, creeping things, and fowls of the air. But what was this to John's vision? An amazing great cityshining as the sun without; and full of the divine presence and glorifiedsaints within! A descent this which exceeds all the descensions that we read ofeither in sacred or profane history. O my soul labour at saint ship, and thoushall not only see but also descend from a heaven above to a heaven below inthis glorious vehicle! Where the New Jerusalem will settle is not mentioned;but as it is to be the metropolis of the new earth we may reasonably supposethat its place will be in the middle of the world.

5.The guards of this city are suitable to its grandeur and inhabitants and at thetwelve gates are twelve angels (Rev. xxi. 12). But I do not call them guards for security, but forgrandeur. The majesty within is the king of angles, who surround the thronewherever he is seated. Suchpageantries and pomp attend the courts of earthly kings, and are types of thepomps and pageantries in the final state of things: "for the things of heavenand earth are like to like more then men are aware of, faith Milton. They

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May also stand at thegates to instruct the kings and nations of the new earth, as they enter in, howto behave in the presence of their great monarch; and how to offer him theirhonour and glory in an acceptable manner; for that kings and nations will, attimes, enter in for such purposes is out of doubt with all bible Christians(Rev. xxi. 24).

6.With the good leave of the angelic guards we will now enter in at the gate intothe city. And God grant we may do so in reality when the time comes. Now we arewithin! Look round and be astonished, o our fouls! We see no temple; it is true(ver. 22)! But we see the tabernacle of God with men! We see the chief glory ofthe Jerusalem Temple in that Tabernacle, viz. The shechina, which Paultranslates the glory, (meaning that strong glare of light in the sanctumsanatorium, Rom. Ix. 4). The same symbol of the divine presence will be moredissuasive in the New Jerusalem. Well may it be said that it needeth not that the fun and moon shouldshine upon it (Rev. xxi.23). Wellmay it be said that the saints shall be forever with the Lord, beholding hisglory! I think it impossible tohave a notion of a better heaven! Can there be greater glory than the visiblepresence of there be greater glory than the visible presence of deity, angelsand saints in such a city? Canthere be a finer drink than water of life? And pleasanter food than fruits oflife? Lo all these in the New Jerusalem! Common divinity has refined too muchon the condition of angels and saints, as if they wanted to sustenance, or wereimpassible. But remembering thatsaints have bodies such as Christ had after his resurrection,

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And that angels did eaton earth and do eat in heaven will prevent such a fond conceit. To speak ofimmaterial creatures, and creatures existing without aliment is to darken counselwith words with out knowledge; and is contrary to reason, Scripture, and facts.

7.Let us now come out of the New Jerusalem, and ascend with St. John to anexceeding high mountain for the sake of an external prospect; and exceedinghigh it must be to have a full view of a plane of fifteen hundred milessquare. Before, we saw itdescending from heaven! Now we see it descended, and upon earth! Observe how itshines! The precious stones and burnished gold without, and the Schechina andChrist and saints and angels within make it looks like a square fun! We havenoted before, that it needed not that the fun and moon should shine on it: yetit does not follow that they will not. The New Jerusalem any more than the sun cannot enlighten the entireworld at once. Besides; there aremany worlds in the solar system that want the light of the sun. Nor will themoon be useless though it will have no sea to govern; because, (as manysuppose) the lake of fire and brimstone* is in the moon: the lake is notGehenna, Tartarus, Hades, Abyss, Outerdarkness, Prison, Furnace,

*Sincethe late improvements of telescopes, volcanoes or fiery eruptions have been asreally seen in the moon as in Etna, Vesuvius, &c.: the lake therefore maybe in the moon. Add to this, that they,in the lake, are punished day and night (Rev. xx. 10), and days and nights arein the moon. The moon has hithertobeen attendants on earth; and why not the receptacle of its essals and noxiousthings at last? Be that as it may, the lake is some new soil.

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Oven, Ec; for wheneverwe read of these (in our testament) we meet with something which directs us tolook down for them: but when the earth is burnt, all will be destroyed; andhell cast into the lake (Rev. xx. 14): both the surface and bowels of the newearth will be holiness to the Lord. So much for the doctrinal part of the newheaven, new earth, New Jerusalem, and New inhabitants. Some remarks follow in away of conclusion.

I.Literal interpretation of scripture is so preferable to all otherinterpretations that it should never be parted without necessity. No such necessity occurs touching thesubjects of the foregoing discourse, though all the commentors I have seen havetreated of them in an allegorical way; and thereby have dishonored theirauthors as if they had a very ill knack at expressing their meaning; and makingtheir meaning uncertain. But is it incredible, for instance, that earth shouldbe so refined as to become the heaven of all that have had their existence onearth? What sense is there in taking the sons of one globe into another, whenall globes have their own inhabitants? " The earth abideth forever?" (Eccl. I.4). Surely not a barren waste.

2.As for the descent of Christ and his saints in the New Jerusalem it ought notto be deemed incredible, since events of the kind have been very sequent. Did not Moses and Elias descend tomount Tabor, in clouds, and thence ascend? Did not Jehovah come down to Sinaiin a chariot of angels and returned in the same animated vehicle? Will notChrist descend in clouds to raise the dead and change the

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Living about three yearsand a half before the Millennium? Will not they spring up to meet him in the air? And when he has gatheredall to him. Will not the whole assemblage ascend to heaven? The wings of thewind, cherubim, chariots of fire, &c have been often used as vehicles ofdowns and ups between heaven and earth, and why not the city New Jerusalem?Down from heaven it certainly will come, be it empty or full.

3.Before I quit a subject, which has so much to do with the heavens, I cannothelp felicitating the present age on account of the knowledge they have ofthose heavens, by means of modern astronomy: partly because that knowledgedilates the heart, and stretches the mind more than any other science, nay,more than all the other put together; and partly, because it enables us to forma comparison between our world and the other worlds in our fight; andconsequently between ourselves and our neighbors, and who inhabit those worlds.The first scheme of astronomy placed the earth in the center of the universe,and made the sun and stars go round it; and therefore men conclude that allwere made for the earth: and thus "man became vain in his own imagination, andmagnified himself and his world above measure. But modern astronomy assures us, that the fixed stars aresuns which have worlds moving about them: and that our sun is another fixedstar which has six * worlds encompassing it, and warmed and enlightened by it,viz. Mercury, which is less thanour world: next is Venus, which exceeds us in bulk as much as 9330 exceed 7970.The third station from the sun is ours. Back of us is Mars, which is somewhat less than our world. Back of it isJupiter with his four moons and belts: an amazing great world! Greater thanours as 94000 are greater than 7970. Back of him is Saturn with his five moons and rings, which ring resemblethe brim of a hat round the crown, but not touching the crown: a very greatworld also! Greater than ours as 78000 are greater than 7970."

*Sincethe above was written another planet has been discovered, which makes aseventh. The name of it is Georgium Sidus. The size of the planet is amazingaccording to.

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Theseare all the worlds, which belong to our sun in this corner of universal space:in comparison of some of which our earth diminishes into a small grain of shot,and the inhabitants into almost nothing! But, O God, how great art thou whohast made such huge and enormous globes, and hast suspended them in the vastinane! Well might they servantBoyle make a solemn pause when he mentioned they great and tremendousname! Well might the king of Israel,in comparing of miniatures with magnitudes, cry out, what is man!

4. Couldself-knowledge allow me to be vain, it would be, because my notion of the newearth frees me from the absurdity that the great Dr. Burnet was

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Driven to in his theory of the earth. He confounds the millennium state with the final state ofthe world; and therefore could not account for Gog and Magog, and their army,without having recourse to spontaneous generation in mud and slime. Strange chimera! How could he not perceive that mankindwill be on earth during the millennium, and that it is over these that theraised and changed saints will rein? It is true mankind will behave well during that reign by reason of theirgood king and priests, and the absence of Satan. But all will not be sons ofgrace. Hypocrites will be plenty in the four quarters of the world; it is thesethat will form the army of Gog and Magog, when the Devil will be let looseamong them, at the end of the millennium Besides; there is great differencebetween the earth in its millennium state, and in its final state: in the oneit will approach towards a paradise; in the other it will be a heaven: in theone, agriculture, vine dressing, &c. Will be used, as Adam and Eve labored in Eden; in the other, nature willspontaneously yield meat and drink to the blessed inhabitants.

Sincethe preceding discourse was composed the publisher has met with the followingparagraph, in an author of great note. Peruse it, gentle reader, and much goodmay it do thee.

"Iwon that I take St. John's account of the New earth to be a literaldescription: and then it is possible for us to have a notion of a futurestate. But what notion can we haveof it according

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To the common talk?Where we can the heaven is of which men speak? In the boundless space thatsurrounds us? We know of nothingthere but suns, moons, earth and comets. Neither of these (except the earth)can be thought to be the everlasting habitation of good men, &c."

Theeditor of the foregoing pieces has many other exercises by him, which owedtheir existence to the mode of studying divinity about the beginning of thiscentury. Besides those, he has byhim forty-two volume, written in large print hand, and warrantedoriginals. Should he meet with anopportunity of disposing of them in a proper manner, he might be induced to doon reasonable terms.