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the book and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth." See, also, Rev. i. 6, "And hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father." Again, I Pet. ii. 5, 9, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood." "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people." The passages to which I have cited your minds, prove, be yond a reasonable doubt, that the thousand years sp'> ken of in the text is between the two resurrections state of happiness, of glory, of holiness, and that it shall be on the earth. It is a state of immortality, as abundant scriptures evidently prove. Where, then, you may inquire, is the spiritual millennium which our theorists, in the present age, are teaching us to expect? 1 answer, There is not a thousand years spoken of in Scripture, except in 2 Pet., 3d chapter, and in which the judgment day is the subject of discussion, and in the chapter of which our text is a part; and in neither of these places is any thing said about spiritual reign; neither can we find any thing in the word of God by which we could fairly draw the conclusion of such a reign; and as it is not proper for me to show the negative, I call on all of you to show where we may find the evidence, that is, all of you who believe in a spiritual reign. If there is such a reign, it must be before the second coming of Christ; for when he comes, he will receive us to himself, that where he is there we may be also; no more away from his people, for he says he will be with them, and make his abode with them, and he will be their light, and will dwell with them, and make his abode with them, and they shall dwell on the earth. Where, when, or how the idea of a spiritual reign of a thousand years should or could obtain a place in our faith, having the word of God as our evidence, I cannot tell. Some say that the prophets speak often of times or things which have not been fulfilled in our day, or under the present dispensa

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sideration, to refer to the gospel day. But how long do the prophets say that time shall be? Do they designate any time? No; neither one, ten, one hundred, or one thousand years are mentioned in any of those passages. Why then call it a millennium? Because Peter and John have mentioned a thousand years. This cannot be admitted to mean any state this side of the state of immortality; for Peter says plainly, "Yet, nevertheless, we look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." This would be a new state, surely nothing gross or vile in this kingdom, whoever may be king; and John expressly says, "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years," and says, "This is the first resurrection." Now, admit there is such a time, how or by what rule shall we call it a thousand years?

Again, where, in all the prophecies, can any one show me that the church will be blessed and holy, or happy and righteous, as it may be rendered, until he comes, that is, at Christ's second appearance? And where in the word are we to learn that the kingdoms of this world are to be destroyed before the coming of the Ancient of days? Do we believe that the anti-Christian beast, or mystical Babylon, will be on the earth during this millennial reign? No, it cannot be; yet all must acknowledge that she is only destroyed by the brightness of his coming. Who can read the 19th chapter of Revelation, without being convinced that the marriage supper of the Lamb, the treading of the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, and the supper of the great God, are events which must take place before the millennium? And if so, who can believe that after the marriage of the Lamb to the bride; after she is arrayed in linen clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints; after they have received a crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall give to all them who love his appearing in that day,

Christ will not be with her in person? None. But our text tells us he will live and reign with them, and they shall be priests to God.

Again: while in this state of mortality and trial, we are called the servants and ministers of Christ; but then, in the millennial blessedness, we shall be called priests of God and of Christ. You may ask, "Why this distinction in the language?" I answer, There is a great difference between the kingdom of Christ, as it was established when Christ was here on earth, and the kingdom given up to God, even the Father. The subjects of Christ's kingdom, in this state of things, may be, and in fact are, imperfect. Hypocrites and false professors may and do obtain an entrance into it; for an enemy hath sown tares. But the kingdom of God, no man, says Christ, can see, or enter, without being born of God. Here they may deceive the sentinels which guard the kingdom of Christ; but in the kingdom of God "there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Here the children of the kingdom are persecuted, tormented, perplexed, cast down; but in the kingdom of God their enemies are all slain; they are comforted, glorified, justified, exalted; and not a dog to move his tongue. Here they weep, but there will rejoice: here they sin and repent; they there will be holy without fault before his throne. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection." Amen.

LECTURE III.

DANIEL viii. 13, 14.

"Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand three hundred days: then shall the sanctuary be cleansed;" or justified, as it might have been translated.

THE hearer will, at the first view of our text, perceive that there is something very important communicated in the question and answer given; or why are saints commissioned (as we may reasonably suppose) from the courts of heaven, to ask and answer the question contained in the text, in presence of the prophet? And that it concerned Daniel, and us for whom the prophet wrote his prophecy, to understand, is evident from the an swer being given to Daniel- "and he said unto me". instead of being given to the "saint," who made the inquiry. Then we are not treading on forbidden ground, my dear hearer, to search to understand the meaning and truth of our subject.

I shall then treat our subject in the following manner: I. Explain some of the figures and expressions used in the text.

II. Show what the "daily sacrifice vision" is, and, III. The time or length of the vision "unto two thousand three hundred days: then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."

I. I am to explain some of the figures used in the text; and,

1st, the "daily sacrifice." This may be understood, by some, to inean the Jewish rites and ceremonies; and by others, the Pagan rites and sacrifices. As both Jews and Pagans had their rites and sacrifices both morning and evening, and their altars were kept smoking with their victims of beasts, and their holy fire was preserved in their national altars and temples devoted to their several deities or gods, we might be at a loss to know which of these to apply this figurative expression to, did not our text and context explain the meaning. It is very evident, when we carefully examine our text, that it is to be understood as referring to Pagan and Papal rites, for it stands coupled with "the abomination of desolation," and performs the same acts, such as are ascribed to the Papal abomination, "to give both the sanctuary and host to be trodden under foot." See, also, Rev. xi. 2, "But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles; and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." This last text only has reference to the Papal beast, which was the image of the Pagan; but the text in consideration has reference to both Pagan and Papal. That is, How long shall the Pagan transgression and the Papal transgression tread under foot the sanctuary and host? This must be the true and literal meaning of our text; it could not mean the anti-Christian abomination alone, for they never desolated the Jewish church; neither could it mean Antiochus, the Syrian king; for he and his kingdom were made desolate and destroyed before Christ; and it is evident that Christ had an allusion to this very power, when he told his disciples, Matt. xxiv. 15, "When ye therefore shall sce the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place." I believe all commentators agree that Christ meant the Roman powerif so, then Daniel has the same meaning; for this is the very passage to which Christ alluded. Then the "daily sacrifice" means Pagan rites and sacrifices, and the transgression of desolation, the Papal; and both together shall tread under foot the "sanctuary and host," which brings me to show what may be understood by "sanc

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