who had before their death, turned many to righteouf nefs, fhall at this time, being raifed, fhine as the ftars, while all the others fhall fhine as the brightness of the firmament. Daniel had the promise of being one of them, verfe-13, "But go thou thy way till the end; for thou shalt rest, and ftand in thy lot at the end of the days." By understanding this text as refering to Chriff's coming to reign on the earth, many difficulties are re-1 moved, which otherwise will rife in our way. Should we think this refers to the deftruction of Jerufalem, the whole history of it would contradict this prophecy, Chrift did not ftand for the Jews, but gave them up.

Titus did not come to an end there, and the dead did not rise, neither did the wife fhine as the brightness of the firmament. All this will be true when Christ comes. Immediately after this, many will run to and fro, and fo the knowledge of God will be increased to that degree, that the people will be delivered from that infta bility as to government, and religion, which is peculiar to the ignorant. This is mentioned by Ifaiah, when fpeaking of that glorious day, when Zion fhall be filled with righteoufnefs. Ifaiah xxxiii. 5, 6, "The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high; he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wifdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and ftrength of falvation; the fear of the Lord is his treasure."

5. There is one way more, in which knowledge will be great all over the earth, even the most distant parts; that is, an angel will be appointed to fly in the air, and preach the gofpel all over the world, in the hearing of every perfon on the land and fea. This is mentioned in Revelation xiv. 6, 7, " And I faw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people; faying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the fea, and the fountains of waters." This preaching is to be done when the hour of Chrift's judgment comes, which is when he judges as

mong the heathen, and fills the places with their dead bodies; when he judges Gog and his army in the valley of decifion, and when the judgment of the great whore which fetteth on many waters, is feen by the fons of God.

In the first of this chapter, John tells us of the hundred and forty four thoufand on mount Zion; thofe I think are the raised and changed faints, who are the first fruits to God and the lamb, thefe are the first crop of faints the earth has bourne, the reft live not again till after the thousand years; this will be the latter harvest. Immediately after John faw this glorious company, he faw the angel preaching to the nations, while another followed, proclaiming the fall of MYSTERY BABYLON.

Many people have attempted to accomodate this text to fome man. I heard one preacher say it meant Peter; who was a minifter of circumcifion, and never traveled as Paul did. Another I heard fay this angel meant George Whitefield. He never preached all over the earth; though he preached much in Europe and America. What hour of Judgment was there in his day different from what had been before or fince?

(

Some think it fuch an impoffible thing for an angel. to teach the world, that they conclude it must mean fome man, who has, or will be very extenfive in his preaching. Solomon fays, Ecclefiaftes iii. 15, "That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been." If fuch a thing has been as a preaching angel, it may be again. How came the Jews by the law? They received it by the angels. Acts vii. 53, "Who have received the Law by the difpofition of angels, and have not kept it." And it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator; Galatians iii. 19. Angels had it, and gave it into the hands of Mofes, the Mediator of that covenant, who brought it to the Jews. Who firft preached good tidings of glory to God, peace and good will to men, in the hearing of the fhepherds? It was an angel. This was only a beginning of that work which it is altogether likely that fame angel will yet do in all the world. The gofpel is to the Jews firft, and alfo to

the Greek. An angel has preached the gospel to the fhepherds who were Jews; hereafter he will preach it to all the world; then will the earth be full of the knowledge of the glory of God, while love divine will reign in all who hear and know the joyful found.

9. Another thing peculiar to that thoufand years is this, all the faints will be of one heart, and the watchmen will fee eye to to eye, when the Lord brings again Zion.

This is particularly mentioned, when the Jews return, and Christ reigns over them in Jerufalem. Ifaiah lii. 8, "Thy watchmen fhall lift up the voice, with the voice together fhall they fing, for they fhall fee eye to eye, when the Lord fhall bring again Zion." This has never been; but when the Jews return, the watchmen will all agree, and all the faints will be one, when they are all righteous, doing God's will on earth as it is in heaven; this is the time when that part of the prayer will be anfwered. Then will the time come which is mention. ed in Isaiah xxiv. 16, "From the uttermoft parts of the earth have we heard fongs,even glory to the righteous.'

How much comfort would now be added to the faints and minifters of Chrift in this life, if they were all agreed to fubmit to Christ's law which he has left! In that day, or thousand years, Jefus will be univerfally obeyed, this will caufe a general, ftrong, and lafting union among all the inhabitants of the earth. O glorious day! When will it arrive to gladen the followers of the lamb!*

Amidst all this glory, a city and temple will be neceffary as the refidence of the king, the feat of government, and place of general refort from every part of the kinga dom. This I fhall mention in the next Sermon.

SERMON X.

σε τ WE HAVE ALSO A MORE SURE WORD OF

PROPHECY," &c..

IN this difcourfe will be noticed, the city and holy house which will be built in the thousand years of Chrift's reign on the

earth.

As

S the thousand years of Chrift's reign will be a middle state between this, and the eternal fate of glory, when the new heavens and earth are created, and the new Jerufalem; and as it will be a state fuperior to the prefent, and inferior to that after the new earth is created; fo in that middle state, there will be a city and temple fuperior to what ever Jerufalem and Solomon's temple was; and yet inferior to that city which will come down from God out of heaven, when the Lord God and the lamb will be the temple of the holy city, the new Jerufalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Many people have puzzled themselves and others, by confidering the city and temple in the thoufand years to mean the church of Christ. Others, who believed there would be hereafter a city and temple built, have been confufed by confidering the city and temple of the thousand years, to be the fame as the city and temple in the new earth; not confidering that the city built in the thousand years, would be vifited every year by all nations, and the temple be the refidence of the king; while that of the new earth will be the eternal refidence of the righteous after the wicked are all deftroyed; where inftead of its

being the city of the great king, the Lord God and the lamb will be the only temple in the city. "And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." Rev. xxi. 22.

That there will be a city and temple built in the land of Canaan, an holy houfe which will remain till the end of the world, is plain from the fcriptures of truth. Thefe two things I fhall now endeavour briefly to defcribe.

1. The city which shall be built in the land of Canaan after the Jews return.

This city I understand is JERUSALEM; which is the city of the great king. Some have fuppofed that the city would be built at fome distance from Jerufalem. I con fefs I do not fee the proof of this.

. It is certain that this city will be built on a very high mountain, and that the holy houfe will be in the city on the mountain. - Jerufalem ftands on a very high mountain, in a most beautiful fituation. Pfalm cxxv. 1, "They that truft in the Lord fhall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed but abideth forever." Pfalm xlviii. 1, 2, "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praifed in the city of our God; in the mountain of his holi nefs. Beautiful for fituation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion; on the fides of the north the city of the great king." It appears from this that Jerufalem, or Zion, ftands on an elevated fituation, and may be feen at a great distance. Ifaiah fpeaks of the mountain of the Lord's houfe, as being above all the other mountains, that it should be a place of refort for all nations, and the feat of government, which muft make it the refidence of the lawgiver. Ifaiah ii. 2, 3, 4, "And it fhall come to pafs in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's houfe fhall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations fhall flow unto it. And many people fhall go and fay, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the houfe of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion fhall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerufalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and