the ideas, concerning its nature continue to be as vague as if every one felt himself at liberty to confult his fancy, inftead of the authority of Scripture, for the various conjectures he forms. I conceive, however, that, according to the Scriptural doctrine of the Millennium (or at least, what I apprehend to be the Scriptural doctrine), Jews and Chriftians will be found to agree better than is ufually imagined, relative to the fplendor of the Meffiah's reign on earth. And this fhould be confidered as an argument of great weight for the truth of fuch an opinion. But the final appeal must be made to the Prophetic defcriptions under both covenants. Many of these have been already stated; and I must beg the Reader to compare them with the following paffages, and to examine others, to which I fhall refer, with a view to this particular fubject.

"And many [not all] of them that fleep in the duft of the earth fhall awake, fome to everlafting life, and fome to fhame and everlasting contempt; and they that be wife shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteoufnefs as the stars for ever and ever. Bleffed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 days. But

go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest and

ftand

ftand in thy lot at the end of the days;" that is, at the end of thofe days of vengeance which I have juft defcribed to thee "." The righteous perifheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none confidering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He hall enter into peace: they shall reft in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness "As in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive. But every one in his own order. Chrift the first fruits, afterwards they that are Chrift's at his coming Y. "For the Lord himself shall defcend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Chrift fhall rife firft." For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jefus Christ at his coming *?" The first and fecond chapters of the fecond of Theffalonians appear to be exprefs upon the subject of this kingdom, and accurately correfpond with the Revelation of St. John-" For our converfation is in heaven, from whence alfo we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift, who shall change our vile

a

" Daniel xii. 2, 3. 12, 13.

* Ifaiah lvii. 1, 2.

* 1 Cor. xv. 22, 23. and from the thirty-fifth verfe to the end of the fame chapter.

I Theff. iv. 16.

24

a

Theff. ii. 19.

body,

body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to fubdue all things unto himself b For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Chrift in God. When Chrift, who is our life, Shall appear, then shall appear with ye alfo him in glory." If Jefus had [already] given them reft, then would he not have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a reft to the people of God." But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general affembly and church of the first-born which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jefus the mediator of the new covenant." "Who died for us, that, whether we wake or fleep, we fhould live together with him f." "That where he is, there we may be alfo ." "Whom the heavens must retain till the restitution of all things

If the cafting away of them [the Jews] be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead? -For I would not, brethren, that ye fhould

be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye [Gentiles] be wife in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Ifrael until the fulnefs of the Gentiles be come in. And fo all Ifrael fhall be faved; as it is written, There shall come out of Zion THE DELIVERER, and fhall turn away ungodlinefs from Jacobi." "When the Son of Man fhall fit in the throne of his glory, ye alfo fhall fit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael *.

And the High Priest asked him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Bleffed? And Jefus faid, I AM; and ye fhall fee the Son of Man fitting on the right-hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven1. “O Jerufalem, behold your houfe is left unto you defolate; and verily I fay unto you, Ye fhall not fee me until the time when ye fhall fay, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord "." "And when he had fpoken thefe things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their fight. And while they looked stedfaftly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men ftood by them in white apparel; which alfo faid, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

رو

This fame Jefus, which is taken up from you
into heaven, shall fo come, in like manner as ye
have seen him
“And he
into heaven "."

was transfigured before them, and his face did. fhine as the fun, and his raiment was white as the light". And there appeared unto them Elias with Mofes, and they were talking with Jefus. And Peter said, Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Mofes, and one for Elias: for he wift not what to say, for they were fore afraid; and there was a cloud that overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, faying, This is my beloved Son ; hear him "."

The twentieth chapter of Revelations appears in my judgment to declare in express terms, that there will be a firft or partial refurrection of the dead, who fhall live again on this earth, as priests of God and of Christ; that is, "Bleffed and holy men made perfect," peculiarly devoted to the fervice of God, and

Acts i. 9-1I.!

The appearance of our Lord during the transfiguration, and the glory which fhone upon the face of Mofes, may be types of the appearance of our Lord, when he fhall come to establish his kingdom in glory.

P Matthew xvii, 2. Mark ix. 4—7.

VOL. II.

Y

the

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