follow his speculations to their close. Instead of robbing the treasury of Christian hope of a gem so precious, and of abstracting from benevolent effort so mighty a motive, it will be seen that his view of the futurities of Zion, admitting the Millennium to be past, opens to the eye of faith a still more cheering prospect, a lengthened vista of richer and brighter beatitudes. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. The present work having been for some years out of print, and a new interest having in the mean time sprung up in prophetical studies, the author has yielded to the suggestions made to him from different quarters, to prepare a second edition for the press. In doing this he has found occasion for no other than very slight alterations, additions, or omissions. Seeing no reason on mature reflection, to distrust the soundness of the main conclusion, but on the contrary finding his confidence in it continually growing stronger, he gives this edition of the work to the public revised, but substantially unchanged. If the general result of his reasonings should not meet with a consenting response from the bosom of the Christian community, the author still allows himself to believe, that important principles of interpretation incidentally developed in the course of the argument, will go far to compensate the failure of conviction on the leading point. G. B. Salem, Feb. 16, 1842. CONTENTS. Definition of the word Millennium-The doctrine of the Millen- nium founded but upon a single express Passage of Scripture- Diversity of opinions as to the Time of its Commencement- Jewish Origin of the Millennarian Hypothesis–Built upon an allegorical Exposition of the history of the Creation in six days followed by the Rest of the seventh-Confirmed by Extracts- Estimate of the value of the Rabbinical Tradition-Early adopt- ed by several of the Christian Fathers—Rejected by others- Controversy on the subject in the Primitive Church-Extracts from the writings of the Fathers—Probable Reasons of the early MODERN OPINIONS RESPECTING THE APOCALYPTIC MIL- LENNIUM. Historical Sketch of the Decline of the Millennarian theory, and of its Revival at the Reformation–The modern advocates of a fu- ture Millennium divided into two Classes—The first hold to the personal Reign of Christ on earth during the thousand years, Mede, Caryll, Gill, Noel, Irving, Anderson, quoted-Claim to found their expectation upon a passage in the second Epistle of Peter-Remarks upon this interpretation—The second Class de- ny the Personal, but maintain the Spiritual Reign of Christ- Confirmed by Extracts from Whitby, Bogue, Johnston 26 The binding of Satan or the Dragon the main feature of the antici- pated Millennium-Necessary to determine the Import of this Symbolical Action—This cannot be done without first fixing the import of the Dragon himself as a Symbol-With this view the Vision of the Dragon, Rev. xii., minutely considered— The sun- clad and star-crowned Woman explained— The Dragon shown to be a symbol of Paganism—The War between Michael and the Dragon explained— The remaining Circumstances of the Vision THE TRUE DOCTRINE OF THE MILLENNIUM STATED AND CONFIRMED. The Connection of the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation with the preceding portions of the Book stated—The Identity of the Dragon throughout the Apocalypse maintained—The Binding of the Dragon explained—Its date determined-Confirmed by His- tory-Particulars of the symbolic Imagery further elucidated- Symbol of the Bottomless Pit or Abyss explained—Opinions of Lightfoot, Turretin, Mastricht, and Marck quoted—Satan's de- ceiving the Nations explained—Whether the Millennium to con- sist of a thousand literal years—Explication of the Thrones, and of the Souls of the Martyrs seen in the Vision, and of their Liv- ing and Reigning with Christ a thousand years . 93 CHAPTER V. EXPLICATION OF THE GOG AND MAGOG OF THE APOCALYPSE. Various Opinions of. Commentators respecting Gog and Magog- Reason of this Diversity—The mention of this mystic Power by |