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Apostle, describing the faith of the Patriarchs, as directed to a repose, in this better and heavenly

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country; represents God as having provided 'some better thing for us, that they without us might not be made perfect."474 It would thus appear, that his allusion is to the union which will take place, in this blessed abode, between the sainted spirits, who receive their reward after the 'first resurrection,' and the just who are raised up to glory by the second." Of this great city, the holy Jerusalem, having the glory of God, of which 'the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the

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temple,475 the Evangelist is ample in his description. He represents it as having no need of the

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sun, neither of the moon, for the glory of God 'shall enlighten it, and the Lamb be the light 'thereof:' declaring that there shall in no wise ' enter into it anything that defileth, but they which ' are written in the Lamb's book of life. '476

While the preceding views of the time and nature of the millennary state are fundamentally opposed to the dogmas of the theorist and his school; they exhibit the most exact conformity to the opinions of the Apostolical Fathers, who professed to preserve the tradition, which was transmitted to them by St. John, from our Saviour. By St. Barnabas,

473 Heb. xi. 16. 476 Ibid. 23, 24.

474 Ibid. 40.

475 Rev. xxi. 10. 22.

477 Vid. supr. p. 16.

the entire course of time is distributed into periods of a thousand years, according to the number of the days in the week, at the Creation. After the analogy of the seventh day, he declares the seventh Millennium would be a sabbath of rest, and would be immediately preceded by the overthrow and punishment of the wicked; alluding, without doubt, to the destruction of Antichrist. To the commencement of the eighth Millennium he refers the beginning of the New World; and establishes his views respecting it, by the analogy of the Christian sabbath, as opposed to the Jewish.478 In the statement of the Asiatic Elders, who professed to derive their information directly from St. John, three states are expressly acknowledged, as reserved for the righteous. While those who should remain alive, would enjoy a paradisaical state upon earth; those who should die would be atonce translated into a state of beatitude in heaven: besides which, a third state is recognised in the New Jerusalem, where the Church will enjoy its eternal sabbath, after the general resurrection. Between these views, and those maintained by the theorist, the opposition is fundamental and irreconcilable. He places the destruction and renovation of the earth at the close of the sixth Millennium; which he

479

478 S. Barnab. Epist. cap. xv.

479 Ap. S. Iren. adv. Hær. Lib. V. cap. xxxvi. § 1.

conceives to be a state alike exempt from natural and moral evil, and supposes to be the exclusive place of rest for the righteous. Whatever be the countenance which his opinions may derive from Papias and his followers, it will have little weight when opposed to the decision of the Apostolical Fathers, who drew from the pure source of the traditionary stream, while their successors received it, as polluted in the channel through which it was transmitted.

THE END.

Printed at the Private Press of the Rev. Dr. Nolan,

BY A. OWEN AND R. KNILL.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

An INQUIRY into the INTEGRITY of the GREEK VULGATE, or Received Text of the New Testament; in which the Greek Manuscripts are newly classed, the integrity of the Received Text vindicated, and the Various Readings traced to their origin. 8vo. 1815.

SUPPLEMENT to an INQUIRY into the INTEGRITY of the GREEK VULGATE; containing a Vindication of the Principles employed in its defence. 8vo. 1830.

The EXPECTATIONS fromed by the ASSYRIANS, that a GREAT DELIVERER would appear, about the time of our Lord's Advent demonstrated. 8vo. 1826.

A HARMONICAL GRAMMAR of the principal Ancient and Modern Languages; viz. the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, and Samaritan, the French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Modern Greek; 2 vols. 8vo. 1822.

In this Work, the different Languages are analysed, on an uniform plan, and upon new and simple principles: short and comprehensive rules are given—for attaining a just pronunciation --for determining the genders-for inflecting the noun and verb, including the whole of their irregularities: also a Syntax and Prosody fully exemplified, and a classed Vocabulary of the most useful and necessary words.

Each Grammar may be had separately.

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