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creafed by miraculous proofs of Divine favour, till "the time appointed" for the CONSUMMATION of the mighty fcheme "laid before the foundations of the world". does, I confefs, appear to me most clearly ftated also.

The opinion of the earliest ages of the church upon this fubject is well known. A great number of the primitive Chriftians believed in a Millennium, though, from various causes, the belief gradually funk into oblivion. Mistaken as they were in their expectations of its near approach, and fanciful as were their conceits refpecting the Millennium itself; the increafing corruptions and fufferings of the Church appeared to obliterate the hope of any fuch state from the minds of men; and by degrees Chriftians were led to look back, instead of forward, for the fulfilment of a Prophecy which they evidently perceived did not accord with present times. But in proportion as Scripture has emerged from the dark ages of ignorance and fuperftition; and the ftudy of the Prophecies has given clearer views of that great scheme which it has pleafed God to reveal by his word, the opinion of a Millennium has seemed to re

cover ground; though the ideas concerning its nature continue to be as vague as if every one felt himself at liberty to confult his fancy, instead 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 Christians will be found to agree better than is ufually imagined, relative to the splendour of the Meffiah's reign on earth. And this fhould be considered as an argument of great weight for the truth of fuch an opinion. But the final appeal must be made to the Prophetic descriptions under both covenants. Many of these have been already ftated; and I muft beg the Reader to com pare 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 everlasting life, and fome to shame and everlasting contempt; and they that be wife shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the ftars for ever and ever. Bleffed

"As

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 stand in thy lot at the end of the days:" that is, at the end of those 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 shall enter into peace: they shall reft in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness*." 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.” "For the Lord himself shall defcend from heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: 'and the dead in Chrift shall rise first." "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the prefence of our Lord Jefus Chrift at his coming a?" The

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

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first and second chapters of the second of Theffalonians appear to be express upon the subject of this kingdom, and accurately correfpond with the Revelation of St. John-" For our converfation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Christ, who shall change our vile 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.” "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Chrift in God. When Chrift, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye alfo appear with 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 firft-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 "Who died for us,

new covenant.

Philip. iii. 20, 21. a Heb. iv. 8, 9.

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that, whether we wake or fleep, we should

live together with him."

66

That where

he is, there we may be alfo ."

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"Whom the

heavens must retain till the reftitution 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 should be ignorant of this mystery, left ye [Gentiles] be wife in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Ifrael until the fulness 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 shall 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 k."

"And the High Priest asked him, Art thou the Chrift, the Son of the Bleffed? And Jefus faid, I AM; and ye shall fee the Son of Man fitting on the right-hand of

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