some color of argument and plausibility; but there are objections to it, some of which will be mentioned.

1. It does by no means follow that these are prophetical years, in the sense mentioned, because a day is put for a year in other places in this prophecy. There may be reasons for putting a day for a year in other instances, and yet there be no reason for putting a thousand years for as many years as there are days in a thousand years in this instance, and, therefore, no reason for understanding them so; and a day is not put for a year in every other instance in this book. The dead bodies of the two witnesses are said to lie in the street of the city three days and a half, (Rev. xi. 9,) which do not mean three years and a half, as no event respecting them can be made consistent with such a meaning.

2. The number, a thousand years, being repeated so many times in one short paragraph, seems to be a reason that it is to be understood literally, for just so many years, and not so many prophetical years; especially as there is nothing in this case to lead us to understand it in the latter sense; but it may as consistently with every thing in this book, and this prophecy in particular, and more so, as will be now observed, be understood literally; and it is further to be observed, that there is no instance in this book, or in the whole Bible, where a precise number is so often repeated in the same words, that is not to be understood literally.

3. It seems to be out of all proper proportion to suppose there will be so long a time as three hundred and sixty thousand years of prosperity and happiness, and of great and universal holiness in this world, the habitation of an apostate, sinful race of men, and but six thousand years of evil times. And this does not appear consistent with this world being represented as an evil world, as it is in the Scripture, or with its being cursed in consequence of man's rebellion. One thousand years may be an exception out of seven thousand, in which the curse may be mitigated and in a great measure removed; and yet, on the whole, or the whole taken together, it may be considered and called an evil and accursed world, for man's sake; but if there were to be only six thousand years of evil and the curse, and three hundred and sixty thousand years of good and a blessing, it would not, on the whole, be an evil or cursed, but a happy and blessed world.

4. It has been observed, that the natural world is evidently a designed type or shadow of the moral world, especially of the redemption by Christ; and that creating it in six days, and then resting on the seventh, is designed to be a type of bringing the moral world, in the work of redemption, to a state

of rest; that there are to be six thousand years in which every thing with respect to redemption and the kingdom of Christ is to be done and prepared for a seventh thousand years of peace, and rest, and joy in this glorious work. And it will be shown, in the sequel, that there are institutions in the Mosaic ritual which point out the same thing. The apostle Peter seems to allude to this when speaking of the coming of Christ, and the end of the world. "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise; but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night," etc. (2 Pet. iii. 8-10.) Hence the constant revolution of weeks, consisting of seven days, is an emblem of the revolution of time, which will come to an end when the world has existed seven thousand years. And there has been a tradition among both Jews and Christians agreeable to this sentiment. Now, this sentiment and tradition suppose that the thousand years of the millennium is but one literal thousand years, or the seventh part of the time in which the world is to stand; and as far as there is any weight in them, oppose and overthrow the notion that the world will not come to an end till it has existed three hundred and sixty thousand years after the millennium shall begin.

5. All the ends of such a day of peace and prosperity, of victory, triumph, and salvation to the church on earth, and of the so much celebrated reign of Christ, with his saints, in this world, will be fully answered in a literal thousand years, so far as it can be learned what they are from Scripture, or man can conceive them to be, as much and as fully answered as they could be in hundreds of thousands of years, or in any supposed length of time.

Satan will be as much defeated, and his kingdom and interest wholly destroyed in the world, the cause of wickedness and evil men will be entirely ruined and lost, and they all banished from the earth. The wisdom, power, grace, truth, and faithfulness of Christ will have a proper and glorious manifestation, by introducing such a state, and continuing it as long as is most for his glory and the best good of his church,

"There is an old tradition, both among Jews and Christians, that at the end of six thousand years the Messiah shall come, and the world shall be renewed, the reign of the wicked one shall cease, and the reign of the saints upon earth shall begin." - Newton's Dissertations on the Prophecies, vol. i. p. 490. And again, vol. iii. p. 410, ". According to tradition, these thousand years of the reign of Christ and the saints will be the seventh millenary of the world; for, as God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, so the world, it is argued, will continue six thousand years, and the seventh thousand will be the great sabbatism, or holy rest, to the people of God; one day being with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Pet. iii. 8.)

though it shall continue but a thousand years. The church may have all the reward and enjoyment in that time that it is proper or desirable that it should have on earth; and it may be wisest and best then to take it to a more perfect, happy, and glorious state in heaven. A thousand years will be time enough for Christ to show what he can do in bringing good out of evil, and vindicating his cause and church, and triumphing gloriously over all opposition from earth and hell, and filling the world with his powerful presence and kingdom, with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, with holiness and happiness. There will be full opportunity in this time to show and demonstrate, from fact and abundant experience, what is the nature, beauty, and excellence of Christianity; that it is exactly suited to form the world into a state of love, union, and happiness; and that all the preceding evils among mankind have been chiefly owing to ignorance or neglect of Christ and the true spirit of Christianity, and opposition to those in life or heart, or both. And this will be time enough to show that all means are ineffectual to reclaim man from sin; and that this can be effected by nothing but the Spirit of God, poured down in plentiful effusions; and to give a sample and foretaste of the beauty, happiness, and glory of the holy society and redeemed church in heaven.`

And in this thousand years the work of redemption and salvation may be fully accomplished in the utmost extent and glory of it. In this time, in which the world will be soon filled with real Christians, and continue full, by constant propagation, to supply the place of those who will leave the world, there will be many thousands born and live on earth to each one that had been born and lived in the preceding six thousand years. So that if they who shall be born in that thousand years shall be all, or most of them, saved, as they will be, there will, on the whole, be many thousands of mankind saved to one that shall be lost.*

The only end that can be imagined would be answered by protracting this time of the prosperity of the church in this world is, that greater numbers of mankind might exist and be saved. But that this is really desirable or best, all things considered, there is not the least evidence. A desire that more of mankind should be saved than will be saved in a thousand years of the prevalence of holiness and salvation in all the families of the earth never could be satisfied; for, though three hundred and sixty thousand years should be added, and all should be saved who lived in that time, still, for the same

See Bellamy's Sermon on the Millennium.

reason that this is desired, it will be equally desirable, and more so, that the time of salvation should be lengthened out yet longer, and so on without end. This reason for making the time longer, that more may be saved, cannot cease; and a desire of more time on this ground, or for this reason, is like the four things which Solomon mentions as never satisfied, and say not, It is enough. It is most wise and best, that a certain number and proportion of mankind should be saved. And God only knows what this number is, how great, and what proportion it bears to the whole human race. And no man has any reason to think that this number will not be completed within a literal thousand years, after the millennium commences. Nor can there be the least evidence from any quarter that it will not, unless there be evidence that the millennium contains a longer time; which is the question under consideration. And it is supposed that no evidence of this has yet been produced, or can be at present. And it is certain that the salvation of more of mankind, were the time to be longer, is no reason why it should be longer. But this will be best, and most infallibly decided by the event which will take place in due season; which, perhaps, cannot be determined with certainty now, or so that all shall be satisfied and agreed in the matter. And it may not be wise to be very confident on either side of the question.

The evidence has now been produced from Scripture, that there is a time coming, in which the cause of Christ shall prevail in this world, and his kingdom spread and fill the earth, as it has never yet done; in which time the church and people of Christ shall come to a state of peace and prosperity; when the kingdom of Satan shall be utterly destroyed, and all wicked men shall be put down, and cast out of the earth, and there shall be none to destroy, hurt, or oppose the truth and ways of Christ or his people; and this happy, glorious day shall last a thousand years.

This is foretold, not by one single prophecy, but is repeatedly and abundantly mentioned in the sacred, prophetic writings, and represented by a variety of strong expressions, and by different similitudes, and in figurative language; and yet all perfectly agree to point out the same thing. And there are many prophecies of the same event by Isaiah, and in other parts of the Bible, which have not been particularly mentioned.

Nothing has yet taken place in favor of the church of Christ, and in opposition to his enemies, which is in any measure answerable to these predictions. By far the greater part of mankind have been in a state of ignorance of Christi

anity, or of opposition to it, ever since the gospel has been preached to men; and Satan has had a greater and stronger kingdom on earth than Christ, most of the time since his ascension. And sin and real opposition of Christ, in principle and practice, have abounded in every age, even among nominal Christians. The overthrow of the Jews by the Romans, and the consequent spread of Christianity among the Gentiles, were events favorable to the church of Christ, and were a pledge and type of what he will yet do, in overthrowing his enemies and delivering his church in the latter days. And so was the overthrow of heathen Rome, and the spread and prevalence of Christianity through all the Roman empire, in the days of the Emperor Constantine, in the fourth century. But this was of short continuance, and within twenty years the church fell into a state of great calamity by divisions, contentions, and heresies, and the empire was involved in confusion and war; and from that time to this the church has been in a low, afflicted state. The many promises made to Israel by the prophets, of restoration to a long, abiding state of obedience, holiness, and prosperity, have not been in any measure fulfilled to that nation, nor to the church, including Jews and Gentiles, represented and typified by Israel, Jerusalem, Mount Zion, etc. If such a day of prosperity of the church of Christ, comprehending Jews and Gentiles, and all nations, were not yet to come, great part of the prophecies in the Bible could have but a very low and little meaning, and would be in a great measure, if not wholly, useless; whereas, if they be understood according to the most natural, plain import of them, they open a most pleasing, wonderful scene, suited to support and animate the Christian, and fill him with gratitude and joy on the agreeable prospect.

It appears reasonable and desirable that Jesus Christ, who suffered shame and reproach in this world, and was condemned and put to death as a malefactor by men, should have this reproach wiped off in the sight of all men, and that the cause in which he suffered and died should prevail and be victorious in this same world, where he suffered and died; that he should, agreeably to ancient prophecies, be here on earth, "exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at him, (his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men,) so shall he sprinkle many nations, and kings shall shut their mouths at him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. spoil with the strong, because he hath

He shall divide the poured out his soul