contrary to all reason. Jesus Christ is now on the throne of the universe, having all power in heaven and earth given to him as God-man and Redeemer, being made head over all things to the church. He is in the most proper, agreeable, and convenient situation to govern the world, and take care of his church. It does not appear agreeable to his station and office, as king and head over all things, for him to descend in the human nature, and erect a throne on earth, which, so far as can be conceived, would be no advantage to his per- ✔ son, design, and work, but very much to the contrary. He is gone to heaven in the human nature, that he might reign there till his enemies are made his footstool, and all things shall be subdued under him. And his church on earth will enjoy him to as great a degree, and as much advantage, as if he were personally on earth in the human nature, and more, and will have as great enjoyment of his presence. He is now in the best situation to be adored and worshipped by his church on earth. Though they do not now see him, yet, believing and loving him, they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; and it would not tend to increase this faith, love, and joy, to have him come from heaven, and live in some place on earth in his human nature, but the contrary; for but few, compared with the whole inhabitants of the world, could have access to him, or see him more than they now do. And when the human nature is in heaven, all may equally have access to him, love and worship him. His church and kingdom on earth will be as happy, splendid, and glorious as if he were on earth as he is now in heaven, and much more so; for these will consist in his spiritual presence and influence, which may be as great while his human nature is in heaven, as if it were on earth; and in their holy conformity to Christ, which would not be increased by his being in that sense on earth. It hence appears in no respect advantageous or desirable, but the contrary, that Jesus Christ should come personally in the human nature from heaven to earth to reign here with his church, or that he should thus appear, till he shall come to judgment. It is, therefore, unreasonable to expect or suppose he will thus come, unless it were expressly asserted in Scripture, which it certainly is not; but there are some, if not many, passages which seem to be inconsistent with it.

It may be proper to observe here that the question respecting the manner in which Christ will reign on earth in the millennium has no concern with the question concerning the literal or figurative meaning of this passage, as the former does not depend upon the latter; for no man will suppose that

Christ's reigning on earth is to be understood in a figurative sense. If he shall reign on earth in the hearts of men by their voluntary subjection to him, he will reign as literally as if he were present on earth in his humanity. The question whether this passage is to be understood literally or figuratively, respects the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, etc., their living and reigning with Christ a thousand years. This, therefore, leads to other observations.

4. The apostle Paul in his writings does not appear to expect to have his body raised from the dead to live here on earth again after he died, or say any thing to lead the Christians of this day to expect any such thing, but the contrary.

He says, "It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment," and leads Christians to look forward to the second coming of Christ, when he will come to judgment, as the next great event that will immediately respect them, which seems to be inconsistent with the saints' having their bodies raised, and living in this world again, a thousand years before the day of judgment. He addresses Christians in the following words: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Col. iii. 1-4.) He directs them to expect and seek enjoyment in heaven where Christ is, and not to expect that he will leave his throne there, till he shall appear the second time to receive his saints to glory in heaven; for appearing with Christ in glory means appearing with him in heaven, as that is the place of glory where the redeemed are brought to be glorified-to be where Christ is, to behold his glory. The apostle Peter, speaking of the dissolution of the heavens and earth, says, "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Pet. iii. 13.) Some have supposed that this is the millennial state, which shall take place after the general conflagration, by which the earth will be renewed-in which a perfectly holy and happy state shall commence, to which all the saints who had died shall be raised, etc. But such a notion cannot be reconciled to other passages of Scripture, in which, as has been observed, the millennium is represented as taking place before the general conflagration and the day of judgment. And after these are over, and the wicked are cast into endless punishment, (Rev. 20,) the apostle John says, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were

passed away, and there was no more sea." (Chap. xxi. 1.) By which the heavenly state is chiefly if not wholly meant, where redemption and the church will be perfected. By the new heaven and new earth is meant the work of redemption, or the church redeemed by Christ. This is the new creation, infinitely superior to the old creation, the natural world, and more important, excellent, and durable; of which the latter is a faint type or shadow.

The renovation of the hearts of men by the Spirit of God, by which they become true Christians, is in Scripture called a new creature, or as the original words xxions may as well be rendered, a new creation. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. v. 17.) "For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." (Gal. vi. 15.) Therefore, every true member of the church belongs to the new creation, and is part of it; and this new creation of the new heaven and new earth goes on and makes advances as the church is enlarged and rises to a state of greater prosperity, and proceeds towards perfection.

The new heavens and new earth, the redeemed church of Christ, will be brought to a very happy and glorious state in the millennium, and greater advantages will be made then in this new creation than were ever made before. Therefore, to this event the following prophecy of Isaiah does chiefly refer, if not wholly : "For behold, I create new heavens, and a new earth. And the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be you glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.” (Isa. lv. 17, 18.) It appears from the preceding and following context, that this prophecy refers to the millennium, in which the new creation, the church of Christ, will come to the most perfect and happy state to which it will be brought in this world; from which it will pass to a perfect state, and be completely finished, after the general resurrection and judgment. Then the old creation, the heavens and the earth, shall pass away, and be burnt up, and the new creation shall be finished and brought to a most perfect, beautiful, happy, and glorious state. To the new heaven and new earth, thus completed, wherein that righteousness or true holiness, which is the beauty, happiness, and glory of the new creation, will dwell, i. e., continue and flourish forever, the apostles Peter and John have chief reference in their words, which have been transcribed above.

5. It does not appear desirable, or to be any advantage to

the departed saints, or to the church of Christ on earth, to have the bodies of all who have died before the millennium raised from their graves, and come to live a thousand years in this world before the general resurrection. They are now perfectly holy and happy; and so far as can be conceived, it would be no addition, but a diminution to their happiness, to come and live in this world in the body, to eat and drink, and partake of the enjoyments of the world. This would be a degradation which on no account can be desirable to the spirits of the just, now made perfect in heaven; and it would be no advance in the work of redemption, which is then to be carried on in a greater degree than ever before. Nor would this be any advantage to the church in that happy state to which it will then be brought; but the contrary, as they would take up that room in the world which will be then wanted for those who will be born in that day; and the spirits of the just could not know or enjoy so much of the prosperity and happiness of the church in the salvation of men, were they to live in bodies on earth in that time. The inhabitants of heaven have a more particular and extensive knowledge of what takes place in favor of the church on earth than any in this world have, or than they could have, were they to come and live here. They know of every conversion that takes place in this world, and they inust have the knowledge of the state of the church on earth and of every event which comes to pass in favor of it, and see the whole of its prosperity; and they have great joy in every thing of this kind: "there is joy in heaven, in presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth." How greatly will the happiness and joy in heaven be increased, when all the inhabitants of the world shall be converted to Christ, and the church of Christ shall fill the earth, and appear in the beauty of holiness! Agreeably to this, the inhabitants of heaven are represented as greatly rejoicing in the prosperity of the church on earth, and the overthrow of all her enemies. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her. And I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honor, and power unto the Lord our God; for he hath judged the great whore, etc. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." (Rev. xviii. 20; xix. 1-7.) Surely none will desire to leave that place of knowledge, light and joy, and come and be confined in the body in this world, which will be darkness and solitary, compared with that; such a change of place could be no privilege or reward, but rather a calamity.

Therefore, it is not to be believed, unless it be plainly, and in express words, revealed; which, it is presumed, it is not. This leads to another observation.

6. There is nothing expressly said of the resurrection of the body in this passage. The apostle John saw the souls of them which were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, etc., and they lived and reigned with Christ. The resurrection of the body is nowhere expressed in Scripture by the soul's living; and as there is nothing said of the body, and he only saw their souls to live, this does not appear to be a proper expression to denote the resurrection of the body, and their living in that. This, therefore, does not seem to be the natural meaning of the words, and certainly is not the necessary meaning; we are, therefore, warranted to look for another meaning, and to acquiesce in it, if one can be found, which is more easy and natural, and more agreeable to the whole passage and to the Scripture in general. Therefore,

7. The most easy and probable meaning is, that the souls of the martyrs and all the faithful followers of Christ who have lived in the world, and have died before the millennium shall commence, shall revive and live again in their successors, who shall rise up in the same spirit and in the same character in which they lived and died, and in the revival and flourishing of that cause which they espoused and spent their lives in promoting, which cause shall appear to be almost lost and dead previous to the introduction of that glorious day. This is, therefore, a spiritual resurrection, by which all the inhabitants of the world will be made spiritually alive where spiritual death before had reigned; and they shall appear in the spirit and power of those martyrs and holy men who had before lived in the world and who shall live again in these their successors, and in the revival of their cause, and in the resurrection of the church from the very low state in which it had been before the millennium to a state of great prosperity and glory.

This is agreeable to the way of representing things in Scripture in other instances. John the Baptist was Elijah, because he rose in the spirit of Elijah, and promoted the same cause in which Elijah lived and died, and Elijah revived and lived in John the Baptist because he went before Christ in the spirit and power of Elijah. (Luke i. 17.) Therefore, Christ says of John, "This is Elijah who was to come." (Matt. xi. 14.)

It is also to be observed, that the revival and restoration of the church to a state of prosperity, from a dark, low state, is represented by a resurrection to life, or as life from the dead.