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dicted in the facred fcriptures. And it fhall appear that the time and manner of their final overthrow are a fulfillment of the fcripture prophecies concerning the deftruction of the kings of the earth and the rulers, who take counsel together against the Lord and his Chrift.

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heaven, having the key of the bottomlefs pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon that old ferpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and caft him into the bottomlefs pit, and fhut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years fhould be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little feafon. And I faw thrones, and they fat upon them, and judgement was given 'unto them : and I faw the fouls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jefus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beaft, neither his image, neiQ9 2

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ther had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands: and they lived and reigned with Chrift a thoufand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the firft refurrection.

This chapter contains predictions of the millennium, of the ftate of the world after the millennium, of the general refurrection, of the final judgement, and of the different fituations of men in a future ftate. Thefe are grand and interefting fubjects to mankind.

Thefe five verfes contain a compendious view of the millennium, which is exhibited at full length in the two following chapters. Previous to a particular explanation of them, it will be highly proper, on a subject fo little understood by one part of mankind, and fo grofsly misunderstood by another part of them, that I fhould fhew what is meant by the millennium, at what time it fhall commence, and how long it fhall continue.

For the information of thofe readers who underftand not the Latin language, let it be observed, that the word millennium is compounded of two Latin words, which fignify a thousand years. And that this term fignifies that period of a thousand years,

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in which Chriftians fhall reign with Chrift on earth, as predicted in verfe 4th.

By the millennium, I do not understand fuch a ftate as accords to any of the many fuperftitious and enthusiastic defcriptions of the renovation of this earth after the general conflagration, of the firft refurrection of the bodies of the faints to live again for a thousand years upon that renovated earth, and of the perfonal reign of Chrift for a thousand years on earth; which have been published to the world, even by men of confiderable

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These conjectures I reject, because there is no foundation for them in fcripture; and they are highly unreasonable and improbable in themselves, fo far as we are capable of judging on such a subject. But, by the millennium I understand a triumphant ftate of the kingdom of God or true religion of Jefus on earth for a thoufand years. This kingdom of God is righteousness, truth, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. This kingdom, confisting of these four conflituent parts, fhall be in a triumphant ftate during the whole millennium. Then mankind shall in a very high degree be freed from ignorance and error; and fhall love, study, and know the truth, on every fubject in which they have any concern, and especially on the subject of religion. Univerfal righteoufnefs fhall prevail. They fhall pay that regard to the perfect and meritorious righteousness of Chrift, which accords to

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truth, to the perfection of the divine law, to the infinitude of divine juftice, to its own perfection, to their need of it, and to the gracious purpofe of God in fending Chrift into this world to fulfill all righteoufnefs. They fhall love and practise righteoufnefs to God, to their brethren of mankind, to all the creatures of God with whom they have intercourse, and to themselves, in all its branches: and they shall make perpetual progrefs in truth and righteousness. Univerfal peace fhall prevail on the earth. Men, as individuals, fhall enjoy peace with God, and peace of confcience; as connected in fociety, they fhall live in peace with their neighbours, whether in fmaller or larger focieties. Private quarrels and public wars fhall cease to the ends of the earth. "They fhall beat their "fwords into plough shares, and their fpears into pruning hooks; nation fhall not lift up fword against nation, neither fhall they learn war any "more." The brute creation, treated with gen tleness by men, fhali become much more gentle and harmless to them and to one another than they are now. "The wolf alfo fhall dwell with "the lamb, and the leopard fhall lie down with "the kid, and the calf and the young lion and "the fatling together, and a young child fhall "lead them.”

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Univerfal joy shall abound. That joy which is pure and exalted happiness, that joy which is con

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