Page images
PDF
EPUB

genial to a mind renewed and fanctified by the Holy Ghoft" For "the fruit of the Spirit is joy." That joy, which proceeds from the belief, love, and obedience of the truths revealed in fcripture by the Holy Ghoft; that joy, which fhall accord with peculiar fitness to that triumphant state of Christianity, in which men will be fo much ander the influence of the Holy Spirit, that the law of God will be written on their hearts. Not only fhall all public affairs be conducted with profperity and joy, but individuals fhall also be happy. They shall be bleffed with that joy, which is infeparable from high attainments in truth, righteousness, and peace. "Happy is the man that "findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth un"derstanding."

Such, in a certain degree, fhall be the fiuation of the whole world during these thousand years; and in a very high degree of every part of it, except that stiled Gog and Magog in verfe 8th, which fhall be explained in the commentary on that verse.

On this part of the fubject it is unneceffary to enlarge in this place. The nature of the mil lenium will be illuftrated more fully in its proper place, when we come to confider thofe predictions of this book, which at once foretell and defcribe this glorious state of the church of Christ and of the world,

In

In the mean time, it may not be improper to obferve, that if God were to reveal a fyftem of religion to men, it is not poffible for man to conceive a system more fit for God to reveal or man to receive, than a fyftem of truth, righteousness, peace, and joy,-That, if Chriftianity, which is this fyftem, is a religion from God, of which full evidence is afforded, it is certain that it cannot come to nought, that men and devils cannot overthrow it, but that it must prevail over all oppofition, and become triumphant in the most proper feafon. Is it not reasonable to hope, that truth, righteousness, and joy, fhall prevail over ignorance, vice, and mifery in fome age of the world? Does not the progrefs of arts, knowledge, and commerce in the world for the two centuries fince the Reformation, render it highly probable that two more, with that accelerated motion which is the confequence of progreffive improvements, fhall bring the world to that ftate of knowledge, righteoufnefs, peace, and joy? Is it an improbable fuppofition, that in the progrefs of fociety men fhall fee the folly and the lofs of private contentions and of public wars? Confidering how much the rigour and violence of private feuds and of public wars have been mitigated for the two last centuries, is is not highly probable that the progrefs of civilization and of Chriftianity may nearly destroy them. in two centuries more? Are there not in fact ma

ny

ny examples of wife and good men who enjoy a high degree of happiness in this world in outward fituations not the most profperous? Have there not been many, are there not many perfons ftill in the world, whofe ferenity, cheerfulness, and joy speak the language of the prophét," Although "the fig-tree fhall not blossom, neither fhall fruit "be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall "fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock "fhall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

no herd in the ftall: yet I will rejoice in the "Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation." Is it not therefore highly probable, that when wife and good men become numerous in the world, joy and happiness will abound in it; more efpecially when the peace and profperity of their outward fituation shall be fo favourable to that joy which flows from an enlightened understanding and a purified heart.

Before fixing the commencement of the millennium, it will be beft to fix the time of its continuance, as one argument for the time of its commencement will be drawn from that of its continuance.

In this chapter, which predicts the millennium, it is repeatedly faid, in the most express and plain terms, that it fhall continue for a thousand years. It is faid verfe 2d, "that Satan fhould be "bound a thousand years;" verse 3d, "that he

VOL. II.

Rr

"fhould

"fhould deceive the nations no more till the "thousand years fhould be fulfilled;" verfe 4th, "that the faints fhould live and reign with Christ "a thousand years; verfe 5th, "that the reft of "the dead lived not again until the thoufand

[ocr errors]

years were finished;" verfe 6th, "that those who "have part in the firft refurrection fhall reign with "Chrift a thousand years;" and verse 7th, "that "when the thousand years are expired Satan "fhall be loofed out of his prifon."

As the prophecy exprefly limits the continuance of the millenium to a thousand years, the only ground of doubt, and the only queftion which hath arifen or can arife on this part of the fubject is, whether these thousand years are to be underflood literally for a thousand civil years, or for a thousand prophetic years, which would make 360,000 civil years? From the idiom of fymbolical language it is quite clear, that a thousand years in this paffage fignify a thoufand civil years. A year is not used as a symbol or character in the fymbolical language. If it is ever used at all, it is in a way fimilar to a metaphor in alphabetical language. The reafon of this is interwoven with the very conftruction of the fymbolical language. In it the leffer is always the symbol for the larger of any thing of the fame or of a fimilar kind, because, when the fymbols were originally painted or engraven, if they had been large they would

have taken up too much room on the tables on which they were drawn. Hence, from the analogy of the written language, the leffer was used in the fpoken language to fignify the greater. Thus, a day, which is the complete revolution of the earth round its own axis, is the fymbol for a year, which is the complete revolution of the earth round the ecliptic. The leffer revolution is the fymbol for the greater revolution of the fame kind. But, in that very early age of fociety in which the fymbolical language was formed, the ftate of aftronomical knowledge did not lead men to perceive any greater revolutions of the earth by which time is measured; and for which a year, as the leffer revolution, might have been the proper fymbolical character. Accordingly, in fact the word which expreffes the civil year, (TN), which is the word in the whole of this paffage, does not appear to be used as a symbol by any of the prophets, either in the Old or New Teftament. If they predicted a very long period of time for which a year might be a more convenient fymbol than a day, they always take another word than a year to fignify 360 prophetic days, or as many civil years. Thus Daniel, vii. 25. ufes "a "time and times and the dividing of time," and John, Revel. xii. 14. "a time and times and half a time." The only apparent exception from this fact that I have ever found in prophetic writings,

Rrt

« PreviousContinue »