For the health and longevity of men in this period, the following reasons, together with the divine appointment and bleffing, may be affigned, the temperature of the air, the fruitfulness of the earth, the regular government of the human paffions and the general virtue of men.

In the present state of things, feebleness of conftitution, diseases, and death, are very frequently generated and propagated by the vices of men, and proceed from the violence of paffion, the defective quality or quantity of the food, or the intemperature of the climate; but when all these defects fhall be removed, for a thousand years together, it is not easy to conceive to what a degree the millennian ftate of the air, of the earth, of the minds of men, and of the good conduct of the world, under the bleffing of God, may ftrengthen and prolong human life: more especially, when the longer fuch men live on earth, the more good will they do to fociety, and the more will they be prepared for heaven.-And men, entertaining right apprehenfions of, and affections to God, fhall enjoy uniform and fupreme happiness in communion with him. They fhall neither be afraid nor ashamed to avow their worship of God. They fhall never think it a reflection upon their intellectual powers, nor fhall any perfon represent them as weak men, because they raise their views above the creatures to the great Creator of all, and regard

it

it as the firft duty of man to act agreeably to the first, the most important and permanent relation in which he is placed, that in which he ftands to his God. "The tabernacle of God is with men, and "he hall dwell with them. They fhall be his people, and God himself fhall be with them, and be "their God. They shall see his face, and his name fhall be in their forehead. And it shall "come to pass, that from one new moon to ano"ther, and from one fabbath to another, fhall all "flesh come to worship before me, faith the Lord."

The paffages in fcripture, which predict, refer to, and defcribe the millennian ftate of the church and of the world, befides thefe contained in this book, are so many and fo large, that it would be improper to transcribe them into this commentary. I fhall therefore only point them out to the reader, and request of him to read and confider them with candour and attention. Deut. xxxii. 43. Pfalm ii. Daniel ii. 44, 45. vii. 13, 14, 27. Ifaiah ii. 1,-5. xi. xxxii. xxxv. xliii. 1,—8. xlix. and the greatest part of Ifaiah from chap. lx. to chap. lxvi. inclufive. Ezekiel xxxvii. 15,—28. Micah iv. Matth. vi. 10. Rom. viii. 18,-23. and 2 Pet. 3, 13.

To fhew that all thefe paffages refer to, or predict and defcribe the millennium, would be to write a long differtation upon them. But every intelligent perfon who reads them with candour and care, will clearly perceive that they predict a pure,

a

a glorious, a peaceful and a happy ftate of the world and of the church of Chrift; which hath never yet taken place, and which can accord only to that millennian ftate, which hath already been described in part, and fhall be more fully described, as we proceed in this and the following chapter. Can any perfon, who believes the infpiration of fcripture, ever fuppofe that fo many clear predictions of fuch a glorious and, triumphant ftate of the church, and of the world, are contained in the bible, and that yet that ftate fhall never take place?

And he faid unto me write; for these words are true and faithful. God who fat upon the throne,, commanded John to write the preceding words of this chapter. And he affigns two reafons, why he fhould write them. First because they are true. No man fhould knowingly write what is falfe. It is effential to all infpired writings that they are true, because God cannot be deceived, and he can deceive no man. And fecond, because they are faithful. The word in the original fignifies either faithful or credible. In both fenfes it may be used here. They are faithful becaufe as predictions, they fhall all be exactly accomplished in the appointed time. And they are credible because they are part of a book of prophecies, of whofe in spiration fufficient evidence is produced.-A book, which hath long ago been proven to be a true pro

phecy

phecy by the many events in the hiftory of the church and of the world, by which its early predictions have been regularly and minutely accomplished. They are credible, because they predict a ftate of purity, peace, and profperity to the Chrif tian religion, which it is highly reasonable to expect, if it is a religion from God. It is unreafonable to fuppofe that a religion from God fhall never triumph over ignorance, error, superstition, and vice, in this world. Gamaliel reasoned justly, when he faid of Chriftianity, "If this work is of God, ye cannot overthrow it."

Verses 6th, 7th, 8th.—And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end: I will give unto him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh fhall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he fhall be my fon. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and forcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, fhall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimftone: which is the fecond death.

The fame perfon, who fat upon the throne, and

who

who commanded John to write these words, faid unto him: It is done. By this expreffion he intimated that all the prophecies of this book are finished. After this, no new events fhall be predicted in this book; but all that follows in it fhall be only explanatory of events already predicted in it, or exhortations to thofe perfons who fhall read it. He calls himself Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. This name was given to Christ, in chap. i. 8. where the import of it was explained in the commentary. Here it is only neceffary to observe, that he who fits upon the throne, and Chrift, is the fame being, and confequently that this is a plain declaration of the divinity of Christ.

Life, as was formerly fhewn, is the intellectual and fpiritual life. The water of life fignifies intellectual and fpiritual nourishment and pleasures. The fountain of these waters of life is God, the fountain of all intellectual and spiritual life and joy. Accordingly God is frequently ftiled the fountain of life, and of living waters, in fcripture. Thus Pfalm xxxvi. 9. "With thee is the fountain "of life." Jeremiah. ii. 13. "They have forfaken

me the fountain of living waters." And in chap. xxii. 1. of this book, it is faid that the river of the water of life proceedeth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, that is from God, the Father, through the mediation of Chrift. God only hath VOL. II. 3 C

this