lefs pit, fkutting him up, and fetting a feal upon him, are ftrong figures to fhow the ftrict and fevere restraint which he should be laid under, that he might deceive the nations no more during this whole period. Wickednefs being reftrained, the reign of righteoufnefs fucceeds, and the adminiftration of justice and judgment is given to the faints of the most High: and the martyrs and confeffors of Jefus, not only those who were beheaded or fuffered any kind of death under the heathen emperors, but also those who refused to comply with the idolatrous worship of the beast and of his image, are raised from the dead, and have the principal share in the felicities of Chrift's kingdom upon earth. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished; fo that this was a peculiar prerogative of the martyrs and confeffors above the rest of mankind. This is the first refurrection, a particular refurrection preceding the general one at least a thousand years. Bleffed and holy too is he who hath part in the first resurrection; he is holy in all the fenfes of the word, holy as feparated from the common lọt of mankind, holy as indowed with all virtuous qualifications, and none but fuch are admitted to partake

. (7) Non moriatur morte fecunda. Onk. Nec moriatur mor

te qua moriuntur improbi in futuro feculo. Jonath.

Neque

partake of this bleffed ftate. On fuch the Second death hath no power. The fecond death is a Jewish phrafe for the punishment of the wicked after death. So the (7) Chaldee paraphrafe of Onkelos upon that text in Deuteronomy (XXXIII. 6.) Let Reuben live, and not die, hath Let him not die the fecond death; and the other paraphrafes of Jonathan Ben Uziel and of Jerufalem have Let him not die the fecond death by which the wicked die in the world to come. It is a familiar phrafe in the Chaldee paraphrafes and Jewish writings, and in this very book (XX. 14. XXI. 8.) it is declared to be the fame as the lake burning with fire and brimstone. The fons of the refurrection therefore fhall not die again, but fhall live in eternal blifs, as well as enjoy all the glories of the millennium, be priests of God and of Chrift, and reign with him a thousand years. Nothing is more evident than that this propheof the millennium, and of the first resurrection, hath not yet been fulfilled, even tho' the refurrection be taken in a figurative sense. For F reckon the thousand years with Ufher from the time of Chrift, or reckon them with Grotius from the time of Conftantine, yet neither of these periods, nor indeed any other, will answer the defcrip

cy

moriatur morte fecunda qua feculo. Hieros.

moriuntur improbi in futuro

(8) Burnet's

description and character of the millennium, the purity and peace, the holiness, and happiness of that bleffed ftate. Before Conftantine indeed the church was was in greater purity, but was groaning under the perfecutions of the heathen emperors. After Conftantine the church was in greater profperity, but was foon fhaken and disturbed by herefies and fchifms, by the incurfions and devaftations of the northern nations, by the conquering arms and prevailing impof ture of the Saracens and afterwards of the Turks, by the corruption, idolatry, and wickednefs, the ufurpation, tyranny, and cruelty of the church of Rome. If Satan was then bound, when can he be faid to be loofed? Or how could the faints and the beast, Chrift and Antichrift, reign at the fame period? This. prophecy therefore remains yet to be fulfilled, even tho' the refurrection be taken only for an allegory, which yet the text cannot admit without the greatest torture and violence. For with what propriety can it be faid, that some of the dead who were beheaded lived and reigned with Chrift a thousand years, but the reft of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished, unless the dying and living again be the fame in both places, a proper death and resurrection? Indeed the death and refurrection

憨

J.

of

of the witneffes before mentioned (Chap. XI.) appears from the concurrent circumftances of the vifion to be figurative, but the death and refurrection here mentioned must for the very fame. reafons be concluded to be real. If the martyrs rife only in a spiritual fenfe, then the rest of the dead rife only in a spiritual fenfe; but if the rest of the dead really rife, the martyrs rife in the fame manner. There is no difference between them; and we should be cautious and tender of making the first refurrection an allegory, left others fhould reduce the fecond into an allegory too, like thofe whom St. Paul mentions (2 Tim. II. 17, 18.) Hymeneus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, faying that the refurrection is paft already, and overthrow the faith of fome. It is to this firft refurrection that St. Paul alludes, when he affirms (1 Thef. IV. 16.) that the dead in Chrift fhall rife first, and (1 Cor. XV. 23.) that every man shall be made alive in his own order, Chrift the first fruits, afterward they that are Chrift's at his coming, and then cometh the end, after the general refurrection.

1

*

#

In the general that there fhall be fuch a happy period as the millennium, that the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, fhall be given to the people of the faints of the most High, (Dan.

VII. 27.) that Chrift fhall have the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for bis poffeffion, (Pfal. II. 8.) that the earth fhall be full of the knowlege of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea, (If. XI. 9.) that the fulness of the Gentiles fhall come in, and all Ifrael fhall be faved, (Rom. XI. 25, 26.) in a word that the kingdom of heaven. shall be eftablished upon earth, is the plain and express doctrin of Daniel and all the prophets as well as of St. John and we daily pray for the accomplishment of it in praying Thy kingdom come. But of all the prophets St. John is the only one who hath declared particularly and in exprefs terms, that the martyrs shall rise to partake of the felicities of this kingdom, and that it fhall continue upon earth a thousand years: and the Jewish church before him, and the Chriftian church after him, have farther believed and taught, that these thousand years will be the seventh millennary of the world. A pompous heap of quotations might be produced to this purpose both from Jewish and Chriftian

(8) Burnet's Theory. B. 3. Ch. 5. B.4. Ch. 6. Mede Placi ta Doctorum Hebræorum de Magno die Judicii. p. 535. B. 5. Ch. 3. p. 892. &c. &c.

(9) Dixit Rabbi Ketina, Sex annorum millibus ftatmundus,

et uno (millenario) vaftabitur; de quo dicitur, Et exaltabitu Dominus folus die illo. Traditio adftipulatur R. Ketina; Sicut ex feptenis annis feptimus quifque annus remiffionis eft, ita ex feptem millibus annorum mun