these examples, not to give way to our own fancy in the interpretation of unaccomplished prophecy, but to be sober and modest, and to abstain with the most sacred reverence, from "adding" to what we read in "the words of this book," (the Revelation,) and I cannot think that this caution is observed by those, who have worked up their imaginations, to draw such lively pictures of the state in which they will exist, and of the employments, in which they will be occupied, in the Millennial reign.

And after all, it is a most uncertain point, whether the Saints, who have died, shall dwell again upon the earth or not; the belief chiefly rests upon a very doubtful and disputed prophecy, the same to which I have more than once referred, as the grand foundation of this whole question, the 20th chapter of Revelation. If it has been proved (as indeed, to my satisfaction, it is fully established), that our blessed Redeemer will never again dwell in body upon the earth, then of course all the pleasant and happy consequences, which were to follow from the meeting with Him in the flesh here below, are merely imaginary; and besides this, there is in fact no more reason to believe that the Saints shall dwell again upon the earth, than that our Lord shall. Attend once more to the passage which is supposed to assert

this, [read Revelations xx. 4, 5, 6.] There is nothing said about bodies rising from their graves; it is very remarkable that the word is "souls;" nor is it said where they shall live and reign with Christ. Certainly we have no reason to think that these disembodied spirits will be sent back to the earth; if the whole passage is to be understood literally, the most probable meaning is, that the spirits of those martyrs, who were slain "for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God" (elsewhere, Rev. vi. 9, 10, 11, described as being under the altar, I suppose in some less exalted state than they are to be in at a future time) will be raised to a more glorious condition, and permitted to behold the triumphant progress of Christ's kingdom, and to share with Him in the joy consequent thereon; and perhaps, like angels, they may be employed as "ministering spirits," sent forth to minister unto them that shall be heirs of salvation." But I, myself, am venturing on conjecture now; for we are told nothing, but that the souls of the martyrs (and of them only, as I fully believe, is meant in this passage, on comparison with chap. vi. 9, 10, 11, not of all the saints, according to the common notion) "lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years;" where or how is not once hinted; and yet what lively and particular descriptions

of the enjoyments of the risen saints upon the earth, in the bodily presence, and personal society of our blessed Redeemer, have been rashly drawn from the very slight and obscure hints afforded by this brief and disputed passage! for I am persuaded that, but for this passage, the expectation would never have been entertained at all. This is the origin of it; and those too, which are now brought from St. Paul's writings to confirm the desired meaning, (1 Thessalonians iv. 16, and 1 Corinthians xv. 23,) that "the dead in Christ shall rise first," and that "every man shall rise in his own order, Christ the first-fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming," would have never else, but for this previously existing opinion, have been supposed to mean any more than that, (as on reference to them, you will be inclined to believe,) at the general resurrection, the Saints shall have the precedence; indeed, as we are taught, that they shall in some way be employed, under Christ, in that great Assize, and that the Lord shall "come with ten thousands of His saints," we must necessarily conclude, that they shall rise before the rest of mankind.

I will now only mention one thing more, on the subject of this celebrated passagé, and that is, that several wise and good men (among whom I may name Dr. Whitby and Mr. Scott, the commentator on the Bible) cannot get over

the difficulty of that expression about the "souls of them that were beheaded" living and reigning with Christ, but by considering it as figurative; that as John the Baptist was called Elias, because he was to come "in the spirit and power" of that great prophet and reformer, so the "souls" of the martyrs, are said to live again in the Millennial state, because Christians will then be animated by the same constancy, and devotion of spirit, as distinguished them; "and the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were ended," i. e. persons of a contrary character, should have no successors resembling themselves, existing in this Millennial state, for such will not appear again till the conclusion of that period, when Satan must "be loosed for a little while," and the persecution of the saints shall once more be suffered to afflict the church.

While then there is so much uncertainty about the meaning of this passage, and so little I should rather say, so total an absence of all ground for supposing, that either our Lord or the saints shall re-appear in the body, (except at the general judgment,) is it not most unwise to be so confident as some are upon the subject, and to present to the world their mere imaginations, as if they were the most certain realities? Is not this conduct likely to bring religion into contempt with those who have already no great

reverence for it, and to draw away men of pious, but easily excited minds, from the useful contemplation of the plain doctrines and precepts of the Gospel.

I hoped and fully intended, when I commenced, to comprise all I had to say on this subject, in one discourse; but I find it impossible, and I have already I fear, wearied your attention by the unseasonable length of my sermon; I must, therefore come to a conclusion at this point. It is my desire at our next meeting, to make some remarks, on the impropriety of determining the exact time when the Millennium shall commence,

on the extraordinary excitement that seems to be raised by the expectation of it, as if it were a state more desirable than heaven itself, on the necessity of great prudence, caution, and diffidence, in interpreting unaccomplished prophecy, and on the best and paramount importance of our being all prepared continually, not so much for the Millennium, as for meeting our Lord in the spirit, at the hour of death, and in the flesh, at the day of judgment: for which events may God of His great mercy, and by the perpetual influence of his Holy Spirit, keep us always ready and watching, that "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we also may appear with Him in glory!"