will not be a literal one, but figurative, reprefenting a moft eminent judicial proceeding, in the exertion of that power in heaven and in earth, which was given to Chrift after his refurrection. The apoftle fays, of this man of fin (by which there can be no doubt of the fame antichrift power being intended) that the Lord fhall “ con"fume him with the spirit of his mouth, "and destroy him with the brightness of his coming." 2 Theff. ii. 8.

This fame coming of Chrift feems to be defcribed by the apostle John, in the book of the Revelation, in fuch a manner, as to lead us to conclude, that the powers of this world will make a violent, but ineffectual oppofition to this event; and that when it has taken place, chriftianity, then restored to a state of great purity, by the deftruction of the power which had introduced and fupported the corruptions of it, will prevail through the whole world, for a space which in the prophetic language, is called a thoufand years.

Nothing

Nothing less than this can be denoted by the reign of Christ upon earth, and the refurrection of the martyrs, and others who oppofed the antichriftian corruptions of the gofpel, to live and reign with him, in the following paffage. Rev. xix. 11. “And I "faw heaven opened, and behold, a white "horse; and he that fat upon him was called "faithful and true, and in righteoufnefs "he doth judge and make war. His eyes "were as a flame of fire, and on his head "were many crowns; and he had a name "written that no man knew but he himself: "And he was clothed with a vefture dipped "in blood and his name is called, The "Word of God. And the armies which "were in heaven followed him upon white "horfes, clothed in fine linen, white and "clean. And out of his mouth goeth a

fharp fword, that with it he fhould finite "the nations: and he fhall rule them with "a rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine

prefs of the fiercenefs and wrath of Al"mighty God.---And I faw the beaft, and "the kings of the earth, and their armies. gathered together to make war against him

" that

"that fat on the horse, and against his army. "And the beast was taken, and with him "the falfe prophet that wrought miracles "before him, with which he deceived them "that had received the mark of the beaft, "and them that worshipped his image.

These both were caft alive into a lake of "fire burning with brimftone.---And I "faw an angel come down from 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 shut him up, and "fet a feal upon him, that he fhould deceive "the nations no more till the thousand years "fhould be fulfilled: and after that he muft "be loofed a little feafon. And I faw

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thrones, and they fat upon them: and judg

ment was given unto them: and I saw the "fouls of them that were beheaded for the "witness of Jefus, and for the word of God, "and who had not worshiped the beast, "neither his image, neither had received his "mark upon their foreheads, or in their "hands:

"hands and they lived and reigned with "Chrift a thousand years. But the rest of "the dead lived not again until the thousand

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years were finished. This is the first re"furrection. Bleffed and holy is he that hath part in the first refurrection: on "fuch the fecond death hath no power, but they fhall be priests of God, and of

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Christ, and shall reign with him a thou"fand years."

Some have fuppofed that Chrift himself will reign in person upon earth, and that the martyrs will actually rife from the dead, and live with him; but confidering the figurative language of prophecy, it is more probable, that the revival of the cause for which they fuffered is, in reality, the thing denoted by it. Befides, it is contrary to the clear fenfe of many paffages of fcripture, that any perfons, however diftinguished by their virtues, or fufferings, fhould receive their reward before the great day of judgment, after the general refurrection. Dr. Whitby has alfo advanced other very fufficient arguments against the literal interpre

tation of the millenium, which was adopted by fome of the antients, and, with some variations, hath been patronized by several modern divines, efpecially Mr. Jofeph Mede, and bishop Newton.

The circumftance which makes this paffage look the most like the literal defcription of an event is its being faid, that "the reft "of the dead fhall not live again till thofe "thousand years be ended." But if the refurrection of the martyrs may only denote the revival of their caufe, the rest of the dead, may fignify their enemies, and their refurrection may denote the recovery of their power alfo.

As a day in the prophetical language is generally, and I think very justly, supposed to ftand for a year, I do not fee why we fhould not follow the fame rule in the interpretation of thefe thousand years; as it feems to me that nothing but the very great length of that period has induced interpreters to acquiefce in the literal fenfe. But it should be confidered, in favour of the figurative inVOL. II. E e terpretation