at present, could not endure. It will plainly not be subject to the usual laws of gravitation-which probably is a part of what the apostle intends, by calling it a spiritual body. The laws of matter, and all those which are called the laws of nature, are nothing more than another phrase for the appointment and will of God. He can change, suspend, or alter those laws, at pleasure; and, in some respects, certainly will do so, in regard to the bodies both of saints and sinners, at the resurrection.

The difference between the natural and the spiritual body, has a most beautiful illustration, in a very common process of nature; which I have sometimes thought the great Author of nature, might have appointed on purpose to illustrate this very truth. A large part of the insect tribes, are, in one period of their existence, unsightly, inactive, or crawling reptiles. In another period of that existence, they are among the most beautiful and active beings, in the animal creation. Myriads of torpid moths and worms are, in winter, sleeping in the earth, or on its surface, which, in a few revolving weeks, are transformed, and assume bodies which shine in all the colours of the rainbow, and wing their flight through every region of the air. Now, the transition of man, from the natural to the spiritual, or glorified state, is scarcely greater or more wonderful. The soul, like the vital principle of the insect, never dies, and at the resurrection, " God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him." Accustom yourselves, my young friends, to observe and trace these analogies, between the appearances of nature and the truths of revelation. The employment is pleasing, and it tends to piety.

Thus have I led you to consider, at some length, the general subject of the resurrection, because it does not occur again in the compendious

system of theology, contained in our catechism. The remainder of the lecture will be employed in discussing, more closely, the particular points presented to us in the

answer before us.

"At the resurrection, believers shall be raised up in glory."-At the resurrection, the scriptures inform us, "the dead in Christ shall rise first;" and that they shall come forth out of their graves with unspeakable joy-"Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust." This precedence in the resurrection, and the unutterable joy with which the souls and the bodies of the saints shall be united, will be one glorious distinction, which they will possess over the wicked;-who will rise after them, with unutterable distress and horror..

But when it is said that the saints shall be raised up in glory, there is no doubt a reference to the nature of those incorruptible, active, powerful, and spiritual bodies, with which they shall arise, and of which we have already taken some general notice; but especially to the resemblance which these will bear to the glorified body of their Redeemer. It is expressly and particularly stated in scripture, in regard to 'true believers, that Christ "shall change their vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." The glorified body of believers, resembling that which their Lord has carried into heaven, will not only be in itself beautiful and splendid, but incapable of all weariness or weakness; capable of bearing an eternal weight of glory; of serving God without intermission day and night in his temple above; and of an activity and energy which shall not hinder, but help, all the exercises and exertions of the soul.

(To be continued.)

Much is now said, and too often loosely said, on the approach, and even the appearance, of the millennial glory of the church. The following paper appeared in the London Evangelical Magazine for April last. It seems to us to contain about as good a view of the subject, as can be given in a condensed form.

A

SCRIPTURAL

EXPLANATION AND

EXHIBITION OF THE MILLENNIAL
REIGN OF CHRIST.

Great and eventful are the times in which we live. Great are the doings of the Church of Christ, to facilitate the knowledge of the Redeemer throughout the world. The various religious institutions which are in operation to propagate Divine truth, at home and abroad, indicate that a great and glorious æra is near at hand; certifying that shortly will be realized the ancient promise which God made to Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." The expectation of the Church is more than usually awakened, to a consideration of those predictions which relate to the glory of the latter day, when Christ shall have "the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession:"-when, with the fulness of the Gentiles, the Jews also shall be gathered into the Gospel church, and there shall be "one fold and one shepherd." And as this glorious event approaches, the means by which it is to be accomplished are more clearly seen and understood. Just before our blessed Lord's ascension, he delivered his charge to his disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every crea. ture." "And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you." They were the instruments; the power was His. They understood their commission, and went forth planting the Gospel far and wide;

"the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." The foundation of the Gospel church was laid upon that immoveable basis, which neither earth nor hell was able to overturn. Still however, soon after the primitive age had elapsed, "wolves entered into the fold, not sparing the sheep." Gross apostacy and persecution prevailed, and a long night of tribulation afflicted the followers of the Lamb. Those times of darkness and distress to the Church were the subjects of prophecy, both with respect to their severity and duration. Our Lord himself gave intimation to his disciples of the trials his Gospel should occasion to his followers; and afterwards, by visions, more fully revealed to his beloved Apostle John, for the information of the Church, the circumstances of its future condition. A long succession of ages, therefore, according as it was predicted, the Church has been suffering, and the Old and New Testament Scriptures have borne their testimony in sackcloth. But the times are fulfilled. The 1260 years reign of the Apocalyptick Beast, and of the little Horn in Daniel, are numbered and ended. Light has broken in upon the Church, and primitive zeal and unanimity have succeeded to the contracted bigotry and spirit of sloth of the times that are past. Although, for ages, the people of God had been praying, "Thy kingdom come," and had entertained the belief that all the ends of the earth would see the salvation of our God,-it hardly entered into their minds the manner how the great work would be accomplished. No effort was made, nor means devised, for the salvation of the heathen. The stupendous work seems rather to have been left, in expectation of some extraordinary interposition of Divine Providence, accompanied with new revelations and miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Even so lately as the latter end of the

last century, it had not occurred to the religious publick, that the simple mode of sending out missionaries, would become the efficient agency of converting the heathen world; nor, indeed, was the Church, at that time, in a fit state to engage with any effect, in so important an undertaking. This could only be done by one great simultaneous movement; and the various denominations of which the Christian world was composed, still adhered with such tenacity to their own sectarian prejudices, that nothing could be done in concert.* It is truly astonishing that the genius and spirit of the Gospel was so little understood. Glory to God! this darkness is past. The day-spring from on high has dispelled the mists of ignorance, and knowledge is increasing. The wonderful success that has attended the labours of the Missionaries amongst the heathen nations, draws forth the exclamation, "What has God wrought!" and infallibly proves that the original command of Christ comprises the most effectual means of evangelizing the world.

The notion entertained by some, of the personal reign of Christ, and of the resurrection of the saints to live and reign with Him a thousand years on the earth, is a doctrine quite at variance with the general tenor of the prophecies, and of the express declarations of our Lord and his Apostles. Those who maintain this opinion, suppose that the earth itself will undergo such a physical revolution as to make it a fit residence for Christ and his glorified Church; and they found their

The great mistake on this subject seems to have been, that there could not

be concert, without amalgamation. This, in our judgment, is a radical error. We do not believe that amalgamation is either practicable or desirable. But with a true Christian liberality, all evangelical denominations may most harmoniously act in concert, in the great enterprise of evangelizing the world.-Editor of Christian

Advocate.

doctrine upon Rev. xx. 4, 5, and xxi. 1" And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." If this passage refers to that kind of renovation, the earth must necessarily undergo to make it a fit paradise for the glorified Church, with Christ, as their king, to bear royal rule; that is, if it must literally become a new earth; there was no need of the mention of a new heaven. This cannot refer to that state of spotless purity, the glorious heaven above; for the heaven here mentioned, has a manifest connexion with the earth: and there is an evident inconsistency in giving these and similar passages a literal meaning; because it is contradictory to those prophecies of both the Old and New Testament which are declaratory of the glory of the latter days. The error must have arisen in bringing preconceived notions to the study of certain parts of Scripture, and putting upon them that forced construction which will favour a particular hypothesis. Scripture never contradicts itself. The right and only method to understand the prophetick parts is, by diligently and devoutly comparing Scripture with Scripture. Again, the various terms and phrases of the prophetick parts have often different significations, and must be judged of according to their connexion, and from the relation they bear to the subjects introduced. This rule must be strictly attended to, to come to a clear understanding of the matter and spirit of prophecy. Some passages, upon their very face, bear a literal construction, and others are veiled in highly figurative and metaphorical Tanguage; but by a careful and diligent examination, one portion will explain another: and there will arise such an easy and natural solution of difficult parts, as to commend itself to the judgment of the truly pious and judicious mind.

The first verse of the twenty-first chapter of Revelation, referred to, is a figurative description of the spiritual, moral, and political condition of the world during the Millennium. The language here made use of, is similar to that which describes the altered condition of a person who believingly receives Christ into his heart. The change is termed a new creation. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." -2 Cor. v. 17. So here, "He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I will make all things new." -Rev. xxi. 5. "A new heaven, and a new earth: and there was no more sea." In this first verse, these three figures are made use of, heaven, earth, and sea. By heaven, here, is to be understood that sphere in which royalty moves; the element of the powers that be.-Matt. xxiv. 29. By the earth, the mass of mankind.-Gen. xi. 1. And by sea, wars, commotions, and tumults.Jer. li. 42; Luke xxi. 25. As then the conversion of a sinner to God makes him a new creature, so, by parity of reasoning, when that blessed period shall arrive, wherein the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, and the blessings of the Gospel universally enjoyed, then will this vision of John be fully realized-" And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no

more sea."

Ever since there has been a nation, the political heavens and earth have been filled with disorder. The unbridled passions of men, producing oppression, slavery, wars, and devastation, have filled the world with misery and crime. The Scriptures of the New Testament, whose effulgent and healing beams were designed by its Great Author to renovate the condition of man in the various relations he sustains, have been wickedly perverted to subserve the worst of purposes.

Fundamental laws, simple yet comprehensive, for the conduct of governors and the governed, are explicitly laid down; the literal observance of which would infallibly produce benignity and justice on the part of governors, and subordination, peace, and good-will, on the part of the governed.-Rom. xiii. 1 -10.

10. But whatsoever government that answers not to the description given in this chapter, though permitted, is yet not ordained, of God. From the days of Nimrod, however, to the present time, with very few exceptions, the governments of kingdoms and states have but little answered to this description. And the exploded doctrines of passive obedience and non-resistance, in violation of this Scripture, have been continually urged in support of civil despotism, and to uphold the usurpations of papal domination. But new heavens and a new earth are promised; and there are numerous prophecies of the Old Testament, of a literal construction, which allude to this happy state of things, tending to elucidate this highly figurative language.-Isa. ii. 2, 3, and 4-" And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the moun tain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.' 99

There is a parallel passage in Micah iv. 1-3. These are the days of the full establishment of Zion's glory on earth. The

mountains and hills here mention ed, are the ruling powers; and whereas it is said that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be esta blished on the top of the mountains, it is intended to represent that the political institutions of all nations shall be moulded after the maxims of the Gospel, and the administrations of their laws shall be governed by the righteous and peaceful sceptre of the kingdom of Christ. But a more particular description of the glorious state of the church on earth is revealed in Rev. xxi. 2. "And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." And from the tenth verse to the end of the chapter, is a gloriously magnificent exhibition of her consummate earthly felicity during the term of the Millennium. That it cannot relate to the glories of the heavenly paradise, but exclusively to the Church's condition here below, may be inferred by the circumstances related in the twentyfourth and twenty-sixth verses. "And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it." "And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it." Compare with this Isa. Ix.; also, xlix. 6, to the end, and liv. 11 -14. I think we are fully justified in applying this imagery to the Millennial state; for no sublimity of language, or splendour of decoration, is sufficient to display that glorious adorning of the church when "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." -Hab. ii. 14.

The thousand years mentioned in Rev. xx. relates to the self-same glorious period, seemingly in a political point of view:-"Satan and his emissaries shall lose all their influence in the thrones and powers of that day. He is bound and imprisoned, and a seal set upon him." "The souls of them that were be

headed for the witness of Jesus, lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." "This is the first resurrection." Daniel vii. 13, 14, and 22 to 27, afford an illustration of this passage. This, then, is not a literal resurrection of the dead bodies of the saints. No mention is made of their bodies; but "the souls of them that were beheaded,” &c. lived again; and is to be understood of a political resurrection, wherein the saints shall possess the kingdom, and the sceptre of Christ, as before mentioned, shall bear universal rule. And as Elias lived in John the Baptist, so the spirits of the martyrs shall live in the saints at that triumphant period; not to reign with Christ personally, for there will be no second coming of Christ in person, until he comes to judge the world.-Matt. xvi. 27; xxv. 31, 32; Acts iii. 21; John xviii. 36.

"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." No unbeliever or wicked person shall then have any political power or distinction.Isa. lx. 17, 18. None but the blessed and holy shall have part therein, "on whom the second death hath no power;" "the royal priesthood," and they only, shall be raised for the first time to universal dominion, and "shall reign with Christ a thousand years." Christ and the Church are here identified. His will is their law, and this then shall be the law of the whole earth.Dan. vii. 27.

And there is a great probability that the duration of this reign will be literally a thousand years. I think this may be fairly inferred from 2 Peter iii. 8. It pleased the Lord to be six days creating the heavens and the earth (our system), and to appoint the seventh day for the Sabbath; perfecting the week. Peter, in this chapter, is speaking of the creation and destruction of our world, and exhorts us to "be not ignorant of this one thing, that