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of the witnesses before mentioned (Chap. XI.) appears from the concurrent circumstances 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 sense; but if the rest of the dead really rife, the martyrs rife in the fame manner. There is no difference between them; and we fhould be cautious and tender of making the first refurrection an allegory, left others fhould reduce the second 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 rise 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.

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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 his posession, (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. fhall be ef tablished upon earth, is the plain and exprefs 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 express terms, that the martyrs fhall rife 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 Christian 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 duced 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,

pro

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

Christian writers: but I choose to select only a few of the most material of each fort; you may find a greater number (8) in Dr. Burnet and other authors who have treated of this subject.

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Of the Jewish writers (9) Rabbi Ketina, as cited in the Gemara or glofs of their Talmud, faid that the world indures fix thousand years,

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and one thousand it fhall be laid waste, (that is the enemies of God fhall be deftroyed) whereof it is faid, (If. II. 11.) The Lord alone fhall be exalted in that day. Tradition affents to Rabbi Ketina: As out of feven years every feventh is the year of remiffion, so out of ⚫ the seven thousand years of the world the feventh millennary fhall be the millennary of remiffion, that God alone may be exalted in that day. It was (1) the tradition of the houfe of Elias, who lived two hundred years or thereabouts before Chrift, and the tradition might perhaps be derived from Elias the Tihbite, that the world indures fix thousand years,

two thousand before the Law, two thoufand under the Law, and two thousand under the Mefliah.'

di feptimus millenarius millenarius remiffionis erit, ut Dominus folus exaltetur in die illo. In Gemara Sanhedrim, apud Mede. P. 535, et p. 893."

(1) Traditio domûs Eliæ:

3.

Sex mille annos durat mundus: bis mille annis inanitas; bis mille annis Lex; denique bis mille annis dies Chrifti. apud Mede. p. 536, et p. 894. Burnet's Theory. B. 3. Ch. 5.

(2) Traditio

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• Meffiah.' It was alfo (2) the tradition of the houfe of Elias, that the juft whom God shall raise up (meaning in the first refurrection) shall 'not be turned again into duft. Now if you inquire, how it fhall be with the just in those • thousand years wherein the holy bleffed God fhall renew his world, whereof it is faid And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day; you must know that the holy bleffed God will give them the wings as it were of eagles, that they may fly upon the face of the waters; whence it is faid (Pfal. XLVI. 2.) Therefore will we not fear, when the earth shall be changed.

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• But perhaps you will fay, it shall be a pain and affliction to them. Not at all, for it is faid (If. XL. 31.) They that wait upon the Lord

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(2) Traditio domûs Eliæ: Jufti quos refufcitabit Deus non redigentur iterum in pulverem. Si quæras autem, Mille annis iftis quibus Deus fanctus benedictus renovaturus eft mundum fuum, de quibus dicitur Et exaltabitur Dominus folus in die illo, quid juftis futurum ft; fciendum, quod Deus fanctus benedictus dabit illis alas quafi aquilarum, ut volent fuper facie aquarum; unde dicitur (Pfal. XLVI. 2) Propterea non timebimus, cum mutabitur terra. Αι forte (inquies) erit ipfis dolori feu afflictioni. Sed occur

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rit illud (If. XL. 31.) Exfpectantibus Dominum innovabuntur vires, efferentur alá inftar aquilarum. apud Mede p. 776.

(3) Και εποίησεν ὁ Θεος εν ἑξ ημεραις τα έργα των χειρών αυτό, και συνετελεσεν εν τη ημερα τη ἑβδομη, και κατέπαυσεν εν αυτή, και

σ auтny. Προσέχετε, τέκνα, τι λεγει, το συνετέλεσεν εν ἓξ ἡμε ραις τετο λέγει, ὅτι συντελεῖ ὁ Θεος κύριος εν ἑξακισχιλίοις έτεσι τα απαντα. Η γαρ ήμερα παρ άντῳ χίλια έτη, αυτος δε μαρτυρεί, λεγων, ίδες σήμερον ἡμερα εσαι ὡς χιλία στη. Ουκέν, τέκνα, εν ἓξ ἡμεραις εν

τους

Shall renew their strength, they shall mount up "with wings as eagles.

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Of the Chriftian writers St. Barnabas in the first century (3) thus comments upon those words of Mofes, And God made in fix days the works of his hands, and he finished them on the feventh day, and he rested in it, and fanctified "it. Confider, children, what that fignifies, be 'finished them in fix days. This it fignifies, that

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the Lord God will finish all things in fix "thousand years. For a day with him is a "thousand years; as he himself teftifieth saying, Behold this day fhall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in fix days that is in fix "thousand years shall all things be confummated. And he refted the feventh day: this fignifies, • that

τοῖς ἑξακισχίλοις ετεσι συντελεσθησεται τα πάντα. Kai nateravσe, τη ημέρα τη εβδομη τετο λεγεί, όταν ελθων ὁ ὑιος αυτ8, και καταρIntel Toy naigon avoue, na nivel της ασεβείς, και αλλαξει τον ήλιον, και την σεληνην, και τες απελάς, τοτε καλως κατεπαυσεται εν τη

ήμερα τη εβδόμη. Fecitque Deus in fex diebus opera manuum fuarum, et confummavit in die feptima, et in ea requievit, et fanctificavit eam. Advertite, filii, quid dicat; confummavit in fex diebus: id ait; omnia confummabit Dominus Deus in fex millibus annorum.

VOL. III.

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