shall be triumphant; before which period I apprehend it to be only a church militant, either fuffering persecution, or struggling with herefy, error, and superstition. That the kingdom of HEAVEN, Of CHRIST, or of GOD, (all which are synonimous terms) is already come, tho' asserted by most of our theological writers, is in my judgment a pofition by no means agreeable to scripture; for we are told, Rev. xi. 15. that after the seventh angel had founded (and not before) there were great voices in heaven, faying, the kingdoms of this world are BECOME the kingdoms of our Lord and of bis Chrift, and be shall reign for ever and ever. Now it is evident, from the order of that book, that the founding of the seventh trumpet was to be preceded by a long series of distress, persecution, and corruption, that should happen to the church, and many fevere judgments and woes which should be inflicted upon her corrupters; can it therefore be imagined, that by the reign of Christ, which (whenever it is mentioned in scripture) is represented as a state of great peace, purity, and happiness, can be meant any period of time that has yet existed since the origin of Christianity? Has there been any period entirely free from wars, perfecutions, berefies, or corruptions? and have not fome of these periods been productive of such blood

shed

1

shed and distress, as can hardly be equalled in any times, even before this supposed beginning of the kingdom of Christ? So true have been the words of our Lord, when he said, he came not (at that his first coming) to fend peace upon the earth, but a fword. Matt. x. 34. And agreeably to this notion, he has directed us to pray to GOD for the coming of his kingdom, in that incomparable form of words which he hath taught us; which petition would be improper for us to make use of if this kingdom were already come. It is indeed faid, in several places of the New Testament, that the kingdom of God, or of Heaven, is at band. In answer to this, I shall observe, in the words of the learned Mr. MEDE aforementioned *, that the kingdom of Chrift hath a twofold state; the one militant, confifting in a perpetual warfare and manifold fufferings, which is the present state, begun at his first coming, when be afcended up into * heaven to fit at the right hand of God; the 'Second state is the triumphant state, which • shall be at his fecond appearing in glory in ' the clouds of heaven, at what time he shall • put down all authority, power, and rule, and • fubdue all his enemies under his feet, &c.

* MEDE'S works, Book I. Difc. xxv. p. 104.

This

This latter is the kingdom which we pray for and expect. If any say that the Apostle here speaks of the kingdom of glory in heaven, and not of the kingdom of grace on earth; I reply, that he speaks of such a subjection

' whereof the rising of the dead shall be the • last act of all, and which shall be before he

yields up the kingdom to the Father, but

neither of these can be affirmed of the 'kingdom of glory, but the contrary, viz, the ' rifing of the dead is at the beginning, and not at the end of the kingdom of glory; and fo is also the yielding up of his kingdom unto his Father. By the kingdom of God or of Christ, in its full and compleat meaning, or, as it is always represented as a state of purity, peace, and happiness, can be meant nothing less than that thousand years reign of Christ which is foretold in the Revelations, and to which a very great part of the Prophecies of the Old Testament do most evidently relate, as I shall hereafter endeavour to make appear. This millennium has indeed been a very unfashionable dactrine for these last fourteen centuries, but it were very easy to show, that it was generally believed in the more early ages of the church, especially in those nearest to the apoftolic age. I shall only mention two

or three passages as a specimen of what might

:

be

be produced to this purpose. St. Barnabas explaining these words: '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, fays, 'Confider, children, what ⚫ this fignifies, He finished them in fix days : • It fignifies this; that the Lord will finish all * things in fix thousand years; for a day with

• him is as a thousand years, as he himself

' teftifies, saying, Behold this day shall be as

a thousand years. Therefore, children, in ' fix days; that is, in fix thousand years hall • all things be consummated. And he rested • the Seventh day: This fignifies, that when • his son shall come, and shall abolifh the • season of the wicked one, and shall judge ' the ungodly, and shall change the fun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall he rest gloriously in that seventh day *.'

Justin Martyr, in the second century, declares the millennium to be the catholic doctrine of his time: • I, and as many as are ortho• dox Christians in all respects, do acknowledge, that there shall be a refurrection of * the flesh, (meaning the first refurrection) • and a thousand years in Jerufalem, rebuilt, ' and adorned, and enlarged, as the Prophets

* S. Barnabæ, epift. cap. xv. edit. Cotelerii et Clereci.

• Ezekiel

• Ezekiel and Ifaiah, and others, unanimoufly ⚫ attest.' Afterward he subjoins : ' A certain • man among us, whose name was John, one * of the apostles of Christ, in a revelation • made to him, did prophecy, that the faith'ful believers in Christ should live a thousand

years in the New Jerufalem; and after these • should be the general resurrection and judg

ment *;' which is an early attestation to the genuineness and authenticity of the book of Revelation; for Justin was converted to Chriftianity about thirty years after the death of St. John, at which time it is very likely many were alive who had been acquainted with the apostle. Lactantius, at the beginning of the fourth century, is very copious upon this fubject, in the seventh book of his Divine inftitutions. Because all the works of GOD

،

were finished in fix days, it is necessary that • the world should remain in this state fix ages, ' that is fix thousand years.' And again: • Because, having finished the works, he rested

on the seventh day and blessed it, it is necessary †, that at the end of the fix thou

* Just. Mart. dial. cum Tryphone, pars fecunda, P. 307, 308. edit. Paris, p. 313, 315. edit. Thirlbii.

+ By neceffity is not here meant a logical necessity, but only that God's resting was typical of the reft in the millennium.