Again, this confinement implies the removal of the numberlefs fecret objections that arise in the human heart against the truth. "If our "gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft; "in whom the god of this world hath blinded "the minds of them who believe not, left the "light of the glorious gospel of Chrift, who is "the image of God, fhould fhine unto them.” Farther, this restraint implies, that the church fhall be free from those perfecutions fhe experienced more or less in every former period. The Devil" was a murderer from the beginning," and in all the perfecutions of the church, had the chief, though invisible hand; his confinement therefore fecures her peace.

SECTION II.

The Refurrection and Reign of the Martyrs.

ANOTHER character of the Millennium is, the refurrection and reign of the Martyrs. "And

..

"I faw thrones, and they fat on them, and judg"ment was given unto them; and I faw the "fouls of them that were beheaded for the "witnefs of Jefus, and for the word of God, "and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark

" upon

upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Chrift a thou"fand years. But the reft of the dead lived "not again, until the thousand years were fi"nished. This is the firft refurrection. Blef "fed and holy is he that hath part in the first "refurrection; on fuch the second death hath "no power, but they fhall be priests of God "and of Chrift, and fhall reign with him a "thousand years;" Rev. xx. 4, 5, 6.

Few paffages of facred writ have occafioned fuch various opinions and warm contefts as this. However, the controversy may be reduced to this question, Is the first resurrection to be taken in a literal or figurative sense?

Among those who contend for a literal refurrection, different opinions have obtained refpecting the manner of it. It were uncandid to confound them in the mafs together, and charge fome with the abfurdities maintained by others. Cerinthus, who was contemporary with the Apoftle John, maintained that the Millennium would be employed in nuptial entertainments and carnal delights..

His opinions were revived in the beginning of the third century, and propagated at Rome by one Poculus, a Montanist. The fame fentiments were propagated, about the middle of the third century, by Nepos, an Egyptian Bi

shop,

fhop, who published a treatise, entitled, A Confutation of the Allegorists; in which he ridicules the opinion of those who were for explaining the Millennium in a figurative fenfe. Dionyfius, Bishop of Alexandria, undertook to give a formal anfwer to his treatise, in two books concerning the promises'.

Many of the fathers, who deemed Cerinthus a heretic, explained the firft refurrection in a literal fenfe. They were of opinion, "That all the faints fhall arife from the dead a thousand years before the general refurrection, and live in Jerufalem, new-built and adorned, together with Chrift, who shall perfonally refide there; and that they shall enjoy all the lawful pleafures of this earth, where plenty shall then abound." This was the opinion of Ireneus, Juftin Martyr, Tertullian, Lactantius, and others. It would appear this opinion originated from Papias, who pretended, that it was received by tradition from the Apoftle John. But Eufebius fays of this Papius, that " he was a man of flender judgment;" and if the tradition preferved by Ireneus be infpected, it will fufficiently justify that charge.

"The

Part of the tradition is as follows: days fhall come in which there fhall be vines, which shall severally have ten thousand branches;

(1) Eufeb. Eccl. Hift, lib. vii. c. 1. 24, 25.

and

and each of these branches fhall have ten thoufand leffer branches; and each of thefe leffer branches fhall have ten thousand twigs; and each of these twigs fhall have ten thousand clusters of grapes; and in every one of these clusters shall be ten thousand and every grapes; one of these grapes being preffed, fhall give twenty-five metretas (that is, according to the mildest computation, 275 gallons) of wine; and when one shall take hold of one of these facred bunches, another shall cry out, I am a better bunch, take me, and by me blefs the Lord." Can any man be fo bereft of sense, as to imagine this ftuff could ever come out of the mouth of an Apostle'?

A third opinion on this fubject is that of Mede, in which he is followed by Daubuze, Bishop Newton, and the moft fenfible part of the modern Millenniarians. He supposes the great day of judgment to continue a thousand years; that in the morning of that day, or at the beginning of the thousand years, the martyrs shall arise from the dead, and, continue on earth, till the evening of the great day, which concludes with the general refurrection of all the dead. This opinion differs in feveral respects from that of the Fathers. It fupposes, that martyrs only rife from the dead in the firft refurrection,

(1) Whitby in his Treatife on the True Millennium.

furrection, not all faints: That the whole earth fhall be poffeffed by them; not Jerufalem and the land of Judea only: That Christ shall not perfonally dwell on earth: That the faints fhall be occupied in spiritual, not sensual delights'. Bishop Burnet held an opinion different from all these, in which I prefume he has had few followers. He fupposes that the Millennium follows the general judgment, when this earth, new modelled by the conflagration, accompanying that awful event, fhall be the habitation of the faints for a thoufand years. But as the Scriptures reprefent Gog and Magog compaffing the camp of the faints and the beloved city, at the end of these thousand years, he is much at a lofs to account for the introduction of those inhabitants into his new earth. As all the wicked were deftroyed by the general judgment, he suppofes them to be generated from the mud or flime of the earth, as brute creatures were originally. But this fuppofition, withevery intelligent reader, muft fink his opinion in the mud.

Another opinion on this fubject, is that of Pifcator, who allows a literal refurrection of the martyrs a thousand years before the general judgment,

(1) See Mede's Apocalyptic Key, Daubuze on the Apocalypfe, Newton's Differtations on Prophecies. It would appear Auguftine held an opinion fimilar to this, but he afterwards renounced it as a herefy.