whom we learn, that government will at length be adminiftered by men of religion and of probity.

The parallel places occur in ch. vii. Some of them have already been brought forward, and fhall not be repeated; but verses 18 and 22 have not yet been alleged. That the faints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and poffefs the kingdom for ever, is the declaration of Daniel in v. 18; and in v. 22 he says, judgment was given to the faints of the most High; and the time came, that the faints poffeffed the kingdom. Still more perspicuous is v. 27, where it is faid, that DOMINION fhall be given unto the people of the faints of the most High. At length Europe, and afterwards the world at large, will be governed and inhabited by men of pure morals and uncorrupted Christianity. Such at least will be the character of a decided majority. To thefe paffages of Daniel St. Paul, says Vitringa, manifeftly refers, where he says, do ye not know that the faints fhall judge the world". That is, fays Dr. Lightfoot, know ye not, ⚫ that there fhall be a Christian magiftracy.' This is probably the true interpretation: but what particular period, and what description of persons, does the reader conceive, the doctor regards as here defignated by the apoftle? The princes and other men in power, who have plundered, or governed, the European world for thefe laft fourteen or fifteen centuries18!

In

17 1. Cor. VI. 2.

18 See Lightfoot's Works, vol. II. p. 1058. This is from a comple mentary sermon preached at the Hertford-Afsizes. A passage or two from it may not be unentertaining. And now, my Lords and Gentlemen,

" you may fee your own picture in the glass of the text; for you are of the number of thofe of whom it fpeaketh. In it, you may see yourselves, imbenched, commiffioned, and your work put into your hands.' A little farther he afks, what fober man does or can deny, kingship and magiftracy to be of Chrift's ordaining;' but he difcreetly declares him felf unwilling,

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In the xith chapter of the apocalypfe we perufe the account of the figurative refurrection of the inhabitants belonging to the Tenth Part of the fymbolic city. In ch. xx. we read of the refurrection of those, who had been oppressed and perfecuted by the beaft", which defcription differs from the other, in being of a general kind, and unrestricted to any particular country. That this alfo is figurative, Dr. Whitby has largely, and, in my opinion, decifively proved. I repeat the words of St. John, And I faw the fouls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Fefus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Chrift s

THOUSAND YEARS.

It has, fays Mr. Lowman, been correctly observed, that all these expressions may very well be understood in a figurative fenfe. The fouls of them, which were

unwilling, to undervalue the judgment of lapy in the congregation fo * far, as to think, this great and important truth needs any proof, to him.' In his catalogue of the principal gofpel-mercies, he accordingly omits not to infert Christian kings and rulers: and, in evidence of the fact, appeals to that patriotic prince and pious Christian, Charles II; who accordingly, with exquifite propriety, has been recently placed (in a wellexecuted ftatue), in the centre of the Royal Exchange, as at once an apt fpecimen of the paft kings of England, and an exemplary model for their future imitation. We need not,' says Dr. Lightfoot, 'go far for proof of this.-The univerfal joy and acclamations of all the nation, upon the happy restoring of his facred majesty, speaks the sense and at• testation of the whole nation, nay of the three nations, unto the truth, and their fenfibleness of this mercy. The fhout of a king, of a moft "christian king, was among them.' But, in juftice to this celebrated rab. binical doctor, it should be observed, that this discourse was preached in 1660, the year of Charles's elevation to the throne.

19 Johnston of Holywood, fpeaking of these two passages, and against the literal refurrection of the martyrs, afks, whether it is not contrary * to all the rules of just criticism, to understand two fimilar descriptions in the fame book, in opposite, or even not in fimilar senses ?* ́

• beheaded

beheaded for the witness of Jefus, and which had not worshipped the beast, may eafily, according to the man'ner of prophetic language, fignify perfons of like fpirit and temper with them, of like faith, patience, conftancy, and zeal.-It is a very eafy and natural figure, as well as very common in this book of prophecy, to defcribe perfons by the names of fuch, whofe tempers ⚫ and characters they imitate and follow. Thus the names *of Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon, are so often ascribed 'to Rome, on account she nearly resembled them in corruption, pride, and cruelty.' 'The true meaning of this fymbolical reprefentation,' fays Dr. Johnston of Holywood, is this: at that period, the world fhall be 'peopled with men of the fanie spirit and character, with 'the real martyrs of Chrift; with men, who, like them, ⚫ shall call no man on earth master in matters of religion; 'who, free from the fetters of fuperftition and idolatry, ⚫ and regarding the facred rights of confcience, fhall re*gulate their faith, worship, and conduct, by the infallible standard of the word of God. Men of this character fhall in fucceffion live on earth, and enjoy a ' state of great purity and joy.' The martyrs may also be faid to live and reign with Chrift, on account of the very high but unfuperftitious refpect, which the in'habitants of that age fhall pay to their memories, and 'the warm gratitude, which they fhall feel for those good and undaunted men, who, adhering to the teftimony of Jefus and the word of God, at the expence of their fame, fortunes, liberty and lives, were the intelligent and voluntary inftruments, in the hand of God, of ⚫ tranfmitting to them-that divine religion, which they enjoy in fuch purity, peace, and plenty.' With respect to the prophet's expreffion, fays Mr. Lowman, that they fhall reign with Chrift, it may well be understood • in a figurative fenfe, as we are faid to be crucified with Chrift,

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"Chrift, and to live with him; or as Chrift himself is faid to live in us, Gal. ii. 20.'

Without citing any more paffages from the xxth chapter of the apocalypfe, or alleging any more extracts illuftrative of the words which were laft quoted, I shall refer those, who may be difpofed minutely to examine this part of the prophecy, to Lowman and Johnfton, to Brenius 20, Vitringa, and Whitby, whofe opinions on the figurative import of this prediction coincide, and are expreffed at confiderable length: and I fhall here only add what has already been flated 2, that a fymbolic refurrection, according to the Old Testament, and to the Oriental Oneirocritics, fignifies a recovery of such rights and liberties as have been taken away 22.'

From the xxth chapter of the apocalypfe, I pass on to the first verse of the fucceeding chapter, which contains fymbols of a well-known import, and is thus expreffed: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the firft heaven and the first earth were paffed away; and there was no more fea23.

Previously to entering into an inquiry on the fignifi cation of the several symbols, we are ftruck with the general air of this paffage as expreffive and beautiful. A remark of the celebrated Crellius upon it may with this view be quoted. If,' fays he, after the most fevere

20 In Apoc. and in his treatife De Regno Eccl. Glor. P. 1. c. 10. 21 See p. 121-123.

22 Dr. Lancaster. Mat. Henry, in agreement with this, fays, that the 4th verfe of the xxth ch, of the apocalypfe, if figuratively interpreted, fignifies, they were in a civil and political fense dead, and had a political "refurrection; their liberties and privileges were revived and restored.'

23 That this paffage is to be figuratively understood, and applied to the future ftate of the world, has long been a received opinion. Among other early writers, who maintained it, and who might be fpecified, were Joachim of Calabria In the twelfth, and Ubertinus in the fourteenth, century.

fervitude, by which the human race has been op'preffed, golden liberty fhould follow; if, after the 'thickest darkness of ignorance, the cleareft light of truth fhould arife; if, after a mighty conteft, and cala'mities not to be calculated, great joy and a moft happy ftate of mankind fhould fucceed; then the face of all things will appear changed, and, whilft before they feemed to mourn, they will afterwards appear to smile, fo that the heaven and the earth will seem to have undergone a change, and to have affumed a different countenance 24.'

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The earth,' it has been obferved, (I am quoting the words of Sir Ifaac Newton) fignifies the inferior people25; and the reason, as affigned by Dr. Lancaster, is this, In the fymbolical language, the natural world reprefents the political: the heaven, fun, and luminaries, represent the governing part, and confequently the earth must represent the part governed, fubmitting, and inferior. Of this paffage the meaning is plain and unequivocal. The old heaven, the old governments, are removed away; and, what is the natural confequence of this, the old earth alfo paffes away, i. e. the great body of the people, which were involved in ignorance, penury, and wretchedness, are gradually changed, and, at length, fucceeded by thofe of a far different character 26. And as the latter change cannot be accomplished without a wife fyftem of education be

24 Crellii Opera, 1656, vol. II. p. 373.

25 P. 16. See the fame observation in Mede, p. 761; and in Vitringa in Apoc. VI. 14.

26 That the earth is a fymbol, having two fignifications, has before been remarked. The fordid and antichriftian part of mankind it sometimes fignifies. Which of thefe meanings is to be chofen, the context, therefore, muft, in every cafe, determine. However, at the period spoken of in this paffage, the fymbolic earth will pafs away in both fenfes.

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