you be remembered, nor come into mind. But be Here God, by the prophet, promises to create a new heaven and earth; that it fhould be called Jerufalem; that He would rejoice in that new Jerufalem, and in his people there; and that there should be no weeping nor crying in the new Jerufalem. Now let as compare this with St. John's vifion. Chap. xxi. 1, 2, 3, 4. "And I faw a new heaven and a new earth for the firft heaven and the firftearth were paffed away; and there was no more fea. And I John faw the holy city, new Jerufalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, faying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they fhall be his people, and God himfelf fhall be with them, and be 1 369707A their God. And God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there fhall be no more death, neither forrow nor crying, neither fhall there be any more pain; for the former things are paffed away," The hypothefis, that the earth, in her regenerated ftate, will be the future refidence of the virtuous, is thus shown to be very agreeable with the analogy of prophetic (cripture, .. And how easy will it be with God, in the future conflagration, to fit up and, prepare a part of this earth for the dwelling place of his faints, in their in corruptible and glorified bodies: whilft the other part should be permitted fo to fuffer by the conflagration, as to become a very disagreeable habitation for the ungodly and finners......... Thus we may have fome intelligible idea of heav en and hell; whereas, according to the common rep.. resentation, we can obtain no adequate conception of either. 2. Who were they whom St. John faw fitting -on thrones, and who were the beheaded ?. I think the original words are well rendered, and they fat upon them, and judgment was given to them. By confulting the language of the new Testament, we fhall be fatisfied who thefe were, who fat on thrones, and had judicial power given to them. Our bleffed Saviour fays to his difciples, Matt. xxv. 21. "Well done, good and faithful fervant, thou haft been faithful over a few things; I will make thee thee ruler over many things: Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Looking forward to the refur rection and retribution day, our Saviour fays to the apostles, Matt. xix. 28. "Ye, which have followed me, even ye, in the regeneration;" or new earth; "shall fit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael." And St. Paul, fpeaking to the Corinthians, fays, 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3. "Do ye not know that the faints fhall judge the world? and if the world fhall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters ? Know ye not that we fhall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life ?" And in this book of St. John, Jefus is reprefented as faying, Chap. iii. 21. "To him that overcometh will I grant to fit with me on my throne, even as I alfo overcame, and am fet down with my Father on his throne," From all which, it clearly appears, that the faints will be highly promoted by Chrift, and admitted to fome fort of affefforfhip with him in the judgment of the great day. When, therefore, St. John fays, "And I faw thrones, and they fat upon them, and judgment was given unto them"; the meaning is, that he faw faints, thofe whole names were written in the Lamb's book of life, fitting on thrones with fome kind of judiciary power, according to our Saviour's promife to his difciples, to those who fhould overcome, and to all his faints. By the beheaded, or the fouls of those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, martyrs are intended; all who died in the cause of Chrift and of bis religion, by the hands of their enemies. St. John saw all the faints, both martyrs and others, fitting on thrones as affeffors with Chrift. 3. What is meant by the thousand years, in which the faints and martyrs reign with Chrift? and where are we to place them, before or after, the general resurrection and judgment? The restraint laid on fatan was for a thousand years; and during that term, he should not deceive the nations, or the wicked among mankind, nor dif turb the peace of the faints. For this term of fatan's reftraint, the faints fhould reign with Chrift in undisturbed repofe; or without any attempts from fatan, or from wicked men, to moleft or annoy them. And this, I imagine, may be the reason why the term, a thousand years, is mentioned. It is worthy of notice, that, immediately after the expiration of the thousand years, fatan is released from confinement, and enters readily upon his beloved employment, of deceiving the wicked and troubling the faints. "And when the thousand years," of the faint's reign and his confinement," are expired, fatan fhall be loofed out of his prifon." After the thousand years of undisturbed tranquillity, the faints fhall ftill go on to reign, forever and ever. Rev. xxi. 5. "And there fhall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of of the fun for the Lord God giveth them light; and they fhall reign forever and ever.'' As to the fituation of this thousand years, I am fully of opinion with Dr. Chauncy, that it ought to be placed after the general refurrection and judgment. If it be placed, as commentators and divines have generally placed it, immediately after the deftruction of antichrift, and before the coming of Chrift, all thofe difficulties come into view, which Dr. Chauncy mentions, and which every attentive reader muft fee to be infurmountable. How can we account for the rife of that infinitude of wicked men, like the fand of the fea for multitude, called Gog and Magog, immediately after a thoufand years of profound peace, and a univerfal reign of righteousness over all the Jewish and Gentile world? It appears to me abfolutely impoffible to account for it, on this hypothefis of the fituation of the thousand years. Gog and Magog were ancient enemies of the Jewish church and nation. And it is remarkable that they were threatened with the fame deftruction, by fire, which St. John tells us will deftroy the Gog and Magog who shall endeavor to disturb the chrif tian church in the paradifaic earth, Ezek. xxxviii. 18. "And it fhall come to pass at the fame time, when Gog fhall come against the land of Ifrael, that my fury fhall come up in my face." Chap. xxxix. 6. "And I will fend a fire on |