The seven trumpets is another remarkable vision of the Apocalypse, the seventh of which plainly opens the scene of the first resurrection, and the Redeemer's kingdom on earth. Hear the sound of it" The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdcms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." This is manifestly the kingdom of Christ; and with this is joined the-resurrection of the dead, and the reward. ing of the suffering prophets and saints, as in chapter xx. This is that mystery of God that was to be finished in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, as is said chap. x. 7, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets; namely, the mystery of this kingdom, which was foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament, and more especially by Daniel, as we shall see hereafter.

In the view of a first resurrection, and of the glory of those who shall be the children and partakers of it, the meaning of St. Paul is plain and forcible" If by any means I might attain unto

the resurrection of the dead." His words have a plain reference to his Lord's, Luke xxi. 36. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

If we find evidence of a first resurrection, we shall doubtless be satisfied that the glory of the first raised will be on the earth-the restored new earth, wherein righteousness shall dwell-the enemy of mankind shall be bound, and the Prince of peace shall rule: where will be a paradise without a serpent, and a tree, not to wound, but to heal the nations; where will be neither curse, nor pain, nor death, nor disease; where all things are new, and all are perfect, both the world itself and its inhabitants. There, in the blessed millennium, "the first-born from the dead will have the first-fruits of glory." The Lord himself shall come, and bring his saints with him: they that sleep in Jesus shall be raised, and the living shall be changed; and here they will all meet together in the air. The New Jerusalem will come down, with its king David and all its holy citizens-it will descend out of heaven, but no mention is made of its returning into heaven. Here Christ will set his throne in the last day, and the tabernacle of God will be with men, and he will dwell with them.

The hallelujah song is the universal shout of the whole camp of the saints at the sound of the archangel's trump; and is observed never to be sung but in the prospect of the destruction of Babylon, the kingdom of Christ, and the millen nial state and this is the burden of the sacred

Long-the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, and we shall reign on the earth.

Will it not be for the glory of Jesus Christ, and for the glory of the Father in him, to reign and triumph with his saints; to make ready and celebrate the marriage of the Lamb, where he has suffered, and they have suffered? Will not this appear more like a victory and a triumph? To me, the idea is desirable. The will of the

Lord be done.

III. We were to show the propriety of our subordinating every pursuit, and of striving if by any means we may attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

The propriety of our making everything bend to this end, if by any means we may attain it, is shown by the example of the faithful, the cloud of witnesses; many of whom "were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection." Heb. xi. 35. This better resurrection is doubtless what Paul strove for, if by any means he might obtain it; even the first resurrection at the coming of Christ, which is ever mentioned as a peculiar privilege of the saints, especially those who have labored and suffered for Christ and his cause.

The propriety of this is shown by the angel of the church, who saith, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

The propriety of our striving by all means to obtain this resurrection, is shown by its being

gloriously distinguished from the other in its union with, and virtue from, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. " Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise: awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust." Isa. xxvi. 19. And as in 1 Cor. xv. 23, “Christ the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."

The propriety of this is much insisted on by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He called this the resurrection of life, as being the very same with the resurrection of his own body-the fulness of the harvest, of which that was the first-fruits: whereas, he called the other the resurrection of damnation, it having no union, or relation to his own resurrection, and having nothing of its virtue, but being altogether a different thing. One is by an influence, as the dew upon herbs or seeds in the ground, causing them to grow, Isa. xxvi. 19; the other, by a sovereign power, like that which raised up man from the dust at first.

Our Lord distinguisheth this as the resurrec tion of the just; and those that obtain it, as the children of the resurrection. What a peculiar endearing phrase! He that knew the worth of this resurrection and the privilege of obtaining it, said, "When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke xiv. 13, 14.

How all-important and glorious does he describe this privilege, Luke xx. 35, 36. "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, [the world to come-the new heavens and new

earth,] neither marry, nor are given in marriage. Neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection :" yea, they shall be above the angels; for it is promised, that, in the millennium, they shall be priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with him as his bride and queen.

What then is this world, what is life, what is reproach, what are sufferings, what is the loss of all things, compared with this? Paul judged well to forsake all things, to endure all things; and even to forget all-losses and labors, and perils, and pains-as mere trifles of no account, if by any means he might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Do some of us hope for this blessedness? Are we striving to be the children of the resurrection? O how great is this object! This is glory! substantial glory! a weight of glory! Who among us shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection of life? "We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless ;" and so may obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead.

Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself: he will keep his body under; and, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, he will press toward the mark for the prize of this high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

This I believe, esteem, and only desire to