great deliverance from the unwilling vanity to which they are now subjected. That will be, in the restitution which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

"Learn war no more." This cannot be the spiritual reign of Christ in the millennium, and so sustain that theory; for according to it, there will be at the end of that period such an apostacy from Christ, and array of armies of the nations against the beloved city, as was never known before. The nations, on this hypothesis, will learn war again then. But on our view of the subject, although the wicked in their resurrection will be gathered and brought up around the camp of the saints by the deceptive pretence of a battle, yet not a blow will be struck, but the divine vengeance interpose and execute on them his just judginent. Universal and everlasting peace will prevail among all the inhabitants of the earth, for the meek only shall inherit it forever. This, then, must also be fulfilled under the reign of the great Prince of peace, in a state of glory and blessed

ness.

2. I object to the doctrine of a universal triumph of the church of God, because it contradicts the express declaration of God's word.

That word teaches us that the servant is not above his master. "If they have not heard me they will not hear you; if they have kept my sayings they will keep yours also." The time never was in Christ's ministry when all the people heard him and received his instructions. Although at timės, as in modern revivals, under some strong influences the multitude were moved, and it

seemed for the time they were all about to embrace him, yet how soon the same multitude were ready to stone him!

This is a fair sample of human nature, according to the experience of six thousand years. It is all the dependence which can be placed on it. If the Master himself succeeded no better, how can his servants hope to?

It contradicts the parable of the sower in Matt. xiii. There were four kinds of ground on which the seed, the word of the kingdom, fell. And from only one of those grounds was fruit received. Universal experience has shown how true the parable is to the facts in the case. Christ has nowhere told us that it will ever be otherwise while the "word of the kingdom" is preached.

The parable of the tares of the field teaches also the same doctrine. The field is the world, the globe with its human inhabitants, where the tares and wheat will grow together until the harvest, or end of this world, (age,) the Christian age which began with John and will end with the second advent of the Saviour. Then, not before, "he will gather out of his (territorial) kingdom (the world) all things which offend, and them which do iniquity, and cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

3. I object, thirdly, to the doctrine of the universal conversion of the world as the introduction to the millennium, because the Bible throughout represents the universal kingdom of Christ as to be introduced by the violent destruction of the wicked, and the everlasting reward of the righ

teous.

(1.) The second Psalm is one of the passages often quoted to prove the conversion of the world, as the introduction of the glorious spiritual reign of Christ. "Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." And here they stop and infer the world's conversion. Why do they not go on through the passage, and read what he is to do with them when they are given up to him? "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; and shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Is this a promise of the conversion of the heathen? What then would be the language in which their destruction could be expressed?

(2.) The stone is to smite the image, grind it to powder, and the wind sweep it away, before God's kingdom fills the whole earth.

(3.) In the vision of the four beasts, of Daniel vii., the beast, the last of the four, is to be slain, his body destroyed and given to the burning flame; and then the Son of man come in the clouds of heaven, and there be given him dominion, glory, and a kingdom, to endure forever.

(4.) Anti-Christ, that wicked, that man of sin, spoken of by Paul, (2 Thess. ii.,) is only to be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming. Until Christ comes, Anti-Christ will reign and oppose the saints.

(5.) The kingdom of Christ is not to be universal until the seventh trumpet sounds. Rev. xi. 15. The seventh is the last trump, and at it the dead will be raised incorruptible, and the living saints be changed. 1 Cor. xv.

(6.) The idea of such a state contradicts the declaration of Christ to his church, that in the

world she shall have tribulation; as also the doctrine that through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God. It would disqualify those who enjoyed the state, to join the innumerable company of the redeemed who will have come up out of great tribulation.

(7.) I object to such a view of the millennium, because the only scriptural account there is of the thousand years' reign of the saints with Christ, is, that it will be

XIV. THE FIRST RESURRECTION.

The only passage in the Bible which speaks directly of the thousand years, is in Rev. xx., where it is said, "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark in their foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he which 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.

This is the true millennium, and the only one found in the word of God.

From this we learn that the "blessed and holy" will be raised a thousand years before the rest of the dead.

No doctrine is more distinctly taught in the Bible than that of two distinct resurrections of the dead. Some of the numerous passages where it is either directly or indirectly taught, will be noticed.

1. The conditional promises of Christ, John sixth chapter, of "raising up at the last day" those who comply with those conditions; clearly implying, that if they did not do so, he would not then raise them.

2. The promise of the Saviour to those who should, in making a feast, call in the poor, who could not recompense them, that they should be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Luke xiv. 13, 14. If there is to be but one resurrection, why name the resurrection of the just? Why not say, as is generally said at this day, "At the resurrection?"

3. Jesus Christ has said, (John v. 28, 29,) "The HOUR is coming when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." There are in this text, two distinct resurrections recognised: "of life;" "of damnation." They that have done good will enjoy the former; they that have done evil, endure the latter. It is objected, the whole is said to take place in the same literal "hour." "The hour cometh." To this, it is replied, that the term "hour" merely signifies, the time will come when all will hear his voice, and live or come forth from the grave; but each in his own time. The word is manifestly used thus, in John v. 25. where it is said "The hour is coming and now is,