fined. Philosophical inquiries here are vain. Little do we know of the philosophy of the world of spirits. Facts in the case are all we need to know. These are as follows: that there are devils;-they have had fatal access to man; -have ruined the world of the wicked;-have peopled the world of wo;-and, if permitted, would continue this work of ruin. But He who came to destroy the works of the devil, and long since beheld Satan falling like lightning from heaven,-in the text noted as coming from above with the "great chain" of his omnipotence, binding the devil, -shutting him up, and sealing him in the bottomless pit; that for a given time he should not go out to deceive the nations. This is a figure, but a figure of great significance.

What is the place rendered here the bottomless pit? The Greek original is abussos (abyss). Let the use of the word, in other sacred passages, inform what is its probable sense in the text. In Rev. ix. 2, the same word denotes the place unlocked by Mohammed, from which his delusion and armies to propagate it, were furnished; and we doubt not but these were from hell. In chap. xi. 7, and xvii. 8, the same word gives the origin of the atheistical system of the last days; and we doubt not but this was from hell. In Luke viii. 31, the devils in the man possessed, besought Christ that he would "not command them to go into the deep!" What did they mean here by the deep?-the word in the original is abussos—the word under consideration. They doubtless meant, that Christ would not confine them from all further access to man on earth. In our text then, this is done with the race of devils; the thing against which those devils petitioned in relation to themselves. They are confined from having any more access to men on earth, to tempt and destroy them. Whether this will be done by a literal exclusion of them from all access to man; or whether it will be by giving to man such abundance of grace and knowledge, as that Satan's temptations will be utterly unavailing, is to us immaterial. Man will then be safe from Satan's temptations.

Thrones, and some seated upon them, our text then presents. Not civil rulers as some have imagined. This is to degrade prophecy indeed! These enthroned saints are all the church;-all, on whom the second death hath no power. "They live and reign with Christ a thousand years." "We shall reign on the earth." They reign in

their government of themselves by the spirit and laws of Christ; and in their fellowship with Christ in his spiritual invisible government of the world. And saints in glory too, reign with Christ on earth in the same holy fellowship, and in their new joys,-to understand (as all in heaven will do) that the cause of Christ on earth in which their hearts have so long been bound up, now universally prevails. This will be the rich additional reward then given to prophets and saints in glory; as Rev. xi. 18, "and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the prophets." The rest of the dead live not again during the Millennium. These are all the wicked of our race, whose wicked cause is in the Millennium lost from the world,-finding none on earth to support it. The first, and second resurrections here, are only mystical resurrections,-like that of Ezekiel's valley of dry bones. The first is that of the souls of martyrs; including, at the same time, the souls of all past saints; and it means the revival of the cause in which they lived and died. Those saints live again in their successors, who then appear on earth, as Elijah lived again in John the Baptist;-coming in his spirit!-a figure much known in the Bible. The second resurrection (implied in the mention of a first resurrection) is not to be till the close of the Millennium, when Satan is again for a little season loosed. "The rest of the dead, "the wicked then, in their turn rise again in their successors in wickedness, as will be shown. The blessing ascribed to those who have a part in the first resurrection, viz. that the second death has no power upon them, shows they are designed in the figure to include all the chosen of God, then in heaven and earth;—that their cause had revived, and was going to fill the world. All in glory will know and rejoice in this; and all on earth will see and enjoy it.

Some writers have conjectured that Christ will come and reign personally on the earth in the Millennium. This must be incorrect. His reign here must be only spiritual. The days of miracles are past: the Bible is filled; and they are not needed: and Christ can reign as effectually without miracles, as with them. He will become then king of nations, as he now is of saints; reigning spiritually, by his grace in their hearts; and providentially, to cause all things to work for their good. But, as to any visible personal appearance of Christ; this is never to take place till he comes to judgment. "Unto you that look for him, shall he appear a second time (the first being when he came in

the flesh), without sin unto salvation."—"Whom the heavens must receive until the restitution of all things," which is manifestly connected with the judgment of the great and final day. It is a great injury to the cause of prophecy, to write upon it in so loose and unguarded a manner as they have done, who hold to a literal coming of Christ; a literal resurrection of the martyrs; and some, that the day of judgment commences at the morning of the Millennium. "We have not so learned Christ." The absurdity of such ideas is plain: for things eternal and things of time are not to be blended. Of people on earth it is said, "the just shall live by faith." Imperfect saints here are not to be blended with the spirits of the just made perfect; nor are the latter (nor any of them) to be raised to dwell again on the earth.

Relative to the length of the Millennium, whether it will be a literal or a mystical thousand years, and if mystical, what may be the length of it ;-I will state some arguments in favor of its being a mystical thousand years; and also that it may be an indefinite thousand. The word thousand is often thus used. "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand." Repeatedly is the number used indefinitely. We read, "the cattle upon a thousand hills"-"there shall be a thousand vine and a thousand silverlings”—“ one shall chase a thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight "—"a little one shall become a thousand ". -"made a feast to a thousand of his lords" "there hang a thousand shields and a thousand bucklers -"the chariots of God are twenty thousand, yea thousands of angels"-"thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand ". the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand." This number is thus used, at times, indefinitely. And as to its use in the text, consider, this chapter is highly figurative; which indicates that the thousand years here are thus. And if this number here be literal; there seems to be an undue proportion between the time of the reign of sin, and the reign of grace. Should the former be six times the length of the latter, it would seem indeed wonderful. There is generally found a symmetry in the works of God;-as in the human body; the ancient temple; and in the works of nature. But does this principle admit the following view of the temple of the redeemed church of God on earth? viz. that 2000 years rolled away in some rough and indefinite preparations for it, of which very little is found in the inspired record of

this temple. After this, 2000 more roll off in giving this foundation a more tangible shape, and preparing the way to bring on the great foundation-stone of this ecclesiastical temple. Two thousand years more pass away, in shaping and preparing the materials for the building of this temple itself. At the close of these 6000 years, the temple is raised and presented to the world. Now, does a due proportion of things admit, that the temple thus prepared shall stand but 1000 years?-one-sixth part of the time taken to lay its foundation, and form some of its materials? Can this accord with the divine economy in general? Do wise human architects build thus? Do they lay their superb and costly foundations six times as high as their superstructure upon it? The Revelation gives us the new Jerusalem; and the symmetry of its parts are such as to be worthy of the pencil of Heaven. But how different from this would it appear, if we found the following;—that such was the width of each of the twelve gems composing the foundation of its walls, that the twelve should form sixsevenths of the whole height of the walls of 1500 miles? No width of these twelve gems is given; had it been, we presume it would be in due proportion to the height of the walls. But divine and not human wisdom is to be here our only guide. Therefore,

Some hints in Ps. xxxvii. and other scriptures, seem not to admit a literal thousand years of the Millennium. "Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be; but the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. "Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." "In his days (the days of Christ in the Millennium), shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth." "His name shall endure for ever (to the end of the world, which shall be a comparative for ever); his name shall be conunited as long as the sun; and men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed." This is when "the earth shall be filled with his glory." In Dan. vii. 14, 20-27, we find, that the reign of Christ is long, compared with that of popery, though this is 1260 years. It is promised that when all people, nations and languages shall serve him;" "his dominion is an everlasting dominion;" necessarily meaning comparatively so. It is (Ps. lxxii.) "as long as the sun!" "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High,

whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominion shall serve and obey him." The "everlasting" here is, in its subject, confined to be only "as long as the sun, and "so long as the moon endureth." Ps. lxxii. 7, 17. Other scriptures speak of those heavenly bodies as enduring, till they shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a worn-out vesture, shall be folded together, and laid aside! This is a figure; but must possess great meaning relative to the age of the natural world. Can a literal seven thousand years give it such an age?

A literal thousand years seem not well to accord with the greater number of fallen man saved, than lost, at the end of the world. The Bible "all" often means by far the greater part. Christ says, "I will draw all men unto me."-"Who will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth." We know this means not a literal all. By far the greater part of men have, hitherto, been lost. "Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." In the Millennium, all shall find it. But could a literal thousand years give a number to the human family which shall so far exceed all who are lost? The saved in that day are noted (Ps. cx.) as exceeding the drops of a morning dew. Old Babylon (fifteen miles square) is an emblem of the kingdom of Satan; and the new Jerusalem (Rev. xxi.) of the kingdom of Christ. The dimensions of the latter are given (as those of the former are known); and they are fifteen hundred miles cube; "the length, breadth, and height being equal." What is the proportion between these two cities? Ten housand to one, if you take only the square of the new Jerusalem: if the cube (which is in fact given), fifteen millions to a unit! Wonderful grace, if fifteen millions to one of the fallen human family shall be saved! But a literal thousand years of the Millennium would seem incapable of yielding such a number.

Our Saviour speaks of his not knowing the time of the judgment day. There must then, be a sense in which he knows it not.-But as God he knows it, and knows all things. The sense then must be, he knows it not as Mediator, to reveal it to man; and hence has never revealed it. He says of the reprobate, "I know you not.' He knows them to bring them to judgment; but knows them not as his people. “Whom he did foreknow, he did also predestinate," &c. The time of the day of judgment then, has never been revealed to man. But if it were to be at