fering patience has expired without effect. Upon such a subject, and at such a time, we cannot contradict the steady sentiments of our venerable and suffering ancestors, and the Halleluiahs of the true church both in heaven and earth, (Rev. xix. 2, 3.— xvi. 5, 6.) with either propriety, as subjects of the same kingdom, or christian charity properly understood.

SECTION LIII.

The doctrine of a double resurrection examined.The Apocalypse a mystical prophecy.-Its construction different from prophecy in general-and necessarily obscure.-First resurrection.-Arguments for the literal sense.-1. The session of judgment (Dan. vii.) has taken place in part, and will continue fulfilling till the millennium, or kingdom of the saints.-The particulars of the judgment explained by St. John.-It is by Daniel divided into three parts, corresponding to his three prophetical periods.-The Jews martyrs in their last persecution.-2. The prophet Daniel (xii. 2 &c.) has two objects before him—first, the second Exodus of Israel-second, the resurrection at the last day.-3. First impressions often false, and corrected by judgment.-Literal sense of Rev. xx. 4, not supported by Scripture.-The thrones promised to the apostles are figurative—they synchronize with the restoration of the Jews.-The living again, or resurrection of souls, not agreeable to scripture phraseology.—A former vision of souls-signified an approaching rest from persecution by the Pagans.-This second vision of souls

intimates rest from persecution of Popery.-The reign of saints implies the great peace of the church and final victory over sin and error.-Non-resurrection of the rest of the dead a confirmation of the figurative sense.

To persons much conversant in the exposition of the prophecies of the Old Testament, there will appear many which demand a figurative interpretation, and others which cannot be received except in the literal meaning of the words in which they are expressed; and perhaps some which may be taken in a sense partly literal and partly figurative. Jeremiah's prophecy of the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity after seventy years, and also the numerous predictions of the prophets in general, concerning the restoration of their own nation in the latter days, and of their re-establishment in the land where their Fathers dwelt, cannot be understood in any other than a literal sense; without divesting the prophetical language of that dignity and high estimation, which it derives from the confideat idea we entertain of its precision

and certainty of a full accomplishment. The Apocalypse is the only prophecy in which any intimation is given of a first resurrection. It is most artificially constructed, and upon a different plan from the prophecies in general, which exhibit little of any thing like it, except that of Daniel in the scripture of truth. This, like St. John's, is a continued scheme of prophecy in an historical series, but admitting much more affinity to the literal sense than St. John's does. (267) The Revelation extends from St. John's own time to the end of the world, and is intended to supply the failure of a living ministration of prophets, during the whole continuance of the christian dispensation, and to be applied to the most conspicuous events of christian times. could not be done by a system of prophecy of very simple construction, and such as should be quite plain and perspicuous, even in the first ages of christianity, and capable

This

(267) The apocalypse is written in the same stile and language with the prophecies of Daniel, and hath the same relation to them, which they have one to another, so that all of them together make one complete prophecy. Sir Isaac Newton's Disserta. on Dan. p. 254,

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only of a literal interpretation. For it would have defeated one principal end of prophecy, which is a temporary and beneficial concealment of certain truths, which at seasonable times are to be explained, but even then not to all. This masterly design has not been attempted in vain, by the singular method which the divine wisdom has pursued, in the construction of the Apocalypse; for the right use and interpretation of which the church had been previously prepared, by some of the prophecies of Daniel and Ezekiel, written in the same language of hieroglyphics. Here the prophet's real sense is perhaps scarcely. ever that which the words employed seem naturally by the first impression to convey; but is wrapped up in the many folds of a cu riously woven tissue of emblematical figures, of difficult and generally impossible developement, until the proper time of unravelling is fully come.

In the exposition of the Revelation, it арpears to me a vain labour to attempt the writer's meaning by a literal interpretation, because a literal sense seems entirely foreign to