kindness and beneficence to brethren in diftrefs. But, with refpect to the future condition of the faints, I think, the only facrifices which they are then to be concerned in, will be thofe of prefenting or proftrating themselves before the Lord; and offering up continually a fong of triumph and praife to God, and the Mediator.

But then they are likewise faid to be priests of Christ. This, I suppose, may be defigned to lead us into the interest which the blood of Chrift has, in procuring for, and fecuring to the elect, all the privileges and bleffings laid up in their character as priests. It is certain that, though this privilege is fettled upon as by covenant grace, yet, as we come into the world, we are far from being in the visible poffeffion of it. We are naturally dead in trefpaffes and fins, under the curfe of a broken law, and obnoxious to divine wrath; fo that there are many obftacles to be removed from without, as well as much to be wrought within us, in order to our appearing and acting as priests, as well as injoying what belongs to us as fuch. Now the Lord Jefus Chrift has made peace by the blood of his crofs, has anfwered the demands of the law, and fatisfied the juftice of God. He has merited the fanctifying influences of the bleffed Spirit, and it is in the virtue of his blood, that he defcends upon the foul, when he translates out of darkness into marvellous light. This, I conceive, is included in the faints being priests of Chrift. It intends, that the procuring caufe is from him, that we hold it by virtue of union to him, that we claim it through his blood, that we are furnished for it by his Spirit, that we act in this capacity through his mediation and righteoufnefs, that he is the altar upon which we prefent all our fpiritual facrifices, that

5 Heb. xiii. 16.

his merits are the perfume which gives them a fweet favour in the divine noftrils, that he will fupply us with grace and ftrength to act in this relation while here, and at laft inftate us in all the glorious advantages of it in his kingdom.

But then, taking thefe words in connexion, priests of God and of Chrift, they may be fuppofed to regard the end for which God was pleafed to clothe his faints with this character (which we have, indeed, already fuggefted, when we fpoke of the facrifices belonging to the Christian) which is no other than to celebrate the riches of divine grace. They are priests of God and of Christ, that they may be the eternal monuments of diftinguifhing love, that they may for ever found forth the praises of God and the Lamb, that they may eternally look into and tell over thofe inftances of wifdom, power and goodnefs, which have been confpicuous in the whole of their falvation. Then their great business, as priests of God and of Chrift, will be to offer the facrifice of praife, to fing the new fong, the fong of Mofes and the Lamb 5 ; to blefs God, in a mediator, for every temporal, every fpiritual falvation.

The conclufion from these premifes is eafy, namely, That where perfons ftand in fuch a capacity, and are interefted in fuch privileges; where they are ingaged in the moft delightful fervices, and fhare the moft diftinguishing honours, they muft needs be, what the text befpeaks them, blessed and holy.

Especially muft it be confeffed, that this is a true representation of the future ftate of the faints in the new heavens and new earth, when we add to this account, the time for which they are to poffefs thefe privileges, in conjunction

with their reign, faid to be a thousand years. This is not to be a tranfitory, fleeting state: A kingdom and priesthood for a few months or years, but a fettled, ftanding empire. The faints are to reign with Chrift in this ftate no less than a thousand years.

Not that there is then to be a period put to the glory and happiness of the faints. Their continuing in this state a thousand years only, is fpoken, I fuppofe, barely to diftinguish the Millennium, partly from the preceding, but chiefly from the ftate of the faints, following upon the expiration of that term. For though we may conclude, that there will be fome difference in circumftances, between the Millennial ftate and ultimate glory, yet we cannot think the change will be for the worfe; the faints will be no lofers by it. So that what is faid of their glory, during the thousand years, will, at least, hold good of their condition after it.

Now, in respect to this, the duration of their reign with Christ is mentioned as a circumftance, in fome measure, concerned in the bleffednefs and glory of that ftate. And, without doubt, if any condition is honourable and happy in it felf, it cannot be lefs fo for being lafting and permanent. If our reigning with Chrift in his mediatorial kingdom, is fufficient of it felf to denominate us blessed and boly, it will add to the felicity of it, that we are to poffefs this kingdom, to live as a royal priesthood, during a whole Millennium.

But because this application of the time, or conclufion from it, is too eafy and natural for any one not to fee it, I took no notice of it in the divifion of my third general, and fhall not inlarge upon it here; having referved the confideration of it, in another light, for the following head. Wherefore,

Fourthly,

1

Fourthly, I am to speak of the time during which the faints are to continue in this bleffed ftate; faid to be a thousand years.

It is well known, that the space of a thousand years is made the common boundary, both of Satan's confinement and Christ's reign upon earth : And therefore, when we fpoke of the binding of Satan, we endeavoured to prove, that these thoufand years are to be taken in a definite, determinate fenfe. Now, though I apprehend what was there offered fufficient to juftify this conclufion, that the thousand years, as applied to the binding of Satan, do intend fuch a particular duration or space; yet there is this reason why I fhould refume the confideration of them here, namely, That fome great and good men have been of opinion, that these thousand years, as applied to the reign of Chrift, are not to be taken in a strict or literal fenfe, but in a figurative or prophetical one. For they suppose, that each day (as is the cafe in fome other places of fcripture) is to be taken for a year, and confequently, that the reign of Chrift will include as many years as there are days in a thousand years. This fentiment is admited and maintained by them upon this single principle, viz. That the other interpretation of the thousand years, would be injurious to the honour and glory of Chrift, in his kingdom. This they conclude from hence; Becaufe, fay they, if Chrift's vifible perfonal kingdom be to continue barely a thousand years, and no more, then the reign of Satan (to which they affign the fix thousand years of the world preceding) will be much longer than that of Christ. For my own part, I ftill abide by the literal ac

6 See this Effay, p. 135, &c.

Count

count of the Millennium, and cannot come into the other for the following reafons.

1. Because I apprehend, the very reason upon which this figurative fenfe of the thousand years is taken up will not hold good, namely, that otherwife the reign or kingdom of Satan will be fix times longer than the reign or kingdom of Christ. How far this is from being really true, and confequently from yielding a proper foundation for the argument advanced upon it, will appear to any who fhall confider, though the reign of Satan, from the begining of the world to the prefent time, may be faid to have been more vifible and general than Christ's; yet that it cannot be faid to have been univerfal. Satan, it is true, has borne off the greater part of the spoils of the fall, but not all; Christ has had his fhare, and confequently his reign in the world too; and that through all the time in which the devil can be fuppofed to have had his. This is agreeable to that eternal fettlement and compact which there was between the Father and Son, as related by the prophet Isaiah; wherein God promifes that, in confideration of Christ's taking upon him the work of a Mediator, and laying down his life a facrifice for the fins of the elect, he would divide him a portion with the great, and that he should divide the Spoil with the strong". Who are these but the devil, as the prime agent, the heathen under the Old Teftament difpenfation, and the Turk and pope under the new, as his chief engines. These have not run away with all, Christ has ftill divided the Spoil with them. Do any ask, What is the Spoil which Chrift is to fhare? Several paffages in this chapter will tell us; as when it is faid, He shall fee his feed; which means, that he fhall have a numerous progeny, that he fhall communicate spiritual life to many. To the fame purpose it

7 Chap. liii. 12. Vol. I.

8

ver. 10.

A &

follows,