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happy state the church will be in when the Millennium takes place. I know that the most of our commentators say that this New Jerusalem is a representation of the heavenly state. I have examined their arguments on the subject, and they appear to me as light as wind; and I am fully confirmed in the opinion that this passage is designed, as a lively figurative description of the glory of the church, during her Millenniel state. But this is not the place to argue this point; and I must refer the reader to my Lectures on this passage. (ver. 1.) It is a new state of things, and the former circumstances which attended the church are passed away. There will be no more sea. The sea is an emblem of sorrow, trouble, and commotion; but the church will be free from all such things. (ver. 3.) Jesus Christ will dwell among his people in a very special manner with his spiritual presence, (4.) "God will wipe away all tears from their eyes." Tears are expressions of grief, and sorrow. The church has, under the reign of Satan, been well acquainted with weeping; but now all cause of sorrow will be done away and there will be nothing but joy and gladness. "And there shall be no more death." The word death is often used in scripture as a strong figure to mean deep destress, and affliction. See Matt. xxvi. 38. 2 Cor, iv. 11, 12. The church has all along been exposed to a thousand deaths by the bloody hands of persecutors, but now they shall no more experience the axe, the cross, the gibbet, or any more terrible executions by persecutors. "Neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." These are high figures to represent the happy, peaceable, safe and comfortable state of the church, being delivered from every thing that would give pain, anxiety or any kind of distress.

Such is the happy state which lies before the church, and I heartily congratulate her on the blessed prospect. Indeed we may say, in the words of St. Paul, for we can say nothing better, (1 Cor. i. 9.) "Fye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have the things entered into the heart of man, which God hath prepared for them who love him."

15. In the last place, we conclude the glorious subject of the Millennium, by taking a general view of the statement we have given, and by drawing a fair, rational, and

decisive conclusion, relative to the effect which the gospel will, and must unquestionably have, as to the general salvation of the human race. In order to draw a fair, and a decided conclusion on this very interesting subject, let us first lay down our premises on a fair, and solid ground, that may be depended on. In the first place, the promises of the covenant, on which the gospel is founded, engages the salvation of the whole fallen race of Adam, excepting only a few. This appears evident from the view which we have taken of some of the radical promises stated in this treatise. It is as evident'as language can make it, that Christ is engaged to bruise the Serpent's head; that he will be a blessing to all the families and nations of the earth; that he will draw all men unto him; that he will destroy the works of the devil; that he came not to condemn the world, but to save the world; that he will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth; that as judgment came upon all men to condemnation, by the offence of one man, so by the righteousness of one, justification shall come upon all men as a gracious gift. Christ tasted death for every man; he is the Saviour of all men; he gave himself a ransom for all men; and he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Many such texts we find in the infallible word of God.

use.

The question now is, how are we to understand such texts as these? There is but two meanings that can be given them, according to truth, and according to the common sense of language; we must understand them either universally, or generally, for the language gives us only one or the other of these two ideas, according to common But we cannot understand them universally, because other scriptures, and positive facts, would contradict us. We see that many remain wicked enemies to the gospel, and to all religion; and Christ says expressly, that all unbelievers shall be damned, and that the goats on the left hand shall go away into everlasting punishment; therefore, we are confined to the general sense of the words, viz. that mankind will be generally saved; and, as we have said, these texts are to be considered as general rules, to which there may be, and generally are, some exceptions.

The next question is, What number can we admit as exceptions to these general rules? We answer, the num

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ber must be too small, compared to the number saved, to require it be mentioned. If the number lost, were equal, or even half equal to the number saved, it should have been stated; because, otherwise, a general rule would give us a false idea, according to common use in language. But, to say, that all are saved, when there is a vast multitude saved, and but a very few lost, is nothing but a common mode of speech, because the few who are lost are but nothing when compared to the multitude saved. But we have it stated in Gen. iii. 15, in such language as necessarily gives us the idea of the generality of mankind being saved, and very few lost; and, as I have already stated, this being the original engagement, this exception must be carried on through all the other promises, which are founded on it, as the basis of the whole system. We ought, therefore, to consider and understand this original engagement well, as it is the grand foundation of all the rest. Christ is to bruise Satan's head, and his own heel is to be bruised; therefore, as a bruise of the head, is to a bruise on the heel, so will the number saved be to the number lost. Satan's kingdom in this world is to be overturned; but Christ's kingdom over him, is only to sustain a slight bruise on the heel. Thus we see that Satan's seed will be only a small remnant of mankind; but Christ will redeem all the rest; and the number saved will be so great and the number lost so small, that the language of scripture is justifiable, according to common speech, when it speaks of all the families of the earth, all men, the whole world, &c. being saved. This is unquestionably the way we ought to construe the scriptures; neither can we make the account of the bible agree with itself or with truth on any other principles.

We are next to remember, that the only objection which can be brought forward against this plan, is relative to Christ's flock being a little flock, and there being but few that will be saved; this objection, we hope, is satisfactorily answered. For if Christ meant that there would be but a few saved, according to the whole plan of the gospel, it would, in a pointed manner, contradict all the texts which we have quoted above, and a thousand more which might easily be quoted; and it would frustrate bis whole plan which he has revealed in his word, and invert the system which he originally proposed to Adam, to

Abraham, and to the christian church. I only a little flock, and a few will ever be saved, how w the Serpent's head be bruised? Would not Abraham's veed be a curse instead of a blessing to the families of the earth? The gospel would undoubtedly be the greatest curse that God has ever sent into the world, unless it saves the world. It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomerrah in the day of judgment than for those who hear the gospel, unless the gospel saves them. Christ has pro mised to send the gospel to all the kindreds, nations and languages of the earth, and to call upon the ends of the earth to look unto him and be saved. What will he do it for, except he intends to save them? Is it to gather in a few scattering travellers in the narrow way, and collect a little flock out of the world, and by the offers of his grace, to cause the greatest number of mankind to go down to perdition with ten fold greater vengeance, than they would, had he let them alone? And yet he has said that he came not to condemn the world, but to save the world! What is the reason that the gospel does not now spread over the world? Perhaps you say, it is because of the hardness of men's hearts that hinder them from receiving it. But thousands and millions of people never had the chance of receiving it, because it was never sent to them. The gospel, with the grace of God, could soften men's hearts; the bloody Jews were as hardened as any set of men in the world, yet three thousand of them, on the day of pentecost, were soon softened down under the gospel. But the true reason is, that God, out of mercy, compassion, and benevolence to the heathen, keeps the gospel from them. If they were of his elect number, he would soon send it to them; but while he has no intention to save them, he will, through mercy, keep them in a state of heathenism; because he does not wish to aggravate their condemnation. The gospel always follows the elect; wherever they are, the gospel is sent to save them. And when the glorious time will come when the race of man will be all of the elect number, then, and not till then, the gospel will be spread all over the world.

Therefore, it is evident, that the only reason why the flock of Christ is a little flock, and that few are saved, is because during the reign of Satan, Christ has but few to save; there are but few of those born into the world

who are given to him by his Father, and he speaks of this time, and we ought to understand him so; and so it will continue to be during the appointed time of Satan's dominion on earth. Satan reigns only over his seed, and wht ever his seed is born into the world he will be perme to reign. Christ has a few among them, and therefore his flock is small. He has no business, as a Saviour, with Satan's number. But when the number left to Satan is done, and Christ's seed will come into the world, then Satan will have no business here, and he will be shut up in his prison, and Christ will take the government. Then let the prophets say, let reason say, yea let Christ himself say, whether his flock will be small or not, and whether his people will be few. Christ says he will draw all men unto him. Paul says, he will be the Saviour of all men. John says, that he will be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Peter says, he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Moses says, that he will bless all the families of the earth. David says, that his kingdom shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. Isaiah says, the whole earth shall see his salvation. Jeremiah says, that all shall know him from the least unto the greatest. Daniel says, that he shall have a kingdom and glory and domini and that all people, and nations, and languages, sl serve him. Malachi says, that his name shall be great among the heathen, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. And now let reason say whether the flock of Christ will be a little flock, or whether there be few who will find the narrow way, or enter in at the strait gate. Surely they must have very contracted views of the plan of God, who limit salvation to a small number of the hu

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On these premises, which the author of this work considers as undeniable, and fully decisive, we are obliged, on the fairest and most solid grounds, to conclude, that

by far the greatest part of mankind will be saved, and that, comparatively, very few will be lost. I have not adopted the puerile, and irrelevant schemes of some who count upon the great number of innocent, dying infants, as they call them, nor yet upon the great number of poor, pious heathen, who, as some suppose, are saved without the gospel, in consequence of their doing as well as they

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