this;

Saints (a little before Chrift's coming) will not reign with him in this Refpect not one hundred Years. I cannot fee then under what Shew of Reason, the Souls of the Saints in Heaven can be faid to be a living and reigning with Chrift a thousand Tears. Therefore we must seek for an Interpretation more congruous to the Text than and that is, that all the Saints, whether Martyrs or others, who have part in the firft Refurrection, together with the living Saints changed, fhall, in the Kingdom of Chrift, live and reign with him a thousand Tears; nay, that Word, and they lived and reigned with Chrift a thoufand Tears, carries an undeniable Evidence in it felf, that it must be a living and reigning with Chrift in their Bodies, when reunited with their Souls in a glorified State at the Refurre&tion.

Verfe 5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand Years were finished, This is the firft Refurrection.

In opening of thefe Words, I fhall take Notice of three things: Firft, to enquire who we are to underftand by the reft of the dead. Secondly, In what. Refpect they fhall not live again until, &c. Thirdly, I fhall endeavour to fhew, how, or in what Refpect they fhall live again, when the thoufard Tears are finished.

First, by the rest of the dead, all the wicked and ungodly muft be meant, all Chriftlefs and Gracelefs Souls are fignified. This will appear firft from the Diftinction, which is made betwixt

them,

them, and thofe who have part in the first Refur rection: Moft certain it is, that thofe who have part in this firft Refurrection, are all the Saints and Children of God, because they, and they only are faid to be bleffed. Secondly, Becaufe not one of them fhall be touched by the fecond Death; on fuch the fecond Death fhall have no Power, v. 6. This undeniably fhews, that the Second Death (which is an Eternal Death) will have Power on all the reft, and therefore by the reft of the Dead, muft mean all the Wicked and Ungodly, all thofe who lived and died inSin, that is, without an Intereft in Jefus Chrift; and fo confequently not one of them fhall have part in the firft Refurrection. To this thofe Words agree in Rom, xi. 7. But the Election hath obtained, and the rest were blinded. Thefe then are the reft of the Dead, which fhall not live again, until the thoufand Years are ended. But

Secondly, In what Refpect is it, that the ref of the dead live not again until, &c. The reft of the dead fhall not live again in refpect of their Bodies, they fhall not live (during the time of the thousand Years Glory among the Saints) in the Body: Or their Body fhall not rife again, for their Souls to live in, until the thousand Years are finifhed. This I take to be the genuine and pri mary Senfe of the Words. For, their living again, cannot be applied to the Soul, because the Souls of the wicked (as well as the Saints) are of an immortal Nature, which will live out, as well as in the Body; though in a ftate of Mifery, as it is in Luke 16. the Rich Man died, and in Hell be lift up bis Eyes, being in Torments. v. 23. Well, thus

we

we fee that the Souls of the Wicked do not die when the Body dies; and if fo, then the Soul cannot be faid to live again: Becaufe to live again, 1 does fuppofe fome fort of Life that it once did live, and if the Soul dies not in this Senfe, as the Body dies, how then can it be said to live again ? Therefore their living again must be understood of the Body.

And it is certain alfo, that this cannot be referred to a Spiritual Life, becaufe fuch a Life they never had lived, being altogether Strangers to a Life of Grace; (Juch as lived and died in Sin) and therefore cannot live fuch a Life at the End of the thousand Years, which before they never had lived; this then must be a Life in the Body; it being the Body that dies, it is the Body only that can be faid to live again: Though it is true they fhall not live again the fame manner of Life which they had lived before, yet they fhall live again in the Body at the laft Refurrection, which is all that I underftand can be meant by their living again.

Thirdly, When the thousand Tears are finished, then it is that the rest of the Dead are to live again. In what refpect they are not, and how they are to live again, I have already expreffed: It is not a living again, in refpect of the Soul, neither can it be understood of a Life of Grace; and therefore it must be a living again in the Body (as afore) this is that Life which they fhall live at the end of the thousand Years: Then fhall the Body be raised out of its Grave, that fo the Soul and Body may both be reunited in order to the Judgment; and that they may give an Account of what they have done

in the Body. For this end it is, that they must all arife and live again, that they may all appear before the great Tribunal or Judgment Seat of Jefus Chrift to be judged; and receive their Reward according to what shall be found written in the Books; as is at large demonftrated in the latter Part of this Chapter. Well, thus we see who we are to underftand by the reft of the dead, when it is, and to what end they are to live again after the thousand Tears are finished.

Ifhall in the next place give a fhort Hint upon the laft Part of the Verfe, (though indeed it doth not belong to it, but fhould have been diftinct by it felf.)

This is the firft Resurrection.

Now, what is there that can be spoke with greater Plainnefs? Or more diftinctly expreffed than this? And that is the time as well as the manner of these two Refurrections. For after the Apoftle had been speaking of the Firft; and who they were that had part in it, and for what end they did firft arife; It was, that they might live and reign with Chrift a thousand Tears; then he comes and gives us an Account what would become of the rest of the Dead, (to wit, the Wicked) and tells us, that they live not, or rife not to live again in their Bodies, until the thousand Years are ended. This is the firft, or the Order which will ap pear to be in that Day, between the firft and fecond Refurrection. And if fo, then this first muft certainly denote a fecond: Yea, they are both pofitively afferted in this and the fixth Verfe. Now if the Refurrection of the one be the Refurrection of the Body, (as has been proved) then of unde

niable Confequence the other must be a Refurre ation of the Body alfo.

Verfe 6. Bleffed and holy is he that hath Part in the first Refurrection, on fuch the Second Death bath no Power, but they shall be Priests of God and of Chrift, and fall Reign with him a thousand Tears.

Is not this a clearText, (amongst the many which have been brought) to prove the visible, perfonal Reign and Kingdom of Chrift with the Saints upon the Earth, in the time of the thousand Years? Sure if this Text be true, then the Truth of this Doctrine fhould not (by any of the Saints) once be called into queftion. I fhall briefly confider the Words, and obferve, firft, Blessed and holy is he that bath Part in the firft Refurrection. This doth fhew, that all those who are in Union with Jefus Chrift, the Fountain of Holiness, are the only Perfons that are bleffed and holy in Gods Account. Secondly, That all those who are bleffed and holy, by virtue of Union to Chrift, fhall have their Part in the first Refurrection; which will be a Refurrection of the Body. Thirdly, That not one of thefe, who are thus interefted in the Lord Jefus, fhall be touched by the fecond Death For on fuch the Second Death fhall have no Power. Fourthly, That all the Saints are (by free and rich Grace) made Kings and Priefts, or Kings and Prin ces unto God and his Chrift, and therefore fhall reign with him in the Glory of his Kingdom a thousand Tears. Each one of thefe might be much enlarg'd upon; but I fhall proceed. And in the

further