of Europe, especially in Russia and Poland, who are resolved to embrace the first favorable opportunity of going to Jerusalem, there to await with prayer and fasting the coming of the Messiah. And whether that be the first coming as you think, or the second as we believe, it is certain that he will shortly come. Yes my friends, Israel's God is about to appear for your deliverance. Jerusalem shall soon be rebuilt with more than its original splendor, and become the metropolis of the regenerated earth. The time is near, when Messiah shall sit on "the throne of his father David," and "reign over the house of Jacob forever.' In God's name therefore I bid you go, and takę possession of THE PROMISED LAND.

In connection with the above we are able to state that a converted Jew just arrived from Europe, assures us, that a most extraordinary sensation prevails among the Jews throughout Germany, Prussia, and other parts of the continent, in relation to some great event about to happen, which will restore them to their own land and their own land to them-that multitudes secretly believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the true Messiah, who will soon appear the second time for their deliverance, but dare not confess him openly for fear of their Rabbis-that many others are preparing to depart for the holy land, to await his coming by prayer and fasting. These movements of the Jewish mind probably indicate movements also of Divine Providence, which may astonish the nations of the earth, and show them that the time, the set time to favor Zion, has come,"

LECTURE III.

THE FIRST RESURRECTION;

OR THE RESURRECTION OF THE SAINTS AT THE SECOND ADVENT.

"BLESSED AND HOLY IS HE THAT HATH PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION."-Rev. xx. 6.

Introduction-a prevalent opinion noticed-design of the lecture to shew that there will be a literal resurrection of the bodies of the saints at least a thousand years before the final judgment of the wicked.-A principle of interpretation stated-absurdity of a different method exposed.-Examination of Rev. xx. 4-6: 1 Thess. iv. 13-18.-Note, the propriety of rejoicing at the prospect of our Lord's return-1 Cor. xv. 22-24-McNeile's explanation. Phil. iii. 11: John vi. 39, 40, 44, 54: Luke xx. 33–36: Luke xiv. 14.--The children of the first resurrection are the risen, changed, and glorified saints. The saints in the flesh live and beget children, and die, (Is. lxv. 17-25) but not so the saints of the first resurrection.-Note, an apprehension of some worthy people shown to be groundless.--Argument from the promise of the land to Abraham and his seed.- Stephen's comment, Acts vii. 2-5.--The present Palestine is to be enlarged.-Our Savior's argument with the Sadducees.--The doctrine of the first resurrection, the key which unlocks many difficult passages of Scripture.-An objection answered.--John v. 28, 29. Critical examination of Dan. xii. 2.--Reply to the question, who are partakers in the first resurrection.--Conclusion.

It is a prevalent opinion with many at the present day, that the resurrection of all the righteous will be simultaneous with that of all the wicked, or at least that the one will precede the other only by a very short time, perhaps a few hours. Whether this opinion is sanctioned by Scripture, we shall now proceed to examine.

In discoursing from the words of the text, we shall adhere to the natural and obvious divisions of its parts, and inquire what is the nature of the first resurrection, and who are the persons that partake of it.

What, then, is the nature of the first resurrection ?-the resurrection spoken of in the text. Is it a mére figurative and symbolical resurrection—a resurrection from spiritual death to spiritual life? Or is it a literal resurrection of the body? We shall endeavor to show that it is literal, and not figurative: and in doing this, we shall adhere to the common sense principle of interpretation already laid down,* that words are to be taken in their literal and primary import, unless there be some warrant, either in the connexion and context, or in the known nature of the subject, to give them a secondary and figurative import. If, for example, you were to assert in the same connexion, that God is a rock, and that God is a spirit— the known nature of the subject would clearly shew, that in one part of the sentence the language was literal, and in the other figurative. No man of common sense would hesitate for a moment as to the true interpretation. We are told, however, by grave and learned divines,t that when we interpret this 20th chapter of Revelation, we must give to all of the language a literal, or else we must give to all of it a figurative import: in other words that we must not interpret one part of the language literally and another part figuratively. Nothing can be more absurd

* See Part II. Lecture I.

See the Rev. Dr. Brownlee's attack on Millenarianism noticed in the "American Millenarian," No. 12, November 1st, 1842. In the 14th, 15th and 16th numbers, for January 2d and 16th, and February 1st, 1843, there is a complete refutation of Dr. B.'s views respecting "the personal reign."

I take great pleasure in embracing this opportunity to recommend this use. ful paper, to which I have already referred on p. 91, and which is now (Feb. 1843) so ably edited by the Rev. Isaac P. Labagh, 138 Fulton st. New York, Those who read it will see that all Millenarians are not Millerites,

than such a direction. Suppose that you interpret all the language literally: then you have Satan who is an immaterial and spiritual being bound with a literal and material chain, and sealed with a literal and material seal, and converted also into a literal dragon and serpent: you have also the immaterial and spiritual souls of men literally dying and living again, and what is more, literally sitting on material thrones. This indeed is sufficiently absurd. Suppose then, on the other hand, that you give to all the language a figurative import, and see if the difficulty is lessened. Then not only is the first resurrection figurative, but the second resurrection mentioned at the end of the chapter, when the dead, small and great, stand before God, is also figurative, and you not only have a figurative resurrection of figurative bodies standing before the great white throne, but the solemn realities of death, judgment, and eternity, and even Satan himself, are reduced to a mere figure! To say then that we must give to all of the language a literal, or else to all of it a figurative import, and not interpret part literally and part figuratively, is replete with absurdity. Such a principle of interpretation would make complete nonsense of almost any book, but especially of the Bible. The truth is, as we have already observed, we must adhere to the literal and primary import of words, unless there be some warrant to the contrary, and then we must give them a figurative import. We sometimes also, in popular language, predicate that of the complex whole. which, strictly and philosophically speaking, is true only of one of its parts. In all such cases, the connexion and known nature of the subject, most determine the meaning. Thus, for example, in speaking of the complex being, man, we say that man is mortal, and again we say with equal truth, that man is immortal-the connexion and the

*

* See the American Millenarian, for Nov 1, 1842.

known nature of the subject clearly showing, that strictly and philosophically we mean, in the one case to predicate mortality of the body, and in the other we mean to predicate immortality of the soul. Keeping, therefore, these principles of interpretation clearly in view, let us proceed to examine the passage before us. The sixth verse, which is the one selected for our text, is in immediate connexion with the fourth and fifth: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast," etc. The con

struction in the Greek shews, and such indeed is the general opinion of critical commentators that the word psuchas translated "souls," is understood in the middle of the sentence,* and when the ellipsis is supplied, the passage will read thus: "I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and [the souls of them] which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands." Two classes are here mentioned-one comprises the martyrs, those that were beheaded, etc.-the other comprises those who had not conformed to the abominations of Antichrist, or as St. John expresses it, who had not worshipped the beast, etc.: "and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years"-literally according to the most approved reading, "the thousand years"—that is, the thousand years spoken of in the previous part of the chapter, during which Satan, in the symbolical language of the prophet, is represented as bound with a chain. "They lived and reigned with Christ the thousand years;" and, as we learn from the song of the redeemed, this reign is on the earth-" and

* See Eichhorn on the Apocalypse, vol. ii. pp. 285, 283, ed. Gottinge, 1791