* and for witneſſing to the Truths of Chriſt contained in his Word. Theſe n are deſcribed as livins with Chriit in Honour and Dignity, all that ſpace of the Churches Reſt and Tranquility before expreſt. Our learned Dr. Moor interprets the Thrones and Zudgment, Concern- inz thoſe Thrones or places of Judicature, upon which the Dra- 2o0n's Oficers ſat to condemn the Saints of God, from whence 1ſtued the putting to death of many of the Saints of God, and thinks that in this Viſion there is a recourſe to, the ſecond Thunder. Now theſe Saints are ſaid to . live and reign with Chriſt a thouſand Tears ; that is, (ſay ſome) in H-aven, in a blefſed ſtate of Glory, while the M1- licant Church upon the Earth, enjoyed great reſt and quiet on Earth, Others have thought, that theſe ſhould be raiſed from the dead, and live with Chrift on Earth theſe thouſand Years. Which Notion (if truc) will ſolve a great Phenomenon, and render it not improbable that the Number of the Saints on Earth will, during theſe thouſand Years, be enou-h to rule the World, and overbal- lance the Number of all the Wicked of the Earth. Thoſe who think thus, judge there will be two Reſurre&ions; the firſt, of Mar- tyrs, which ſhall antedate the general Reſurre&ion a thouſand Years, but the Scripture no where elſe mentions more than one ReſurreQti- on. For my own part, I ſhall freely confeſs that I do not under- ſtand this and the two next Verſes, nor ſhall I Le poſitive as to any
enſe of them : For the ſpiritual Reſurretion, as to the Martyrs, It was lons fince paſt, or elſe they had died in their Sins. But of this, ice more 1n the next Verſe,
5 But the reſt of the dead o lived not again until the thouſand years were finiſhed p. This zs the tirit reſurrection g.
0 By the reſt of the Dead, ſome underſtand all except Mar £4 others, only that Party who adhered to Antichriſt. Thoſe who by the reſt underſtand all the Dead, both good and bad, (the Martyrs alone excepted) judge that there will be two Reſurreions : The firſt more particular, of thoſe that have ſuffered Death for Chriſt : the ſecond general, of all the reſt of the Dead. I muſt confeſs, I find a Difficulty to all>v this ; it is too great a Point to found upon a finzle Text, in a Portion of Holy Writ, fo clouded with Meta- phors as this, and I know no ſuffragan Text. Thoſe who under- ſtand by the reſt of the Dead, only the Wicked, underſtand by this living again, a pol'tick Life ; that is, recovered not their former Power, continued as dead Men, able to do no Miſchief, till the thouſand Years of the Churches Peace and Tranquility were exp1- red. May this Senſe of living, and living again, be allowed, 1t will deliver us from almoſt all our Ditficulties about the ſenſe of theſe Verſes; for then by living in the foregoing Verſe, is ſignified a poli- tical living, not a ReſurreQion from a natural Death. But then art- ſeth a Queſtion, If theſe beheaded Saints did not riſe from their natural Death, how could they be reſtored to places of Dignity with Chritt in the Church 2 To which they Anſwer, That thoſe for- merly ſuffering for the Name of Chriſt, and all the Saints upon the Earth, are to be conſidered as one Church ; and ſo thoſe formerly beheaded, lived and reigned with Chriſt in their Succeſfors in the ſame Faith ; That is, thoſe alive at that time, being reſtored to their Peace, and Liberty, and Reputation in the World, the Mar- tyrs, who are Members of the ſame Body, are alſo ſaid ro [1ve. Lis appears to me the moſt probable ſenſe : For that the glorified Saints ſhould leave Heaven (as to their Souls) to be again cloathed with Fleſh, and in it to live a Thouſand Years, and be concerned in the following Troubles the Church ſhould meet with after theſe thouſand Years, feems to me to be utterly improbable, and to lay a Foundation for ſo many difficult Queſtions, as will poſe the wiſeſt Man to anſwer to reaſonable Satisfation. But yet there remains a dificalty, q How this reftorin;z God's Holy Ones to a better State, can be called the firſt Reſurrefron ? That it may be called a Reſur- rettion, 1s plain, as the Converſion of the Jews, and reſtoring them to their former State as the Church of God, 1s called Life from the Ped, Rom. 11.15, And the Reſtzuration of the Witneſles, chap. TI. it. is called fo, though neither the one nor the other were na- turally dead, Nor 1s it unuſual in Scripture and prophetical Wri- tings, to ſpeak of People recovercd to their former and better ſtate, as being riſen from the Dead. It may be called the firſt, with re- ference to that far more excellent ſtate which they ſhall be put in atrer the laſt Judgment, when they ſhall live and reign with Chriſt 11 4 more happy and glorious manner. If this may not be allowed a: the ſenſe of theſe two Verſes, I muſt confeſs this ſuch a Sorenny, o: dithculty of Scripture, as I do not underſtand. I ſhall proceed with the following Verſcs upon this Hypotheſis, that this is the ſenſe, though I dare not be poſitive in it.
6 Bleffed and holy 7s he that hath part in the firſt- reſurrection 7 : on ſuch the * ſecond death harh no
* Ch. 2.11. f }f Mk a) [ OE x3 Pet.2.9.
R EVELATION.
Chap. XX of Chriſt 7, and ſhall reign with him a thouſand years Zz. #7 That 1s, they are only holy Ones, -that ſhall be thus reſtored to ſhare in the Churches happineſs, / and ſuch as ſhall not periſh eter- nally, # but they ſhall be as Priefts to God and Chriſt, plorifiing him with the ſpiritual Sacrifices of Prayer and Praiſe. u- And ſhall enjoy a quiet and honourable. Station with Chritt upon the Earth tor a long time,
7 And when the thouſand years are expired w, Sa-
tan {hall be looſed out of his-priſon +.
:1.,,9 When the long time exprefled under the Notion of a thouſand ;Xears ſhall be expired, x God ſhall take off his Reſttaint from the Devil, ſo as he ſhall influence the Wicked of the Earth once more *to make Oppoſition to his Church.
8 And ſhall go out to deceive the nations, which are in the tour quarters of the earth y, Gog and Ma- gog 2, to * gather them together to battel : the num- * Ch. 15. ber of whom 7zs as the ſand of the ſea: a. 14.