Objections against the Millennium, answer’d. With some Conjectures concerning the state of things after the Millennium: and what will be the final Consummation of this World.
You see how Nature and Providence have conspir’d, to make the Millennium as happy a state, as any Terrestrial state can be. For, besides health and Plenty: Peace, Truth, and Righteousness will flourish there, and all the evils of this life stand excluded. There will be no ambitious Princes, studying mischief one against another; or contriving methods to bring their own Subjects into slavery. No mercenary Statesmen, to assist and intrigue with them. No oppression from the powerful, no snares or traps laid for the innocent. No treacherous friends, no malicious Enemies. No knaves, cheats, hypocrites; the Vermin of this Earth, that swarm every where. There will be nothing but truth, candor, sincerity, and ingenuity: as in a Society or Commonwealth of Saints and Philosophers. In a word, ’twill be Paradise Restor'd: both as to innocency of temper, and the beauties of Nature.
I believe you will be apt to say, If this be not true, ’tis pity but that it should be true. For ’tis a very desirable state, where all good People would find themselves mightily at ease. What is it that hinders it then? It must be some ill Genius. For Nature tends to such a Renovation, as we suppose: and Scripture speaks loudly of an happy state to be, some time or other, on this side Heaven. And what is there, pray, in this present World, natural or moral, if I may ask with reverence, that could make it worth the while for God to create it, if it never was better, nor ever will be better? Is there not more misery than happiness: Is there not more vice than virtue, in this World? as if it had been made by a
But you will object, it may be, in the second place, That this Millennium, wheresoever it is, would degenerate, at length, into sensuality, and a Mahometan Paradise. For where there are early pleasures and earthly appetites, they will not be kept always in order, without any excess or luxuriancy: especially as to the senses of touch and taste. I am apt to think this is true, if the Soul have no more power over the body than she hath at present: and our senses, passions, and appetites be as strong as they are now. But according to our explication of the Millennium, we have great reason to hope, that the Soul will have a greater dominion over the Resurrection-body, than she hath over this. And you know we suppose that none will truly inherit the Millennium, but those that rise from the Dead. Nor do we admit any propagation there, nor the trouble or weakness of Infants. But that all rise in a perfect age, and never die: being translated, at the final judgment, to meet our Saviour in the clouds, and to be with him for ever. Thus we easily avoid the force of this objection. But those that place the Millennium in this life, and to be enjoy’d in these Bodies, must find out some new preservatives against vice: otherwise they will be continually subject to degeneracy.
We have thus far pretty well escap’d, and kept ourselves out of the reach of the ordinary objections against the Millennium. But there remains one, concerning a double Resurrection, which must fall upon every Hypothesis: and ’tis this. The Scripture, they say, speaks but of one Resurrection: whereas the doctrine of the Millennium supposes two; one at the beginning of the Millennium, for the Martyrs, and those that enjoy that happy state, and the other at the end of it; which is universal and final, in the last day of judgment. ’Tis true, Scripture generally speaks of the Resurrection in gross: without distinguishing first and second; and so it speaks of the Coming of our Saviour, without distinction of first or second; yet it does not follow from that, that there is but one coming of our Saviour: so neither that there is but one Resurrection. And seeing there is one place of Scripture that speaks expresly and distinctly of two Resurrections, namely the 20th chap. of the Apocalypse: that is to us a sufficient warrant for asserting two. As there are some things in one Evangelist that are not in another, yet we think them authentick if they be but in one. There are also some things in Daniel, concerning the Messiah, and concerning the Resurrection, that are not in the rest of the Prophets: yet we look upon his single testimony, as good authority. St. John writ the last of all the Apostles: and as the whole series of his Prophecies is new, reaching through the later times to the Consummation of all things; so we cannot wonder if he had something more particular reveal’d to him concerning the Resurrection; that which was spoken of before in general, being distinguish’d now into First and Second, or particular and universal, in this last Prophet. Some think St. Paul means no less, when he makes an order in the Resurrection: some rising sooner, some later: 1 Cor. 15. 23, 24. 1 Thess. 4. 14, 15, &c. but whether that be so or no, St. John might have a more distinct revelation concerning it, than St. Paul had, or any one before him.
After these Objections, a great many Quæries and difficulties might be propos’d relating to the Millennium. But that's no more than what is found in all other matters, remote from our knowledge. Who can answer all the Quæries that may be made concerning Heaven, or Hell, or Paradise? When we know a thing as to the substance, we are not to let go our hold, tho’ there remain some
Ezekiel mentions Gog and Magog: which I take to be onely types and shadows of these which we are now speaking of: and not yet exemplified, no more than his Temple. And seeing this People is to be at the end of the Millennium, and in the same Earth with it, We must, according to our Hypothesis, plant them in the Future Earth; and therefore all former conjectures about the Turks, or Scythians, or other Barbarians, are out of doors with us, seeing the Scene of this action does not lie in the present Earth. They are also represented by the Prophet, as a People distinct and separate from the Saints, not in their manners onely, but also in their seats and habitations; For they are said to come up from the four corners of the Earth, upon the breadth of the Earth: and there to besiege the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City: This makes it seem probable to me, that there will be a double race of Mankind in that Future Earth: very different one from another, both as to their temper and disposition, and as to their origine. The one born from Heaven, Sons of God, and of the Resurrection: who are the true Saints and heirs of the Millennium. The others born of the Earth, Sons of the Earth, generated from the slime of the ground, and the heat of the Sun, as brute Creatures were at first. This second Progeny or Generation of Men in the Future Earth, I understand to be signified by the Prophet under these borrowed or feigned names of Gog and Magog. And this Earth-born race, encreasing and
I will not tell you what foundation there is in Nature, for this change or trans-formation; from the interiour constitution of the Earth, and the instances we have seen of new Stars appearing in the Heavens. I should lead the English Reader too far out of his way, to discourse of these things. But if there be any passages or expressions in Scripture, that countenance such a state of things after
This great Issue and Period of the Earth, and of all humane affairs, tho’ it seem to be founded in nature, and supported by several expressions of Scripture; yet we cannot, for want of full instruction, propose it otherwise than as a fair Conjecture. The Heavens and the Earth shall flie away at the day of Judgment, says the Text: Apoc. 20. 11. And their place shall not be found. This must be understood of our Heavens and our Earth. And their flying away must be their removing to some other part of the Universe; so as their place or residence shall not be found any more here below. This is the easie and natural sence of the Words; and this translation of the Earth will not be without some change preceding, that makes it leave its place, and, with a lofty flight, take its seat amongst the Stars. . . . . . There we leave it; Having conducted it for the space of Seven Thousand Years, through various changes from a dark Chaos to a bright Star.