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ON THE

MILLENNIUM;

OR,

The Glory of the Latter Days:

AND

FIVE SERMONS

ON

What appears to follow that happy Æra.

BY THOMAS TAYLOR.

All the ends of the earth shall remember, and turn unto the Lord. Pf. xxii. 27.
For the earth fhall be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord. Hab. ii. 14.
The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, Rev. xi. 15.
Nec magnos metuent armenta leones-

Virgil.

PRINTED BY G. PRINCE, IN HULL.

1789,

100.5.222

ECA

THE

PREFACE.

IT is now many years fince my thoughts turned upon that glorious fubject, the Millennium, or the Glory of the latter Days; and that, chiefly, by reading the Scriptures. It appeared,very clearly, that the paffages relating to that bleffed period, could not yet be accomplished: Neither the time of the Apostles, nor that of Conftantine, could anfwer what the Scriptures induce us to believe concerning that happy feafon. I then confulted all the Authors I met with, who have wrote exprefsly upon the point, hoping to find Jomething fatisfactory upon fo delightful and entertaining a Subject; but, hitherto, my labour has been to little purpose; I have not been fatisfied with what I have read..

2. SOME have been more inquifitive about the time, than the thing, and have made very erroneous calculations; infomuch, that near a century is paft fince the time which they fixed for that mar

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vellous epocha; and that, I apprehend, may have difcouraged others from attempting any thing of the kind, left they should meet with no better fuccefs. Nay, fo many attempts of this fort failing, may have given occafion, to fuch as fought it, to treat the whole as a fiction; yea, and to view the whole revealed Will of God in no better light. Hence, I think, the calculations of time are better let alone, feeing it may be well for the wifeft of men to remember, that it is not for us to know the times, and the feafons, which the Father hath put in his own power. Many things are come to pafs which were foretold, and yet the time of fulfilling them was kept out of fight till the accomplishment. The Coming of the Meffiah was foretold, get the time was kept a fecret; infomuch, that when he came, the world knew him not; nay, fuch as had long expected him, yet could not believe their eyes when they faw him!

3. THE deftruction of Jerusalem was foretold, and the dreadful calamities which should accompany the fame; yea, foretold by Chrift himfelf, and not many years before the dire event; yet the time was kept a profound secret till the awful fcene fpoke for itself. We believe

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the Great Conflagration will take place, but of that day and hour knoweth no man; no, not the Angels in Heaven; and yet there have been men bold enough to fix the time, yea, the precife day, if not the hour, and have thereby expofed their own folly, and given a handle to fuck as have been no friends to Divine Revelation.

4. WHATEVER, therefore, my thoughts may be, touching the time when the glorious fcene of Chrift's millennial reign will take place, I deem it quite prudent to keep them to myself. The thing, I am certain, will take place, becaufe God hath faid it; but, as to the time, it feems to be one of the fecrets which belong to himfelf alone. Perhaps its approach may be gradual, aud one bleffed fep may open the way to another, fomething like the morning, which opens by degrees, and fhines more and more to the perfect day.

5. SEVERAL who have written upon the Millennium, have placed it after the burning of the world, and have thereby puzzled the cause exceedingly. For, is Satan to be loofed out of his prifon after he is finally caft into the burning take? Express mention is made of his being bound a thousand years, and then being liberated for

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