century the Millenarians held the following tenets:

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, neither his image, neither

1st, That the city of Jerusalem should be rebuilt, and that the land of Judea should be the habitation of those who were to reign on the earth a thousand years. 2dly, That the first resurrec-had received his mark upon their tion was not to be confined to the foreheads, nor in their hands; and martyrs, but that, after the fall of they lived and reigned with Christ Antichrist, all the just were to rise, a thousand years. But the rest of and all that were on the earth the dead lived not again till the were to continue for that space of thousands years were finished. This time. is the first resurrection." Rev. xx, 3dly, That Christ shall then 1 to 6. This passage all the ancient come down from heaven, and be | Millenarians took in a sense grossly seen on earth, and reign there with his servants.

4thly, That the saints, during this period, shall enjoy all the delights of a terrestrial paradise.

literal, and taught, that, during the Millennium, the saints on earth were to enjoy every bodily delight. The moderns, on the other hand, consider the power and pleasures These opinions were founded of this kingdom as wholly spiupon several passages in scripture, ritual; and they represent them which the Millenarians, among as not to commence till after the the fathers, understood in no other conflagration of the present earth. than a literal sense; but which But that this last supposition is a the moderns, who hold that opi- mistake, the very next verse but nion, consider as partly literal one assures us; for we are there and partly metaphorical. Of these told, that, "when the thousand passages, that upon which the years are expired, Satan shall be greatest stress has been laid we loosed out of his prison, and shall believe to be the following;-go out to deceive the nations “And I saw an angel come down which are in the four quarters of from heaven, having the key of the the earth;" and we have no reabottomless pit, and a great chain son to believe that he will have in his hand. And he laid hold on such power or such liberty in "the the dragon, that old serpent, new heavens and the new earth, which is the devil and Satan, wherein dwelleth righteousness." and bound him a thousand years, We may observe, however, the and cast him into the bottomless following things respecting it: 1. pit, and shut him up, and set a That the scriptures afford us seal, upon him, that he should de- ground to believe that the church ceive the nations no more till the will arrive to a state of prosperity thousand years should be fulfilled; which it never has yet enjoyed, and, after that, he must be loosed Rev. xx, 4, 7. Psal. lxxii, 11. a little season. And I saw thrones," Is. ii, 4. Is. xi, 9. Is. xlix, 23. Is.

lx. Dan. vii, 27.-2. That this tirpated, or tamed, by the power will continue at least a thousand of man. The inhabitants of every years, or a considerable space of place will rest secure from fear of time, in which the work of salva- robbery and murder. War shall be. tion may be fully accomplished entirely ended. Capital crimes and in the utmost extent and glory of punishments be heard of no more. it. In this time, in which the Governments placed on fair, just, world will soon be filled with real and humane foundations. The Christians, and continue full by torch of civil discord will be exconstant propagation to supply the tinguished. Perhaps Pagans, place of those who leave the world, Turks, Deists, and Jews, will be as there will be many thousands born few in number as Christians are and live on the earth, to each one now. Kings, nobles, magistrates, that has been born and lived in and rulers in churches, shall act the preceding six thousand years; with principle, and be forward to so that, if they who shall be born promote the best interests of men: in that thousand years shall be tyranny, oppression, persecution, all, or most of them saved (as they bigotry, and cruelty, shall cease. will be), there will, on the whole, Business will be attended to withbe many thousands of mankind out contention, dishonesty, and saved to one that shall be lost. covetousness. Trades and manu3. This will be a state of great factories will be carried on with a happiness and glory. Some think design to promote the general that Christ will reign personally good of mankind, and not with on earth, and that there will be a selfish interests as now. Merchanliteral resurrection of the saints,dise between distant countries Rev. xx, 4, 7; but I rather sup-will be conducted without fear of pose that this reign of Christ and an enemy; and works of ornaresurrection of saints, alluded to ment and beauty, perhaps, shal! in that passage, is only figurative; not be wanting in those days. and that nothing more is meant Learning, which has always flouthan that, before the general judg- rished in proportion as religion ment, the Jews shall be converted, has spread, shall then greatly ingenuine Christianity be diffused crease, and be employed for the through all nations, and that best of purposes. Astronomy, geChrist shall reign, by his spiritual ography, natural history, metapresence, in a glorious manner.physics, and all the useful sciences, It will, however, be a time of will be better understood, and eminent holiness, clear light consecrated to the service of God; and knowledge, love, peace, and and I cannot help thinking that by friendship, agreement in doctrine the improvements which have and worship. Human life, per-been made, and are making, in haps, will rarely be endangered ship-building, navigation, electriciby the poisons of the mineral, ty, medicine, &c., that "the temvegetable, and animal kingdoms.pest will lose half its force, the Beasts of prey, perhaps, will be ex- lightning lose half its terrors,” and

the salvation of our God! See Hopkins on the Millenn.; Whitby's Treatise on it, at the End of the 2d Vol. of his Annotations on the New Test.; Robert Gray's Discourses, dis. 10; Bishop Newton's Twentyfifth Diss. on the Proph.; Bellamy's Treat. on the Millennium. There are four admirable papers of Mr.

the human frame not near so much exposed to danger. Above all, the Bible will be more highly appreciated, its harmony perceived, its superiority owned, and its energy felt by millions of human beings. In fact, the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 4. The time when the Millen-Shrubsole's on the subject, in the nium will commence cannot be 6th vol. of the Theol. Miscellany; fully ascertained, but the common Lardner's Cred., 4th, 5th, 7th, and idea is, that it will be in the seven 9th vol.; Mosheim's Eccl. Hist., thousandth year of the world. It cent. 3, p. 11, ch. 12; Taylor's will, most probably, come on by Sermons on the Millennium; Illusdegrees, and be in a manner in-trations of Prophecy, ch. 31. troduced years before that time. MIND, a thinking, intelligent And who knows but the present being; otherwise called spirit, or convulsions among different na-soul. See SOUL. Dr. Watts has tions; the overthrow which po- given us some admirable thoughts pery has had in places where it as to the improvement of the mind. has been so dominant for hundreds " There are five eminent means or of years; the fulfilment of pro-methods," he observes, "whereby phecy respecting infidels, and the the mind is improved in the knowfalling away of many in the last ledge of things; and these are obtimes; and yet, in the midst of servation, reading, instruction by all, the number of Missionaries lectures, conversation, and meditasent into different parts of the tion; which last, in a most pecuworld by the Moravians, Method-liar manner, is called study. ists, Baptists, and others, together with the increase of Gospel ministers; the thousands of ignorant children that have been taught to "1. It is owing to observation read the Bible, and the vast num-that our mind is furnished with the ber of different societies that have been lately instituted for the benevolent purpose of informing the minds and impressing the hearts of the ignorant; who knows, I say, but what these things are the forerunners of events far more glorious, and which may usher in the happy morn of that bright and glorious day when the whole world shall be filled with his glory, and all the ends of the earth see

"I. One method of improving the mind is observation, and the advantages of it are these:

first, simple, and complex ideas. It is this lays the ground-work and foundation of all knowledge, and makes us capable of using any of the other methods for improving the mind.

"2. All our knowledge derived from observation, whether it be of single ideas or of propositions, is knowledge gotten at first hand. Hereby we see and know things as they are, or as they appear to

us; we take the impressions of have committed to writing their them on our minds from the ori-maturest thoughts, and the result

ginal objects themselves, which give a clearer and stronger conception of things: these ideas are more lively, and the propositions (at least in many cases) are much more evident.

"3. Another advantage of observation is, that we may gain knowledge all the day long, and every moment of our lives, and every moment of our existence, we may be adding something to our intellectual treasures.

"II. The next way of improving the mind is by reading, and the advantages of it are such as these: "1. By reading we acquaint ourselves in a very extensive manner with the affairs, actions, and thoughts of the living and the dead, in the most remote nations, and in most distant ages; and that with as much ease as though they lived in our own age and nation.

of their study and experience.

"4. It is another advantage of reading, that we may review what we have read: we may consult the page again and again, and meditate on it at successive seasons in our serenest and retired hours, having the book always at hand.

"III. The advantages of verbal instructions, by public or private lectures, are these:

"1. There is something more sprightly, more delightful, and entertaining, in the living discourse of a wise, a learned, and wellqualified teacher, than there is in the silent and sedentary practice of reading. The very turn of voice, the good pronunciation, and the polite and alluring manner which some teachers have attained, will engage the attention, keep the soul fixed, and convey and insinuate into the mind the "2. By reading we learn not ideas of things in a more lively only the actions and the senti- and forcible way than the mere ments of distant nations and ages, reading of books in the silence and but we transfer to ourselves the retirement of the closet. knowledge and improvements of "2. A tutor or instructor, the most learned men, the wisest and he paraphrases and explains other best of mankind, when or whereso-authors, can mark out the precise ever they lived: for though many point of difficulty or controversy, books have been written by weak and unfold it. He can shew you and injudicious persons, yet the which paragraphs are of the most of those books which have greatest importance, and which obtained great reputation in the are of less moment. He can world are the products of great teach his hearers what authors, or and wise men in their several ages what parts of an author, are best and nations. worth reading on any particular "3. When we read good au- subject; and thus save his discithors, we learn the best, the most la-ples much time and pains by boured, and most refined sentiments even of those wise and learned men, for they have studied hard, and

when

shortening the labours of their closet and private studies. He can shew you what were the doc

seems obscure in his discourse, and to inform us of his whole meaning, so that we are in much less danger of mistaking his sense; whereas in books, whatsoever is really obscure may also abide always obscure without remedy, since the author is not at hand, that we may enquire his sense.

trines of the ancients in a compendium, which perhaps would cost much labour and the perusal of many books to attain. He can inform you what new doctrines or sentiments are rising in the world, before they come to be public; as well as acquaint you with his own private thoughts, and his own experiments and observations, which never were, and per-upon any theme with a friend, we haps never will be, published to the world, and yet may be very valuable and useful.

dies.

"2. When we are discoursing

may propose our doubts and objections against his sentiments, and have them solved and answered at once. The difficulties that arise in our minds may be removed by one enlightening word of our correspondent.

"3. A living instructor, on some subjects, can convey to our senses those notions with which he would furnish our minds, by making experiments before our eyes. He 3. Not only the doubts which can make out the demonstration in arise in the mind upon any subject a more intelligible manner by sen- of discourse are easily proposed sible means, which cannot be done and solved in conversation, but so well by mere reading. A the very difficulties we meet with in living teacher, therefore, is a books, and in our private studies, most necessary help in our stu-may find a relief by friendly conference. We may pore upon a "4. When an instructor in his knotty point in solitary meditation lectures delivers any matter of dif-many months without a solution, ficulty, or expresses himself in such because, perhaps, we have gotten a manner as seems obscure, so into a wrong tract of thought. that you do not take up his ideas But if we note down this difficulty clearly or fully, you have oppor-when we read it, we may propose tunity, at least, when the lecture it to an ingenious correspondent is finished, or at other proper sea-when we see him; we may be resons, to enquire how such a sentence should be understood, or how such a difficulty may be explained

and removed.

lieved in a moment, and find the difficulty vanish: he beholds the object, perhaps, in a different view, sets it before us in quite another light, and leads us at once into evidence and truth, and that with a delightful surprise.

"IV. Conversation is the next method of improvement, and it is attended with the following advantages: "4. Conversation calls out into 1. When we converse familiar-light what has been lodged in all the ly with a learned friend, we have recesses and secret chambers of the his own help at hand to explain to soul: by occasional hints and inus every word and sentiment thatcidents it brings old useful notions