APPENDIX.

The following extracts will show how extensively entertained are the sentiments that pervade this work.

Says Rev. H. H. Milman: "The future dominion of some great king to descend from the line of David, to triumph over all his enemies, and to establish a universal kingdom of peace and happiness, was probably an authorized opinion long before the advent."

Rev. Edward Bickersteth remarks: "There have been from age to age those who have held the personal coming of Christ before the millennium, but where is the voice of the Church as to a spiritual millennium, uncommenced, and to last 1000 years before his real coming? The idea of a spiritual millennium, which is not yet begun, before our Lord's return, is sometimes called the old way, the old paths; but is it not an entire novelty of modern times? Has it any plea of general antiquity whatever to urge in its behalf? I believe not. Bishop Hall in his list of varied opinions on this subject gives no intimation of it. I have not been able to trace it higher than Dr. Whitby, who speaks of it as a new hypothesis' at the beginning of the eighteenth century."

6

"In latter ages," says Dr. Burnet, "they seemed to have dropped one-half, namely the renovation of nature, which Irenæus, Justin Martyr, and the ancients, join inseparably with the millennium: and by this omission, the doctrine hath been made less intelligible, and one part of it inconsistent with another." "We are well aware," says Professor Bush, "of the imposing array of venerable names by which it is surrounded, as if it were the bed of Solomon guarded by three-score valiant men of Israel, all holding swords, and expert in war.”

Rev. J. W. Brooks: "It is still further encouraging to find

the number daily increasing of able and pious ministers who are becoming sensible of the duty of investigating this important branch of Scripture, and are beginning to be persuaded of the premillennial advent of our Lord."

The Rev. W. Burgh in one of his sermons relates the following conversation between a Christian minister and a Jew: "Taking a New Testament and opening it at Luke i. 32, the Jew asked, 'Do you believe that what is here written shall be literally accomplished-the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever?' 'I do not,' answered the clergyman, ‘but rather take it to be figurative language, descriptive of Christ's spiritual reign over the church." 'Then,' replied the Jew, neither do I believe literally the words preceding, which say that this Son of David should be born of a virgin; but take them to be merely a figurative manner of describing the remarkable character for purity of him who is the subject of the prophecy.' 'But why,' continued the Jew, do you refuse to believe literally verses 32 and 33, while you believe implicitly the far more incredible statement of verse 31?' 'I believe it,' replied the clergyman, because it is a fact.' 'Ah!' exclaimed the Jew, with an inexpressible air of scorn and triumph, 'you believe Scripture because it is a fact; I believe it because it is the Word of God.'”

Calvin, in his notes on Isa, xi. 6-8, remarks: "He asserts here the change of the nature of wild beasts, and the restitution of the creation as at first." On Isa. xxiv. 23: “Christ shall hereafter establish his Church on earth in a most glorious estate. At length God shall enjoy his own right among us, and have his due honour, when all his creatures being gathered into order, he alone is resplendent in our eyes.”

Matthew Henry: "Christ's second coming will be a regeneration (Matt. xix. 28), when there shall be new heavens and a new earth, and a restitution of all things.”

In his Commentary on 2 Peter iii. Dr. A. Clarke writes as follows: "All these things will be dissolved, separated, he decomposed; but none of them will be destroyed. And as they are the original matter out of which God formed the terraqueous globe; consequently they may enter again into the composition of a new system; and therefore the apostle says, 'We look for a new heaven and a new earth;' the others being decomposed, a new system is to be formed out of their materials."

"I do not believe," says William Anderson, “that the earth shall be annihilated, but that, rectified and beautified, it shall last for ever as the happy abode of the saints."

Dr. J. Pye Smith: "The prophecies respecting the kingdom of Messiah, its extent and duration, and the happiness of his innumerable subjects, are in a much greater proportion than those which describe his humiliation to sufferings and his dreadful death.

Dr. Stephen Tyng: "The covenant made by God to Abraham remains to this day utterly unfulfilled. The fifth universal monarchy remains to be established upon the earth. The king that is to rule is the Son of Man, who will make a personal manifestation of himself."

"Milton believes," says Dr. Channing, "that Christ is to appear visibly for the judgment of the world, and that He will reign a thousand years on earth, at the end of which period Satan will assail the Church with an innumerable confederacy and be overwhelmed with everlasting ruin. He speaks of the judgment as beginning with Christ's second advent, and as comprehending his own government through the millennium as well as the closing scene, when sentence will be pronounced on evil angels and on the whole human race."

In view of that solemn day, how appropriate the language of Jerome: "Whether I eat or drink, or in whatever other action or employment I am engaged, that solemn voice always seems to sound in my ears, 'Arise ye dead and come to judgment!' As often as I think of the day of judgment, my heart quakes, and my whole frame trembles. If I am to indulge in any of the pleasures of this present life, I am resolved to do it 'in such a way that the solemn realities of the future judgment may never be banished from my recollection."

Sir Robert Peel: "Every aspect of the present times viewed in the light of the past warrants the belief that we are on the eve of a universal change."

In the language of Mrs. H. B. Stowe: "This is an age of the world when nations are trembling and convulsed. A mighty influence is abroad, surging and heaving the world as with an earthquake."

Dr. Wm. Channing: "History and philosophy plainly show to me in human nature the foundation and promise of a better era, and Christianity concurs with these."-And as Dr. Tyng remarks: "While all human appearances indicate the approach of changes more important than any man

the number daily increasing of able and pious ministers who are becoming sensible of the duty of investigating this important branch of Scripture, and are beginning to be persuaded of the premillennial advent of our Lord.”

The Rer. W. Burgh in one of his sermons relates the following conversation between a Christian minister and a Jew: "Taking a New Testament and opening it at Luke i. 32, the Jew asked, 'Do you believe that what is here written shall be literally accomplished—the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever?' 'I do not,' answered the clergyman, but rather take it to be figurative language, descriptive of Christ's spiritual reign over the church. 'Then,' replied the Jew, neither do I believe literally the words preceding, which say that this Son of David should be born of a virgin; but take them to be merely a figurative manner of describing the remarkable character for purity of him who is the subject of the prophecy.' 'But why,' continued the Jew, 'do you refuse to believe literally verses 32 and 33, while you believe implicitly the far more incredible statement of verse 31?' 'I believe it,' replied the clergyman, ‘because it is a fact.'‘Ah!' exclaimed the Jew, with an inexpressible air of scorn and triumph, you believe Scripture because it is a fact; I believe it because it is the Word of God.""

Calvin, in his notes on Isa. xi. 6-8, remarks: "He asserts here the change of the nature of wild beasts, and the restitution of the creation as at first." On Isa. xxiv. 23: "Christ shall hereafter establish his Church on earth in a most glorious estate. At length God shall enjoy his own right among us, and have his due honour, when all his creatures being gathered into order, he alone is resplendent in our eyes.”

Matthew Henry: "Christ's second coming will be a regeneration (Matt. xix. 28), when there shall be new heavens and a new earth, and a restitution of all things."

In his Commentary on 2 Peter iii. Dr. A. Clarke writes as follows: "All these things will be dissolved, separated, be decomposed; but none of them will be destroyed. And as they are the original matter out of which God formed the terraqueous globe; consequently they may enter again into the composition of a new system; and therefore the apostle says, 'We look for a new heaven and a new earth;' the others being decomposed, a new system is to be formed out of their materials."

"I do not believe," says William Anderson, "that the earth shall be annihilated, but that, rectified and beautified, it shall last for ever as the happy abode of the saints."

Dr. J. Pye Smith: "The prophecies respecting the kingdom of Messiah, its extent and duration, and the happiness of his innumerable subjects, are in a much greater proportion than those which describe his humiliation to sufferings and his dreadful death.

Dr. Stephen Tyng: "The covenant made by God to Abraham remains to this day utterly unfulfilled. The fifth universal monarchy remains to be established upon the earth. The king that is to rule is the Son of Man, who will make a personal manifestation of himself."

"Milton believes," says Dr. Channing, "that Christ is to appear visibly for the judgment of the world, and that He will reign a thousand years on earth, at the end of which period Satan will assail the Church with an innumerable confederacy and be overwhelmed with everlasting ruin. He speaks of the judgment as beginning with Christ's second advent, and as comprehending his own government through the millennium as well as the closing scene, when sentence will be pronounced on evil angels and on the whole human race.

In view of that solemn day, how appropriate the language of Jerome: "Whether I eat or drink, or in whatever other action or employment I am engaged, that solemn voice always seems to sound in my ears, 'Arise ye dead and come to judgment!' As often as I think of the day of judgment, my heart quakes, and my whole frame trembles. If I am to indulge in any of the pleasures of this present life, I am resolved to do it 'in such a way that the solemn realities of the future judgment may never be banished from my recollection."

Sir Robert Peel: "Every aspect of the present times viewed in the light of the past warrants the belief that we are on the eve of a universal change."

In the language of Mrs. H. B. Stowe: "This is an age of the world when nations are trembling and convulsed. A mighty influence is abroad, surging and heaving the world as with an earthquake.”

Dr. Wm. Channing: "History and philosophy plainly show to me in human nature the foundation and promise of a better era, and Christianity concurs with these."-And as Dr. Tyng remarks: "While all human appearances indicate the approach of changes more important than any man