arguing against the Gnostics and others who allegorised the Scriptures. He accordingly goes on to shew, that these things, such, for instance, as the first resurrection, &c. must take place on earth, and not in heaven; that Christ drinking the wine new in his Father's kingdom, must relate to the Church on earth; that the reign of the just must also take place here; and that the glorious times predicted by the prophets must all relate to that reign. And in this the pious father is certainly correct. The most remarkable part of his comment, however, usually adverted to, occurs in chap. xxxiii. where he cites a tradition from Papias, stating that at this period every vine shall bear ten thousand branches, every branch shall have as many limbs, and so on. This Eusebius (Eccles. Hist. lib. iii. last chap.) has condemned, and thinks that it was Papias who generally gave rise to the notion of an earthly paradise. My remark is: I can see no reason whatever for supposing this. Papias might have thought proper to symbolise the kingdom of heaven by a very fruitful vine, just as our Lord has by a grain of mustard-seed, which, being at first exceedingly small, will produce a very large tree, such as to afford safety and shelter both to the birds and beasts; or, as he has symbolised his own person, by a vine, his servants by the branches, which must be purged in order to their producing much fruit. It is quite evident, I think, from Papias's expressions, as cited by Irenæus, that he did not intend to be understood literally; when, for instance, he says, that each vine shall have ten thousand branches, limbs, bunches, &c. &c., things quite out of nature, and which have no possible connection with religion, unless taken figuratively; and the wonder is how Eusebius could have so far forgotten himself as to think they had, particularly as he has also used language equally strong and liable to be misunderstood, when speaking of the glories of Christ's church. See the Demonstratio Evangelica, lib. i. cap. 10. near the end, where he cites Is. xxv. 6, which might easily be converted into the doctrine of an earthly sensual paradise. But Eusebius had perhaps been offended by the doctrines of the Millenarians, and therefore language of this bold sort was likely enough to be thought heterodox by him. The heretics might indeed have mistaken this tradition; but so has Eusebius: and yet Papias is not to blame. The same has been the case with the law, the prophets, and the gospels, and, in this respect, Eusebius charges Cerinthus; and yet no one will hence argue, that the fault lies in those writings. The same may be said both of Papias and Irenæus; both are capable of being misunderstood; and, as far as I can see, both have been misunderstood. I will merely remark, in conclusion, that on this view it is impossible to make out any consistent sense whatever in the context of Irenæus; but, when we consider against whom he was writing, and take into the account the symbolical language used by the prophets, which he cites in great abundance, as well as certain parts of the New Testament, which will scarcely admit of any interpretation except that which he gives, we shall find that the father is simple, easy, and generally accurate, on this interesting question.* In one instance I think he is wrong: he makes this first resurrection to take place after the destruction of antichrist, (which would be true in some sense). St. John, however, makes it take place before that event, which I understand to be during the (aλyyɛveσía, Matt. xix. 28 or) first preaching of the Gospel by our Lord and his Apostles. On this interesting subject, then, see Irenæus, lib. iv. cap. 25. who cites as decisive on this point, 2 Thess. ii. 3, 4; Matt. xxiv. 15, 16, 17, 21; Dan. vii. 8, 21, 25. The passage "a time and times, and the dividing of times," he takes to signify three years and a half, during which antichrist is, according to him, to reign on the earth. He then quotes 2 Thess. ii. 8-12, which I have already noticed as referring to the loosing of Satan at the expiration of the apostolical millennium. Again, he cites Daniel, viii. 12, 23-25, and concludes: "Ex quibus omnibus non tantum quæ sunt apostasiæ manifestantur, et quæ sunt ejus, qui in se recapitulatur omnem diabolicum errorem; sed et quoniam unus et idem Deus Pater, qui a prophetis annuntiatus, a Christo autem manifestatus. Si enim quæ a Daniele propheta sunt de fine, Dominus comprobavit : Quum videritis, dicens, abomina * The only difficulty I can find in this father, is in chap. xxxiii. near the end, where he speaks of the animals being reduced to human authority; but this surely can be stretched no farther than the supposition, that under Christian governments, the carnivorous beasts shall be confined to their native wilds, so as not to prey upon man. tionem desolationis, quæ dicta est per Danielem prophetam,” &c. So Ignatius, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, and on his journey to suffer at Rome: "The last times are come upon us; let us therefore be very reverent, and fear the longsuffering of God," &c.-Archb. Wake's edit. p. 69. And in the Catholic Epistle of Barnabas, (ib. p. 163): "searching diligently into those things which are near to come to pass," &c...." For the consummation of sin is come, as it is written, as the Prophet Daniel says, (Dan. viii. 23): And for this end the Lord hath shortened the times and the days, that his beloved might hasten his coming to his inheritance. For so the prophet speaks: There shall ten kings reign, &c. chap. vii. 24, 7. We ought," adds he, We ought," adds he, "to understand this also," &c. Again, p. 187:"His Son shall come and shall abolish the season of the wicked one, and judge the ungodly; and shall change the sun;....then he shall gloriously rest in that seventh day." Ib. p. 194: "The day is at hand....the Lord is near, and his reward is with him.” Tertullian's notions on this subject, which are sufficiently fanciful and confused, may be seen in the Lord Bishop of Lincoln's excellent work on that father, pp. 362, 363, and an abstract of the comment of Hippolytus here on chap. xii. &c. 7,8,&c. At the expiration of this term, Satan is accordingly loosed, or, in the words of chap. xiii. 3, 12, his deadly wound is so far healed as to enable him to make war upon the saints and to succeed to a certain extent. So here, he goes forth and collects numbers from among the unconverted Gentiles, and then surrounds the camp of the saints; but fire comes down from heaven, as in the case of Elijah, and the army is destroyed. The dragon now, who deceived the nations, is cast into hell, where the beast and false prophet are also lodged, (compare chap. xii. 12); and this is to be their portion to all eternity.* Here ends the conflict with the great foes of the Church. No future conflict of this description is to be expected. The throne of God is now fixed in the earth, the Books, the Scriptures of truth, are now opened; the Law to instruct and to condemn, the Gospel to encourage and to save; and according to their declarations, all who come into judgment shall receive their doom,-" This * See Justin Martyr, Apol. (ed. 1700) p. 56. is the second death," i. e. that which succeeds the mortal life of those, who are spiritually dead while they live, (1 Tim. v. 6, &c.) CHAP. XXI. XXII. The conflict with the earthly Jerusalem, the beast, and the false prophet, being now over, we have nothing more to do than to recount the particulars of victory, and to see in what way these apply to the ancient oracles of God, and to the future glories of his kingdom. Ver. 1-6. We here have a vision of the New Jerusalem, or Church of Christ descending from heaven, as given in the symbolical language of the prophets. Let us advert to the particulars.* "I saw a new heaven and a new earth," &c. Allusion is here made to Is. lxv., which commences with particulars relating to this period, as may be seen from Rom. ix. 25, &c. In ver. 8-10, the remnant to be saved is also mentioned. See Rom. ib. 27, and the passages there referred to. Again, ver. 11-15, we have the utter overthrow of the infidel * So the Commentary of Arethas, or rather of Andreas (for there is a palpable difference in their opinions), on this place. Lactantius also, describing the glories of these times, thus addresses his friend Donatus:— "Audivit Dominus orationes tuas, Donate carissime.... Ecce addetur his omnibus adversarius; et restituta per orbem tranquillitate, profligata nuper ecclesia rursum exsurgit, et majore gloria templum Dei, quod ab impiis fuerat eversum, misericordia Domini fabricatur.....Nunc post tantæ tempestatis violentos turbines placidus aër et optata lux refulsit. Nunc placatus servorum suorum Deus jacentes et afflictos cœlesti auxilio sublevavit. Nunc mærentium lacrymas, extincta impiorum conspiratione, detersit. Qui adversati erant Deo jacent; qui templum sanctum everterant, ruina majore ceciderunt; qui justos excarnificaverant, calestibus plagis et cruciatibus meritis nocentes animas profuderunt."-De Mortibus Persecutorum. So Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. ix. cap. 8. "Quæ dum ita geruntur, magnus ille ac cœlestis Christianorum propugnator Deus....benignæ suæ erga nos providentiæ serenissimam lucem nobis restituit," &c. And again Lactantius, at the end of the tract just cited: "Ubi sunt modo magnifica illa et clara per gentes Joviorum et Herculiorum cognomina, quæ primum à Dioclete ac Maximiano insolenter assumpta, ac postmodum ad successores eorum translata, viguerunt? Nempe delevit ea Dominus et erasit de terra. Celebremus igitur triumphum Dei cum exultatione, victoriam Domini cum laudibus frequentemus, diurnis nocturnisque precibus celebremus, ut pacem post annos decem plebi suæ datam confirmet in seculum." The English reader may consult Bishop Burnet's translation of this work (On the Deaths of the Persecutors). Jews, and a new name to be given to the Church. Then from ver. 17 to the end, the prediction respecting the new heavens and earth, with its privileges, are enumerated; and which is again adverted to in chap. lxvi. 22. 2. " And I John saw," &c. The Evangelist seems to have his eye principally on the xlvth Psalm (which St. Paul has applied to Christ, see Heb. i. 8.) from ver. 9 to the end of which, the spiritual union of Christ with his Church is symbolically predicted, and the ornaments of the bride are particularly mentioned. In Isaiah, chap. lii. the subject is also taken up; and this portion of Scripture has, we know (see Luke, iii. 6; Rom. ii. 24. x.15; 2 Cor. vi. 17, &c.), been applied to the Apostolic times by inspired authority. Hence I think, we may rest assured, that both the prophets and the Apocalypse had these times before them, when these declarations were made. 3. We have here an explanation which cannot fail to make all clear and decisive: "Behold," it is said, "the tabernacle of God is with men," &c. generally," and they shall be his people," &c. That is, the Church is, in all its beauty, purity, and splendour, now universal; the remnant, according to the election of grace, have come in, and with them the countless myriads of the Gentiles; and the same God, who is rich to all, is now their acknowledged Creator and Father. 4." And God shall wipe away," &c. Here, the consolations of true Christianity, or, what is the same thing, of complete (Col. ii. 10) Christians, are depicted: not, let it be remembered, the character of professing Christians generally; for many of these, although within the walls, are frequently without the pale, of the Church, as we shall presently see. Reference is again made to the prophecies, and the language is mostly symbolical. See Is. xxv. 8. xxxv. 10. Ixi. 3. lxv. 19. "There shall be no more death;" no more spiritual death, because these are partakers of the first resurrection (see chap. xx. 5, 6). St. Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 23, &c. seems to have had some of these passages in view, when he says: "Christ the first fruit (i. e. from the dead); afterward they that are Christ's at his coming," &c. to ver. 27, where he appears to extend the privileges of the first resurrection to the second; or, in other words, taking his theme from the doc |
