would seem the apostle might not have been so explicit to tell them that the dead in Christ should rise first. But if the difference between the resurrection of the saint and sinner shall be but as a moment, as it were, or even the space of a day, or a month, it would seem such a circumstance could not be a matter of much solicitude to be known. But if we believe there shall transpire a thousand years between, then the thought swells to a vast consequence to be known of the churches, as one of those great events connected with the glory of the Messiah's kingdom on the earth.

In the last line of the 26th verse of the 4th of Thes. the fact is stated that the dead in Christ shall rise first; then immediately it is added in the first line of the following verse, Then we which are alive and REMAIN. Why should this idea of remaining be introduced at all, if those who then are alive shall ascend instantly with those who rise then from the dead?

But here arises another argument. What meanetli St. Paul, 1 Cor. 15, 52, by his mention of the last trump. 51. Behold I show you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. In his conversation upon this subject with the Thessalonians, chap. 4, 16, there is no mention of the sounding of á last trump; but the statement is simply, that at the sound of the archangel's voice, and the trump of God, the dead in Christ shall rise first. But to the Corinthians he taught, 15, 52, there should be a last trump which must sound; at which time, they who were not death or asleep should be changed in the twinkling of

an eye. But here it is not mentioned, that this change shall be effected when the dead in Christ shall rise, but when the last trump shall sound. It is plain, therefore, that the last trump will not sound at the first resurrection, but will delay its sounding till the last resurrection, or resurrection of the wicked dead; at which time the saints who are then on the earth, shall be changed at the sound of the last trump. But if we blend the first sound of the trump with the second, and blend the first resurrection with the second, there will remain a palpable darkness upon the face of this most interesting subject, the resurrection of the saint and sinner.

We are informed by St. Paul to the Corinthians, chap. 15, 26, that The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. This is corroborated by St. John, Rev. 20, 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

In reference to the above verses, I ask the serious reader, if there ever has yet been a time when Satan, who has the power of death, has at all been bereft of his power to tempt the nations to sin? The answer must be, No. Then there must come a time when this will be fulfilled. To this, testifies St. John, Rev. 20, 2. And he (the angel) laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. When shall this be done? At the time of the first resurrection, most certainly. Is this the time when the last enemy is to be destroyed? As it relates to the saints, it is; but as it relates to the earth, and to certain apostates after the Millennium, it

is not; because after the above mentioned bondage, he must be loosed again a little season. It follows, then, that the end of all things cannot come at the time of the first resurrection, as many have supposed. The time to destroy the last enemy is not till the final judgment; when death, that is, Satan, who has the power of death, shall be cast into the lake of fire. This is his death, and is called the second death.

If we say his destruction must come at the saine time with the first resurrection, then, indeed, we prevent forever that happy period of his being bound a thousand in reference to the earth, and also contrayears, dict the Holy Scriptures, which say it shall be so. But I feel constrained to pursue the argument a little farther, and to trace the process of the resurrection, as described by St. Paul to the Corinthians, in another particular.

The order of the resurrection is, first, Christ himself came up from the dead. Second, those that are his at his coming. See 1 Cor. 15, 23. See 1 Cor. 15, 23. But every man in his own order. Christ the first fruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming. Now if it be supposed, that when they that are Christ's shall come forth from the dead, that then all the wicked dead shall also rise, it would evidently attach more to be accomplished by the fulfilment of that verse, than is promised by it, or implied in it; for the promise is, they that are Christ's at his coming, and no other are implied. If, then, at his coming, the righteous only are to be raised from the dead, which will be the fact; and if this first resurrection is also the end of time, or the judgment

day, then it must follow, that they who are not the dead in Christ, will not have any resurrection at all; for we have no account of any resurrection after the judgment day. But the unholy dead must rise also. This is declared by Christ the Lord. See John, 5, 28, 29. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. Here, then, is the resurrection of both kinds.

But the apostle's account proceeds to inform us, that when Christ has put down all rule, all authority and power, that then he shall deliver the kingdom to God, even the Father. See 1 Cor. 15, 24. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom, to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. This rule, this authority, and this power alluded to, is the dominion of Satan in the earth, with all his strong holds, which shall be put down; which fact is also witnessed to by the Revelator when he said, first, Satan shall be bound a thousand years; and second, when he said, he shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death: At which times, those infernal powers shall unloose their grasp of time and things. Then cometh the end when this is done, and not till then ; which things may not be expected at the time of the first resurrection, but at the time of the sound of the last trump, when death, which is the last enemy, shall be destroyed.

And further: As decisive proof that the unholy dead are not to rise when the righteous do, I notice St. John's particular account, which distinguishes their resurrection from that of the righteous, in point of period when it shall be accomplished. His first description is contained in Rev. 20, 4, 5. "And I saw thrones, and they that 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 had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished this is the first resurrection." But his second "And the sea

description is contained, Rev. 20, 13.

gave up the dead which were in it: Death and hell, [that is, the grave, and hades, the place where are confined the souls of the wicked dead] delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works."

The first description states those who shall rise first, shall reign with Christ, and consequently their names were written in the Lamb's book of life; but the second description states, Whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. And concerning these last, it is said in verse 5, that they should not live again till a thousand years were finished. This is the proof, beyond all contradiction, that there will be, between the two resurrection, one thousand years. See Appendix (B)