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dom , which will take place at the conversion of Jews and Gentiles, and be 
completed by the resurrection of the saints, to reign with him a thousand 
years. And that this will be in reality the case, I am fully convinced, by 
observing from St. Matthew’s gospel, that St. John and our Saviour 
united in allotting it to the good and righteous, and that the latter speaks of 
it afterwards in terms descriptive of that kingdom of Christ on earth, which 
the apocalyptic Apostle calls the first resurrection. 
Noiv when Jesus, says St. Matthew, heard that John was cast into 
prison, he departed into Galilee, &c. and from that time he began to preach, 
and to say, as John before had said, and with a view to the same event 
most certainly, or St. Matthew would not have failed pointing out the 
difference ; he began to preach and to say, “ Repent ye, for the kingdom of 
heaven is at hand” and made it the constant subject of his pious ministry; 
plainly pointing out the approach of it to his disciples, in that most excellent 
sermon from the mount ; at other times shadowing it out to them in par ablest 
and at length, in express terms, commanding them to petition first, in that 
most solemn form of words, which makes, with the utmost propriety, an 
oft-repeated part of our public liturgy— When ye pray, say—Our Father, 
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name\ thy kingdom come\ thy will be 
done in earth, as in heaven ,” &c. that kingdom of Heaven wherein there is 
joy in the presence of angels—which no man taketh away —-that kingdom of 
Heaven, wherein they, who shall be thought worthy to inherit it, will be 
blessed —wherein the righteous shall shine forth as the sun ; and into which 
the wicked shall not enter ; but on the contrary, that kingdom of Heaven, in 
short, to be enjoyed by the righteous, but the wicked excluded from it. And 
this will be that same state of glory and happiness, which St. John describes 
in the apocalypse, I am convinced, because several circumstances relative to 
the one agree exactly with some particulars, mentioned by our Saviour and 
his apostles, respecting the other. 
Blessed, says our Saviour, are they which are persecuted for righteousness 
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. 
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say 
all manner of evil a gams t you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding 
glad, for great is your reward in heaven ; for so persecuted they the prophets 
which were before you. That is, they were, as will some of you my disciples 
be, persecuted unto the death ; were slain with the sword, were beheaded, ike. 
Agreeably to all this, says the apocalyptic Apostle in his description of the 
first resurrection state, I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the 
