Some five years afterward, he was married to Miss Catharine Jones, the daughter of Dr. Jones, a distinguished physician in New York. This union was broken, after a continuation of four years, by the sudden death of Governor Clinton. In widowed loneliness his estimable companion still survives. Amid all the acrimonious censures which the violence of party strife cast upon Clinton, it is no small praise, that the unsullied purity of his private life was never, even by a word, drawn into question.

Too

But, above all, Dewitt Clinton was a decided and earnest Christian, illustrating his faith by an open profession, and by a life spent in the practice of Christian virtues. To this interesting fact, in the personal history of this illustrious statesman, his worthy biographer, we lament to perceive, has not given that prominence which its importance, and the peculiar circumstances of the times, would seem to demand. It is our lot to live at a period when, with a few exceptions, the learned in our courts of justice, and the statesmen and orators, who occupy the seats in our legislative halls, neglect, if they do not secretly contemn, the religion of Jesus Christ. many, it is to be feared, are prone to regard this prevalent neglect of Christianity as an indication of minds endowed with a wide comprehension, and more deeply imbued with the philosophic spirit. This is a most dangerous error. A practical belief in Christianity, while it directs the conscience aright, and gives symmetry to action, lends to the intellect a steadier and more vigorous aim, sharpens its sagacity, and enlarges its comprehension. Who more than the statesman needs the restraints which personal religion throws around the passions? Who more exposed to the seductions of unhallowed ambition? Who so much requires that his mind should be anchored in great and indestructible principles? Thus thought Dewitt Clinton. In the meridian of life, in the maturity of his powers, in the midst of his renown, he bowed himself in profound humility at the foot of the cross. He became a

communicant of the Presbyterian church in Albany, and he lived answerably to his high profession. His death, though sudden, found him not unprepared. When informed by his physician, that his disease, dropsy of the chest, must soon terminate fatally, he replied, in the very

language of Washington, to his physician, "Doctor, I am not afraid to die!" He died on the 11th of February,

1828, at the age of fifty-nine.

"His countenance underwent no change in death; there was no struggle or convulsion; the color of his cheeks was unchanged; and his departure was as quiet as if he had dropped asleep.

"The death of no person ever produced a greater and more general expression of sorrow throughout the whole State, and in a great portion of the Union.

"The feelings of party animosity, which had pursued him through life, and which had not altogether abated, ceased at once. All classes, ranks, and factions joined in deploring his loss, at the moment when his services were as much needed as they had ever been, and when he appeared to be more than ever capable of rendering them. The citizens, in public meetings in all the cities of the State; the Legislature, which was in session at the time, and the municipal corporations, united in the expression of a heartfelt sorrow.”—p. 296.

We have now completed our sketch of the life and character of Dewitt Clinton. He was not exempt from the frailties of human nature, yet rarely has it fallen to the lot of any one man, to unite such various and commanding qualities in his own person. He was not more remarkable for the extent, than for the harmony, of his powers. In fine, he was a man of true genius, a scholar, a jurist, a statesman, an effective speaker, an enlightened political economist, a scientific and practical projector, a polished gentleman, an humble Christian. Such was Dewitt Clinton. He has departed, and his fame has become the property of his country. Already is he ranked among the benefactors of the times in which he lived; and, as century after century shall pass away, brighter and brighter still will shine the record of his worth.

ARTICLE IV.

TURRETIN ON THE MILLENNIUM.

Turretin on the Millennium. Translated from the Latin, with some alterations and additions, by the Editor.*

THE doctrine of the Chiliasts to be examined is the following, viz., there is to be a personal reign of Christ a thousand years before the end of the world, and a resurrection of the saints, particularly of the martyrs, to participate in that reign. We must here distinguish between two different classes of Chiliasts, the grosser and the more moderate. The former have fallen into dangerous error, maintaining that the Jews, restored to their own land, and to the enjoyment of the laws and institutions of Moses, the believing of all nations then on the earth, and the saints, risen from the dead, are to constitute an earthly kingdom of a voluptuous character, and are to indulge in every kind of sensual delight until the time of the general resurrection. The original propounder of this doctrine, according to Eusebius and Augustine, was Cerinthus, who, with other Jewish errors, adopted that of a temporal reign of Christ, which he attempted to propagate not without

success.

Besides these grosser Chiliasts, whose views are, at the present day, exploded, there is a more moderate class, who, while they insist on the millennial reign of Christ in a temporal kingdom at the end of the world, repudiate the idea of a revival of Judaism and of voluptuous enjoyments. They believe that there will be a particular resurrection of the saints, at least, of the martyrs, who, before the general resurrection, shall reign with Christ a thousand years on the earth. According to them, there is to be, after the conflict with the wicked shall be ended, a state of perfect tranquillity and happiness. The Jews will be converted, the Gentiles assembled together from

* Theologia Loc. XX, Quæst. 3.

all parts of the earth, all heresies rooted out, all sects abolished, Antichrist overcome, and a public triumph held over all enemies. This form of Chiliasm originated with Papias, bishop of Hierapolis. He was followed by Justin Martyr, Irenæus, Tertullian, Apollinarius, Lactantius, and some others. In our own age, Piscator, Alsted, Mede, and Launæus may be mentioned as the chief supporters of this doctrine.

It will be perceived, that this hypothesis consists of two distinct parts: First, that Christ will establish an earthly kingdom a thousand years before the general judgment; secondly, that he will raise the bodies of the saints, or at least, of the martyrs, before the establishment of that kingdom. It will be proper to examine these two points. separately.

In regard to the first part of the hypothesis, our object will be to show that no such kingdom is to be expected.

1. The Scriptures mention only two advents of Christ, his incarnation, and his final appearance in glory. They always describe the latter as occurring in conjunction with the last judgment. They speak of only one future advent, that in which the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. The dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. This august event is not to be followed by a millennial reign, but eternal life is to be awarded to the righteous, and everlasting punishment to the wicked, in proof of which we refer the reader to the following passages, viz., Acts 1: 11.3: 21. 1 Cor. 15: 25, 26, and 52. 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17. and Heb. 9: 28. [The passage in 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17, has no reference to a first and a second resurrection. When it is said, "the dead in Christ shall rise first," the apostle does not mean that they shall rise before the wicked, respecting whom he had no occasion to speak, as his object was simply to console Christians in regard to their departed brethren. He was describing the relative condition of two classes of believers, those that had died and those that should be still surviving; and was exhibiting a view of their future condition that was equally joyful in regard to both;-the one should be called forth from their graves, the other should be caught up into the

clouds and should be changed. But the dead in Christ should rise first, that is, before the surviving should be changed. This stupendous display of divine power was not to introduce the children of God into an earthly millennial kingdom, but to prepare them to be for ever with the Lord in a heavenly state. This coming of Christ, which is to be immediately followed by an eternal state of blessedness, is no other than that mentioned in Acts 1: 11, where it is said, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." That no other advent of this description is to intervene between his ascension and his last glorious appearing, is plainly asserted in Acts 3: 21, where Peter says, "whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things." If it were possible that there should be any doubt as to the meaning of these words, the language of Paul in 1 Cor. 15, would dispel all doubt and make the meaning plain. Here also the apostle, in speaking of the general resurrection, had occasion to treat of it as it affected believers only, for he was pointing out the sad consequences to them of the denial of the doctrine;"then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." But Christ, the first-fruits had risen, consequently they must rise. "But every man in his own order; Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's, at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God." This language explicitly teaches, that the resurrection of the righteous shall terminate his reign. "Then cometh the end," evidently refers to Christ's mediatorial reign. The supposition, that it means the end of the resurrection, or the resurrection of the wicked, as the third and last in order, is not supported by the connection. The language itself does not suggest that interpretation. It can hardly be supposed, that Paul would have expressed his ideas in so singular a manner. The reign of Christ is to continue up to a certain limit, and that limit is fixed. "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet." If there is but one resurrection for the righteous and the wicked, then the end would come immediately after the resurrection of the righteous. All things would have been put under him, and death, the last enemy, destroyed. There is clearly no room here for a millennial reign after