suaded the ten kingdoms, into which it was divided, to make an image resembling him. This image is the papacy. The pope of Rome claimed the same authority that was possessed by the ancient emperors, and it was granted to him by the great majority. He was their image, usurping the same powers, requiring the same homage, exercising the same tyranny, presiding in the same city; all that were disobedient were exposed, not only to excommunication, but to death.

Thus St. John includes in this chapter the secular Roman empire, the ecclesiastical Roman empire, and the pope, the head of that church.

All, except the martyrs of Jesus, received a mark in their right hands, or in their foreheads; and without this, civil privileges were forfeited. It is an allusion to ancient customs. It was usual for slaves to receive the mark of their masters, soldiers of their general, worshippers of their idols. These were impressed on the right hand, or the forehead, and were of various kinds. I know not that it is necessary to seek any external mark: I suppose it to be merely a figurative expression, to denote the professed obedience and public subjection to the church of Rome.

We have but one more question remaining: What is the number of the beast? That there is a mystery in the number is evident, from the expressions of the sacred writer: "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is six hundred threescore and six." Without entering into those critical disquisitions that would be misplaced on this occasion, it will be sufficient for me to say, that I am persuaded of the correctness of the inter

pretation given by Clarke, in his learned volume on this subject. It is a name that must be sought for in Greek, the language in which the apostle wrote. It is the name of the beast, or kingdom, of which he is treating. We must expect to find it in the simplest mode employed by the Greeks in expressing a kingdom. It has been shown, by a minute and particular examination of the Greek names of all the kingdoms that have ever existed or been mentioned, that there is not one that in any of the ordinary modes of expressing a kingdom gives, by the value of its numeral letters, six hundred and sixty-six,* except that to which it is evident, by the context, the apostle here refers: 'H Aalin Bar, the Latin kingdom.

All of you who are conversant in the history of that period of the world, know the propriety of this appellation to the Romish power. From the division of the empire into east and west, till the dissolution of the western empire, the subjects of both were called Romans. After this, the inhabitants of the western empire lost the name of Romans, and were called after their respective kingdoms. The eastern was still, however, called the Roman empire, till after its destruction (in 1453) by Mahomet II. the Turkish sultan. But the subjects of the eastern empire, from and even before the time of Charlemagne, called the western people, or those under the influence of the Romish church, Latins; and their church, the Latin church. Hence the division of the whole Christian church into Latin and Greek;

*

8-λ 30-α -α 1—7 300—10— 50—» 8—ß 2—a 1—o 200— 10—λ 30-, 5—¡ 10—ɛ 1.-Total, 666.

hence the name here given to this antichristian power.

I fear that, from the brevity that I have studied, there may be some obscurity in my illustrations to those of you who have been but little in the habit of perusing the prophetical writings. Should this be the case, the difficulties will be removed when we arrive at the seventeenth chapter, when these two beasts are again presented to us.

My brethren, while I have been retracing to you the calamities inflicted by civil and ecclesiastical tyranny, I have not forgotten the privileges which we enjoy, privileges which this day are so forcibly recalled to us. I fear not to violate the sanctity of this house, nor the holiness of the Sabbath, by reminding you of them, and calling you to exercise gratitude for them.

Instead of a form of government that claims as its symbol a ferocious beast; that has received authority from the dragon; we have one such as the most wise and virtuous of ancient legislators laboured in vain to accomplish; such as speculative statesmen of former ages rather delineated in idea than expected ever to see carried into execution; a government where the rights of the individual are secured, as well as they can be by any human institution; where the laws are not arbitrary, depending only on the caprice, the interest, or the passions of a single man but fixed, made by yourselves, and to be suspended or changed only by those who enacted them; a form of government which, by the admirable union of liberty and energy that is found in it, preserves us on the one hand from the horrors of despotism, and, on the other hand, from a furious

licentiousness, more bloody and ferocious than despotism.

And let us rejoice that we are equally free from the cruel dominion of the second beast; that we are not compelled to receive our sentiments from the prince or the established priest; but have the inestimable privilege of worshipping God according to the dictates of our consciences; that religion is not here polluted by the touch of the secular arm; that there are here no flames, no racks, no inquisition, no tortures, no civil disabilities, for those who refuse to bear on their foreheads or their hands the sign of a particular church. The sacred rights of conscience, which know no other master than God, are here unassailed. Religion presents itself to you in its native charms; and, relying upon Him from whom it proceeds, asks no other support. We have often said, and we repeat it, If the truths which we preach are not of God, let them fall; if they have been taught by him, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against" them.

These are reflections that are naturally excited by the subject of our lecture, and by the remembrance of that glorious event which this day commemorates; and they are reflections which enable us to look forward with composure to those woes that will yet be inflicted upon some part of the church, at the slaying of the witnesses. This event, we have seen, is yet future. It is the punishment of persecution, and when it occurs, we shall sympathize with our brethren. But when God thus "rises to make inquisition for blood," we shall be safe. Numerous as our sins are, we have never formed a street of the mystical Babylon, where the divine

vengeance is to be displayed; we have not shed the blood of the martyrs, nor persecuted the sons of Abraham. Our land was in a great degree peopled by those who fled from oppression, and it has not ceased to be the asylum of the afflicted of all nations. Ever may it retain this high character; ever may it be free from the power both of the secular and the ecclesiastical beast; from civil and religious tyranny! And we shall then continually see, as we have seen, the cause of the Redeemer perpetually extending in our country; many converted to him; and the millennial glories hastened by numerous revivals. Thus may we all be brought into the liberty of the sons of God; be made free from sin and from vassalage to Satan; and become the children of the

Redeemer.

*