Popery afterward rose, and reigned long over the kings of the Roman earth. It supported a system of false religion, by false miracles, and by persecution, no better in reality than paganism. This it did in the full sight of the history of the abominations and cruelties of the antecedent paganism; and it continued thus to do, till the pope lost his supremacy in the revolution occasioned by the bursting into power of the system of the Voltaire infidelity in 1789.

The papal beast in our text causes his subjects to receive a mark in their foreheads, or in their hands, which was essential to their title to civil or social rights. In various passages this fact is noted. (See Rev. xiv. 9-11, and xv. 2, and xx. 4.) This mark is expressed in allusion to an ancient custom of masters affixing a mark at their pleasure on their servants in their forehead, or hand, or where they pleased. The papal beast placed no such literal mark on his subjects, but did what is well thus denoted. The mark in the text was such as follows-the sign of the cross must be received-all devotions were performed in Latin, a language unknown to most of the common people. They must be kept in ignorance of their Bibles; being taught that "ignorance is the mother of devotion." In the Catholic church, every thing used to be performed in Latin,-mass, prayers, hymns, litanies, canons, decretals, papal bulls, results of councils, reading the Bible (by the few who could read) and preaching; all formerly must be done in a language unknown to common people. Yet all the people must attend, and hear this trumpery of hypocrisy and ignorance. All were watched; and if any allowed themselves to neglect these papal duties they were denied the privilege of citizens, and were persecuted as hereties. We learn here thus far what was the mark of the beast in those former ages. In subsequent ages, it might vary according to times and circumstances. These things, with all the abominations of popery, the true witnesses refused, and hence were persecuted. Among the marks of the beast, we have his number, and that of his name; which number is 666. This, as the number of his name, is thus explained. The letters, which in Greek (the language in which the New Testament was written) form the name Lateinos, the founder of Rome (real or fictitious) make 666; and thus assure us that Rome is the seat of the papal beast. And the letters which form the name of Rome in Hebrew (in which the Old Testament was written) make 666. We have here a double divine

attestation that the seat of this second beast is Rome. These letters, used numerically (a well known custom of expressing numbers), give this number thus.

text.

The people, then, who glory in the distinctive names and features of this religion, belong to the beast in our When the Jesuits arose with a powerful code of regulations for the support of the sinking papacy, their distinctive marks, whatever they were, were the marks of the beast. And when the illuminees in after days arose to propagate infidelity, their peculiar marks of distinction were marks of the beast. If the same diabolical system is now in operation (as no doubt it is in latent caverns, having been strongly planted in twelve different nations at least) its distinguishing marks whether open, or covert, are the mark of the beast, papal, or infidel. We find both the number of the beast, and the number of his name. The latter has been given. The former possibly means as follows. We have, in different prophecies, several express numbers given; first the 1260 years repeatedly given as the number of the years of the depression of the church under the tyranny of the papal beast, and extending to the battle of the great day. In Dan. xii. we have two express additional numbers,-30, and 45,-relative to the close of the latter of which Daniel says, "Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh; " meaning no doubt that this gives the sunrise of the Millennium. But to what purpose are these express numbers given, unless a fourth number be somewhere furnished to inform of the commencement of the noted 1260 years? for men would never agree when these should commence. But if such a fourth number be given, it might be expected to attend the description of the papal beast, whose rise commences the 1260 years. And here such a number is in fact found, and is called the number of the beast, as well as the number of his name. It is then

as though God should kindly say to man, so gradual was the rise of the papal beast, that you short-sighted man can never tell when to date his rise, and to commence your noted 1260 years. Take then, the commencement of A.D. 666, as the number of the papal beast, and the time of his driving the church into the wilderness, which commences the 1260 years; and add to these sums the 30 and 45, in Dan. xii., and you have the beginning of 2001 as the sunrise of the millennial day, to which time "blessed is he that waiteth and cometh!"-666-1260-30-45—2001. And this is the period in which the best writers have agreed as the commencement of the Millennium, the beginning of 2001, or close of 2000; finding 2000 years before Abraham; 2000 from him to Christ; and 2000 from his day to his millennial kingdom. And with this accords the analogy of the natural week,-six days for labor, and the seventh for rest; one day here being as a thousand years.

Behold the exhibition made of human depravity by the papal see! a beast of abomination! Blessed be God for the sure denunciation, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen." May the knowledge and improvement of the event soon bless the world. And may our religion never be a mere image of paganism; nor a mere image of true religion; but may it be the reality-the life of true religion in the soul, to the glory of God, and our own eternal salvation.

LECTURE XIX.

REVELATION XIV.

The outlines of the great leading events of the first fifteen centuries of the Christian era, have been given in the two preceding chapters. In this chapter, events are given which arose early in the sixteenth century;-the Reformation; and various events following; till the chapter closes in the battle of the great day, as the harvest, and the vintage.

Ver. 1. And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount

Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

We have here a notable appearance of Christ in his church the true Mount Zion, which had long seemed to a distressing degree forsaken of God. The power of popery had long appeared to maintain an impious triumph; and had seemed continually to repeat the blasphemous taunt, "God hath forsaken him; persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him." Long had the man of sin remained in his zenith of impious glory; and had deemed his seat and fortress as fixed among the stars, and for ever secure. But the time of a new era of events for the mother of harlots to compel her to a retrograde motion-had arrived. A climax of fatal judgments was now to open upon this diabolical system, which should close in her being hurled into the burning lake. The events of this chapter were to be synchronical with those of the seven vials, in the two succeeding chapters.

The sixteenth century commenced with vast and portentous events, as will be shown in the lecture on the first vial. Our text assures of a new sealing time, after the dark and horrid papal ages. The mount Zion here, is the true church of Christ. And the hundred and forty and four thousand (a certain number, probably, for an uncertain) were the Protestants of that day. Twelve hundred years before, God's grace had caused a sealing time to bless the Christian empire, as chap. vii. A long and dreary period from that time had lain with dreadful weight on Christ's two witnesses. But scenes of grace at last awoke on Zion. A faithful God will not fail to keep her as the apple of his eye. Martin Luther now appeared, and other powerful coadjutors, by Heaven prepared, to be champions of grace. These, and especially Luther, God girded with his might; and he shielded them as with a wall of fire. These bold reformers drew the horrid veil which long had hid from common view the seas of papal filth and abomination. This caused millions to flee from that sink of pollution, to the firm ground of the Protestant establishment. The name of God inscribed upon the foreheads of the company who now appeared with Christ, alludes to the bold profession and manifest pure religion of those who now renounced the papal see.

Ver. 2. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice

of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.

3. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

4. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb.

5. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

We have here the increasing numbers of the Protestants of that period; their evangelical songs of praise; and their utter disconnexion with the idolatries of popery. The kingdoms of England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, almost half the princes of Germany; large parts of France, of Switzerland, and other realms, relinquished utterly their allegiance to the hierarchy-the papal monster,-and engaged to support the pure religion of the gospel. And the voices of their swelling numbers arose from a likeness to the sound of great waters, to that of mighty thunderings! And with sacred instruments as well as with vocal music, they adored the God of salvation in the new song of redeeming love, which none but the new-born could understand. Their freedom which they now enjoyed from the idolatries of popery, is noted under the figure of virgin purity. Inspiration here testifies of these reformed multitudes, "These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." The doctrines of the Reformation, and the religious order and rites then maintained by the Protestants, are well known. And they are thus approved of God;- -"These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.' And what follows confirms the approbation; they are said to be "the first-fruits unto God, and to the Lamb: and in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God." This testimony, borne in relation to the church fifteen hundred years after Christ, is very consoling relative to the known doctrines and order of the Protestants of the sixteenth century. They were the first-fruits to God and the Lamb, as the first ripe fruits offered in Israel of old were an earnest of the harvest at the close of the year. Those Protestants