or that no one might buy or sell who did not bear it. Amongst the various acts of reckless and cruel tyranny recorded of Roman emperors or their successors, no hint of this strange and wanton exercise of power, I believe, has been preserved. But if we will have an actual word, reduced first into letters, then into numbers, we must adhere to the text in these particulars; we cannot be material one moment, spiritual the next.

It is well, I think, to dismiss these trials once for all, even if we are compelled to leave the problem altogether unsolved. If I venture to make one more attempt at a solution, I am far from saying it is satisfactory; I shall rejoice to exchange it for any simpler one that hereafter may be discovered. At least, it will not clash with what I have said already respecting the mark and the name. These I believe to have been stamped in no material letters, then or at any other time. The name or character of the great tyrant of any age, I still assume to be imaged in those who have raised him to his bad eminence, and who sustain him in it.

In counting the number of this name, I cannot help noticing how continually the number seven occurs in this book, and what a meaning is always attached to it. Whether the prophet speaks of the seven candlesticks, the seven Spirits of God, the seven eyes, or the seven

horns of the lamb, the idea which is presented to us is that of perfect unity involving perfect distinctness. To the mind of a Jew-why should we not say to the mind of an Englishman—the week is the simplest, and yet the profoundest illustration of this unity: the six days and the one day making the complete whole: the day of rest giving the interpretation, and purpose, and harmony to the others; connecting the order of times and the life of man, with the Being who made all things, and made man in His own image.

Now suppose we found the number six used to denote that beast who embodies the antichristian principle— who is at the head of the kingdom which is opposed to the kingdom of God-we should at once, I think, compare it with this perfect number, and should conclude that it was the symbol of a society, of which man, not God, was the head, a society in which there would be a number of atoms without a centre, work without a sabbath. Suppose, then, we have not one six, but a succession of sixes, six in units, six in tens, six in hundreds, may not the intention be the same? It is as if he had said, 'Here is the number ' which denotes what is divided, in opposition to what is 'united. Repeat this number as often as you will, you 'do not arrive at unity. You have lost the secret of unity, the spiritual bond; no material accumulations

will be a substitute for it. How to find a unity which 'does not depend upon the repetition of numbers; how to bind the toil of the six days with the rest which

completes it, and gives it its meaning: this you may learn if you will behold the next vision; if you will look at those who are surrounding, not a wild beast, but a lamb, who have not the name of a destroyer, but

the name of their Father written on their foreheads.'

LECTURE XIV.

THE LAMB AND HIS FOLLOWERS.

REV. XIV. 1-14.

(PREACHED ON WHITSUNDAY.)

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. 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: 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. 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 firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture

their position as Jews, and showing their countrymen what was implied in that position, it was inevitable that events would break down the barriers which they could not break down. Their fellowship was essentially a human fellowship.

(3.) It was human because it was Divine. Before Christ left them He had said, 'I ascend to my Father and

your Father; to my God and your God.' And now He sent them the promise of this Father. That promise He had Himself interpreted to be the gift of another Comforter, who should abide with them for ever, a Spirit of Truth; One who should teach them of Him and of His Father. The new name with which they were sealed was a name which Gentiles, as much as Jews had been feeling after. The awful words, The Lord thy God is One Lord,' seemed to put all those who had been associating human thoughts and feelings with God, at an immeasurable distance. Now, when the highest manifestation of the glory of God was in One who had taken flesh and become man; now, when a Spirit had been given who could teach them most to magnify God by most magnifying His image; now the hope of the Greek might be fulfilled as much as that of the Israelite: the kingdom of heaven could embrace both. The unity of God repelled none, attracted all.