Revelation 13. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads, as it were, wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon, which gave power unto the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies. And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity. He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 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." Thus far the reading of God's word this morning. When we last looked at this chapter, we focused on the false signs and wonders, including calling down fire from heaven, the counterfeit miracles that would be a sign of the second beast of chapter 13, which are ways that God's people would recognize him, who is also known as 666. It says that's his number. and popularly known as Antichrist. Although the word Antichrist does not appear in the book of Revelation. It appears in the epistles of John. But it's popularly known and believed that this of course is Antichrist. Today we'll continue with what the Lord tells us we need to equip ourselves with through his word to be able to positively identify this beast. with the beast that begins in verse 11. So we are on verse 14. And what is this one of the things this beast does? He deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast. That's the first part of verse 14. Pope Gregory I, considered by many as the founder of the papacy, certainly one of the principal ones, the founder of a powerful papacy, often said that the truths of the Roman Catholic religion were confirmed, quote, by the evidence of ghosts and miracles. The truth of the Roman Catholic religion, he said, was confirmed by the evidence of ghosts and miracles, apparitions and miracles. One author, a man by the name of Dean George Waddington, says that by personally sanctioning religious impostures, Gregory delivered over the church to spiritual blindness and bondage, for the clergy followed their head. In fact, all through the history of the papacy, including the present day, miracles are one of the primary signs held up to prove the truth of its doctrines. Priests were instructed to perform miracles I will have to say judiciously they were instructed. Judiciously. If you look up the instructions there, they are careful about it, but they say that priests on occasion have the authority to perform miracles. It is well known to be canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. It has to be proven that that person performed miracles before and or after their death. Miracles are used by the Roman religion to establish and maintain idolatry and control that Rome holds over its people. Martin mentioned being a former Roman Catholic. I also grew up in the Roman Church. I know Joe did. I know Craig did. We have quite a few here. We have a few. Some of us combined perhaps put our heads together and we have a little experience in this situation. So the means of those miracles, if we combine this with what we looked at the last time we looked at this, we continue with the idea of miracles, of calling down fire from heaven, etc. as we talked about last time. Let's go on in verse 14, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live. This is a reference to the first beast, Revelation 13. The beast that had the wound by the sword and did live. First was the effect produced by these miracles, which the effect was deceit. Then Rome adds commandments to the miracles, make an image, thus teaching idolatry. Now an image, as we know, of something is not the real thing. It's something that looks like the real thing. A picture of you is not you. It's an image of you. The image to or of the beast is again, as we've laid down in previous sermons, building on this foundation, the temporal, earthly power of the papacy, which history has shown to be an imperial power, very much like the old Roman Empire. Today we look at it and say, well, how can you say it's like the old Roman Empire? It's just the Vatican City. But that's not the way it's always been. If you know history, you know that has not been the case at all. Rome was feared throughout much of history. Now the goal of the lamb-like beast which was the Roman papal religion. It looks like a lamb, looks like the church, but is not, speaks lies, the scripture says. The goal of this lamb-like beast, the Roman religion, was to set up a political structure that was the image of the first beast, which was wounded by the sword. The first beast being the Roman Empire, wounded by the fall of the Western Roman Empire, yet survived. Everyone thought it was dead, but it survived. The pagan Roman Empire was revived by Rome as the new Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, under Charlemagne, who was called the new Caesar, and he wore the ancient Roman diadem. The Holy Roman Empire's laws, maxims, and religion were virtually the same as imperial Rome, and it was the servant of the power that brought it into being, the papacy. There's a term for that, Caesaro-papism. Caesar-o-papism. The idea of combining the power of secular government with, or making it superior to, the spiritual authority of the Christian Church, especially concerning the connection of the Christian Church with government. So it's instructed that the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic religion is consciously copied from the hierarchy of the Roman Empire. The Pope calls himself, one of the titles of the Popes is Pontifex Maximus. the very same title the pagan Roman chief priests, and later the Roman emperors, used. Many of the terms and titles used in the Roman religious administration come directly from the Roman Empire. In fact, very few of the titles and terms the Vatican uses are not of Roman imperial origin. Even the idols worshipped in the Roman religion are based on pagan Rome's gods and goddesses, which, by the way, originated with the mystery religion of Babylon. Matthew Poole points out that the papal beast wields the tyranny of image worship to hold its people in its grip. History, of course, has blood-drenched testimony to the untold multitudes of Christians who were slaughtered because they refused to worship the Roman Emperor, or later, the Pope. Verse 15 in Revelation 13, and he that is the second beast, had power to give life unto the image of the beast, the first beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause it as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. So he in the guise of the beast from the earth, the papal counterfeit of the church, the second beast, gives life unto the image of the beast from the sea, the pagan Roman Empire. Now, how does he give life to the pagan Roman Empire? Well, I've alluded to that before. The Pope, like some Roman emperors, claims to be the infallible representative of God on Earth, having supreme power over the Church in all nations. Still does, still claims to have supreme power. They don't talk about it, but he still claims that. The Roman god Jupiter seemed to be as dead as the Western Roman Empire, but is made alive again, and is now called Christ by the new Roman Empire. The priests of the old Roman heathen gods are turned into the priests of Roman Catholicism. The ancient pantheon of major and minor heathen gods, whose origin is actually dead men, are turned into saints, who are dead men, who are worshipped as gods in the church. The pagan religion remains, but it just has a new lease on life. Only the names of the gods are really changed. Oh, but Pastor, Roman Catholicism has changed. You're talking about centuries ago. Well, am I? Now I'm talking about, for example, April of 2008. That's when the body of Padre Pio, a Roman Catholic Capuchin monk, who died in 1968, was exhumed, reconstructed, and put on display to be venerated by the deluded masses who fall on their knees before a corpse. I mentioned this, I believe, last time. I think I told you, at last count, almost a million people, about 800,000 some, had made reservations to make a pilgrimage to his corpse just between April and the end of 2008. Dr. Thomas Goodwin, in his 1861 book, An Exposition of the Book of Revelation, says, Thus has Babylon of old made an image, and put to death all who would not fall down before it, so hath mystical Babylon, for that is what is clearly described as the papacy in scripture, the fulfillment of what in the Old Testament Babylon was an illusion, Rome set up an image of the old heathenous religion and worship and upon the same penalty commands the adoration of this image. The Pope gives the old Roman Empire power to speak, in that he spews forth commands and cursings, and at the height of his power he gave orders to kings of nations as his servants. And like the ancient Roman emperors commanded that those who opposed his rule be murdered, he causes that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Now, the Pope didn't personally kill those Protestant martyrs who refused to bow to him. He had his civil magistrate lapdogs do the dirty work, or the Jesuits. He had his agents. Dr. James Wiley, in his book, The Seventh Vial, 1848, says, quote, It is interesting that while the first beast is said to make war with the saints, the second beast is represented as doing no more than causing them to be killed. The prophecy is in exact accordance with fact. The popes and bishops did not, with their own hands, murder the saints. They delivered them over to the secular arm and caused them to be killed. This, of course, is what the Sanhedrin, the ruling power in Israel, did to Christ. They didn't dirty their hands personally. As Dr. John Cumming wrote in his Apocalyptic Sketches in 1855, all history with its thousand tongues, and scripture with its one emphatic voice, declare that when Rome, that is the Roman religion, had the power, that power displayed itself in deeds of blood, and from the snoke-clad Alps to the sacred heights of Calvary itself, there is no spot which has not been drenched with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and from which that blood does not cry to heaven for vengeance on the persecutor of the saints." Revelation 13, 16. And he causes us all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark. or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of a beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred threescore and six." We now come to one of the most, as you know, controversial parts of the Bible. No less a scholar than the Reverend John Cotton writes in his 1655 commentary on the book of Revelation that this passage is, quote, as obscure as any in the word. And therefore the Holy Ghost tells us, here is wisdom to find it out. But with all, which is an old word meaning however, here is a command that everyone that has received the least measure or talent of wisdom should endeavor it, and he does encourage men to find it out. So let's not be afraid of it, but let's not rush into it with all of these assumptions all our people do. John Cotton also admits, quote, if it were not for the providence of God and the invitation of sundry brethren had put me upon the handling of this book, for my own part, I think I should have never chosen this text to have spoken to whilst I had lived. My sentiments exactly. You know, the only reason I dared to preach on the book of Revelation is because some of you asked me to do so when we finished up our last series. Praise God that his wisdom is perfected in the weakness of his servants. So if there's an inverse relationship to a man's weakness and God's wisdom, then these have got to be really wise sermons. Because I can honestly say to you, I'm among the weakest of men ever chosen to preach on the book of Revelation. John Cotton wrote, and these could also be my words, but now since we are come to it, these verses on the mark, and particularly the number of the beasts, I shall therefore endeavor, by the help of God and by the light of his wisdom, to express such meditations as God hath suggested to me, and lead them to your further consideration and spiritual discerning and judgment." In other words, be a Berean. Don't listen to what I have to say. Now, what I'm going to present to you is the historic Protestant view of these verses, not my own opinions. I don't really have any opinions other than presenting the historic Protestant view. Now, before we delve into the darkest of passages here, before we rush to judgment about what the Mark and 666 mean, let's remember 2 Peter 1.20. So let's take a moment to look at 2 Peter 1.20, please. Let's begin in verse 19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy. That is, we have the written Holy Scriptures now. Whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. That means we are not to give our own opinions are private interpretations of what the Word of God means, or any part of the Word of God. For all of Scripture is prophecy, you know, not just the predictive parts. That's only one part. It's all a prophecy. And that means we don't form our own opinions of what a prophetic symbol means. We have to allow the Word of God to define its own words and its own symbols. Our private interpretations are useless, and much worse, very harmful to the cause of Christ. They make Christians look like ninnies to the world, some of them, and rightly so. Instead of letting the Bible define its words, some people make hasty assumptions that are easily shown to be in contradiction to Scripture. Here's what I mean. There are 404 verses in the book of Revelation. 278 of those, or about 70% of the entire book of Revelation, can be found almost word for word in other books of the Bible, principally the Old Testament. We've often said the book of Revelation is basically a commentary, a fulfillment, an expansion of Old Testament books. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc. That means it's absolutely critical that we compare Scripture with Scripture, checking what the book of Revelation says with the rest of the Bible, because the Bible defines itself perfectly. Scripture cannot be broken. The Bible is its own dictionary, as I've said. Don't let anyone give you their own interpretation or opinion. Remember that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. Let the Word define the Word. That's an easy way to know who's telling the truth and who isn't. Just open a Bible and see if what they say matches up with what the Lord says. Be a Berean. Remember, Paul praised the Bereans. for listening to what he had to say, and then they went back and checked the Word of God to compare it to what he had to say. And Paul was an apostle, and he praised him for that. So how much more so should we do it for a preacher or somebody we hear on the radio or see on TV? The theologian George Stanley Faber, in his dissertation on the prophecies in 1811, wrote, A commentator on the prophecies of Daniel and John can never be too much upon his guard against the fascinating idea that he may expect to find every passing event of his own day there predicted." We all want to see today's headlines in the book of Revelation. Before he ventures to introduce any exposition founded upon present circumstances, he ought to make it clearly appear that it both accords with the chronological order so carefully preserved in these prophecies that it strictly harmonizes with the language of symbols and that it demonstrates every part of the prediction to tally exactly with its supposed accomplishment. Reverend Faber also wrote, I have endeavored to the best of my judgment to follow prophecy, not to lead it to my own preconceived scheme of exposition. So what I'm going to present to you is the majority historic Protestant interpretation of the Mark of the Beast and the number of his name, 666. In fact, as far as I can see, it's unanimous. Protestant position up until the 19th century. We were living in almost any other time than now, especially from the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s, although we have seen pre-Reformation Roman clergy agreeing with the Reformers on this subject. But especially from the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s up to the 19th century, there would be little confusion about what the Mark of the Beast and what 666 mean. The church had pretty much settled the question. When you read the commentaries of the 19th century, the 18th century, the 17th century, the 16th century, and some even earlier, before the Protestant Reformation, I've quoted quite a few of those in previous sermons, they're unanimous in their interpretation. especially with the Reformation and beyond. It's only in relatively recent years that Protestants have been bombarded with a flurry of fanciful, not to say crackpot ideas, of what the Mark of the Beast and 666 are. Today, every claim contradicts every other claim. It's almost as though Satan is trying to make Christians look like babbling idiots. You don't suppose he'd do that, would you? Now, one of the principles of hermeneutics, that is rules that we need to follow to guide us in understanding the Bible, is that we have to know what the words meant to the people of the time, to the people reading it when it was written. In hermeneutics, you look at the culture of the time and the political aspects of the time, the sociology, the wars that were going on, all those things, so that we understand what the people who lived at the time understood when they read this. In this case, when they read a mark, What did that mean to them? What did a mark mean to the people of the time? Well, there were three classes of people in the ancient world that received a mark. Most commonly, it was a tattoo or a brand burned into their flesh. And it was a symbol of the person or the god that had authority over them. Now the classes, the three classes of people that received a mark were Roman soldiers, slaves, and the most devoted idol worshippers, such as pagan priests and their acolytes. Soldiers would brand their king's name on them, or their emperor's name on them. For example, Roman soldiers would often brand the emperor's name on their hand. Slaves would have their master's name or their king's name branded on them. For example, Athenian slaves in Sicily were branded on the forehead with the figure of a horse, which was the emblem of the Sicilian kingdom. Devoted idol worshippers would have the mark of their favorite god. For example, the devotees of the god Dionysius, in Roman, that's a Greek name, the Roman name is Bacchus, the wine liver. They branded themselves with an ivy leaf, which was sacred to the god. There's even a reference to this, in fact, in the apocryphal book Third Maccabees. 229, those who are registered are also to be branded on their bodies by fire with the ivy leaf symbol of Dionysus. Now sometimes this brand or mark was a characteristic emblem such as the ivy leaf, sometimes it was initials, sometimes the full name, and sometimes, in the case of particularly the idol devotee, it was the god's particular number. hieroglyphic number, often the number made up of the numerical values of the letters of the God's name. So it's evident this is what is imbued in the number of the beast, because it's also called in Revelation 15 to the number of his name, the number of his name. We shall see this when we look at, go on and look at 666. A mark, therefore, means enslavement in one form or another, for a soldier, for an idol worshipper, or for a true slave. All ranks of society were marked that is forcibly enslaved to the system they lived under, politically, economically, ecclesiastically. The Greeks, or the Greek rather, in Revelation 13-16 that we're looking at, and he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, the Greek literally translated means, they give themselves a mark. They give themselves a mark. In other words, the slaves of the beast become so voluntarily. The right hand symbolizes manual labor. The forehead, the intellectual ability to earn your living. Right hand means labor, forehead means intellect. The right hand also symbolizes power and rule in scripture. God's right hand is often spoken of as a source of blessing. Psalm 1835, thy right hand holds me up. Psalm 26, now know I that the Lord saves his anointed, he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Psalm 4810, thy right hand is full of righteousness. Psalm 1611, thou will show me the path of life, thy presence is fullness of joy at thy right hand, there are pleasures for evermore. Ecclesiastes 1020, a wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left. The right hand is symbolic of the hand that rules, In Matthew 27.29, the soldiers mock Jesus by putting a reed representing a ruling staff in his right hand, it says in Mark 27.29. Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father. To sit on Jesus' right hand is to rule with him. Mark 12.36, the Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. Mark 16, 19, so then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. Interesting enough, the left hand, and you can look up in accordance, there's not nearly so many references as to the right hand, I've only given you some. The left hand represents condemnation. Remember when Jesus said to the false prophets, oh Jesus, we preached for you, we used your name and everything. Then shall he say also unto them, on the left hand depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. So to have a mark on your right hand symbolizes you are under power and under the control of another person or entity, the one who is symbolized by that mark. The mark can be literal or it can be figurative, symbolic. One who is under another's power can be said to be marked by that person in his right hand, even though there may not be a physical mark. Now, many Protestant theologians say that since the second beast of Revelation 13, again, unanimously they've said it up until the 19th century, since the second beast of Revelation 13 is the papacy, then the mark of the papacy is the profession of faithfulness to the papacy. And still today, when someone is confirmed in the Roman Catholic faith, that is, confirmed meaning officially received as a member, they receive a mark on their forehead. An anointing of oil. It's called a chrism. It's in the form of a cross. Many of you remember this. You were confirmed. He takes the oil and puts a cross on your forehead. The older practice, by the way, was to put this anointing on both the forehead and the hand. And you have no doubt Around Easter time, have you seen people with a mark of ashes on their forehead? I saw somebody on TV, a newscaster. Well, that mark was put on them by a priest when they took communion in the Roman Catholic faith on Ash Wednesday. Now, the Geneva Bible comments that the papacy's, quote, chrismatories, and a chrismatory is a box that holds the holy supposed holy oil used for anointing at confirmation at baptism. The Geneva Bible, the old Jewish Geneva Bible says, the papacy's chrismatories, grazings, vows, oaths, and shavings are signs or marks of submission to the papal beast. Another example of a mark is the kings of nations loyal to the Pope were consecrated by a Roman priest. That's according to E.B. Eliot in his book Ori Apocalyptica. Kings of nations loyal to the Pope were consecrated by a Roman priest who placed a ring on their right hand as a mark of their subjection to Rome. The king's hand was anointed after taking the oath of submission, obedience, and faithfulness to Christ, Speaker of the Pope. Revelation 13 verse 17, And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Now here are just a couple of historical examples, many historical examples. The Roman Church's Synod of Tours in 1163 which was called when the Albigensians and Waldensians had begun to attract the attention of Rome. And by the way, they were the reformers before the Reformation. They are known as proto-reformers. The Roman Church's Synod of Tours ruled that none of them would be allowed to buy or sell because they did not have the mark, that is, they were not confirmed in the Roman Church. If anyone so much as entertained one of these, quote, heretics in his home, or would buy or sell to them, he was to be punished. The third ladder in counsel of 1179 of the Roman Catholic faith reaffirmed this by proclaiming there was to be, quote, no traffic with heretics. No business to be done, no conversation, etc. Traffic means any contact, any communication, any business. Heretics or Cathars and others, again the proto-reformers of the time, what we would call today Protestants, although the term had not yet been invented, the Council proclaimed, quote, we forbid under pain of anathema, you know, excommunication and wars, that anyone should keep or support them in their houses or lands or should trade with them. Their goods are to be confiscated and princes are free to subject them to slavery. We grant to faithful Christians who take up arms against them A reward of the remission of two years of penance. These official rulings of the Roman Catholic faith remain unrepealed. No one was allowed to sell to them or buy from them. So what happened? What would you think if you couldn't buy anything? They starved to death. They're faithful unto death and they receive the crown of life. Some 250 years later, This was renewed by Pope Martin V. In a bull issued shortly after the Council of Constance, he ordered that no heretics, meaning Protestants, could have houses, or enter into contracts, or do business, or have fellowship with each other, so they could worship, or with anyone Roman or Protestant. This is a striking confirmation of the resemblance between the first beast whose deadly wound was healed, pagan Rome, and the image of that beast, the political structure of the papacy. The pagan Roman Emperor Diocletian issued the same orders. Justin Martyr wrote, The Christians had not the power of buying or selling anything, nor were they allowed the liberty of drawing water itself before they had offered incense to detestable idols. They weren't allowed to draw water out of a well until they had offered incense to detestable idols. That's as far as we can get this morning. Lord willing, we'll look at 666 next time. I did want to end, though, with the story. I've been ending with the stories of martyrs so we know who came before us and that we stand on the shoulders of giants. This is not someone who was martyred at that time. There were many. We don't have the stories of very many of them, but the Lord knows who they are. But this is someone who was martyred by the same evil spirit that was taking place in Scotland in the 1600s. It was so bad for the Covenanters, who were the Reformed Christians of the time, it was called the Killing Times. They were persecuted so badly. One of the early martyrs was Donald Cargill. He was born approximately 1610. He studied divinity. We're not going to take the time. I'd love to take the time to go through his life. You might want to take a moment to spend some time reading about his life. There's a wonderful book which is where I got this. Howie's book on the martyrs of Scotland. It says, he was affectionate, affable, and tender-hearted to all such as he thought anything of the image of God in them, sober and temperate in his diet, saying commonly, it was well one that was one off the flesh, a generous liberal, most charitable of the poor, a great hater of covetousness, a frequent visitor of the sick, spent much time alone, loved to be retired, meaning not retired the way we think of it today, but in his study, But when about his master's public work laying hold of every opportunity to edify, in conversation, still dropping what might minister grace to the hearers, his countenance was edifying to beholders, often fighting with deep groans, preaching in season and out of season, upon all hazards, ever the same in judgment and practice. From his youth he was much given to the duty of secret prayer, or whole nights together. He was brought before the judiciary. and indicted in common form, his confession being produced in evidence against him, he was brought in guilty of high treason and condemned with the rest to be hanged at the cross of Edinburgh and his head placed on a pike, which is a common thing they did. When they came to these words in his indictment, having cast off all fear of God, they claimed that he had cast off all fear of God by being a Protestant. He caused the clerk to stop and pointed to the advocate, the prosecutor, Sir George McKenzie, said, The man that has caused that paper to be drawn up hath done it contrary to the light of his own conscience, for he knoweth that I have been a fearer of God from my infancy. But that man, I say, who took the Holy Bible in his hand and said, It would never be well with the land until that book was destroyed, I say, he is the man that has cast off all fear of God. The advocate stormed at this, but could not deny the truth thereof. When they got to their sentence announced by the sound of trumpet, Cargill said, that is a weary sound, but the sound of the last trumpet will be a joyful sound to me and all that will be found on Christ's righteousness. Coming to the scaffold, he stood with his back to the ladder and desired the attention of the numerous spectators. And after singing from the 16th verse of the 118th Psalm, he began to speak to the people. Now I am as sure of my interest in Christ and peace with God as all within this Bible and the Spirit of God can make me, and I am fully persuaded that this is the very way for which I suffer, and that He will return gloriously to Scotland, but it will be terrifying to many. Therefore I entreat you, be not discouraged at the way of Christ and the cause for which I am to lay down my life and step to eternity, where my soul shall be as full of Him as it can desire to be. And now this is the sweetest and most glorious day than ever my eyes did see. The Lord knows I go on this ladder with less cheer and perturbation of mind than ever I entered the pulpit to preach. He sat down and said, Now I am near the getting of the crown, which shall be sure, for which I bless the Lord and desire all of you to bless him that he hath brought me here, and made me triumph over devils, men, and sin. They shall wound me no more. I forgive all men the wrongs they have done me, and I pray the sufferers may be kept from sin and helped to know their duty." Then having prayed a little within himself, he lifted up the napkin and said, over his face, and said, Farewell, all relations and friends in Christ. Farewell, acquaintances and earthly enjoyments. Farewell, reading and preaching, praying and believing, wanderings, reproach and sufferings. Welcome, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Into thy hands I commit my spirit. And so he finished his course in the ministry that he had received of the Lord. 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And remember that John Calvin, in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, neither came into my heart, from his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions, since he condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the Papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying His word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The Prophet's words, then, are very important. When he says, that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay, what he never knew.