he strength of one meal for forty days.'"

There was a little more in this strain, then there followed a kind of
general conference upon the matter in hand. The whole thing was too
serious to be delayed, or trifled with, and, eventually, it was agreed
to travel as swiftly as might be to the "Wilderness of Sinai," where
waiting upon God, they would hope to be directed in any future
movement, or be sustained by his wonder-working hand.

[1] May God arouse readers of this scene to reflect that there must be
thousands living to-day, who will suffer thus hideously. Some, too,
who to-day are members of churches, others, children of Christian
Parents, many too, of the "Almost persuaded" among us.

CHAPTER XVI.

MARTYRED.

It was three months since the image of Apleon had been set up in the
"Holy" place in Jerusalem. Now all the world worshipped "The Beast,"
for the images had been multiplied until every town and city and almost
every church, etc., had its own idol.

The world had begun by "_Wondering after_" the Beast, it gave itself up
to error, despised the Truth, opened itself to receive the "_Strong
delusion_," the _Anti_-christ lie, so that the _worship_ of the Beast
himself, then of his image, became but just consequent steps one after
the other.

In Ancient Roman days its Emperors took divine titles, accepted homage,
worship, honor, all of which belonged, by right, to Deity alone.
Augustus had temples reared for the worship of himself, and, through
all the ages since, the remains of one of these temples (at Angora) has
remained, and inscribed upon a great stone lintel is the significant
word: "To THE GOD AUGUSTUS." Near by, in the same district, is a
kindred inscription, "To MARCUS AURELIUS . . . . _by one most devoted
to his Godhead_." Nero and Domitian, fiends of blood and lust, were
styled, while they lived, "GOD," and "OUR GOD AND LORD."

And Apleon fulfilled, to the minutest letter, all that was prophesied
of him as regarded his assumption of the divine. "_He will exalt
himself_," wrote Daniel "_and magnify himself above God. He will speak
marvellous things against the God of gods. He will not regard any God,
for he will magnify himself above all." "He opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God," Paul said, "or that is
worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God_."

Whatever may be the cause of it, the fact remains that e