eformation brought out a large class of persons who
were determined to worship God according to the dictates of their own
consciences. Being fettered and oppressed by the religious intolerance
of the Old World, they sought, in the wilds of America, that measure of
civil and religious freedom which they so much desired. A little more
than two hundred years ago, Dec. 22, 1620, the Mayflower landed one
hundred of these voluntary exiles on the coast of New England. Here,
says Martyn, "New England was born," and this was "its first baby cry, a
prayer and a thanksgiving to the Lord."

Another permanent English settlement was made at Jamestown, Va., in
1607. In process of time other settlements were made, and colonies
organized, which were all subject to the English government till the
declaration of Independence July 4, 1776.

The population of these colonies, according to the _U.S. Magazine_ of
August, 1855, amounted in 1701, to 262,000; in 1749, to 1,046,000; in
1775, to 2,803,000. Then commenced the struggle of the American colonies
against the oppression of the mother country. In 1776, they declared
themselves as, in justice and right, an independent nation. In 1777,
delegates from the thirteen original States, New Hampshire,
Massachussets, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Georgia, in Congress assembled, adopted articles of
confederation. In 1783, the war of the Revolution closed by a treaty of
peace with Great Britain, whereby our independence was acknowledged, and
territory ceded to the extent of 815,615 square miles. In 1787, the
Constitution was framed and ratified by the foregoing thirteen States,
and on the 1st of March, 1789, went into operation. Then the American
ship of State was fairly launched, with less than one million square
miles of territory, and about three millions of souls.

Thus we are brought to the time when, in our interpretation of
Revelation 13, this government is introduced into the prophecy as
"coming up." Our territorial growth since then has been as follows:
Louisiana, acquired from France in 1803, comprising 930,928 square miles
of territory. Florida, from Spain in 1821, with 59,268 square miles.
Texas, admitted to the Union in 1845, with 237,504 square miles. Oregon,
as settled by treaty in 1846, with 380,425 square miles. California, as
conquered from Mexico in 1847, with 649,762 square miles.