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have nothing to expect but shame, ignominy, and destruction. And he who, by his vicious conduct, brings his family to penury and his name to dishonour, receives just the same meed in his limited sphere, as the monarch who ruins by his crimes the interests of a mighty empire, or the happiness of the countless population of innumerable provinces. In the decline of a great kingdom, indeed, there may be many revolutions of parties, and many diminutions of territory, before it be finally dissolved. In the case of the individual, he is too often cut off in one generation, and both root and branch are torn up together.

On the ruins of the Assyrian Empire were formed three kingdoms, that of the Medes which Arbaces restored to liberty,-that of the Assyrians of Babylon, commonly called the second Assyrian Empire, which was given to Belesis, and that of the Assyrians of Nineveh, the first king of which took the name of Ninus the younger. But that we may more easily understand the history of the second Assyrian empire, which is very obscure, we must have recourse to the holy Scriptures, and compare what we meet with there,

with the records of profane history, and thus we shall be better able to illustrate the difficult subject of the two empires of Babylon and Nineveh, which for some time were separate and distinct, but afterwards merged into one, and became in the hand of Jehovah the scourge of his people Israel.

CHAPTER III.

"He that dasheth in pieces is come up-keep the muniton-watch the way.'

IN entering upon the second great epoch in the history of Assyria, we shall not implicitly follow the intersting author who has hitherto been our principal guide; but will avail ourselves of any other source of information we can have access to, in the writings either of historians who have treated of this specific subject, or of commentators on the text of the holy Scriptures, so far as they are connected with the transactions of Assyria, and her wars with Israel and Judah.

The ancient empire of the Assyrians which had governed Asia for upward of thirteen centuries, being dissolved by the conspiracy of Ar

baces and Belesis, and the death of Sardanapalus, the two chiefs of the revolution divided the empire between them. Belesis receiving Babylon, Chal dea, and Arabia as his kingdom; and Arbaces the remaining territories. This event took place in the seventh year of the building of Rome, or in the year seven hundred and forty seven be fore Christ.*

Arbaces, among historians, has a variety of names which it would only perplex the young reader to ennumerate. In Scripture, however, we must remark that he is denominated Tiglathpileser; and by profane authors he is generally spoken of under the appellation of Ninus the younger, a title given him in order to distinguish his reign from that of the illustrious founder of the city of Nineveh.

Belesis is the same with Nabonassar, from the beginning of whose reign at Babylon commences the celebrated astronomical epocha, called from him the era of Nabonassar. In Scripture this prince is called Baladon, being the father of

• In the second year of the eighth Olympiad.

that Merodach-Baladon, who sent an embassy to Jerusalem to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery from sickness, and to enquire into the singular astronomical phenomenon which occurred during the reign of that king. After Merodach, several other kings reigned at Babylon of whose history we are utterly ignorant, we shall therefore here trace the steps of the new dynasty at Nineveh, whose history being nearly connected with that of the people of God, cannot fail to be full of interest to the pious reader.

In the sixth year of Arbaces or Tiglath-pileser, who is also called Ninus the younger, Ahaz began to reign over Judah. This wicked prince, whose incorrigible presumption and impiety are so strongly delineated in holy writ, appearing irreclaimable either by mercy or judgment, God resolved to punish him, and raised up against him two armies for this purpose in the persons of the king of Syria, and the king of Israel. These confederate princes having ravaged the land of Judah, and overrun all the country, shut up Ahaz in Jerusalem, and laid siege to the holy city. The Lord Almighty who by his long-suffering

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