king of Israel, and Hazael king of Syria. Elisha caused a great slaughter of the Moabites, when he went with three united armies which invaded Moab. 2nd Kings iii.

8. Jehu slew Joram and Ahaziah, Jezebel, and the seventy sons of Ahab, who were in Jezreel. He slew the forty-two brethren of Ahaziah. He slew the four hundred priests of Baal, who did eat at Jezebel's table.-2nd Kings ix. x.

9. Athaliah, the queen mother, when she saw that her son, Ahaziah, was slain by Jehu's command, determined to be queen, and therefore destroyed all the seed royal. She did reign. Yet Jehoiada, the high priest, had a wife, Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah. The feeling of love for her brother's children led her to feel no fear for the vengeance of Athaliah. She, therefore, stole from amongst the devoted children of her brother Joash, or Jehoash, concealed him in the temple, and finally, her husband, Jehoiada, in the seventh year, brought forth the proper heir, prevailed on the leading men and the people to crown and to proclaim Joash, or Jehoash, king of Judah, and finished the ceremony by ordering the execution of the murderous and infamous Athaliah, the daughter of the murderer Ahab, and of the murderess Jezebel.-2nd Kings xi. 10. "Now, when Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword (six sons of his father), and (divers) also of the princes of Israel."-2nd Chron. xxi. 4.

The names of the Babylonian kings may now be recalled to memory, placing first the kings of the Assyrian empire, who founded and dwelt in Nineveh.

1. Nīnus, a son of Bēlus, who built a city on the banks of the Tigris. He gave his name to this city, and called it Nineveh, B.C. 2059. He reigned fiftytwo years. He left his kingdom, after his death, to the care of his wife, Semīramis, by whom he had a son. His history is obscure and fabulous. Ctesias is the principal historian from whom the history of Nīnus is derived. Ctesias was a Greek historian and physician, taken prisoner by Artaxerxes Mnemon, at the battle of Cunaxa, a place of Assyria, five hundred miles from Babylon, famous for a battle fought there between Artaxerxes and his brother, Cyrus, the younger, B.C. 401. The forces of Artaxerxes were nine hundred thousand. The forces of his brother, Cyrus, the younger, were one hundred and thirteen thousand. Darius Nothus was the father of Artexerxes and of Cyrus, the younger. Cyrus, the younger, was slain in this battle. Thirteen thousand Greeks were in his army. Ten thousand of these Greeks, under the command of Xenophon, returned to their own country. Xenophon has written an account of it, called, "The Anăbăsis." Ctesias cured the king's wounds, and was his physician for seventeen years. Ctesias wrote a history of the Assyrians and Persians, which Justin and Diodorus prefer to that of Herodotus.

Nīnus, after death, received divine honours. He became the Jupiter of the Assyrians, and the Hercu

les of the Chaldeans. Ninus was the first king of Assyria.

2. Shalmenezer, B.C. 730, carried the ten tribes captive, and settled them in various parts of his dominions. He sent into the country of the tea tribes colonists from various parts of his dominions. 3. Sennacherib, в.c. 726, invaded Judah, when Hezekiah was king of Judah. Sennacherib fled from the land which he had invaded, and dwelt at Nineveh. Adramelech and Sharēzer, his sons, smote him with the sword, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch, his God. The murderers fled into Armenia. 4. Esarhaddon, son of Sennacherib, succeeded his father, B.C. 709. He made war with the Philistines, and attacked Egypt, Cush (Ethiopia), and Edom.Isaiah XX.-xxxiv. Esarhaddon, perhaps, intended to avenge the insults offered to his father by Tirhakah, king of Cush, and by the king of Egypt, who had been Hezekiah's confederates. Esarhaddon is said to have reigned twenty-nine or thirty years at Nineveh, and thirteen years at Babylon. In all he reigned forty-two years. He sent priests from the ten tribes, his captives, to his colonists in Israel He took Jerusalem, and carried captive Manasseh, king of Judah, B.C. 677. Esarhaddon died A.M. 3336, B.C. 668.

5. Sardanapalus, famous for his luxury, is described as being the fortieth and last king of Assyria. His luxury and effeminacy irritated his officers. Belēsis, a priest of Babylon, foretold to Arbāces, governor of Media, that he, Arbāces, should, one day, sit on the throne of Babylon. These two formed a conspiracy, raised an army, and attempted to dethrone Sardanapālus. The rebels were defeated in three successiva battles. At length they defeated Sardanapalus. He was besieged in the city of Ninus for two years. Sardanapalus despaired of success; and setting fire to his palace, burned himself, his eunuchs, his concubines, and all his treasures. The empire of Assyria was divided amongst the conspirators, B.C. 820. Justin and others fix the date B.C. 900, eighty years earlier. Arbāces founded the empire of the Medes

Sardanapālus, after his death, was considered by the people to be a god. They worshipped him as & god.

6. Ninus, the Nineveh of Holy Scripture, the capita of Assyria, was built by Ninus on the banks of the Tigris. It was, according to the relation of Diodorus Siculus, fifteen miles long, nine broad, and fortyeight in circumference. It was surrounded by larg walls of 100 feet high, on the top of which thre chariots could pass together abreast, and was defendel by fifteen hundred towers, each two hundred feet high. Ninus was taken by the united efforts d Cyaxăres and Nabopolassar, king of Babylon. B.C

(4.) Eserhaddon, B.C. 709, reigns in his father's stead. A miserable father was Sennacherib. Eserhaddon, his son, reigned in his stead. Yet it is recorded, Sennacherib was slain when worshipping in the temple of Nisroch, his god, by Adramelech and Sharezer, his sons, who, after having committed the murder, fled into Armenia. (5.) Nabopolassar, or Nebuchadnezzar I., father of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, was a Babylonian, and chief of the army of Sarācus, king of Assyria. He made a league with Astyages, who gave his daughter, Amytis, in marriage to his (Nebuchadnezzar I.'s) son, Nebuchadnezzar II., called "the Great." Ahasuerus and Nabopolassar joined their forces, revolted against Sarācus, king of Nineveh, and besieged him in his capital, took him prisoner, and, on the destruction of the Assyrian monarchy, raised two kingdoms-1, that of the Medes, possessed by Astyages, or Ahasuerus; and that of the Chaldeans, or of Babylon, founded by Nabopolassar, A.M., or Anno Mundi, 3378. He died A.M. 3399. B.C. 605. (6.) Nebuchadnezzar II. (called the Great), the son and successor of Nabopolassar, or Nebuchadnezzar I., succeeded to the kingdom of the Chaldees upon the death of his father, A.M. 3399, or B.C. 605. He hastened to Babylon when he received the intelligence of the death of his father. He had subdued Necho, king of Egypt, by taking from him Carchemish, on the Euphrates, which Necho had taken from the Assyrian empire. He subdued the governor of Phoenicia, and Jehoiakim, king of Judah, who was tributary to Pharaoh, king of Egppt. He left to his generals the care of bringing to Chaldea the captives taken in Syria, Judea, Phoenicia, and Egypt, according to Berōsus, a Babylonian, a priest of Belus, who passed into Greece, and remained a long time at Athens. The age in which Berōsus lived is not precisely known. Some fix it in the reign of Alexander, B.C. 268. This date cannot be correct. Alexander the Great died in Babylon, 32 years of age, or in the thirty-second year of his age, after a reign of twelve years and eight months of continual success. B.C. 323. He was poisoned, or he died from the effects of intemperance, or by a fever caught in his evening boating on the waters of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar died A.M. 3442, or B.c. 562. He reigned 43 years.

(10.) Belshazzar, son of Evil-Merōdach, son of Nebuchadnezzar II., son of Nabopolassar, or Nebuchadnezzar I., are the kings of Babylon mentioned in sacred history.

The result of the ancient history of the world, or of inquiry into ancient history down to this period, in the sixth century before the birth of our Lord, is, human nature loved idolatry, made gods of its leading men, was corrupt in its morals, and loved to practice in its ritualism very gross and very obscene vices.

Two kings of Babylon, who reigned during the captivity of the Jews, demand attention by the peculiar circumstances in which they were placedNebuchadnezzar, and his grandson, Belshazzar. Nabopolassar founded the Babylonian empire, which had been checked in its growth, by conspiracy, in the reign of Sardanapālus. Nebuchadnezzar, the son and successor of Nabopolassar, aspired to, and obtained, universal sovereignty. His son, EvilMerōdach, succeeded to the throne of Babylon, and reigned two years. Nerriglissar, his brother-in-law, slew him and usurped his throne, and reigned four years. His son, Laborosoarchod, succeeded his father on the throne of Babylon, and reigned nine months. Then Belshazzar, the son of Evil-Merōdach, succeeded to the throne of Babylon, and reigned seventeen years. From Nebuchadnezzar the Great,

to Belshazzar, his grandson, the fortunes of the Jews are bound up with the fortunes of the Chaldees, from whom Abraham was called out by his God, and ordered to go into a land (Canaan) promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, but, to a land in which Abraham never found a place in which he set his foot, that is, a place which he could hold permanently. He, and his son Isaac, and his son Jacob, and Jacob's sons, never had permanent settlements in the land of Canaan. The descendants of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, being released from Egyptian bondage, under the guidance of Moses, and of Aaron, and of Miriam, were finally led victoriously into the land of Canaan, by Joshua, the successor of Moses.

(7.) Evil-Merodach, son of Nebuchadnezzar II., ascended the throne of Babylon. He reigned two years, and was slain by his brother-in-law. (8.) Nerriglissar reigned four years, and was succeeded by his son, Laborosoarchod, who reigned nine months.

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and obtained from him a delay of his sentence of death, and a time for consideration. Daniel, after praying to God, as did also his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, by Daniel's advice, found an answer from the Lord. Daniel rejoiced, and returned thanks to God who had made known to him the dream and the interpretation thereof. Daniel told to Arioch that he was prepared to appear before the king. Arioch brought Daniel into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar, and said, "I have found a man, of the captives of Judah, who will make known unto the king the dream and the interpretation."

Daniel appeared before Nebuchadnezzar, and assured the king that no human wisdom could perform the task which he gave to his wise men. However, "there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets." This great being, the God of the captive Jews, had made known to Nebuchadnezzar, in a dream, "what shall be in the latter days." Daniel told to Nebuchadnezzar the dream which the king failed to remember, and then gave to the king the interpretation of the dream.

Daniel ii. 31-43.-(a.) The dream.-The king saw an image of terrible form, and of excellent brightness, stand before him. The image had a head of fine gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, feet, part of iron and part of clay. A stone, cut without hands, smote the image upon its feet, and brake them in pieces. All the parts of the image were broken, and became as the dust of the summer threshing floor. The stone which smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

(b.) The interpretation.-1. The head of gold Nebuchadnezzar and his empire. 2. The breast and arms of silver-Medo-Persian empire. 3. The belly and thighs of brass-the Grecian empire. 4. The legs of iron-the Roman empire. 5. The feet, part of iron and part of clay-the mingling of the barbarous invaders of the Roman empire with the government of the Roman empire. 6. The stone cut without hands, which broke the image to dust, and became a great mountain the kingdom of Messiah, who must reign till all his enemies become his footstool.

Then

Was this interpretation fulfilled? It was. the fulfilment is evidence of the truth of the dream, and of the interpretation, and of the inspiration of the Almighty who gave the dream to Nebuchadnezzar, and who caused him to forget it, and to seek to bring back the dream to his mind, that he might know it and its interpretation. The fulfilment of the interpretation is a proof of the divine inspiration of Daniel, to whom God, in mercy, made known both the dream and the interpretation thereof.

Micah, B.O. 750, Nahum, B.C. 713, Habak-kuk, B.C. 626, predict the downfall of the Babylonian empire, and the changing scenes of the world's future history. Zechariah, B.C. 520, describes a vision of horses, ch. i. and ch. vi. In ch. i. Zechariah saw a red horse, the emblem of war and bloodshed. In ch. vi. Zechariah saw four chariots come out from between two mountains of brass. The first chariot

(was drawn by) red horses, the second by black horses, the third by white horses, and the fourth by grizzled and bay horses. The angel informed Zechariah that these four horses and chariots are, or represent, the four spirits of the heavens which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

1. The black horses go forth into the north country. 2. The white go forth after them. 3. The grizzled go forth to the south country. 4. The bay horses went forth to walk to and fro through the earth.

The chariots and horses represent the four ancient monarchies. This is a repetition of the prediction in ch. i., in the vision of the four horns. The mountains of brass represent the barriers of the divine purposes, which restrained these powers within the times and limits appointed by Jehovah. 1. The first chariot, drawn by red horses, means the empire of the Chaldeans, which overthrew the empire of the Assyrians. 2. The second chariot, drawn by black horses, means the empire of the Persians, founded by Cyrus the Elder, which destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans. 3. The third chariot, drawn by white horses, means the empire of the Greeks, founded by Alexander the Great, which destroyed the empire of the Persians. 4. The fourth chariot, drawn by grizzled and bay horses, that is parti-coloured horses (pie-bald), or with horses, some grizzled and some bay, means the Greek successors of Alexander, and the Roman empire, in succession. Alexander's successors finally divided into two races of kings: 1. The Lagidæ, who attacked, subdued, and governed Egypt. 2. The Seleucidæ, Seleucidæ, who subdued Syria, under Seleucus. Thus Lagus and Seleucus established their names and their families in the countries which they conquered.

Verse 5, ch. vi.: "The angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth." In verse 6 the angel does not mention the " "red horses," because the Assyrian empire, meant by the "red horses," had ceased to exist. The "red horses" signify the cruelty of the Chaldeans towards the Jews. The "black horses" signify Cyrus the Elder at the head of the Persians and Medes, bringing death upon the Chaldean empire, called "the North," in many parts of the holy scriptures. The "white horses" signify Alexander the Great, splendid in victory, mild to the vanquished. The grizzled horses" signify the Lagidæ, or Ptolemies, who founded an empire in Egypt. Of these kings some were good, some bad, some despotic, some moderate, some cruel, and some mild, represented by the parti-coloured horses. The "bay horses" went forth, signifying the Seleucidæ, and their ambitious efforts to obtain universal empire. Some believe that the Romans are more particularly intended in "the walking to and fro in the earth,' given as a description of the action of the bay horses.

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The white horses, the Macedonian empire; as the black horses, the Persian empire. 1, Persian, black; 2, Macedonian, white; 3, Roman, grizzled. The Romans were governed by-1, kings; 2, consuls; 3, decemvèrs; 4, military tribunes; 5, dictators; 6,

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triumvirs; 7, emperors. The Roman people were governed by Exarchs, of Ravennah (a town of Italy on the Adriatic, in which town the Exarchs resided). Italy was governed by an ecclesiastical government with the Pope at its head. Lately it has obtained a civil government under Victor Emmanuel. In Rev. i. 14-16, a description is given by St. John of the appearance of our blessed Lord, in vision, to his beloved disciple. "John was in the spirit on the Lord's day." This proves the change of the Sabbath from the last day to the first day of the

seven.

seven

Our Lord appeared in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, which signified the churches of Asia Minor, to which our Lord directed John to write. To write to the angel or minister of each church, or messenger from Christ to each church.

1. Our Lord appeared clothed with a garment down to the feet. Exodus xxviii. 4, &c.-The robe of the high priest. Jesus Christ is our high priest in heaven, where only we have an altar.

2. "Girt about the paps with a golden girdle." The emblem of regal and of sacerdotal dignity.

3. "His head and his hairs were white like to wool, as white as snow." This was an emblem of his antiquity and of his glory.

4. "His eyes were as a flame of fire." This denotes his omniscience.

5. "His feet like to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace." This description expresses his stability and permanence.

6." His voice as the sound of many waters." The idea of sublimity is conveyed to the mind by these words. Ezekiel xliii. 2.-"And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east, and his voice was like to a voice of many waters; and the earth did shine with its glory."

7. "In his right hand he had seven stars." The seven angels or ministers of the seven churches.

8. "Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword." This expression means the judgments pronounced upon the Jewish nation. The expression means also the word of God, which St. Paul describes as "quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."-Heb. iv. 12. Also, "The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God."Eph. vi. 17.

(c.) Hananiah, Shadrach: Mishael, Meshach: Azariah, Abednego: Daniel, Belteshazzar.-Dan. i. 7. The prince of the eunuchs gave to these four captive Jews their new homes.

sun." "God, the author of evil, be propitious to us." "Let God preserve us from evil."

3. Mishael signifies, "He who comes from God." Him they called Meshach, a Chaldee word, signifying, "He who belongs to the goddess Sheshach," a celebrated deity of the Babylonians, mentioned by Jeremiah xxiv. 26: "And the king of Sheshach shall drink after them." Sheshach was an ancient king of Babylon, who was deified after his death. In this place it means either Babylon, or Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. After it has been the cause of ruin to many other nations, Babylon itself shall be destroyed by the Medo-Persians.

Daniel requested that the prince of the eunuchs would allow himself and his three friends to live on pulse for ten days. Then, if the prince of the eunuchs thought that the food suited, he might allow them to continue to eat pulse and not to eat of the meat and drink the wine which came from the king's table. The ten days expired. The pulse eaters and water-drinkers stood before the prince of the eunuchs in better condition than they who did eat and drink of the meat and wine which came from the king's table. Melzar took away the portion of meat and wine which was sent to them, and gave to them pulse and water. Ashpinaz was prince or master of the eunuchs. "Now, at the end of the days,"" at the end of three years," they were, by the king's order, to be nourished (and instructed in the Chaldee language and in science), and at the end of three years, they were to stand before the king. When they stood before the king, he communed with them, that is, with all the young men, captives, who had been in a course of training, physically and mentally, for three years. 'Amongst them all was found none like to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore stood they (or continued to stand), before the king. Only four vacancies had to be filled. These four pulse-eaters and water-drinkers had passed the three years' probation and preparation for examination in very frugal diet and in daily study. They won the prizes on the day of examination. "Nebuchadnezzar examined them and found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. Daniel continued (in office) even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

Aavinλ-Daniel. Apux-Ariōch. Ariōch was captain of the king's guard. Daniel had answered Arioch wisely in the matter of "the dream, and the interpretation thereof." All this display of superior industry in study, of more advanced intelligence, of uncommon frugality, of unblemished chastity, qualified them for holding the highest offices in state, and secured their appointment by Nebuchadnezzar, whose wisdom led him to seek and to train the natural abilities of all his subjects, whether captives or natives, for the purpose of employing these cultivated abilities in the various departments of his government.

Envy arose amongst the parties who had failed to secure the king's favour. An opportunity for having their revenge soon presented itself. In the second

year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he dreamed, and forgot his dream. His magicians, astrologers, and wise men failed to tell to the disturbed king "the dream and the interpretation thereof." Nebuchadnezzar's wrath was kindled. He sentenced to death the men who were unable to tell to him "the dream, and the interpretation thereof." Daniel comes to the rescue. He is appointed by God to make known the things to be hereafter. Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed-" when he heard from Daniel the dream, and the interpretation thereof"-"Of a truth, your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret." The king made Daniel a great man. He gave many gifts to Daniel. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel requested, and the king set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel sat in the gate of the king, that is, was chief officer in the palace, and was the greatest confidant and counsellor of the king. The influence of Daniel and of his friends extended only to the province of Babylon; it did not reach to the other provinces of the Babylonian empire.

(d.) Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold. Its height was threescore cubits, or ninety feet. Its breadth was six cubits, or nine feet. He set up this image in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Perhaps this setting up of the golden image occurred towards the close of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. The date in the authorised version is B.C. 580. His insanity is dated B.C. 569. His recovery is dated B.C. 563. The authorised version, therefore, fixes the date of the king's insanity, B.C. 569, ten or eleven years after the setting up of the "image of gold."

1. Perhaps the image did not represent a human being.

2. Perhaps it was not all gold. These three questions the dates, the form of the image, and its composition are matters for inquiry-an exercise in speculation and in reasoning. The account given in The account given in Dan. iii. of the ceremony of the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had set up, is given by Daniel in very spirited language. The assembling of the representatives of the empire, the herald making proclamation, the musicians playing, the vast multitude fallen to the ground in worship of the golden image, the furnace heated for the destruction of those who might refuse to fall down and worship, the Chaldeans coming to Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live for ever," and stating the offence committed by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, "whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon "-"these men, O king, have not regarded thee, they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." All these particulars are so vividly stated that the reader of the account almost imagines himself to be a hearer of the words uttered, of the music played, and a seer of the actions recorded.

Nebuchadnezzar, finding that the statement was true from the lips of the accused parties, ordered the furnace to be made hot seven times more than usual. He ordered the strongest men in his army to bind his three favourite counsellors, and to throw them into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. His command was obeyed. The flame of the fire slew the men who threw into the furnace Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar, in astonishment, asked, "Did we not throw into the furnace three men, bound?" His courtiers answered, "True, O king." The king replied, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire. They have no hurt. The form of the fourth is like the (a) Son of God." Nebuchadnezzar called aloud, “Ye servants of the Most High God, come forth of the midst of the fire." All the men of authority in the Babylonian empire saw these men come forth, "unhurt in their bodies, and not having the smell of fire on their garments." Then Nebuchadnezzar made a decree threatening with destruction any of his subjects who would speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, because there is no other god who can deliver after this sort."

"Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon."

The dream of Nebuchadnezzar, "the image composed of various metals, ending in a mixture of iron and clay in the feet, may have suggested to hir the construction of the image of gold, and of the worship to be rendered to it. Whether he had some thought of seeing his whole empire worshipping himself in this disguised manner may be matter for inquiry. The desire for homage and for divin honours was the ruling passion of all sovereigns Those sovereigns who aimed at and who obtained universal empire were secure in the belief that they had obtained deification-the place of a deity amongs the gods. This principle has been carried into Christianity. The saints of Christianity take the place of the deities of heathenism; that is, of the great men whom heathenism converted into gods when death had removed them from this world. From this custom of making gods and saints the world has never been free. I quote from Dr. A. Clarke's Commentary the following passage:

"The human figure has been used both by historians and geographers to represent the rise, progress, establishment, and decay of empires, as well as the relative situation and importance of the different parts of the government. Thus Florus, in the Prosemium (preface) to his Roman History, represents the Romans under the form of a human being, in its different stages from infancy to old age, viz.:

"Si quis ergo populum Romanum quasi hominem, consideret, totamque ejus ætatem percenseat, cœperat, utque adoleverit, ut quasi ad quemdam Juvente florem pervenerit, ut postea velut consenuerit, quatre gradus progressus que ejus inveniet.

"I. Prima tas sub Regibus fuit, prope ducent quinquaginta annos, quibus circum ipsam matr suam cum finitimis luctatus est. Hæc erit ejus Infanti