Under Pul the Assyrian kingdom began to be powerful; and extended itself further under his successors Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, and Esarhaddon. It seems that Pul, or Tiglath-pileser, parted his kingdom at his death; and gave Babylonia to Nabonassar a younger son: but, as perhaps there was no great harmony between the two, Esarhaddon, by conquest, or for want of immediate heirs, re-annexed Babylon to Assyria. At this time, the Assyrian empire was in its greatest extent, comprehending Media, Persia, Chaldea, Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and part of Arabia.

are so similar, that we cannot but suppose they relate to the-same event. Assyria fell under the power of the Chaldeans; and from them it passed to the Persians. Here, at Arbela, the Greeks gave the finishing stroke to the Persian empire, Numb. xxiv. 24. It has since successively belonged to the Romans, Parthians, Persians, Saracens, Turks; and at present is an almost useless part of the Persian empire; fained, as far as I know, for almost nothing but the robberies of the Curds, who have, for many ages past inhabited its mountainous parts. In the early ages of Christianity, there was here a Christian church; but little more of that

Under Saosduchinus and Chinaladan, the Assyrian empire gradually || kind need be expected till the glorious decayed: first the Medes on the east, Millennium, Isa. xix. 23-25. and then the Babylonians on the ASTONIED, or ASTONISHED, in ⚫ south-west, revolted, and made war the Old Testament, generally imon the empire. Chinaladan was so ports to be filled with wonder, mingled terrified with the alliance between with perplexity fear and trouble, Ezra Astyages the Mede, and Nabopolas-ix. 3. In the New, it generally signisar the Chaldean, against him, that fies to be filled with delightful wonhe desperately burnt his palace onder and amazement, Matth. ix. 28. himself. After his death the king- ASTRAY; away from one's prodom languished about 25 years more; and at last was utterly overturned, and Nineveh destroyed by Cyaxares the Mede, and Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, A. M. 3403. 2 Kings xv. to xix. 2 Chron. xxxi. xxxii. and xxxiii. 11. Isa. v. 26-30. viii. x. xxxiii. xxxvi. xxxvii, and xvii. 1214. Nah. i. to iii. Zeph. iii. 13-15. Ezek. xxxi.

per place or path. When applied to moral conduct, it signifies to wander from one's proper path of duty and happiness, Psal. cxix. 176. Prov. v. 23.

ASTROLOGERS; such as by observation of the stars and sky, and calculations relative thereto, pretend to foretell future events; they were famous among the Heathens, chiefly at Babylon, Isa. xlvii. 13. Dan. i. 20. &c.

ATAD, was probably a noted Canaanite, and had a threshing-floor at ABEL-MIZRAIM.

The great Usher, Rollin, and others, will have Nineveh to have been destroyed under one Sardanapul the son of Pul, by Arbaces the Mede, and Belesis the Chaldean. But how improbable is it, that the Assyrian em- ATHALIAH, the grand-daughter pire should be then destroyed, and of OMRI, daughter of AHAB, and wife yet the very next Assyrian king be of Jehoram king of Judah. She was a more noted conqueror than ever extremely wicked herself, and seduced Pul was? Besides, no ancient author her husband and son Ahaziah, to folmentions a double destruction of Ni-low the idolatrous courses of her faneveh; and the relations of its destruction, though by different authors, referred to different times, and plaeed under kings of a different name, VOL. I.

ther, 2 Kings viii. 18, 26. 2 Chron. xxi. 6. 13. and xxii. 10. Informed that Jehu had slain her son, and 70 others of the royal family of Judah, R

probably many of them her grand-|| for 17 generations, or 487 years.children, she assumed the govern- They were governed about 472 years ment; and to secure it for herself, more by Archons, perpetual and ancut off all the remainder of the seed-nual, before they settled into a comroyal, except Joash her infant-grand-monwealth, about A. M. 3412.-This child, who was carried off by his aunt, city produced Solon, Socrates, Aristiand hidden sixyears in some apartment des and other famed philosophers; belonging to the temple, during which Demosthenes, and a vast number of time Athaliah governed the Jews and other renowned orators; Miltiades, promoted the vilest idolatry with all Cimon, Themistocles, Alcibiades, her might. Phocion, and a great many other illustrious generals. The unhappiness was, that envy made it dangerous to excel where the populace had so much power. The terrible struggles of this state with the Persians, the Lacedemonians, and others, often brought it to the brink of ruin.Twice the Persians burnt it to ashes; though in the end, they paid dear for their labour.

In the seventh year, Jehoiada the high priest, engaging the leading men of the kinghom in his interest, produced the young prince in a public assembly, in the court of the temple; he caused the people to take an oath of fidelity to him; and engaged both them and their king to serve the Lord. Arming the Levites and other friends with weapons reposited in the temple, he appointed one part of them to guard the royal person; the rest to secure the gates of the sacred courts: next he brought forth the young prince, put the crown on his head, anointed him with oil, and by sound of trumpet, attended with the shouts of the populace, proclaimed him king. Alarmed with the noise, Athaliah ran to the temple to see what had happened: shocked with the sight of the king on his throne, she rent her cloaths, and cried, Treason, treason. At Jehoiada's orders, the guard directly carried her out of the courts, and slew her at the stable-gate of the palace, A. M. 3126,|| 2 Kings xi. 2 Chron. xxiii.

About A. M. 3668, the Athenians were subjected to the Macedonians by Alexander. About 87 years before Christ their city was taken by Sylla, and the most of the inhabitants put to the sword, and the place made subject to the Romans. In the 4th and 5th centuries of Christianity, it was pillaged by the Goths, and a great part of it reduced to ruins. Since 1455, it hath been almost perpetually under the slavery of the Turks and at present hath about eight or ten thousand inhabitants and is scarce noted for any thing but the wit of the people, and the numerous remains of antiquity.

:

Amidst all their pretences to learning the ancient Athenians were exceedingly given to the most vain curiosity, and the grossest idolatry.Beside their regard to the Grecian gods which Hesiod and Varro reckon at 30,000, it seems they erected al

ATHENS, a celebrated city of Greece, about 35 miles eastward from Corinth, situate in a very delightful plain. It is said to have been built 1580 years before our Saviour's birth, though that probably carries its antiquity too high by some hun-tars to the unknown gods, that they dreds of years. The inhabitants were anciently famed for learning, wealth, and numerous conquests: they are said to have planted forty colonies in different parts of the world. They were governed by kings of the family of Cecrops, their Egyptian founder,

might be sure to fail in their duty to none. Here Paul preached the gospel, and disputed with their philosophers. But his success was small; his sensible remonstrance before the court of Areopagus at least in the place where it met, converted Diony

sius, one of the judges. He, and a lady called Damaris, and some others, were the first-fruits of a Christian church,|| which hath continued to this day, three parts of the inhabitants being Christians, and have a bishop at their head, Acts xvii. 16-34. 1 Thess. iii. 1.

ATHIRST. (1.) Earnestly desirous of refreshful liquor to drink, Judg. xv. 18. (2.) Desirous of happiness, Rev. xxi. 6. and xxii. 17.

ATONEMENT, or PROPITIATION, a pacification of God's justice, by giving him a ransom to balance the offence done to him by sin. The Hebrew word rendered atonement signifies covering; and intimates, that our offences are, by a proper atonement, covered from the avenging justice of God. The atonement made by the ceremonial offerings, did not really appease the divine justice for offences, but only secured against the impending temporal punishment; and typified the satisfaction of Jesus Christ, which sufficiently balances our most heinous crimes, Exod. xxix. 36. and on that account is called the propitiation, Rom. iii. 25. and v. 11. 1 John ii. 2.*

ATTAIN; (1.) To receive; get possession of; come to, Psal. cxxxix. 6.

Ezek. xlvi. 7. Acts xxvii. 12. (2.) To be equal to, 2 Sam. xxiii. 19. To attain righteousness, is to get the obedience and death of Jesus Christ imputed to us; the imputation of which never fails to be attended with his grace implanted in our soul and with holiness in all manner of conversation, Rom. ix. 30. To attain to good doctrine, is to understand, embrace, and feel the power of it, 1 Tim. iv. 6. To attain to the resurrection from the dead, is to partake fully of the quickening, justifying, sanctifying, and comforting virtue of Christ's resurrection, and share the happiness bestowed on the saints at theirs, Philip. iii. 12.

ATTALIA, now Sattalia, a city of PAMPHYLIA, situate on a fair bay of the Mediterranean sea; or a city of Lycia; both of which were probably founded by Attalus king of Pergamus. Here Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel, about 16 or 17 years after our || Saviour's death, Acts xiv. 25; but we read no more of its Christianity, save that the inhabitants had a bishop in the 5th and 6th centuries.

ATTEND; (1.) To hear with "The Hebrew caphar is most fre- great care, Job xxxii. 12. (2.) To quently used to signify redeeming, expia- apply the mind earnestly to a thing, ting or appeasing, even by the intervention Acts xvi. 14. (3.) To wait upon one, of some price. In Gen. xxxii. 20. a caph. rah, I will appease him with the present iv. 5. God's attention to our prayers, as ready to hear or obey orders, Esth. that goeth before me. In 2 Sam. xxi. 3.David said to the Gibeonites many of whom imports his graciously regarding and Saul had slain, Wherewith, a capher, shall accepting them for Christ's sake, and I make atonement? Nor can this word be his speedy granting of what we reused with regard to sacrifices in any other quest, Psal. xvii. 1. and cxxx. 2. sense. So the Septuagint translation renders copher, by Lutron, a ransom, as in peased, forgives them and remembers Exod. xxi. 30. and xxx. 12. Numb. xxxv. them no more. From the same root is the 31, 32. and by allagma an exchange as in name of the covering of the wk; signify. Isa. xliii. 3. Amos v. 12. So one of the ing, that by the satisfaction of Jesus Christ principal solemnities of Israel was called our sins, or breaches of God's law, are so yom haciphurim, the day of the expiations. covered, that they shall never come into his Hence there is no ground to assert, with sight for our condemnation. Thus, the some, that the word has no other significa covering of our sins is a necessary effect, tion than that of covering. It is true, that and consequence, but not the formal cause the word is sometimes used to signify of expiation: our sins are not expiated, daubing over or covering. But it is also because they are covered; but they are used by the Holy Spirit to signify the ex-therefore covered, because by the propipiation made by a ransom, because there-tiatory sacrifice, they are expisted." by our sins are covered; God being ap-}|

Curretine

ATTIRE, cloathing, chiefly what || whose temple is, to this day, the wonder of every beholder.

is fine, splendid, and gay, Jer. ii. 32. The attire of an harlot, is that which, 3. Bethel is called AVEN, or BETHin its form or manner of putting on, AVEN, because of the idolatry and otempts beholders to suspect the wear-ther wickedness there committed, er unchaste, or is calculated to awa-Hos. x. 8. and v. 8. ken improper thoughts or desires, AVENGE; to punish an affront Prov. vii. 10. or injury, Lev. xix. 18. It is not the To AVAIL; to be for use, plea-person punished, but he that received sure, profit, honour: thus neither the injury, that is said to be avenged, circumcision nor uncircumcision, but Numb. xxxi. 2, 3. God has a sovea new creature, a new state of union reign, and magistrates a subordinate, with Christ, and likeness to him, power and right to avenge injuries, availeth any thing towards the pre- Psal. xciv. 1. He who prosecuted sent or future happiness of our soul, the man-slayer under the law, was Gal. vi. 15. called the avenger of blood, and had right to slay him, if he found him without the city of refuge. In such manner Jesus takes vengeance on all that injure his people, if they flee not to himself as their refuge, Josh. ↑ XX. 5, 9.

AUDIENCE, hearing, Genesis

xxiii. 13.

AVEN, ON, BETHSHEMISH, or Heliopolis, the city of the sun; a city of Egypt, almost straight westward from the north point of the Red sea, and eastward from the Nile, about a day's journey south-east of the Egyptian Babylon, and the capital of a home or county. Here were worshipped sundry images of the sun; and oxen were dedicated to him and the moon. Here, or at another city of the same name, a famed mirror was so placed as to enlighten a temple all the day long, with the solar rays which it collected and refracted. || This city, standing at the entrance of Egypt from the east, was exposed to frequent disasters. Nebuchadnezzar's troops murdered most of the inhabitants able to bear arms, and brake the images to pieces. Probably Cambyses used it no better, Ezek. Xxx. 17. Jer. xliii. 13.

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AUGMENT; to make greater, We augment the fierce anger of the Lord, by sinning more and more, and thus provoking him to increase our punishment, Numb. xxxii. 14.

AUGUSTUS CESAR, the second emperor of Rome. He succeeded his uncle Julius, A. M. 3965. After being partner with Mark Antony, he defeated him at the battle of Actium, A. M. 3975, and assumed the sole sovereignty. No sooner had he established universal peace and order in his vast empire, than he appointed all his subjects, and the value of their property, to be enrolled in the public records, that he might perfectly know what subjects he had fit for war, or otherwise; and what tax might be 2. AVEN, a plain in Syria. It reasonably imposed. He made three seems to be the same with that of such enrolments: the second was Baal-beck, or valley of Baal, where begun about seven years before our was a magnificent temple dedicated Saviour's birth, and was not then to the sun; and is called the valley finished, but was the occasion of his of Lebanon, Amos i. 5. Josh. xi. 17. mother and supposed father's journey It lies between Lebanon and Anti- to Bethlehem, at the very instant libanus, and is a part or the whole of his nativity, Luke ii. )—6; alof Cœlo-Syria, one of the most plea- though no tax was drawn till sundry sant and fertile spots in the earth. years after. To relate this emperor's About thirty miles north of Damas-wars with Brutus, Cassius, and other cus stands Baal-beck, the ruins of enemies of his uncle; his wars with

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Antony, with the Spaniards, Rheti-purchased, promises, offers, effects, maintains, and perfects our faith, life, and salvation, Heb. xii. 2. and v. 9. Acts iii. 15.

AUTHORITY. (1.) Power, RULE, dignity, Prov. xxix. 2. (2.) Majesty and efficacy, tending to awaken the conscience, and gain the heart, Matt. vii. 29. (3.) A warrant, order, or. permission from a superior, Matth.

To AWAKE; (1.) To rouse one's self or another from natural sleep, Gen. xxviii. 16. 1 Kings xviii. 27.(2.) To bestir one's self, Judg. v. 12.

ans, Parthians, and Arabs; to mention his friendship to Herod the Great, and to the Jews of Egypt and Cyrene; or his sorting of the Sybilline books, and destroying whatever he thought forged and corrupted, is scarce to our present purpose. His mild government made happy a great part of the known world, and almost extirpated the Romans' prejudice a-xxi. 23. Acts ix. 14. gainst absolute monarchy. But the whoredoms of his daughter Julia, and her children, and other family disorders, rendered his life a burden to himself. At last, after declaring T1-||(3.) To raise, or arise from death naBERIUS his successor, and tendering him a number of excellent instructions, he caused himself to be dressed as a stage-player, and then asked his friends, if he had acted his part well. He no sooner heard that he had, than he expired in the arms of Livia his beloved wife, in the 75th year of his age, 56th of his reign, and 15th after our Saviour's birth.

tural or spiritual, John xi. 11. Job xiv. 12. God awakes to the judgment he hath commanded, when he openly and eminently displays his power and other perfections in punishing his enemies, and rescuing his people, Psal. vii. 6. His sword of justice awaked, when terribly displayed in full execution of the vengeance due to our sin, on Christ, Zech. xiii. 7.— Christ is awaked before he please, when AVITES, a tribe of the Samari- any thing is done to disturb or intertans, which came from Avah, or I-rupt his sensible fellowship with his vah, which we suppose to have been people, Song ii. 7. and iii. 5. and somewhere on the north-west of Chal-viii. 4. The north wind awakes, and dea, and was destroyed by Sennache-blows on our garden, when the Holy rib they worshipped the idols Nib-Ghost powerfully convinceth our haz and Jartak, 2 Kings xvii. 24, 31. Isa. xxxvii. 13.

AVIM. See HIVITES.

AVOID; to shun; to keep far off; to withdraw from, Prov. iv. 15. 1 Sam. xviii. 11.

conscience, and that of others in the church, Song iv. 16; but some understand it of the ceasing of trouble. We awake out of the snare of the devil, awake because our salvation is near, awake that Christ may give us light, awake to righteousness, when conscious of our danger and an ap

AVOUCH, solemnly to choose, and avow our interest in, Deut. xxvii. 17, 18. AUSTERE, of a stern and dis-proaching eternity, we shake off our maying countenance; churlish; gree-spiritual sloth and unconcern, and dy; cruel; hard; unreasonable, Luke with great earnestness study to know xix. 21. and receive Jesus Christ and his AUTHOR, the first inventor or righteousness; and in his strength to maker of any thing. God is the au-follow holiness in all manner of conthor of peace: he requires it by his versation, 2 Tim. ii. † 26. Rom. xiii. law; directs how to attain or main-11. Eph. v. 14. 1 Cor. xv. 34. tain it: he promises it in his word, and bestows it by his Spirit, 1 Cor. xiv. 33. Christ is the author of faith, life, and salvation: he devised, he

AWARE, taking notice, Luke xi. 44.

AWAY, at a distance, 2 Chron. xxxv. 23. It signifies also detesta