AC. brethren the Israelites, he endangered himself for A. M. their relief. But so far were they from taking the benefit of bis zeal and courage, that they exposed him to the rage of Pharaoh, who resolved his ruin. Moses fled out of Egypt into Arabia, to the land of Midian, where his virtue, ever ready to succour the oppressed, found him a secure retreat. This great man losing hopes of delivering his people, or waiting a better opportunity, had spent forty years in feeding the flocks 1491. of Jethro his father-in-law, when he saw the burning 251. bush in the desart, and heard the voice of the God of bis fathers, who sent him back into Egypt to bring his brethren out of bondage. Then appear the humility, the courage, and the miracles of that divine lawgiver; the hardness of Pharaoh's heart, and the terrible plagues God sends upon him; the passover, and next day the passage of the Red Sea; Pharaoh and the Egyptians buried in the waters, and the total deliverance of the Israelites.

IV. E

HERE begin the times of the written law. It was poc given to Moses 430 years after the calling of Abraham, ur the 856 years after the deluge, and in the same year that

Moses,

writ

ten

the Hebrew people came out of Egypt. This date is 1491, remarkable, being made use of to denominate all the

law.

time from Moses to Jesus Christ. All that time is called the time of the written law, to distinguish it from the preceding, called the time of the law of na-ture, wherein men had nothing to direct them but natural reason, and the traditions of their ancestors.

God then having set his people free from the tyranny of the Egyptians, in order to conduct them into the land where he will be served, and before he settles them in it, sets forth to them the law by which they are to live. He writes with his own hand upon two tables, which he gives to Moses on the top of mount Sinai, the foundation of that law, that is, the decalogue, or ten commandments, which contain the first principles of the worship of God, and of human society. To the same Moses he dictates the other precepts, by

2513.

A.C.

ix. 9, 23.

Heb. which he appoints the tabernacle, the figure of time to A. M. come; the ark, where God manifested himself by his oracles, and wherein the tables of the law were deposited; the promotion of Aaron the brother of Moses; the high-priesthood, or pontificate, a dignity solely appropriated to him and his sons; the ceremonies of their consecration, and the fashion of their mysterious habits; the functions of the priests, sons of Aaron; those of the Levites, with other religious rites; and what is still more excellent, the rules of good manners, the polity and government of his chosen people, to whom he will himself be lawgiver. This is what is signified by the epoch of the written law. Then we see the journey continued in the wilderness; the revolts, idolatries, chastisements, and consolations of the people of God, whom that almighty lawgiver gradu1452. ally forms by this means; the consecration of Elea- 2552, zar the high-priest, and the death of his father Aaron; the zeal of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, and the priesthood confirmed to his descendants by a particular promise. During these times the Egyptians continue settling their colonies in different parts, particularly in Greece, where Danaus, an Egyptian, makes himself king of Argos, and dispossesses the ancient kings of 1451. Inachus's line. Towards the end of the journeyings

$445.

of the people of God in the wilderness, we see the beginning of the wars which the prayers of Moses render successful. He dies, and leaves the Israelites their whole history, which he had carefully digested from the origin of the world down to the time of his death. That history is continued by the command of Joshua, and his successors. It was afterwards divided into several books, which are handed down to us under the titles of Joshua, Judges, and the four books of Kings. The history which Moses had written, and wherein the whole law was contained, was also parted into five books, called the Pentateuch, which are the foundation of religion. After the death of the man of God, we find the wars of Joshua, the conquest and division

2553:

2559.

1405.

1325.

1822.

2599.

2679.

2882

A. C. of the holy land, and the rebellions of the people, who A. M. are at various times chastised and re-established. Here are to be seen the victories of Othniel, who delivers them from the tyranny of Chushan, king of Mesopotamia, and fourscore years after, that of Ehud over Eglon, king of Moab. About this time Phrygian Pelops, son of Tantalus, reigns in the Peloponnese, and gives his name to that famous country. Belus, king of the Chaldeans, receives divine honours from that peo- 2699. ple. The ungrateful Israelites fall again into servitude. Jabin, king of Canaan, subjects them; but Deborah the prophetess, who judged the people, and Barak, the son of Abinoam, defeat Sisera the general 1245. of that king's armies. Thirty years after, Gideon, vic- 2759. torious without fighting, pursues and overthrows the 1236. Midianites. Abimelech his son usurps the sovereign

26.

$305.

1285.

2719.

2768.

2757.

power by murdering his brothers, exercises it tyranni1187. cally, and loses it at last with his life. Jephthah stains 2817. his victory by a sacrifice, which cannot be excused but by a secret command from God, of which he has not been pleased to communicate any thing to us. During this age there happened some very considerable events among the Gentiles; for if we follow the comHerod. putation of Herodote, which seems the most exact, 1.i. c. we must place in these times, 514 years before Rome, 1267.and in the time of Deborah, Ninus the son of Belus, and the foundation of the first empire of the Assyrians. The seat of it was established at Nineveh, an ancient and already famous city, but beautified and adorned 1 by Ninus. Those who give 1300 years to the first Assyrians, go upon the antiquity of the city; and Herodote, who allows them but 500, speaks only of the duration of the empire, which they begun under Ninus, son of Belus, to extend into upper Asia. A little Jost after, and during that conqueror's reign, ought to be 29. placed the foundation, or rebuilding of the ancient city 2752 252 of Tyre, so celebrated for its navigation and colonies. sep. Some time after Abimelech, we find the famous com- 8, 21 bats of Hercules, son of Amphitryo, and those of The

Gen.x

xix.

Jo

Antiq.

A. C.

seus, king of Athens, who made but one city of the AM twelve boroughs of Cecrops, and gave a better form of government to the Athenians. In the days of Jepbthab, while Semiramis, widow of Ninus, and guardian of Ninyas, enlarged the empire of the Assyrians by her conquests, the celebrated city of Troy, already taken once by the Greeks, under Laomedon, its third 1181. king, was again reduced to ashes by the Greeks, in the reign of Priam, son of Laomedon after the siege of ten years.

V. Epoch.

of

fourth

the

2820.

THIS Epoch of the destruction of Troy, which hapThe pened about the 308th year after the departure out of taking Egypt, and 1164 years after the deluge, is considerable, Troy as well by reason of the importance of so great an age of event celebrated by the two greatest poets of Greece 2820 world. and Italy; as because to this date may be referred 1184. whatever is most remarkable in the times called fabulous, or heroic; fabulous, on account of the fables, wherein the histories of those times are enwrapped; heroic, on account of those whom the poets have stiled sons of the gods, and heroes. They lived not far from this period: for in the days of Laomedon, Priam's father, appear all the heroes of the Golden Fleece; Jason, Hercules, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux, and the rest, whom you very well know; and in the time of Priam himself, during the last siege of Troy, we see Achilles, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Ulysses, Hector, Sarpedon, son of Jupiter, Eneas son of Venus, whom the Romans acknowledge for their founder; and so many others, from whom illustrious families and whole nations have gloried to descend. This Epoch is, therefore, proper to collect all that is most certain or beautiful in the fabulous times. But what we find in sacred history is every way more remarka1177. ble: the prodigious strength of Sampson, and his 2837. 1176. amazing weakness; Eli the bigh priest, venerable for

his piety, and unfortunate in the wickedness of his 2888 1095. children; Samuel, an unblameable judge, and a pro- 2968 phet chosen of God to anoint the kings; Saul, the first

A. C. king of the people of God, his victories, his presump- A. M. tion in sacrificing without priests, bis disobedience ill justified by the pretence of religion, his reprobation, his fatal fall. In this period Codrus, king of Athens, laid down his life to save his people, and by his death procured them victory. His sons, Medon and Nileus, dispute the kingdom. On this occasion the Atheni ans abolished the regal dignity, and declared Jupiter sole king of the people of Athens. They created governors, or perpetual presidents, but liable to give account of their administration. These magistrates were called Archons. Medon, son of Codrus, was the first who exercised this magistracy, and it continued a long time in his family. The Athenians spread their colonies over that part of the lesser Asia which was called Ionia. The Eolian colonies were planted much about the same time, and all the lesser Asia was filled with Grecian cities. After Saul, appears a David, that admirable shepherd, the vanquisher of the proud Goliath, and of all the enemies of the people of God; a great king, a great conqueror, a great prophet, wor thy to sing the wonders of divine omnipotence! a man, in short, after God's own heart, as he himself terms him, and who, by his penitence, made his very crime turn to his creator's glory. To this pious warrior succeed- 2990 ed his son, the wise, the just, the peaceful Solomon, 1012, whose hands, undefiled with blood, were judged worthy 2992. to build the temple of God.

1055.

1035.

1014.

poch.

or the

finish

Fifth

2949.

2970:

VI. E- ABOUT the 3000th year of the world, the 488th 3000. Solo- from the departure out of Egypt, and to adjust the men times of sacred history with those of profane, 180 temple years after the taking of Troy, 250 before the foundaed. tion of Rome, and 1000 years before Jesus Christ, did age of Solomon finish that stupendous edifice. He solemnized World. the dedication of it with an extraordinary piety and 1004 magnificence. This celebrated action is followed by other wonders of Solomon's reign, which ends with shameful weaknesses. He gives up himself to the love of women; he fails both in head and in heart, and his

the

3001.