the A. C. and 1164 years after the deluge, is A. M. Fourth confiderable, as well by reafon of the age of importance of fo great an event, cele-2820. world. brated by the two greatest poets of 1184. Greece and Italy; as because to this date may be referred whatever is most remarkable in the times called fabulous, or heroic; fabulous, on account of the fables, wherein the hiftories of thofe times are enwrapped; heroic, on account of those whom the poets have filed fons 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; Jafon, Hercules, Orpheus, Caftor and Pollux, and the reft, whom you very well know; and in the time of Priam himself, during the laft fiege of Troy, we see Achilles, Agamemnon, Menelaus, U--lyffes, Hector, Sarpedon fon of Jupiter, Eneas fon of Venus, whom the Romans acknowledge for their founder; and fo many others, from whom illuftrious families and whole nations have gloried to defcend. This Epoch: is, therefore, proper to collect all that is moft certain or beautiful in the fabulous times. But what we find in facred history is every way more re1177. markable: the prodigious ftrength of 2887. Samp C A. C. Sampfon, and his amazing weakness; A.M. 1176. Eli the high prieft, venerable for his 2888. piety, and unfortunate in the wicked 1095. nefs of his children; Samuel, an un-2969. blamable judge, and a prophet chofen of God to anoint the kings; Saul, the first king of the people of God, his victories, his prefumption in facrificing without priefts, his difobedience ill juftified by the pretence of religion, his reprobation, his fatal fall. In this period Codrus, king of Athens, laid down his life to fave his people, and by his death procured them victory. His fons, Medon and Nileus, difpute the kingdom. On this occafion the Athenians abolished the regal dignity, and declared Jupiter fole king of the people of Athens. They created governors, or perpetual prefidents, but liable to give account of their adminiftration. Thefe magiftrates were called Archons. Medon, fon of Codrus, was the firft who exercised this magiftracy, and it continued a long time in his family. The Athenians fpread their colonies over that part of the leffer Afia which was called Ionia. The Eolian colonies were planted much about the fame time, and all the leffer Afia was filled with Grecian ci- 2949. ties. After Saul, appears a David, 1055. that 1034. A. C. that admirable fhepherd, the vanquish-A. M. er of the proud Goliath, and of all the enemies of the people of God; a great king, a great conqueror, a great prophet, worthy to fing the wonders of divine omnipotence! a man, in short, after God's own heart, as he himself 2970. terms him, and who, by his penitence, made his very crime turn to his creator's glory. To this pious war- 2990. riour fucceeded his fon, the wife, the juft, the peaceful Solomon, whose 1012. hands, undefiled with blood, were 2992. judged worthy to build the temple of 1014. VI. E Solomon, finished. Fifth the world. God. ABOUT the 3000th year of the 3000. poch. world, the 488th from the departure, or the 'out of Egypt, and to adjust the times temple of facred history with those of profane, 180 years after the taking of Troy, 250 age of before the foundation of Rome, and 1000 years before Jefus Chrift, did Solomon finish that ftupendous edifice. 1004. He folemnized the dedication of it with 3001. 1003. an extraordinary piety and magnifiThis celebrated action is followed by other wonders of Solomon's reign, which ends with shameful weakneffes. He gives up himself to the love of women; he fails both in head and in heart, and his piety degenerates into idolatry. God, though justly provokC 2 cence. ed, A. C. ed, yet fpares him in remembrance of A. M. Thus was the kingdom of Ifrael fet the 1 A. C. the Shishak king of Egypt, whom God A. M. made the inftrument of chaftifing the impiety of Rehoboam. In the reign of Abijam, fon of Rehoboam, we fee the famous victory which the piety of that prince obtained over the fchifina 917. tic tribes. His fon Afa, whofe piety is com- 3087. mended in fcripture, is there described as a man, who in his ficknesses relied more upon the aid of medicine, than 924. upon the goodnefs of God. In his time 3080. Omri king of Ifrael built Samaria, where he erected the throne of his 914, kingdom. This period is fucceeded by 3090. Jehofhaphat's admirable reign, wherein flourish piety, juftice, navigation, and the art of war. Whilft he exhibited another David to the kingdom of Judah, Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who reigned in Israel, to the idolatry of Jeroboam added all the impieties of the 899. Gentiles. They both perished miferably. 3105. God, who had bore with their idolatries, refolved to avenge on them the blood of Naboth, whom they had caufed to be put to death, becaufe he had refufed, as the law of Mofes enjoined him, to fell them the fee of the inheritance of his fathers. Their fentence was pronounced to them by the mouth of the prophet Elijah. Ahab was flain fome time C3 |