Long as these introductory observations may have appeared, they were deemed necessary in order that the rationale of the Jewish economy might be illustrated, and the faithlessness of the people of Israel to their national covenant and the theocratic government might be made so plain, as to justify the awful punishment which came upon them.

We shall now proceed to consider—

First: THE INVASION OF ISRAEL BY THE ASSY

RIANS.

At the period that event took place, there were two great rival kingdoms, the one on the banks of the Tigris in the north, and the other on the banks of the Nile in the south-Assyria and Egypt-and Palestine lay between them. It is the fate of such a position to be constantly exposed to the violence of one party or the other. Modern Europe supplies a similar instance. Belgium, or the Netherlands, lying between France and Germany, has suffered from the invasions of both, and its plains have been watered with the blood of contending legions, shed in the fiercest battles that have been fought between them. Palestine, in like manner, was coveted by Assyria as a key to Egypt, and by Egypt as an outpost against Assyria. These rival kingdoms employed their resources to secure pos

session of a country so important, and consequently Palestine was involved in ruinous wars, its fair fields and vineyards laid waste, its towns and villages despoiled, and at length its inhabitants were led in captivity to a foreign land. Whilst the kingdoms of Israel and Judah thus suffered from the ambition of competing princes, what would seem to have been the necessary result of their geographical position, we know from the Sacred Writings that these events fell out in the providence of God, as the means of Divine chastisement to a people, who forgot their high vocation amongst the kingdoms of the earth, and who at one time plotted with Egypt, and at another pleaded with Assyria for succour and defence, but neglected to secure the protection of Him, who in such circumstances could alone save them. The invasion and overthrow of Israel was not effected by a single campaign. More than fifty years elapsed between the first incursions of the Assyrian army amongst the tribes of Israel and their final overthrow. "God gave them space for repentance, and they repented not."

The throne had been occupied by several shortlived dynasties, who were raised and overthrown by treason, usurpation, and blood. The reign of Jeroboam II. during forty years was the most glorious period of the kingdom of Israel. Upon

his death, however, all things declined, and a state of confusion and anarchy ensued, which prepared for the eventual subversion of the kingdom. At length, the people being wearied out with their republican dissensions, raised Zachariah, the son of Jeroboam, to the throne, who within six months was publicly slain by Shallum, in the sight and with the sanction of the people. But "the triumphing of the wicked is short;" and a month had scarcely passed, when he that had taken the sword against his sovereign, perished by the sword of another bold adventurer. Menahem, the general of the army, who marched against the new king, defeated and slew him in battle, and seized the throne. As he possessed himself of the crown by the greatest injustice and violence, so he retained it by acts of horrible cruelty and outrage, which he perpetrated in order to intimidate and awe those who dared to question his usurped authority. In such a state of things it is not surprising to read, that "the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria," against Menahem, and that he invaded his kingdom. The cruel tyrant was compelled to purchase freedom and protection from his Assyrian adversary by a tribute of "a thousand talents of silver," or £375,000 of our money, and so "the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land." Pekahiah suc

H

ceeded his father Menahem in the kingdom, but had not been more than two years upon the throne when Pekah, a captain in his service, aided by two other officers and fifty of the king's body guard, basely assassinated him in his own palace in Samaria. Thus, as his father had conspired against Shallum, his courtiers conspired against him, and so the retributive justice of God was seen in visiting the crime of the father upon his son, who followed in his footsteps and approved of his ways. When Pekah had reigned seventeen years in Israel, he formed an unnatural alliance against Judah with Rezin, king of Syria, and proceeded with their joint forces against Jerusalem. This step

was probably suggested by the fact that Judah was confederate with Assyria, which was becoming more and more powerful, and therefore regarded with distrust and apprehension by all the neighbouring states. This aggression brought the armies of Assyria into Syria and Palestine, and Tiglathpileser the king overran Galilee, the portion of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and the land of Gilead, east of the Jordan, which formed the territory of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh; so that by this invasion five out of the ten tribes were subdued, and most of their inhabitants taken captives into Assyria. Such cala

a 2 Kings xv. pass.; Jahn's Bib. Commonwealth, chap. v.

mities were not likely to increase the popularity of the usurper, and therefore Hoshea, availing himself of the discontent, anarchy, and hatred of the people, slew Pekah, as he had slain Pekahiah, and reigned in his stead. The measure that Pekah had meted was measured to him again, and the power that was set up by treason and murder, was with treason and murder overthrown. Twenty years had not elapsed when Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, found occasion against Hoshea, and Israel was again invaded by the Assyrian army. Inclosed within such narrow boundaries, and deficient alike in men and the materials for war, the kingdom was too much weakened to make the least effort against them. Hoshea therefore submitted to his conqueror, "became his servant, and gave him presents;" but with marvellous infatuation, at the same time sent an embassy to So, king of Egypt, soliciting his assistance against the Assyrians. These negotiations were detected by Shalmaneser, and the tribute due being refused, he seized the king of Israel, and cast him into a prison. The faithless Egyptians witnessed his distress with unconcern, and left him in the deadly grasp of his indignant master, without any effort for his rescue. The secs. 39, 40; Kitto's Hist. of Palestine, book iv. chap. viii. ; Hales's Chronology, vol. ii. p. 372.