CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

ANTEDILUVIAN AGE.

The two races — Lamech — Enoch — Flood 1

CHAPTER II.

THE EARTH PEOPLED

Nimrod — Babel 8

CHAPTER III.

THE ASSYRIAN, OR FIRST GREAT EMPIRE.

Nimrod — Semiramis — Sardanapalus 12

CHAPTER IV.

THE CALL OF ABRAHAM. 17

CHAPTER V.

HISTORY OF EGYPT.

Origin of its inhabitants — Sesostris — Pyramids — Necho 20

CHAPTER VI.

THE EXODUS OF ISRAEL.

Israel's typical character — The law — Preparation for Christ's Church 27

CHAPTER VII.

ISRAEL — ITS JUDGES, PROPHETS, AND KINGS.

Samson — Samuel — Schools of the prophets — Solomon — Commerce of Tyre — Petra — Edom — Ports on the Red Sea — Balbec and Tadmor — Temple — Solomon's sins and punishment 31

CHAPTER VIII.

ISRAEL AND JUDAH.

Jeroboam — New mode of worship — Ahab — Elijah — Captivity of Israel — Election passes to Judah 43

CHAPTER IX.

ASSYRIAN EMPIRE RESTORED.

Hezekiah — Isaiah — Prophets — Chaldees — Babylon — its commerce and splendour — Captivity of Judah — Tyre — Apries — Prophecy of the Five Empires 49

CHAPTER X.

PERSIAN, OR SECOND GREAT EMPIRE.

Cyrus — Croesus — Oracle at Delphi — Babylon taken — Daniel — Temple restored — Cambyses — Smerdis the Magian — Darius Hystasnes — Scythian expedition 63

CHAPTER XI.

GRECIAN, OR THIRD GREAT EMPIRE.

Office of the Third Empire — Character of the Greeks — their independence — their connexion — Homer — Sparta — Object and measures of Lycurgus — Xerxes' expedition against Greece — Numbers of his army — Thermopylae — Athenian character — Solon — Pisistratus — Wooden walls — Themistocles — Salamis — Plataea — Consequences of the Persian expedition 73

CHAPTER XII.

ATHENIAN ATTEMPT AT ESTABLISHING THE GRECIAN EMPIRE.

Spartans unfit for rule — Aristides — Athens fortified — Allies rendered dependent — Athenian and Spartan alliance — Peloponnesian war— Brasidas — Alcibiades — Sicilian expedition — Egospotamos — Athens taken 98

CHAPTER XIII.

THE SPIRITUAL KINGDOM OF THE GRECIAN PHILOSOPHERS.

Attempt to improve man's character — Poetry and the arts — their little effect — Plague At Athens — The Sophists — Pythagoras — Ionic school — Socrates — the four schools of his disciples — Plato — Philosophy fails of raising human nature 100

CHAPTER XIV.

RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND — THEBES AIMS AT THE EMPIRE OF GREECE.

State of Persia — Ezra— Old Testament completed — Cyrus the younger — Battle of Cunaxa — Persian treachery — Xenophon —Return of Greeks — Agesilaus— Thebes — Epaminondas — Improvement in the art of war — Leuctra — Laconia ravaged — Man tinea. 109

CHAPTER XV.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE THIRD EMPIRE — ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

Philip of Macedon — Alexander — Daniel's prophecy — Invasion of Asia — Battle of Granicus — Issus — Tyre taken — Arbela — Bactria and India invaded — Alexander's plans, and death 115

CHAPTER XVI.

ALEXANDER'S SUCCESSORS.

The "four notable horns" — Jews — Septuagint — Antiochus Epiphanes — Maccabees — Antiochus stopped by the Romans 122

CHAPTER XVII.

ROMAN, OR FOURTH GREAT EMPIRE.

Early constitution — Patricians — Plebeians — Invasion of Gaul — Punic wars — Hannibal — Wars with Alexander's successors — Roman character impaired — Gracchi — Marius — Sylla— Pompey — Julius Caesar — Augustus — Universal empire — Peace throughout the Roman world 127

CHAPTER XVIII.

OUR LORD'S COMING — THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Prophecies fulfilled — Our Lord's birth — Wise men — Herod — Our Lord as Prophet, Priest, and King — His Empire, wherein like the four preceding ones — Means of admission into it — Prophecies of its durability 145

CHAPTER XIX.

THE APOSTLES — THE CHURCH ESTABLISHED.

Faith of the Apostles — Day of Pentecost — Gospel first preached to Jews — Gentile converts — Council at Jerusalem — Two orders of ministers besides the college of Apostles — St. James — St. Paul at Athens and Rome — Pastoral epistles — Question whether the Jewish system would continue — decided by destruction of Jerusalem — Jews banished Palestine — Meeting of Apostles in Judaea — Universal establishment of the order of Bishops 154

CHAPTER XX.

APOSTOLIC MEN — THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST EXTENDED

Difficulties of the first successors of the Apostles — Our Lord's presence with His Church — Unity the sustaining principle of His kingdom — St. Clement — St. Ignatius — Reasons for unity — maintained by community in worship and ordinances — Martyrdom of St Ignatius — The Christian city — Christian patriotism — Hegesippus — Gnostics opposed by testimony of early Church — Irenseus — Great importance of Church-system in the infancy of Christ's kingdom — The Church of England appeals to its authority — Rapid advance of the Fifth Empire — Concord within, and outward protection 168

CHAPTER XXI.

THE CHURCH'S VICTORY — CONSTANTINE — THE FIFTH KINGDOM

Reign of Diocletian — Marcellus — Persecution — Martyrs in Palestine — Constantine — Vision of the Cross — the worldly power chosen to behold it — Christ's kingdom established 193

CHAPTER XXII.

THE CHURCH-SYSTEM CEMENTED — THE CREEDS

Interval of tranquillity — Arian controversy — Constantine — Vain effort to obviate discussion — Council summoned at Nice — Arians silenced — their political intrigues — Theodosius — Council of Constantinople — Approach of barbarians — impending destruction of the Roman Empire — its final homage to the Fifth Empire — Close of Ancient History 207