16, 18; xxvii. 2, &c. 2. In the fol- | lowing texts it means Roman or Proconsular Asia:-Acts ii. 9; vi. 9; xix. 10, 22; 2 Tim. i. 15; 1 Pet. i. 1; Rev. i. 4, 11. Asia Minor included Bithynia, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Cilicia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, Mysia, Troas, (all of which are mentioned in the New Testament,) Lydia, Ionia, Eolis, (which are all sometimes included under the name Lydia,) Caria, Doris, and Lycia. Asia Proper included the provinces of Phrygia, Mysia, Caria, and Lydia. Within this territory the seven churches were situated. The term was gradually enlarged in its application, and at length denoted a large portion of the eastern world. This part of the world is the most remarkable, as it has been the scene of the wondrous events connected with the origin, history, and destiny of our race. ASKELON. A city of the Philistines, situated between Ashdod and Gaza, on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. After the death of Joshua, it fell into the hands of the tribe of Judah, to which tribe it was originally allotted. Judg. i. 18. It bears a prominent part in the Crusades. Little now remains of it but the walls, with numerous granite pillars. ASNAPPER. The name of the king of Assyria, who sent the Cutheans into the country belonging to the ten tribes. Ezra iv. 10. He is generally identified with Esar-haddon, though others think he is the same as Shalmaneser. The title given to him in Ezra, "great and noble," belonged to the Assyrian satraps. ASP. A small but poisonous serpent. Deut. xxxii. 33; Rom. iii. 13. The poison is so subtle as to kill within a few hours. The Hebrew word PETHEN is variously rendered in our version, but interpreters generally consider it as referring to the asp. Zophar alludes to it in his description of a wicked man: "Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him. He shall suck the poison of asps the viper's tongue shall slay him." Moses describes the heathen: "Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps." To tread upon the asp is attended with great danger: therefore to express the safety which the godly man enjoys under the protection of his heavenly Father, it is promised, that he shall tread with impunity on these venomous creatures. The prophet Isaiah, when predicting the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ, heightens the force and beauty of his description by declaring, "The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." ASS. This animal is among the most common mentioned in Scripture, and constituted a considerable portion of the wealth of ancient times. Gen. xii. 16; Job i. 3; xlii. 12. There were different kinds, but the domestic ass was the most serviceable, and in many respects was preferable to the horse. They were generally dark or red-brown in colour, but sometimes white, and these were appropriated to persons of distinction. Judges v. 10. The PARA, wild ass, supposed to be the onager of the ancients, is taller and of a higher breed than the common ass. Its legs are better shaped, and it carries its head higher. It possessed more spirit than the horse. "A whip for the horse,"-a stimulus; "a bridle for the ass,' -a check. The allusions ; in Scripture to the wild ass are numerous. See Job xi. 12. It is said of Ishmael that he should bePARA-ADAM, a wild-ass man, rough, untaught, and free as the wild ass. The female ass was particularly valuable, not only for the saddle, but also for her milk. It was used for food and for medicinal purposes. The precept of the Levitical law, Deut. xxii. 10, has been subject to a variety of interpretations. Some think it intended to prevent occasion for the violation of the law, Lev. xix. 19, "Thou shall not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind." Others think the injunction symbolical. This interpretation is founded on 2 Cor. vi. 14-16. A sufficient reason may be found in the humanity towards the animal creation by which so many of the Mosaical precepts are dictated. The ass is lower than the ox, and when in a yoke with an ox must bear the principal weight, and that in a painful position of the neck. His steps are unequal, and his strength inferior; which must occasion an irregular draught, and great oppression to both. The ass is a spirited creature; the ox gentle and patient. The attachment of the ass to its owner is one of the most remarkable characteristics of this animal. In this respect it bears some resemblance to the dog. "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib." By the law of Moses the ass was declared unclean; and, therefore, it was not used for food, excepting, as it would appear, in cases of famine. See 2 Kings vi. 25. This, however, may be explained to mean not literally the head of an ass, but a certain measure so called. See 1 Sam. xvi. 20, where it is said, that Jesse sent to Saul "an ass of bread" in our version the words "laden with" have been supplied. Although, therefore, the famine of Samaria may have compelled the people to eat asses, and a head may have been very dear, still the expression may mean the measure or weight which bore the same name. ASSHUR. A son of Shem, who gave his name to Assyria. Gen. x. 22. It is believed that Asshur originally dwelt in the land of Shinar, but that he was compelled by the usurper Nimrod to depart thence, and settle higher up towards the springs of the Tigris, in the province of Assyria, where some suppose he built Nineveh. Gen. x. 11, 12. It is, however, more probable that Nineveh was built by Nimrod. ASSIDEANS. This word is found in the Apocrypha. 1 Maccab. vii. 13. They were a body of eminently holy men devoted to the law. They are called also Chasidians, from CHASIDIM, merciful. It is conjectured by Jennings, that the name άoidato, or saints, came to be applied to them by their enemies as a term of reproach, like "Puritans' formerly in this country, and "saints" often in the present day. A company of them resorted to Mattathias to fight for the law of God and the liberties of their country. ASSOS. A town of Lesser Mysia, opposite the island of Lesbos. Paul came hither on foot to meet his friends, in order to take ship for Mitylene. Acts xx. 13, 14. It is now a small village called Beiram. ASSURANCE. A firm persuasion of our being in a state of salvation. It is not a conviction that we shall be finally saved: this latter kind of assurance is intimately connected with the doctrine of unconditional election. The word occurs in various connections in the New Testament. "Full assurance of understanding." Col. ii. 2. Here it appears to mean a full and perfect knowledge and entire persuasion of the truth of the Christian. religion. "Assurance of faith." Heb. x. 22. An entire trust in the sacrifice and priestly office of Christ. "The assurance of hope." Heb. vi. 11. This refers to the heavenly inheritance, and implies a persuasion that we are the children of God, and heirs of God. The Scriptures teach the doctrine of the forgiveness of sin, and that when sin is forgiven we are assured of it, and peace and satisfaction of mind take the place of fear and anxiety. The notion that though an act of forgiveness may take place, we are unable to ascertain the fact, is quite irreconcilable with many scriptures in the New Testament, in which the writers speak of and describe an ex perience common to all Christians. | to indolence and debauchery. His suc"Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." "We joy in God, by whom we have received the atonement." "We have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Other scriptures express the confidence and joy of Christians, their friendship with God, their access to him, their union and delightful intercourse with him. All these are utterly at variance with an unascertained and only hoped-for restoration to favour. See WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. ASSYRIA. 2 Kings xv. 19. This country included, in the most comprehensive use of the term, all the nations from the Mediterranean sea on the west to the Indus on the east. It is important to observe, that by the term Assyrians the sacred writers generally mean the people of Assyria Proper, or the empire of which Nineveh was the capital. By the Babylonians is meant, the people of the country of which Babylon was the capital; and by the Syrians, the people of the country of which Damascus was the capital. The chief city (Nineveh) was one of the most renowned of the eastern world. cessors for several generations appear to have followed his example. In the reign of Pul, B.C. 771, the Assyrians began to extend their empire westward beyond the Euphrates. He approached the confines of the kingdom of Israel, and inspired so much terror that his forbearance was purchased by a thousand talents of silver. 2 Kings xv. 19. Tiglath-pul-assur succeeded to the throne B.C. 747. He conquered the kingdom of Israel, and transplanted a great number of the inhabitants to remote parts of his empire. 2 Kings XV. 29. Invited by Ahaz, he made war against the kingdom of Syria, stormed Damascus, and removed the vanquished people beyond the Euphrates. Shalman-assur was the next king, B.C. 728. He invaded the kingdom of Israel, took Samaria after a siege of three years, and carried the ten tribes into captivity. He colonised Samaria by inhabitants from other parts. San-herib, or Sennacherib, was the next monarch. He fought against Hezekiah, B.C. 713, and also attacked Egypt. His impious blasphemies against God were punished by the miraculous destruction of his army. He returned home disgraced, and was slain by his own sons. EsarIt is difficult to furnish an abstract haddon, or Assar-haddon-pul, was the of the history of the Assyrian empire, third son of Sennacherib, and chosen so much doubt and uncertainty rest in preference to the parricides upon many of the statements of Adrammelech and Sharezer. He conhistorians. Before we arrive at the quered Judah, and made some imperiod when the authentic records of pression on Egypt, but, returning to the Old Testament guide us, the Nineveh, became the slave of intemtraditions are absurd. Nimrod appears perance. The satraps of Media and to be the Ninus of profane history, a Babylonia revolting, besieged him warrior, a conqueror, the builder of in his capital; and, finding himself cities, and the founder of an empire. deserted by his subjects, he set fire The Assyrian empire was probably to his palace, and threw his treasures founded B.C. 1237, and Nineveh was and himself into the flames. Thus its capital. Ninus chose as his ended the Assyrian monarchy, and principal queen Semiramis, the wife the supremacy of central and western of one of his officers, to whose prudent Asia was transferred to the Babycounsels he is said to have been in-lonians, about B. c. 680. See BABYLON. debted for many of his victories. On the death of Ninus, Semiramis assumed the administration. She made great additions to Babylon, and adorned it by stupendous edifices. She was succeeded by her son Ninyas, who, entrusting the entire management to his ministers, gave himself up ASTARTE. See ASHTORETH. ASTROLOGERS. A class of men who pretended to foretell future events by looking at the heavenly bodies. Dan. ii. 27. The word is derived from άorno, a star, and λóyos, discourse. The science is said to have been originated in Chaldæa, but was univer sally practised. It depends upon the bishop of Arles. He was an eminent notion that the stars have an influence, instrument of maintaining the truth, either beneficial or malignant, upon in an age when errors affecting the the affairs of men, which may be foundations of our faith were urged discovered and made the ground of with great subtilty. The true key certain prediction in particular cases; to the Athanasian creed lies in the and the whole art consisted in apply-knowledge of the errors to which it ing astronomical observations to this was opposed. The Sabellians consifanciful purpose. It has been oftendered the Father, Son, and Holy practised in this country. ASUPPIM, gatherings. The name of the treasury of the temple at Jerusalem. 1 Chron. xxvi. 15. Spirit as one person; this was confounding the persons: the Arians considered them as differing in essence, -three beings; this was dividing the substance: and against these two errors was the creed formed. ATHEIST. It is compounded of ȧ, privative, and Oɛòç, God: one who denies the existence of God. This is called speculative atheism. Professing to believe in God, and yet acting contrary to this belief, is called practical atheism. Atheists have been sometimes known by the name of infidels; but the word infidel is distinctive of a more numerous party, and is almost synonymous with deist. Absurd and irrational as atheism is, it has had its votaries, apologists, and even its martyrs. Lucilio Vanini, a ATHALIAH,whom Jehovah remembers. Kings xi. 1. The daughter of Ahab, by his wife Jezebel, and grandaughter of Omri, king of Samaria. She married Joram, or Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Her character was most odious. She counselled her own son in his wickedness; and when Jehu had slain him, she resolved to destroy the children of her husband by his former wives, and then take possession of the throne of Judah. But Jehosheba, a half-sister of Ahaziah, secured Joash, one of the children and heirs, and secreted him and his nurse for six years. In the seventh year, everything being pre-native of Naples, publicly taught pared for the purpose, Joash, the young prince, was brought out, and put on the throne. Attracted by the crowd of people who had gathered together to witness the ceremony, and not suspecting the cause, Athaliah hastened to the temple. When she saw the young king on the throne, and found that her ambitious designs were likely to be defeated, she rent her clothes, and cried out, "Treason, treason," hoping probably to rally a party in her favour. It was too late. Jehoiada, the high-priest, who had organized this bold and successful attempt, without allowing time for pause, ordered the guards to remove her from the precincts of the temple and put her to death. 2 Kings xi.; 2 Chron. xxi. 6; xxii. 10, 11; xxiii. ATHANASIUS. A patriarch of Alexandria, who is chiefly celebrated for his resistance of Arius and his erroneous doctrines. His sentiments as to the Trinity are embodied in the creed which bears his name, though it was probably composed by Hilary, atheism in France, and being convicted at Toulouse, was, in the spirit of the times, condemned and executed in 1619. The pretensions to it have generally been founded on pride or affectation; and it has always been found to prevail most in degenerate times, as among the Greeks, after Pericles, and among the Romans, after Augustus. This will in part account for the avowed atheism of several leading members of the French Convention. To this system pantheism leads it is indeed a modification of atheism. Bruno and Spinoza were pantheists. Many avowed atheists deny certain first principles in reasoning, and consequently refuse to listen to arguments which must convince a man who can think. "Every effect must have a cause," is so clear and plain that it cannot be proved. Surely there never could be a time when there was not something: if there ever was a time when there was not something, there never could have been anything, since no effect can exist without a cause. Atheism is madness. The being of a God may be proved deliberate use of his judgment. See from the marks of design, and from Dr. S. Clarke's "Demonstration of the the order and beauty visible in the Being of a God;" Archb. Tillotson's world; from universal consent; from Sermons, ser. i. Some of the printhe relation of cause to effect; from cipal writers on the being of a God internal consciousness; and from the have been, Newton, Boyle, Cheyne, necessity of a final as well as an Locke, Derham, Bentley, Ray, Cudefficient cause. It may well be ques-worth, Samuel Clarke, John Clarke, tioned whether any man can ever fall Abernethy, Balguy, Baxter, Fenelon. into the absurdities of atheism by a See also the Bridgewater Treatises. ATHENS, the city of Minerva. The chief city of Attica, situated on the Saronic gulf, forty-six miles east of Corinth, and about five miles from the coast. The city was in a plain, which extended to the sea. Several rocky hills rose in the plain, the largest of which was the citadel, or Acropolis. Around this the city was built, most of the buildings spreading towards the sea. The summit of the hill was nearly level, about eight hundred feet long and four hundred wide. The only way that led to the Acropolis was through the Propylæa, a magnificent gateway, adorned with two wings, and two temples decorated with the finest pieces of sculpture and painting. Through these splendid portals was an ascent by marble steps to the summit of the hill, on which were erected the temples of the guardian divinities of Athens. On the left was the temple of Pallas Athene (Minerva), the protectress of cities, containing a column fabled to have fallen from heaven, and an olive-tree fabled to have sprung spontaneously from the | earth at the mandate of the goddess. Beyond this was the temple of Neptune. On the right arose the Parthenon, the glory of Athens, the noblest triumph of Grecian architecture. From whatever quarter the traveller arrived, the first thing he saw was the Parthenon rearing its lofty head above the city and the citadel. Its ruins, still sublime in decay, are the first object that attracts the eye of a stranger. It was of the Doric order of architecture, built of the beautiful white marble found in the quarries of Mount Pentelicus. It was about one hundred feet wide, two hundred and twenty-six feet deep, and seventy feet high. There was a double portico of columns at the two fronts, and single rows along each side. There was an architrave, or frieze, along the exterior of the nave, beautifully sculptured, with the representation of a procession in honour of Minerva. Within the temple was a statue of Minerva, carved by Phidias, celebrated for its size, the richness of its materials, and the exquisite beauty of the workmanship. |