Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-11-14
Combination OF the Scriptures.

ly aware OF the nature dHu cAteHt vi lne c0n1Tma-
tion which they bring to the truth of Scripture
history. 1t may be useful here 10 set out, in the
brielest fern, a specimen OF some OF the general
results of these discoveries.
They show in conformity with the tenor of
Scripture that the earliest ages were not ,as many
think, barbarous ages but that the race of men,
originally enlightened from divine source, had,
at first,a high degree of general knowledge which
they gradually lost through their detection to idol
airy. 1t has been demonstrated by these excava
lions not only that high stale of the arts exist
ed in Nneveh thousand years before Christ !;
but also, that in the earliest ages of that city, dat
ing but few centuries from the flood their scup-
lures were the best In this remarkable result The
Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities also agree.
1t is also proved contrary 10 the general impress
sion, that idolatry was introduced when men had
better knowledge of the true God than after
wards prevailed that il did not grow mp as a re-
| ligon of nature, by the Intellectual attempts Of
men to find the true Gnd. But it was introduced
as an expedi mt Of men in crder TO obscure what
knowledge of God they possessed, because they
did not like to retain God in their Knowledge
This is shown in the fact that the earliest repres
entations Of God found in these sculptures are the
best, and immeasurably exceed anything OF the
kind exist ng in after ages especially in their ap
proach TO the true idea of God So that idolalfy
came not in for want Of light, but by an abuse of
| light. Men, knowing God, and yet not ling
to glorify him as God, became vain in their i'm
aginaliuns. and their foolish heart was darkened.
The Scripture accounts of The great antiquity
of Nneveh and the Assyrian Empire agree with
these records dug out of the ruins of Nneveh.-
The Scriptures date the building of the city not
long after the flood and the fact that the same
marble materials have been used in successive
structures, and that ancient buildings had been
placed on the ruins Of those still more ancient and
other unmistakable Indications, The conclusion is
made clear, that the city had all the antiquity
! which the Scriptures ascrbe to it,
| These monuments also bear upon them the re
cord of the fu6Ilment of the prophe y. Nahum
! prophesied that the city would be plundered Of
all its treasures, so that none would be left. Lay
ard has found, in all his excavations, nothing in
the form of gold or silver; fact which is remark
able, if the city had not thoroughly been plunder
ed before it was burned. The prophet foretold
that the invaders would obtain easy access TO some
portions OF the city, and, that, wherever the in
habitants should resort to the strongholds, these
would be burnt. Now the ruins show just this
result, that some parts of The city were destroyed
I by fire, and others escaped.
I Buta more striking confirmation is found in the
fact, that inscriptions on the ruins OF one Of the
+ palaces, rive the records of the military career of
I Sennacherb, with just such list of conquests,
and just such bOasting of them, as the Scrip
lures ascrihe to him. For instance, the Bible
| tells US that Hezekiah rebelled against the King
( of Assyria that in the fourteenth year of Heze
kiah's reign, Sennacherib came up against all the
! al, nfI Iudah md fo,ly irnm He1pl; ia
three hundred talents of silver and thirty Of gold.
Now compare this with the historical description
on Sennacherib's palace: "Because Hezekiah,
King of Judah, did not submit 10 my yoke. took
and plundered forty-si of his strong fenced cities
and innumerabIe smaller towns; but left him
Jerusalem his capital city and because Hezekiah
still refused 10 pay homage,l attacked and carried
off the whole population which dwelt around Jeru-
salem, with thirty talents of gold and eight hun
dred talents of silver" This agrees with the
/ Bible account, except in respect to the quantity
! of silver. As TO this, the one account may des-
crbe what was delivered-by Hezekiah, and the
other the whole product of his plumber.
The chamber OF Sennacherib's palace presents,
in sculptures and inscri ptons, the siege of the
Jewish city Lachish. The king is sculptured,
in royal pomp, on his throne. and over his head
is this inscription 'Sennacherb, the mighty
king. king of the country Of Assyria, sitting on
the throne Of judgement before the city OF Lach-
ish :; / give permission for its slaughter" In the
Scriptures the destruction of the city of Lachlsh
! i, represented 10 have been his most difficult
work and, of course. it was victory on which
he would most plume himself, as these sculptures
shrw tha, he did.
Another coincidence appears in this, that IN the
historical sculptures there are marks OF sudden
and final interruption of the work. such as would
naturally follow from the violent death oi The
king, as described in the Bible.
In the ruins of Babylon there is no sculptured
marble. The city was all built OF brick. The
bricks often have characters stamped upon them
! In one instance huge palace is formed of bricks
thus stamped and the same characters exhibit
the name OF '.Nebuchadnezzar" The prominent
| characteristic of Nebuchadnezzar was his PRIDE
such as was revealed in that speech us mol
this great Babylon that have bull, by the might
of my power. and for the honor OF my majesty y
Now these ruins of the palace, in every brick OF
them give just the echo of that boasIed speech
Thus, after SO many centuries, God mas brought
forth, from the ruins of these cities, Voices In res
ponse to what the inspired penman had recorded
so many centuries before.
The following conversation, between two pit
men, was overheard, says the Cateshead Observer
not long ago, y gentleman in the south OF the
country:
.Aw, say Geordie, man--aw, heer thou's been
maxim fule o ihysel'.'
'Ay, man, auve gotten WIFE.
! WY, dis thou knaw auve dune the saym Thing
mesel'? I? wat kind o body has thon gotten e
a pariect deeval mana parfect deeval.'
! Smash, me, man wish mine was nae warse
than that
.Warse than thaip responded Georde; 'how
can she be warse than that! Isn't Beeizebub the
warst critter man can auve tor an akwentence IN
this warld y
'Naught o, the kind. man-naught OF Dlsn't
thou knaw wat the Bible says (and thou knaws
it canno, be wrong.) IT says: 'heslst the devil,
and he'll flee from you; but, bless thee, simple
souled man, fye resist my wife she'll flee at
ys.'
Hearinr man complain that political papers of
all kinds chad become such liars. that for his part
he did NOT believe any of them." reminds me of
the old story of the miller and his three sons
Comino into the mill, and finding a grist in the
hopper. the old man cried out:
..rom. have you tolled this grsl?"
'.Yes' SIR"
"BilI. have you tolIed this grist?"
"sam, have you tolled this grist?"
eyes, sir" 80,
"You ar. all pack of lying scoundrels." says
Tho old man. 81 don't believe word you say
III toll it myself" ------.
Coo, MISUNDERSTANDING the many good things
;r the variauated memoirs of Rev. Sydney Smith,
is the following :-"When you meet with ne
glect. let it rouse you to exert'on' instead OF NOR
rsc,s Which expose you to neglect. and improve
,hoSs avoeIlencies which command attention and
rosnoct se.Oo - This is excellent advice.