eign of _Jehoahaz_, and first part of the Reign of _Joash_, Kings of
_Israel_, and I think in the Reign of _Moeris_ the successor of _Ramesses_
King of _Egypt_, and about sixty years before the Reign of _Pul_; and
_Nineveh_ was then a city of large extent, but full of pastures for cattle,
so that it contained but about 120000 persons. It was not yet grown so
great and potent as not to be terrified at the preaching of _Jonah_, and to
fear being invaded by its neighbours and ruined within forty days: it had
some time before got free from the dominion of _Egypt_, and had got a King
of its own; but its King was not yet called King of _Assyria_, but only
King of _Nineveh_, _Jonah_ iii. 6, 7. and his proclamation for a fast was
not published in several nations, nor in all _Assyria_, but only in
_Nineveh_, and perhaps in the villages thereof; but soon after, when the
dominion of _Nineveh_ was established at home, and exalted over all
_Assyria_ properly so called, and this Kingdom began to make war upon the
neighbouring nations, its Kings were no longer called Kings of _Nineveh_
but began to be called Kings of _Assyria_.

_Amos_ prophesied in the Reign of _Jeroboam_ the Son of _Joash_ King of
_Israel_, soon after _Jeroboam_ had subdued the Kingdoms of _Damascus_ and
_Hamath_, that is, about ten or twenty years before the Reign of _Pul_: and
he [345] thus reproves _Israel_ for being lifted up by those conquests; _Ye
which rejoyce in a thing of nought, which say, have we not taken to us
horns by our strength? But behold I will raise up against you a nation, O
house of _Israel_, saith the Lord the God of Hosts, and they shall afflict
you from the entring in of _Hamath_ unto the river of the wilderness_. God
here threatens to raise up a nation against _Israel_; but what nation he
names not; that he conceals 'till the _Assyrians_ should appear and
discover it. In the prophesies of _Isaiah_, _Jeremiah_, _Ezekiel_, _Hosea_,
_Micah_, _Nahum_, _Zephaniah_ and _Zechariah_, which were written after the
Monarchy grew up, it is openly named upon all occasions; but in this of
_Amos_ not once, tho' the captivity of _Israel_ and _Syria_ be the subject
of the prophesy, and that of _Israel_ be often threatned: he only saith in
general that _Syria_ should go into captivity unto _Kir_, and that
_Israel_, notwithstanding her present greatness, should go into captivity
beyond _Damascus_; and that God would raise up a nation to afflict them:
meaning th