Q. What was the Confequence of this? 27. A. Though the King himself was forry for his Decree, and tried all Means to fave Daniel, yet his Enemies prevailed to have him caft into the Den of Lions, because the Laws of the Medes and Perfians were not to be altered, ver. 11-17.

28 Q. Wherein did the King further fhew his Concern for Daniel ?

A. He paffed the Night without Mufick or Sleep, he went early to the Lion's Den in the Morning, and found Daniel fafe, to his great Joy; for God had fhut the Mouths of the Lions, that they did him no Hurt, ver. 18-23.

29 Q. Wherein did King Darius manifeft his Refentment against the Enemies of Daniel?

A. He caft them, with their Wives and Children, into the Den of Lions, who broke all their Bones immediately, ver. 24.

-30 Q What Special Regard did Darius fhew to the true God on this Occafion?

A. He fent a Decree through all Nations, that Men fhould fear the God of Daniel, ver. 25.

31 Q. What are the other most remarkable Things in the Hiftory of Daniel?

A. The Vifions which he faw, the excellent Prayer which he made for the Reftoration of the Jews from Captivity, and the other Prophecies which were given him by Angels.

32 Q. What were fome of his Vifions and Prophecies? A. Emblems and Reprefentations of the four Monarchies of the World, and of the Kingdom of Chrift; and Predictions concerning future Events among the fews, and other Nations of the Earth; some of which are expreffed so plainly, that the Enemies of the Bible fuppofe them to be written after thofe Events came to pass, Chap. vii. and viii, and xi.

33 Q. What remarkable Answer did Daniel receive to this excellent Prayer of his for the Restoration of the Jews?

A. The Angel Gabriel was ordered to fly fwiftly, and to inform him of his own Acceptance with God, of the Commandment of the Kings of Perfia to rebuild the Holy City, of the Time of the Coming, and the Death of the Meffiah to take away the Sins of Men, and of the fecond Destruction of Jerusalem, Dan. ix. 20-27.

34 Q. What other eminent Prophecies did Daniel receive by his Converfe with Angels?

A. Befides the various Events relating to this World, he had fome Predictions concerning the Chriftian Church and its Troubles, and the Period of them; concerning the Refurrection of the Dead, Ever lafting Life, and Everlasting Punishment, Chap. xii.

CHAP. XVIII.

The Hiftory of ESTHER.

HO was Efther?

IQ. WHO

A. A beautiful young Jewish Virgin, whofe Ancestors were carried captive by the King of Babylon, in the Days of Feconiah, King of Judah, Efther ii. 5, 6.

2 Q. Where was she educated?

A. She was brought up in Shushan, the Palace of the King of Perfia, by Mordecai her First-coufin, for her Father and Mother were dead, ver. 7.

3Q. To what Honour was fhe advanced?

A. King Ahafuerus took her into his Royal House,

and

and made her Queen in the Room of his former Queen Vashti, ver. 16, 17.

Note, This Abafuerus is fuppofed by Dr. Prideaux and that with great Probability, to be that second Artaxerxes, King of Perfia, who was called Longimanus, and who, perhaps, being influenced by Efther and Mordecai, gave a Decree for Ezra to promote the Building of the Temple at Jerufalem, after the Captivity in Babylon. See Chap. xiii. Queft. 9. and 13.

4 Q. What was the Occafion of Vafhti's Disgrace? A. When the King had made a moft magnificent Feaft for all his Nobles and Princes, he fent for Vashti to fhew the Princes her Beauty, and to grace the Feftival, but she refufed to come, Efther i. 10, 11, 12.

5 Q. What Service did Mordecai do for the King, which laid a Foundation for his future Advancement?

A. He gave Information against two of the Chamberlains who had confpired against the King, upon which they were tried and hanged, Efther ii. 21, 22, 23.

6 Q. Who was made the King's chief Favourite a little after this Time?

A. Haman of the Seed of Agag, the Amalekite, Efther iii. 1, 2.

7 Q. Wherein did Mordecai offend Haman?

A. He refufed to bow before him, and do Reverence to him, as the King's Servants did at Court,

Ver. 2.

8 Q. How did Haman attempt to revenge himself? A. By perfuading the King to fend Orders to deftroy all the Jews that were in all his Dominions, ver. 6, &c.

9 Q. What did Mordecai do on this Occafion?

A He defired Efther the Queen to venture into the King's Presence, though fhe were not called, in order

order to petition the King for the Lives of her People the Jews, Efther iv.

10 Q Did Efther comply with his Request?

A. Though the knew it was Death by the Law to venture into the King's Préfence, unless he held out his golden Sceptre to her, yet having firft fafted, and praved to God three Days, and appointed the Jews in Shufhan to faft and pray, the ventured to approach the King, Efther v. 1.

11 Q. What Succefs did Queen Efther find?

A. The King held out his golden Sceptre to her, and promifed to grant her Requeft, even to the half of his Kingdom, Efther v. 1, 2, 3.

12 Q. What was Efther's first Request to the King?

A. That the King and Haman would come to a Banquet which the Queen had prepared for them; which Requeft allo the repeated the next Day, EA. v. 3-8.

13 Q. How was Haman employed on that Day? · A. He rejoiced at the Invitation that Efiber gave him, and fet up a Gallows for Mordecai fifty Cubits high, expecting that at his Defire the King would order Mordecai to be hanged thereon, ver. 9-14.

14 Q. How did the King pass the Time that Night?

A. He could not fleep, and he had the Book of Records read to entertain him, "wherein was written Mordecai's Information of the Confpiracy against the King, Efther vi. 1, 2.

15 Q What Effect had this on the King? A. When he enquired and found that Mordecai had received no Recompence for his Faithfulness, he ordered Haman to array him in Royal Apparel, to fet him on the King's own Horfe, and do the highest Honours to him in a publick Proceffion through the City, ver. 6-II.

16 Q. In what remarkable Hour did Haman receive this Order from the King?

A. At

A. At that very Time when he was come to Court to speak to the King to hang Mordecai on the Gallows he had set up, ver. 4, 5.

17 Q. When the King and Haman were come to the Banquet, what was Queen Efther's further Request?

A. That the Nation of the Jews, which were her Kindred, might be delivered from the general Maffacre that Haman had contrived for them, Eft. vii, I—7.

18 Q. What Change of Affairs enfued on this Petition to the King?

A. The King commanded Haman to be hanged on the Gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, he put Mordecai into Haman's Place at Court, and fent Orders throughout his Dominions for the Jews to defend themselves, Efther vii. 9, 10. and viii. 1-17.

19 Q. Why was not the Order for the Slaughter of the Jews rather reverfed?

A. Because what is written in the King's Name, and fealed with his Ring, could not be reversed according to the Laws of the Government, ver. 8. and God ordered it thus in his Providence, for the publick Destruction of their Enemies.

20 Q. How did the Jews defend themselves in the Day defigned for their general Slaughter?

A. They flew feventy-five thousand of those that rofe up against them, and the ten Sons of Haman among the reft, Eft. ix. 1-16.

21. Q What Memorial of this great Deliverance was preferved amongst the Jews?

A. All the Jews agreed, by and with the Authority of Efther and Mordecai, to keep the 14th and 15th Day of the Month Adar, every Year, as a Day of Thanksgiving for this Salvation, ver. 20-32.