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

Note, This Abafuerus is fuppofed by Dr. Prideaux, and that with great Probability, to be that fecond Ar taxerxes, King of Perfia, who was, called Longimanus, and who, perhaps, being influenced by Efther and Mor decai, gave a Decree for Ezra to promote the Building of the Temple at Jerufalem, after the Captivity in Ba bylon. See Chap. xiii. 2. 9. and 13.

4 Q. What was the Occafion of Vashti's Dif grace? 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 Festival, but she refused to come, Eft. i. 10, 11, 12.

5Q 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, Est. ii. 21, 22, 23.

6Q. Who was made the King's chief Favourite a little after this Time? A. Haman of the Seed of Agag the Amalekite, Eft. iii. 1, 2.

7Q. Wherein did Mordecai offend Haman? A. He refused 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 himfelf? 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 Prefence, though the were not called, in

7

order

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

10 Q Did Efther comply with his Requeft? A. Though the knew it was Death by the Law to venture into the King's Prefence, unlefs he held out his golden Sceptre to her, yet having first fasted and prayed to God three Days, and appointed the Jews in Shufhan to faft and pray, the ventured to approach the King, Eft. v. 1.

IIQ. What Succefs did Queen Efther find? A. The King held out his golden Sceptre to her, and promised to grant her Requeft, even to the half of his Kingdom, Est. v. 1, 2, 3.

12 Q. What was Efther's firft Request to the King? A. That the King and Haman would come to a Banquet which the Queen had prepared for them; which Requeft alfo fhe repeated the next Day, Eft. v. 3-8.

13 Q. How was Haman employed on that Day? A. He rejoiced at the Invitation that Efther gave him, and set 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 pafs 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, Eft. vi. 1, 2.

15Q. 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 higheft Honours to him in a publick Proceffion through the City, ver. 6—11.

16 Q. In what remarkable Hour did Haman reteive this Order from the King? A. At that very Time when he was come to Court to fpeak to the King, to hang Mordecai on the Gallows he had fet up, ver. 4, 5.

17 Q. When the King and Haman were come to the Banquet, what was Queen Efther's further Rsqueft? A. That the Nation of the fetus, which were her Kindred, might be delivered from the general Maffacre that Haman had contrived for them, Eft. vii. 1-7.

18 Q. What change of Affairs ensued on this Petition to the King? A. The King commanded Haman to be hanged on the Gallows he had prepared for Modecai, he put Mordecai into Haman's Place at Court, and fent Orders throughout his Dominions for the Jews to defend themselves, Eft. yii. 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 reverfed according to the Laws of the Government, ver. 8. and God ordered it thus in his Providence, for the publick Deftruction. 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 thofe 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 Esther and Mordecai, to keep the 14th and 15th Day of the Month Adar, every Year, as a Day of Thankfgiving for this Salvation, ver. 20-32.

22 Q. What was the Name of this Festival? A These two Days were called the Days of Purim, from Pur, which fignifies a Lot, becaufe Haman had caft Lots, in a fuperftitious Manner, to find out what Month or Day was the moft lucky to execute his bloody Device against the Jews, Eft. ix. 26, 27. and iii. 7.

23 Q. How does this Hiftory appear to be a true Account of Things, fince there is not the leaft Hint who was the Writer of it, nor is the Name of God: in it? A. Becaufe 'tis delivered down to us among the facred Writings, by the Jews themselves, who were the Keepers of the Oracles of God, Rom. iii. 2. And because this Feaft of Purim is obferved by the Jews to this Day, in Memory of this Deli

verance.

The End of the Hiftories of the Old Teftament.

CHAP.

CHAP. XIX.

A Continuation of the Hiftory of the Govern ment and Church of the Jews, from the End of the Old Teftament, to the Times of CHRIST.

T

INTRODUCTION.

HE learned Dr. Prideaux hath written two large and valuable Volumes, which he calls the Gonnexion of the HiStory of the Old and New Teftament; wherein he gives us an Account of all the moft credible Things that he can find in ancient Hiftorians, relating to the Jews and their Customs, as well as their Hiftory, during the Period of Time between the end of the Old Teftament and the beginning of the New: He intermingles alfo a large Collection of Hiftorical Matters relating to Perfia, Babylon, Egypt, Syria, Afia minor, Greece, Rome, and all the more known and remarkable Nations. of the Earth, wherein the great Affairs of the four Monarchies of the World were tranfacted. This renders his Work a little too tedious to those who expected nothing more than a mere Continuation of the Jewish Hiftory to the Times of our Saviour.

Now