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troubled him, yet he forgot it in the morning; and sent orders to destroy all the wise men and astrologers because they could not tell him both the dream and the interpretation thereof, Dan. ii. 1—13.

7 Q. How did Daniel obtain the secret from God? A. He engaged himself and his three companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in prayer to the God of heaven, that he would reveal his secret to them, that they might not all perish together with the astrologers, whom the king had doomed to death, Dan. ii. 16-18.

8 Q. What was this dream which Daniel rehearsed before the king?

A. There appeared a bright and terrible image, whose head was gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly and thighs of brass, his legs of iron, and his feet part of iron and part of clay, which was dashed to pieces by a stone, and the stone became a mountain, and filled the whole earth, ver. 31-35.

9 Q. What was the interpretation of it?

A. It signifies the four great monarchies of the world, namely, the Assyrian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman, which should destroy one another in succession; and the last of them should be destroyed by the kingdom of Christ, which should spread through the earth and remain for ever, ver. 31-45. 10 Q. What honours did Nebuchadnezzar bestow ou Daniel on this occasion?

A. He acknowledged the supremacy of the God of Daniel; he made Daniel ruler over Babylon, and at his request made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, officers under him, ver. 46-49.

11 Q. What became of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?

A. Notwithstanding the honour the king had given them, they were cast into a fiery furnace, because they would not worship a hugh gold image which king Nebuchadnazzar had set up, Dan. iii. 1—21.

12 Q. What remarkable providence attended their being cast into the furnace?

A. The king, being enraged at them for refusing boldly to worship this image, commanded the furnace to be made seven times hotter, even to such a degree, that the flames slew the men that cast them into it, ver. 22.

13 Q. How were they saved in the fiery furnace?

A. Though three men were cast into the furnace bound, that fell down in the fire, yet presently afterward, the king saw four men loose walking in the fire, and they had no hurt; and the form of the fourth was like the son of God, ver. 23-25. that is, some glorious person whom Nebuchadnezzar could not better describe than as a heavenly being, a Son of God.

14 Q. What influence had this upon the king? A. He called them to come out of the furnace, and blessed their God who had sent his angel to deliver them, and made a decree, that no man should speak against the God of the Jews, ver. 26-30.

15 Q. What other dream of Nebuchadnezzar's did Daniel interpret ?

A. The dream of a tall and spreading tree that was cut down, and the stump of it was left in the earth, and that it should have a beast's heart given it instead of a man's for seven years, Dan. iv. 1—16.

16 Q. What interpretation did Daniel give to it? A. That Nebuchadnezzar the king should be driven from his kingdom, should run mad, and dwell seven years with the beasts of the earth, and then be restored to his reason and his kingdom again, ver. 19—27. 17 Q. How soon was this fulfilled?

A. At the end of twelve months he was walking in the palace of Babylon, and boasting of his grandeur and majesty, and there fell a voice from heaven, that his kingdom was departed, and he should be driven from men; and immediately he was seized with madness, and the sentence was executed upon him, and

he fled from the society of men, and herded with the beasts in the open field, ver. 28-33.

18 Q. What did Nebuchadnezzar do at seven years' end, when his understanding and his kingdom were restored to him?

A. He did further honours to the God of heaven, and published this history of himself, and these signs and wonders of the great God, throughout all his dominions, ver. 34-37.

19 Q. What notice was taken of Daniel, in the time of Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar ?

A. He was sent for to court to read and interpret three or four words which were written upon the wall by the apparition of a hand while Belshazzar was feasting, Dan. v. 5—16.

20 Q. What was there in Belshazzar's feast that eminently provoked God against him ?

A. He and his nobles drank in the holy vessels that were taken out of the temple of God at Jerusalem, and at the same time they praised their gods of gold and silver, of wood and stone, Dan. ver. 1-4.

21 Q. What was the meaning of this writing against the wall?

A. That God had finished Belshazzar's kingdom, and given it to the Medes and Persians, ver. 25-28. 22 Q. What honour was done to Daniel?

A. He was immediately clothed in scarlet, with a chain of gold, and made the third ruler in the kingdom, ver. 29.

23 Q. When was this sentence executed on Belshazzar?

A. He was slain that very night by the army, under the command of Cyrus the general, who after a long siege took the city of Babylon, and the kingdom was translated to Darius the Mede, the king of the Medes and Persians, ver. 30, 31.

24 Q. Did Daniel lose his preferment by the change of the kingdom?

A. No: for Darius set Daniel over all the hundred

and twenty princes, and made him first of the three presidents, Dan. vi. 1-3.

25 Q. How did the envy of the presidents and the princes prosecute him on this occasion?

if

A. They knew that Daniel would pray to his God, and they persuaded king Darius to sign a decree, that any man should ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, except of the king himself, he should be cast into the lions' den, ver. 4—9.

26 Q. What did Daniel do when he heard of this decree?

A. He went to his house, and the windows being open towards Jerusalem, he prayed to his God three times a day, according to his custom, ver. 10.

27 Q. What was the consequence of this?

A. Though the king himself was sorry for his decree, and tried all means to save Daniel, yet his enemies prevailed to have him cast into the den of lions, because the laws of the Medes and Persians were not to be altered, ver. 11-17.

28 Q. Wherein did the king further show his concern for Daniel?

A. He passed the night without music or sleep, he went to the lions' den early in the morning, and found Daniel safe to his great joy; for God had shut the mouths of the lions, that they did him no hurt, ver. 18-23.

29 Q. Wherein did king Darius manifest his resentment against the enemies of Daniel?

A. He cast 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 show to the true God on this occasion?

A. He sent a decree through all nations, that men should fear the God of Daniel, ver. 25-28.

31 Q. What are the other most remarkable things in the history of Daniel?

A. The visions which he saw, the excellent prayer

which he made for the restoration of the Jews from captivity, and the other prophecies which were given him by angels.

32 Q. What were some of his visions and prophecies?

A. Emblems and representations of the four monarchies of the world, and of the kingdom of Christ : and predictions concerning future events among the Jews, and other nations of the earth; some of which are expressed so plainly, that the enemies of the Bible suppose them to be written after those events came to pass, chap. vii. viii. and xi.

33 Q. What remarkable answer did Daniel receive to his excellent prayer for the restoration of the Jews? A. The angel Gabriel was ordered to fly swiftly, and to inform him of his own acceptance with God; of the commandment of the kings of Persia to rebuild the holy city; of the time of the coming, and the death of the Messiah to take away the sins of men; and of the second destruction of Jerusalem, Dan, ix. 20-27.

34 Q. What other eminent prophecies did Daniel receive by his converse with angels?

A. Besides the various events relating to this world, he had some predictions concerning the Christian church and its troubles, and the period of them, concerning the resurrection of the dead, everlasting life, and everlasting punishment, chap. xii.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

1 Q. Who was Esther?

A. A beautiful young Jewish virgin, whose ancestors were carried away captive by the king of Babylon, in the days of Jeconiah, king of Judah, Esther ii. 5 6. 2 Q. Where was she educated?

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