monarchs themselves. This probably was the true reason. Haman was proud and wicked. Mordecai could not respect him, and as to showing him divine honor, that would have been idolatry.

DECREE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE JEWS.

Haman was offended at the want of respect, reverence and homage of Mordecai towards himself. He was "full of wrath." It is written of the king that on the refusal of Vashti to come into his presence as before narrated, he was "very wroth, and his anger burned in him." How terrible is anger! The highest authority asserts that "it resteth in the bosom of fools." Also that "the wrath of the king is as messengers of death." And "the king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion." Violent anger

is not only mischievous to those who are made to feel the effects of the irritated person's revenge, but not unfrequently the angry are the greatest sufferers. Anger has even proved fatal. History records that Valentinian, Emperor of Rome for eleven years, became so angry simply at the solicitation of some ambassadors, who plead the innocency of the people they represented and against whom the Romans were at war, that his eyes, voice, color and gestures expressed the violence of his ungoverned fury, and while his whole frame was agitated with convulsive passion, a large blood-vessel suddenly burst in his body, and in a few moments he expired in the greatest agony. This was A. D. 375. [See Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.] Also the Sultan of Turkey, named Solyman, about 1572 came to Germany with an army, invested the town of Zigeth which held out with the greatest bravery, refusing to surrender and bidding defiance to the invaders. The Sultan was was so angry that he expired from the intensity of his rage. [Abbott's History of Austria.] Death by anger is not only hard dying, but terribly disgraceful.

Had Haman planned only the death of Mordecai, possibly he might have succeeded with no injury to himself. But Mordecai alone was not enough to gratify the malignity of his feelings, and he knowing that he was a Jew, at once determined the destruction of all the Jewish people. How many Jews there were at that time it is impossible to tell. Some 80 years before

the account of those that returned from the captivity, Ezra Ch .II: v 64, gives the number as forty two thousand three hundred and sixty, besides seven thousand three hundred servants and maids and two hundred singers, v. 65. It might be safe to estimate them in the time now being noticed at one hundred thousand. Haman went to the king and made charges against the Jews that their laws were diverse from all people. This was somewhat true, yet nothing in their favor in the judgment of this idolatrous prince; they worshipped the God of heaven according to God's own laws. No other people did this. Then he charged that they did not keep the king's laws. The king heard attentively. Then Haman made a bold request that there be a decree for their destruction. And lest the king should fear because of a loss to the government from the tax that came into the Treasury from this people, he offered to remedy that by paying ten thousand talents out of his own funds.

This sum at the lowest estimate of a talent was more than ten and a half millions of dollars. It is by no means incredible that he offered so much. Wealth was abundant in the Persian empire, denoted in the metallic image by the breast and arms of silver. Dan. Ch. II. In those times silver and gold were more plenty than now. In Solomon's reign over five hundred years before, these were so common that they were used in a great variety of ways. And in those ages persons were found immensely rich. Herodotus mentions Pythius in the Persian Empire, who had wealth amounting to twenty-seven and a half millions. We have also an account of Croesus, who had over fifteen and a half millions. Ridorus had more than five millions. Lentulus had sixteen and a half millions. And one named Apicus, four and a half millions, and when this became reduced to about four hundred thousand dollars, he deemed it too little for his demands, and terminated his life by poison.

Ahasuerus confided in Haman and readily acceeded to his request. The decree went forth for taking the life of every Jew in the empire, young and old, on a certain day. It is almst incredible that a ruler of a great people should decree the massacre of such a portion of his subjects on so slight evidence of wrong on their part. But authority and power in the hands of

despots and tyrants and men of consummate wickedness is dangerous in the extreme. God-given rights are wrested, chains and prisons and death inflicted on the unoffending and the innocent. And so late as 1770 an affair transpired in Europe almost parallel to this decree of the Persian monarch. There was war between Turkey and Russia, and the council of the Grand Seignior determined to exterminate the Greeks entirely as a punishment for their defection. They were saved by the mediation of Hassan Pacha.

The circulation of the decree caused the greatest consternation among the Jews. There were mourning, weeping and wailing. Mordecai clothed himself in sackcloth, and cried with a loud and bitter cry. Could the threatened blow be averted? It was easy for him to see that it was hopeless for him or any considerable number of the most worthy of the condemned people to undertake to have audience with the king and plead his mercy. But his sagacity enabled him to see that there was one plan that might succeed. This was for Esther, the queen, to go to the king and make supplication. He communicated this to her. There were difficulties in the way of this, and she stated them. If one, no matter how near the king in relationship or honor, should go into his presence uninvited, it was certain death, unless at the time he should be pleased to receive him. And she had not been invited for thirty days. Courage and perseverance are equal to the greatest difficulties, and he insisted that she should make the effort. Then hope began to cheer him and faith to strengthen. He informed her that if she did not act, she would not escape being destoyed, but deliverance would come to the Jews he thought from some other quarter. Then using an argument as powerful as any that could be employed he asked, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" A question often worthy of the consideration of rulers, ministers of the gospel, and many in more private situations. What are the designs of Providence concerning thee? What is the special thing in which thou art called to act at seeming hazard for the good of others, the public and the world? Our late President who was assassinated, understood for what he had come into power. So have many ministers of Christ.

Esther saw her duty. She resolved to act. She directed Mordecai to gather the Jews of that place and let them fast three days and nights. She and her maidens would fast likewise. And she said, "I will go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish." What was the encouragement? Outwardly it was not much. It has been called "The forlorn hope." But God was in the heavens. None of the names by which he is known are found in the book of Esther, but he was in the history. If zeal for the Lord of hosts was low as undoubtedly it was, prominent Jews had not forgotten those faithful men Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zerrubbabel, who had lived and acted valiantly but a very few years before. In connection with fasting there must have been confidence in the Lord Jehovah, perhaps some prayer and trust.

ESTHER'S EFFORT.

On the third day of the fast the time had come for Esther to go in unto the king and plead for her people. She arrayed herself in her royal robes, which were in all the richness and gorgeousness of a wealthy eastern court. She went gently forward, one moment perhaps hopeful, the next fearful and desponding. The eye of the stern monarch sees her. Will he frown and order instant death, or will he bid her approach and listen to her petition? Much was depending on the decision of a moment.At the battle of Waterloo the serried ranks of the allied army against the French under Napoleon seemed about to be defeated when Wellington expressed the wish that Blucher would come with a re-enforcement, or that night would come. Who could but have wished and prayed that God in whose hand is the heart of the kings of the earth would have interposed in the case now being narrated? An early king of France, who was a papist and his queen a protestant, in the hardest part of a battle with his enemies, addressed Heaven and said, "God of queen Clotilda, give me the victory and I will be a protestant.' And many might have prayed, "God of the hosts of Israel, give queen Esther success, and save the Jews from slaughter."

She must succeed. Jehovah answers prayer "in the secret place of thunder." She must succeed, Haman's plan be over

turned, or what becomes of God's promises that in Abraham's seed all of the families of the earth should be blessed, and the sceptre should not depart from Judah till Shiloh come?

We resume the narrative. The king extends the golden sceptre as a signal for Esther to approach. Her heart is filled with gladness and the heavens rejoice. "Give praise to God" and “laud him all ye people.” The queen drew near and touched

the top of the sceptre.

Then the king asked what was her request, promising to grant it if it took half of the kingdom. Favorable moment was it not? No, the queen, who was endowed with much wisdom, was aware that the time had not yet come to present her petition. The way must be fully prepared or the whole might fail. So she simply asked that the king and Haman come that day to a banquet she had prepared. Both came, and the king again asked what was her request. She saw that she was gaining his confidence, but she was not sure the proper time had come. She requested therefore that both come to a like banquet the next day.

Things moved fast in the next twenty-four hours. Providence superintended in preparing the way for the direct accomplishment of the downfall of Haman and the deliverance of his chosen people.

Haman on retiring from the first banquet walked in pride and with a glad heart. But passing Modecai at the gate all his fancied bliss forsook him as Mordecai refused to bow to him. He hastened to his family, told his wife of all. She with others counselled him to erect a gallows some seventy-five feet high, and the next day ask the king to have Mordecai hanged thereon. Agreed, said Haman.-The wicked are rash and in a hurry; so their plans for the discomfiture of the righteous often defeat themselves. God takes time to bring about his purposes. The good work under his direction and are sure to succeed.

That night God troubled the heathen king. Sleep departed from him. "Shushan was perplexed" at the decree that had gone forth, and doubtless the king's mind was in conflict. He ordered the chronicles read to him that he might know of past It was found recorded that about two years before, two persons in the palace had committed treason and sought the

matters.