the Jews were allowed to defend themselves on the day which had been fixed by Haman for their destruction.

After the return of the Jews from their captivity, they seem to have been much more faithful to the Lord their God than before. They enjoyed peace and plenty for nearly three hundred years.

They were sometimes subject to more powerful nations; but at one time they were made free by a brave and pious man, named Matthias. During this man's life, and for some time after, they had troops of their own, were ruled by themselves, and became friends with some other nations; among whom were the Romans.

You may perhaps have heard of the city of Rome, in Italy. This was once the capital of a very large empire, which at length went to war with the Jews, and conquered them.

Still they were ruled by their own princes, and governed by their own laws, till after the birth of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, whose coming had been foretold for the first time, when Adam and Eve were turned out of the garden of Eden, and who had been promised to Abraham, and to many good men since his death.

STORIES FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT.

I HAVE now told you some of the principal stories in the Old Testament; I shall therefore tell you now some of those in the New. You will please bear in mind that the events I have to relate took place about eighteen hundred years ago, in Asia, in a country, as I have before said, more than four thousand miles to the south-east.

THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

A GREAT many years ago, there was a king who reigned over Judea, named Herod. He was a very wicked very cruel to his subjects, and much hated as well as feared.

man,

Well, in his days there lived an aged man and woman, called Zacharias and Elizabeth; they were very different from Herod, for they loved and served God, and were very good people. Zacharias was a priest, and used to go very often to the temple in Jerusalem, the chief city of Judea, to serve God, as our clergymen go on Sundays to perform divine service in church. Now Zacharias and Elizabeth

had no children, which grieved them very much. They had often and often prayed to God to give them a child; but now they had grown so very old that they thought they should never have one. But you shall hear how they were mistaken, and how God heard their prayers, and gave them a son after all.

One day, Zacharias went as usual to the temple. But first I must tell you that the temple was not built like our churches here, where the clergyman and the people are all together, and can see one another. There was one part of the temple where nobody was allowed to go except the priest, and where no one could see him. And while he was there, the people used to say their prayers in their own part of the temple till he came back to them, and sent them away with his blessing.

Well, as I said, one day Zacharias went into that place, and began to burn incense or perfume as he was accustomed to do on the altar, when suddenly, on looking up, he saw an angel standing close to him by the side of the altar Angel is a Greek word which means messenger, and the angels of heaven are so called because they are the of God. Zacharias had never seen any thing so bright and glorious before; he was therefore exceedingly surprised. He soon, however, recovered from his fright, when the angel said, in a gentle voice, Fear not, Zacharias; for I

messengers

you

am come from God to tell that he has heard your prayer, and that you shall have a son, and when he is born, you shall call him John. And you and many others shall rejoice at his birth, for he will be in favor with God; and many of the people will he teach to serve God, and he shall tell them that the Savior of the world will soon appear.'

Zacharias when he heard this joyful message, instead of falling on his knees and thanking God for sending an angel to tell him such good tidings, did not even think that what the angel said was true, although he saw him with his own eyes standing before him, and really heard his words; so he asked, "How shall I be sure that what you tell me is true, for we are very old, and how can we now have a son?' The angel answered, 'I am Gabriel, and am sent from God with this message to you, and is not that enough to make you believe when you see me before you? but since you are not satisfied with that, you shall have a token. shall be dumb, and not able to speak till your child is born, because you have not believed my words.' So saying, the angel disappeared, and Zacharias was dumb, and was not able to speak a word.

You

While all this that I have been relating was taking place, the people were waiting in the temple for Zacharias to come out and bless them before they went home, and they now began to wonder what detained him so long.

At last, after waiting and watching for him for some time, they saw him come out. But when he tried to bless them, he found that he could not speak a word; so he was obliged to make signs to them to go away without the blessing. When they were all gone, Zacharias went home to his wife; but as he could not speak to her of what had happened, he must have written it down for her to read.

Now what the angel told Zacharias came to pass, for Elizabeth had a son. Eight days after he was born, their friends and neighbors were assembled that they might hear the name that was to be given to the child; they said to Elizabeth, 'You had better call your son Zacharias, after his father;' but Elizabeth said, No, he must be called John.'' But,' they said, 'none of your relations are called by that name.'

So they made signs to his father to know what he should be called. Then Zacharias by signs, asked for a writing table, and wrote down these words, ' His name is John,' and gave the paper to his friends. No sooner had Zacharias written down 'His name is John,' than he found that he could speak again. We are told in the Bible that the first words he said were in praise of God.

These surprising things were soon known by all the people living near; and every body wondered what sort of a person John should be, as his birth was so extraordinary.