han's enquiring by lot, when it would be the for destroying the Jews. It was instituted ai, in remembrance of the signal deliverance er had obtained for that nation, when it was o fall a victim to the pride and cruelty of They celebrated it on the fourteenth and the month Adar', because on those days ation of the Jews was changed into joy, by ed victory, which God granted them over *. The whole book of Esther was read in e upon this occasion †, and some passages malek. The rest of the time was spent nd rejoicings.

The feast of dedication.

of the dedication, spoken of by St. John",
by Judas Maccabeus, in imi-
of Solomon and Ezra, for
embrance of the cleansing
nd altar, after they had been profaned by
It began the twenty-fifth of Cisleu or
d lasted eight days. They called it
ast of lights, either because during it,
their houses,tor, according to Josephus, §
xtreme happiness of those times. The

God ordered Neal in close nimals, and bring then in the dh'. Sa Very seven days ago and heat a aters were able

Abimelech, bashered Labai

red to our February and March.

eted by seven years. This

happened under Artaxerxes Longimanus, who is en the same as Ahasuerus, about 500 years before

s the children heard the name of Haman, they
f the synagogue with as much joy, as they would
head, if it had been before them. Lamy, p. 137.
3 months, this feast was twice celebrated, both in
Adar. Id.
(m) John x. 22. 1 Mac. iv. 59.
rated four of these feasts. The first was that of
Solomon in the month Tisri; the second, that of
Zorobabel, in the month Adar; the third, that
Judas Maccabeus, on the twenty-fifth day of the
e fourth was that of the temple of Herod. Lamy, ib.
andles at every man's door. See Prid. Connect.
year 165.
§ Joseph. Ant. xii. 11.

T

whole feast was spent in singing hymns, offering sacrifices, and all kinds of pastimes and diversions.

These are all the Jewish festivals that deserve our notice. They had others of a more modern institution, but we shall pass them over here, as having no relation to our present design.

AN

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

NEW TESTAMENT.

thereto.

PART II.

THE first part of this Introduction hath but an indirect relation to the New Testament, but this Concerning second part will more particularly refer the New TesThe four Gospels, the Acts of tament in the Apostles, fourteen Epistles of St. Paul*, general. one of St. James, two of St. Peter, three of St. John, one of St. Jude, and the Revelations of St. John, make up that sacred collection which goes under the name of the New Covenant, or New Testament. This title was not given by the Evangelists or Apostles, since in their time the canon of the books of the New Testament was not yet composed, it being not done till the end of the first, or beginning of the second century. It is notwithstanding of a very ancient date, and occasioned undoubtedly by a passage of Jeremiah, wherein God promises to make a new covenant with his people". In the old Latin version, the original Greek wordt is

* We have proved in our preface to the epistle to the Hebrews, that that epistle was written by St. Paul.

(a) Jer. xxxi. 32.

+Aia0nen. This word signifies both a law, and an agreement, a eovenant, and a testament.

whole feast was spent in singing hymns, offering sacrifices, and all kinds of pastimes and diversions.

These are all the Jewish festivals that deserve our notice. They had others of a more modern institution, but we shall pass them over here, as having no relation to our present design.

AN

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

NEW TESTAMENT.

thereto.

PART II.

THE first part of this Introduction hath but an indirect relation to the New Testament, but this Concerning second part will more particularly refer the New TesThe four Gospels, the Acts of tament in the Apostles, fourteen Epistles of St. Paul*, general. one of St. James, two of St. Peter, three of St. John, one of St. Jude, and the Revelations of St. John, make up that sacred collection which goes under the name of the New Covenant, or New Testament. This title was not given by the Evangelists or Apostles, since in their time the canon of the books of the New Testament was not yet composed, it being not done till the end of the first, or beginning of the second century. It is notwithstanding of a very ancient date, and occasioned undoubtedly by a passage of Jeremiah, wherein God promises to make a new covenant with his people". In the old Latin version, the original Greek wordt is

* We have proved in our preface to the epistle to the Hebrews, that that epistle was written by St. Paul.

(a) Jer. xxxi. 32.

+Alanen. This word signifies both a law, and an agreement, a covenant, and a testament.