ship, and slew the citizens and the priests; he made the sacrifices cease, led the women and children captive, pulled down the houses and the walls, built a castle or fortress on a high hill in the city of David, over against the temple, to overlook and annoy them, and placed a garrison therein, and laid up the spoils of the city there.

15 Q. What further instance of rage did Antiochus show against the Jewish religion?

A. He issued an order that all his dominions should be of one religion, chiefly designing to distress the Jews: he forbade their children to be circumcised, and prohibited all burnt-offerings and sacrifices in the temple to the God of Israel: he called it the temple of Jupiter Olympus, set up his image on the altar, and, sacrificed to it; he commanded the people to profane the Sabbath; he set up altars and groves, and chapels of idols, throughout the cities, and required them to offer the flesh of swine and other unclean beasts, and then to eat it: and he destroyed the books of the law wheresoever they were found.

Note, This image of Jupiter, set up on the altar by Antiochus Epiphanes, is supposed to be the abomination that maketh desolate, foretold by Daniel, chap. xi. 31 as the Roman ensign, with the eagle on it, which was the bird of Jupiter, set up in the temple, was the abomination of desolation which Daniel foretells, Dan. xi. 27. and chap xii. 11. and which our Saviour refers to Matt. xxiv. 15. Abomination is the common name for an idol in the Old Testament; and when such is set up in the sanctuary, it may well be called desolation, for the priests are driven away, and the true worship of God ceases.

Observe, yet further, that this Antiochus Epiphanes is called by some the Jewish Antichrist; because several of the same things are foretold of him by the prophet Daniel, which are also predicted of the Roman Antichrist, in the Christian Church, by the apostle John

16 Q. Did any of the Israelites comply with his commands?

A. Though there were multitudes who would not defile themselves, and break the law of God, yet too many of them for fear, and some out of ambition to please the king, conformed to his religion, and sacrificed and burnt incence to idols in the streets of the cities of Judea.

17 Q. How did the king punish those that refused

A. He put the men to death every month, he slew several women that had caused their children to be circumcised, hanged the infants about their necks and killed those that circumcised them. This persecution may be seen more at large, 1 Macc. i. ano iii. and 2 Macc. vi.

18 Q. What did the Samaritans do on this occasion? A. When the Jews were in prosperity, they challenged kindred with the Jews; but they disowned them when they were under persecution: and therefore, on this occasion, they made no apology to Antiochus the king, for having heretofore used the Jewish rites; but once having renounced them, they complied with the heathen religion, and desired their temple on Mount Gerizim might be made the temple of the Grecian Jupiter, the "defender of strangers,' 2 Macc. vi.

SECTION V.

Of Mattathias, the father of the Maccabees, and the great reformer.

1 Q. When the persecution was so violent in Judea, was there any eminent public opposition made to it by any of the Jews?

A. Mattathias, a priest of the course of Joarib, who dwelt in Modin, was complimented by the king's officers, and tempted to comply with heathen worship there, according to the king's commandment; but he boldly renounced their superstitions, and declared his resolution to die in the religion of the Jews, 1 Macc. ii.

2 Q. What instance did he give of his courage and zeal?

A. When one of the Jews came to sacrifice on the heathen altar, which was at Modin, he could not forbear to show his indignation, as a zealot, but ran and slew the man upon the altar, and, at the same time, killed the king's chief officer there, who came to enforce these wicked commands.

3 Q. In what manner did he maintain this bold enterprise?

A. He cried with a loud voice through the city, "Whosoever is zealous of the law, let him follow me." So he and his sons fled to the mountains, and a great number of the Jews fled with them, and hid themselves in the wilderness.

4 Q. Did not the king's army pursue them? A. Yes, and encamped against them, and attacked a considerable number of them on the Sabbath-day. 5 Q. And did the Jews make no resistance ?

A. None at all, because it was the sabbath; but they said "Let us all die in our innocency," whereupon a thousand people were slain.

6 Q. Did Mattathias and his friends approve of this conduct?

A. It seems as if their zeal at first approved of it; but, upon better consideration, they decreed it was lawful and necessary for them to defend themselves, if they were attacked again on the Sabbath-day.

Note, This decree was ratified by the consent of all the priests and elders amongst them; and it was sent to all others through the land, and was made a rule in their following wars.

7 Q. What did king Antiochus do, when he heard of this bold and public resistance made to his commands and his government?

A. He executed very great cruelties on all the Jews that fell into his hands, who would not forsake

I

the law of Moses; since the mere terrors of death did not affright them.

8 Q. What very remarkable instances do we find in history of this cruelty?

A. Seven brethren, with their mother, were terribly tormented, to constrain them to eat swine's flesh, which the law of Moses forbids.

9 Q. How did they endure their torments?

A. With great courage, one after another, in a long succession, they bore the various tortures that were inflicted on them, and declared they were ready to suffer, rather than transgress the laws of their fathers. 10 Q. What tortures were those which the king executed upon them?

A. A great variety of exquisite and bloody cruelties; their limbs were cut off, their tongues were cut out, they were fried in frying-pans, the skin of the head was torn off with the hair, and they died under the anguish and violence of these torments; while their mother, at the same time, looked on, and encouraged them all to suffer boldly, in opposition to the entreaties, threatenings, and commands of the king. 11 Q. In what manner did she encourage her sons in their sufferings?

A. By the tenderest speeches of an affectionate mother to her sons, she besought them to fear God, and not man; and to endure, in hope of a happy resurrection, when she should receive them all again in mercy. 12 Q. Did she herself also suffer the torment ?

A. When she had seen all her sons die like martyrs before her, she finished that sad spectacle, and died also for her religion, 2 Macc. vii.

13 Q. What did Mattathias do all this while in the mountains?

A. He still encouraged the Jews to join with him; and, among others, many of the Assideans, who were zealous for the law, resorted to him.

14 Q. Who were these Assideans, or Chassideans, as it ought to be written?

A. A sect among the Jews, called Chasidim, or the pious, who were not only zealous of the law, but of many other constitutions and traditions, and forms of mortification, beyond what the law required; whereas those who contented themselves with what was written in the law, were called Zadikim, or the righteous.

15 Q. What exploits did Mattathias and his friends perform?

A. They went round about the towns and villages, pulled down the heathen altars, and circumcised the children; they slew and put to flight many of their enemies, and recovered several copies of the Jewish law.

16 Q. When Mattathias died, who succeeded him? A. Just before his death he made a noble speech to his five sons, to encourage them in the defence of their religion and their country; he recommended his son Simon, as a man of counsel, but he made his son Judas, surnamed Maccabeus, their captain.

17 Q. How came he to he called Maccabeus ?

A. The motto of his standard was the first letters of that Hebrew sentence, Exod. xv. 11. Mi Camoka, Baelin Jehovah, that is, "Who is like to thee among the gods, O Lord?" which letters were formed into the artificial word Maccabi, and all that fought under the standard were called Maccabees.

Note, This has been a common practice among the Jews,

to frame words in this manner. So Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon, that is, the son of Maimon, is called Rambam ; Rabbi Solomon Jarchi, is called Rasi. Nor is the use of the first letters of words for such kind of purposes unknown among Heathens or Christians. The letters S. P. Q. R. were written on the Roman standard, for Senatus Populus Que Romanus; that is, "the Roman Senate and People." Jesus Christ our Saviour hath been called a fish, in Greek IXOYE, by the Fathers, because these are the first letters of those Greek words, Jesus Christ, God's Son, the Saviour.