SECTION VI.

Of the Jewish government under the Maccabees, or Asmoneans. And, first, of the three brothers, Judas, Jonathan, and Simon.

1 Q. What valiant actions did Judas and his brethren do in defence of the law, and against their persecutors ?

A. He won many battles against king Antiochus and his generals, and encouraged himself and his soldiers in the name of God whenever they began to faint.

2 Q. Where are these acts of Judas and his brethren recorded?

A. The earliest account of them is found in the first and second book of Maccabees.

Here note, That the first book of Maccabees is a very accurate and excellent history, and comes nearest to the style and manner of the sacred writings; and is supposed to be written a little after these persecutions and wars were ended. But the second book consists of several pieces of much less value; it begins with two epistles from the Jews of Jerusalem, but both are supposed to be fabulous stories, and are in some parts impossible to be true. The following parts of it pretend to be an abridgment of the history of one Jason; it relates some of the persecutions of Antiochus, and the acts of Judas amplified with particular circumstances; but it is not of equal esteem with the first book, for it seems to affect miracles and prodigious events, beyond reasonable credibility. 3 Q. How did king Antiochus resent these attempts of Judas, and his success against him?

A. When he went into Persia to gather the tribute of the countries there, he left Lysias with half his army, and with express orders to destroy and root the Jews out of their land.

4 Q. Did Lysias pursue the king's orders?

A. Yes, with great diligence he sought to execute these cruel orders; his army of forty thousand foot and seven thousand horse encamped at Emmaus,

near Jerusalem; and another army of a thousand merchants flocked thither, upon presumption of their victory, with great quantities of silver and gold, to buy the captives for slaves.

5 Q. How did their wicked counsel to destroy Israel succeed?

A. When they were thus secure and confident of success, Judas and his brethren assembled at Mizpah, fasted, put on sackcloth, laid open the book of the law before God, where the heathens had painted their images, cried mightily unto God for help, sounded the trumpets, brought the army into order, and prepared for battle and for death; unless God pleased to make them conquerors.

6 Q. What was the event of so much pious zeal and courage?

A. Judas and his army put to flight and destroyed several large parties that Lysias had sent against him; they drove the enemy out of Jerusalem, and almost out of the land of Judea, and took a very large booty both from the army and the merchants.

7 Q. What was the first work that Judas and his people applied themselves to upon this great success?

A. They went up into Mount Sion, and, when they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, the gates burnt up, shrubs and grass growing in the courts of the temple, they rent their clothes, fell down upon their faces, and made great lamentation, with humble cries to heaven.

8 Q. Had they power and time to repair the temple, and restore the worship of God?

A. Yes; they applied themselves to the work with all diligence; they sought out priests of blameless conversation to cleanse the sanctuary; they pulled down the altar of burnt-offering, because the heathens had defiled it; they built a new altar, as the law directs with whole stones; they made new holy vessels, the altar of incense, the table, and the candlesticks, all of gold, which they had taken from their enemies; and

they set all the parts of divine worship in order again, and offered sacrifices according to the law.

9 Q. How did they kindle the sacred fire on the altar?

A. Having lost the fire which came down from heaven, which was kept burning on the altar at Jerusalem before the Babylonish captivity, they struck fire with flints, and so kindled the sacrifices and the lamps, 2 Macc. x. 3.

Note, We do not read that the second temple ever had the sacred fire; the story of Jeremiah's hiding it, in 2 Macc. i. is accounted a mere fable.

10 Q. Was there any thing remarkable in the time or day of this restoration of temple worship?

A. That very day three years, whereon the heathen had profaned it by the offering of unclean beasts on the altar, it was dedicated with songs, and harps, and cymbals, and burnt offerings of God's appointment, and the ceremonies continued for eight days together. This was two years after Judas had the chief command, and three years and a half after the city and temple had been laid desolate by Apollonius.

11 Q. What lasting memorial was appointed for this restoration of the worship of God in the temple?

A. Judas and his brethren and the whole congregation ordained that three days of the dedication of the altar should be kept yearly with mirth and gladness. 12 Q. Did the worship of God continue long here after this solemnity?

A. We are told by historians that it continued from this time, without any interruption from the heathens, till the destruction of the temple by the Romans, though Jerusalem and the temple were often in the hands of the heathens.

Note, Some say this was that very feast of dedication which our Saviour honoured with his presence at Jerusalem; though others think it was the dedication of Solomon's temple. Yet the season being winter, it rather agrees to the time of Macccabeus' dedication.

13 Q. Were not the Jews at all annoyed or dis turbed by the enemy in this pious work?

A. There was still that fortress built by Apollonius remaining in the hands of the heathens and apostate Jews; it stood on Mount Acra, a rising ground over against the mountain of the temple, and rather higher than that mountain, whence the Jews received some annoyance in going to the temple.

14 Q. What farther care did Judas and his people take for their own security?

A. When they could not drive out the enemy at once they built up Mount Sion with high walls and strong towers, and put a garrison there to keep it, and, as far as possible, secure the priests and people when they went to worship, and to prevent the Gentiles from treading down the sanctuary again.

15 Q. Did Judas and his people continue to enjoy peace?

A. Though they maintained the temple worship, yet they were still engaged in war; for all the nations round about them were much displeased that the sanctuary was restored, and they attacked the Jews on every side: but God gave Judas and his brethren the victory in many battles; and they returned to Jerusalem, and gave thanks to God in Sion for his remarkable protection of them, that they had not lost one man, 1 Macc. v. 54.

16 Q. Did Judas make any more expeditions against his enemies?

A. He led forth his forces against Georgias, one of Antiochus's generals, and against the Idumeans, who had been very vexatious to the Jews; and, though several of the Jews were slain, yet Judas renewed the courage of his army in singing psalms with a loud voice and, rushing upon their enemies, put them to flight.

17 Q. What remarkable crime was found among the Jews, that they were slain?

A. When they came to bury their dead, they found things consecrated to idols under the garments of

every Jew that was slain, whereupon the people praised the Lord, the righteous Judge of men; but, without any encouragement from Scripture, they offered sacrifices and prayers for the pardon of the dead, 2 Macc. xii. 34, &c.

Note, It is from this place, in the second book of the Maccabees, that the Papists borrow their prayers for the dead, 18 Q. Where was Antiochus the king all this while ? A. He was gone to Persia, not only to receive his tribute, as 1 Macc. iii. 31, but to plunder the temple of Diana (who, among the Persians, is called Zarates), which temple stood at Elymas, and had incredible riches of gold and silver, and golden armour, which were laid up there.

19 Q. Did he succeed in this enterprise?

A. The people of the country, having notice of his design, joined together in defence of that idol's temple, and beat him off with shame.

20 Q. How did he receive the news of the defeat of his generals and armies in Judea ?

A. With the utmost rage and indignation, as well as grief of mind: but he resolved to make haste thither, and threatened to make the city of Jerusalem as one grave for the Jews, where he would bury the whole nation.

21 Q. What followed upon this insolent speech of Antiochus the king?

A. He was immediately smitten with an incurable plague in the midst of his journey, his bowels were seized with grievous torment, his chariot was overthrown, and he was sorely bruised, and forced to be confined to his bed in a little town on the road, where he lay languishing under foul ulcers of body, and sharp terror of mind, till he died.

Note, It hath been observed by historians that such a sort of death by foul ulcers hath befallen many persecutors, both in former and latter times.

22 Q. Had he any regret upon his conscience, par