demonstrate, by good proofs, that Daniel's prophecies were really written by him. Now this they proved unanswerably, by citing the testimony of the whole people, I mean the Jews, whose evidence could not be suspected or disallowed, as they were still greater enemies to the Christian religion than the heathens themselves. The reverence they had for the sacred writings, of which Providence has appointed them the depositaries and guardians, was so prodigious, that they would have thought him a criminal and sacrilegious wretch, who should have attempted only to transpose a single word, or change one letter in it; what idea, then, would they have entertained of that man who should pretend to introduce any supposititious books in them? Such are the witnesses who attested the reality of Daniel's prophecies. And were ever proofs so convincing, or cause so victorious! Thy testimo nies are very sure, O Lord, for ever.''

CHAPTER XVIII.

REIGN OF THE MACCABEAN CHIEFS.

We have seen, in the preceding chapter, the rise and pro gress to supreme power in Judea, of the truly patriotic family of Mattathias. His sons and their adherents are distinguished in history by the appellation Maccabees, which is supposed to have been borrowed from the inscription on their ensigns or bucklers. It consisted of four Hebrew letters, each of which begins one of the four words in the eleventh verse of the fifteenth chapter of Exodus, rendered in our version, "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?" How sincerely they believed and loved the great, infinitely important, and eternal truth which these words express may be learned from the narratives preserved of the lives of this illustrious race of patriots; and, we may observe, that Josephus and the author of the First Book of the Maccabees, to whom we are chiefly indebted for these narratives, are universally acknowledged, as deserving equal credit with the most enlightened and honourable bistorians of past ages. If we therefore justly conclude, from the statements of the latter concerning the religious conduct of the Persians, Greeks, and Romans, that these nations worshipped idols, we cannot doubt, from similar evidence, that Mattathias and his sons, and their followers, adored Jehovah alone, and utterly abhorred idols.

In them we have an example scarcely less remarkable of what, in our age, is denominated a "religious revival." than we have in Samuel, David, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and their followers. And indeed it is manifest that they looked on these holy and faithful men as the patterns which they were resolutely determined to imitate. Nor did they on almost any occasion show themselves unworthy to be associated with them in the annals of hallowed fame. Consequently any instances indicating that they were indebted for success in their enterprise to supernatural or miraculous influence must be regarded most probable, we

will not say absolutely certain, because these historians have no claim to inspiration, and were not secure against error or delusion. But to Israel still belonged "the covenants and the promises," they had all the assurance that the word of Him who cannot lie could afford, of his immediate superintendence and interposition to deliver them, when they confidently trusted in him, faithfully served him, and fervently and perseveringly supplicated his compassion and power. They were distinguished from all the Jews who declined to join them, as well as from all the heathen,

1. By supreme love for the God of their fathers, and regard for his favour. They willingly left their possessions and families, and hazarded their lives rather than expose themselves to the invisible, future, and eternal displeasure of their God. Previously to the period of their triumphs, doubtless all avoided them who were not prepared for death or martyrdom.

2. They cordially loved the covenant made with their forefathers, and faithfully adhered to it. They believed that great promise contained in it, that a faithful prophet, who was to be at once their deliverer and sovereign, should arise in a future age. Hence they declared their willingness to submit to the government of the chiefs of the Maccabees, till the great Teacher appeared; 1 Mac. xiv. 41. "Also that the Jews and priests were well pleased that Simon should be their gov-. ernor and high-priest for ever, until there should arise a faithful prophet." Their immediate exertions, and avowedly future intentions, had for their object the observance of every institute enjoined in the covenant, and the extirpation of whatever was opposed to its nature.

3. They were regulated in their religious observances and general conduct exclusively by the law of Divine revelation. Thus in their religious assemblies they laid open the book of the law to learn the will of their God; 1 Mac. iii. 48. "And laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images." And they ventured to perform not the least act or ceremony of a religious character, concerning which the law gave no instruction; and preferred waiting for the promised prophet to the following of any sug gestion of human wisdom; 1 Mac. iv. 46. "And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to show what should be done with them."

4. On all occasions of much danger, and before engaging

in any great work, they united in solemn prayer and fasting, in some place which had been consecrated to the worship of God, in the best ages of their nation; 1 Mac. iii. 46. "Wherefore the Israelites assembled themselves together, and came to Maspha, (Mispah,) over against Jerusalem: for in Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel." 5. They discovered extensive knowledge of the law, and not less prudent than fervent zeal to observe it in all things. Thus they strictly followed the minutest directions respecting public worship, and the injunctions which indifference or selfishness were most likely to induce them to neglect. Notwithstanding the severity and number of their sufferings, we find that in their time the land had rest every seventh year; and even when most prosperous in battle, they never made aggressions on neighbouring nations or cities, whose inhabitants were disposed to live with them in terms of amity, or who did not avowedly seek their destruction; 1 Mac. v. And while in all circumstances they confessed that in Jehovah alone was their strength, we uniformly observe that they neglected not to employ any means which they discerned and judged proper to accomplish the work which providence called them to perform. Carefully did they study the will of God, and to discriminate between his precepts and traditionary and superstitious observances. This was manifest by their resolution to fight on the Sabbath, when necessary for their preservation and the deliverance of their people. For they knew that the Sabbath was made for man, and that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath-day.

6. Finally, they were accustomed to unite in public thanksgiving and praise, whenever it pleased God to grant them victory over their enemies, or signal expressions of his favour.

The family of Mattathias appear to have been supported at first, in their noble stand for the cause of truth and righteousness, only by their private pious friends. But they were soon joined by two other parties of their countrymen,-the Assideans, and those who had fled from the persecution. The former were bold and courageous men, who had voluntarily devoted themselves to the defence of the law of their country. They were evidently a party equally distinct from the Pharisees, who were more zealous for religious traditions than for Divine revelation, and from the Sadducees, who alike contemned the law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the authority and memory of the elders. The Assideans, however, were more eminent for their religious zeal and forti

tude than for their knowledge and prudence. Accordingly, when the unprincipled Alcimus assumed the offices of chief captain and high-priest, they deserted the faithful Maccabees, and placed themselves under him: "For," said they, "one that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no wrong." Their connexion with him was, however, quickly dissolved; for he knew that they were not proper instruments to perform unholy deeds. Hence, though he pretended to be their friend, yet he treacherously slew sixty of them in one day. They were evidently a simple, disinterested, and holy race. They derived their name from the Hebrew term, chasdim, which signifies pious or merciful. Some writers imagine that they were the same sect called by Josephus and Philo, Essenes. If this opinion be correct, the sect must have lost much of their public spirit, and decreased much in later times. Besides, the Assideans attended public worship with the congregation of Israel, while the Essenes neglected it, and showed no other respect for the temple service than by sending their offerings. They were, nevertheless, a singular race, much admired for their devotional and ascetic habits, and strictly moral conduct. Indeed, the description given of them by the Jewish historian corresponds generally with the life, conduct, and manners of the first Christians, in so much that a writer in one of our periodicals strongly urges the opinion that Josephus designedly delineates the first Christians under the name Essenes. this opinion is scarcely credible, if Philo is correct in his assertion, that there were only about four thousand of this party in Palestine and Syria at the time he wrote, which was probably about the time when the Christians were most numerous in these countries. The fact that the Essenes are never mentioned in the New Testament is no decided proof that they did not exist as a Jewish sect in the age of Christ and his Apostles; for if they were few, and lived secluded from society, it is not surprising that we have no account of them in the Gospels or the Acts of the Apostles, which chiefly record the public events which concern the kingdom of Christ. The proper descendants of the Assideans and Essenes are most probably the Karaites, a comparatively small Jewish sect, who still continue to adhere to the laws of Moses, and despise the traditions of the rabbins.

But

We have seen, in the preceding chapter, that the holy and exalted spirit of Mattathias, powerfully animated his son Judah who was surnamed Maccabeus, an appellation afterwards ap