Lesson III. was delivered from the mouth of lions. AND Mattathias cried throughout And thus consider ye throughout all the city with a loud voice ages, that none that put their trust in zealous saying, Whosoever is of him shall be overcome. Fear not the law, and maintaineth the cove- then the words of a sinful man: for nant, let him follow me. So his glory shall be dung and worms. he and his sons fled into the moun-To-day he shall be lifted up, and totains, and left all that ever they had morrow he shall not be found, because in the city. Then many that sought he is returned into his dust, and his after justice and judgment went down thought is come to nothing. into the wilderness, to dwell there: Ry. The LORD hear. p. cxx. both they, and their children, and Lesson III. their wives, and their cattle; because afflictions increased sore upon them. Ry. They praised. p. cxxii. THURSDAY. Of the 1st Book of Maccabees. Lesson I. Chap. ii. NOW when the time drew near that Mattathias should die, he said unto his sons, Now hath pride and rebuke gotten strength, and the time of destruction, and the wrath of indignation: now therefore, my sons, be ye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers. Call to remembrance what acts our fathers did in their time; so shall ye receive great honour and an everlasting name. Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness? Joseph in the time of his distress kept the commandment, and was made lord of Egypt. Phinees our father in being zealous and fervent obtained the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. Ry. The LORD open. p. cxx. Lesson II. JESUS for fulfilling the word was made a judge in Israel. Caleb for bearing witness before the congregation received the heritage of the land. David for being merciful possessed the throne of an everlasting kingdom. Elias for being zealous and fervent for the law was taken up into heaven. Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, by believing were saved out of the flame. Daniel for his innocency WHEREFORE, ye my sons, be valiant, and shew yourselves men in the behalf of the law for by it shall ye obtain glory. And, behold, I know that your brother Simon is a man of counsel, give ear unto him alway: he shall be a father unto you. As for Judas Maccabeus, he hath been mighty and strong, even from his youth up: let him be your captain, and fight the battle of the people. Take also unto you all those that observe the law, and avenge ye the wrong of your people. Recompense fully the heathen, and take heed to the commandments of the law. So he blessed them, and was gathered to his fathers. Rz. Our enemies. p. cxxi. FRIDAY. Of the 1st Book of Maccabees. AND he died in the hundred forty with cheerfulness the battle of Israel. So he gat his people great honour. For he pursued the wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up those that vexed his people. Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled, because salvation prospered in his hand. Ry. Fear ye not. p. cxxi. Lesson II. HE grieved also many kings, and made Jacob glad with his acts, and his memorial is blessed for ever. Moreover he went through the cities of Juda, destroying the ungodly out of them, and turning away wrath from Israel so that he was renowned unto the utmost part of the earth, and he received unto him such as were ready to perish. Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together, and a great host out of Samaria, to fight against Israel. Which thing when Judas perceived, he went forth to meet him, and so he smote him, and slew him: many also fell down slain, but the rest fled. Wherefore Judas took their spoils, and Apollonius' sword also, and therewith he fought all his life long. Ry. The heathen. p. cxxi. Lesson III. THEN began the fear of Judas and his brethren, and an exceeding great dread, to fall upon the nations round about them: insomuch as his fame came unto the king, and all nations talked of the battles of Judas. Now when king Antiochus heard these things, he was full of indignation: wherefore he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm, even a very strong army. He opened also his treasure, and gave his soldiers pay for a year, commanding them to be ready whensoever he should need them. Ry. Thine, O LORD. p. cxxii. SATURDAY. Of the 1st Book of Maccabees. Lesson I. Chap. iii. NOW when Judas and his brethren saw that miseries were multiplied, and that the forces did encamp themselves in their borders; for they knew how the king had given commandment to destroy the people, and utterly abolish them; they said one to another, Let us restore the decayed estate of our people, and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary. Then was the congregation gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion. Now Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness, there was none of her children that went in or out: the sanctuary also was trodden down, and aliens kept the strong hold; the heathen had their habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob, and the pipe with the harp ceased. Ry. The sun shone. p. cxxii. : Lesson II. WHEREFORE the Israelites assembled themselves together, and came to Maspha, over against Jerusalem; for in Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel. Then they fasted that day, and put on sackcloth, and cast ashes upon their heads, and rent their clothes, and laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images. They brought also the priests' garments, and the firstfruits, and the tithes and the Nazarites they stirred up, who had accomplished their days. Then cried they with a loud voice towards heaven, saying, What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them away? For thy sanctuary is trodden down and profaned, and thy priests are in heaviness, and brought low. And, lo, the heathen are assembled together against us to destroy us: what things they imagine against us, thou knowest. How shall we be able to stand against them, except thou, O GOD, be our help? Ry. They decked. p. cxxii. Lesson III. THEN sounded they with trumpets, and cried with a loud voice. And after this Judas ordained captains over the people, even captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens. But as for such as were building houses, or had with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned; they thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down; and laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place,, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them. betrothed wives, or were planting | when as they consulted what to do vineyards, or were fearful, those he commanded that they should return, every man to his own house, according to the law. So the camp removed, and pitched upon the south side of Emmaus. And Judas said, Arm yourselves, and be valiant men, and see that ye be in readiness against the morning, that ye may fight with these nations, that are assembled together against us to destroy us and our sanctuary; for it is better for us to die in battle, than to behold the calamities of our people and our sanctuary. Nevertheless, as the will of GOD is in heaven, so let him do. Ry. They praised. p. cxxii. Of the 1st Book of Maccabees. Lesson I. Chap. iv. THEN said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary. Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion. And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests' chambers pulled down; they rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads, and fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven. Ry. The LORD open. p. cxx. Lesson II. THEN Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary. So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law: who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place. And Ry. The LORD hear. p. cxx. THEN they took whole stones ac cording to the law, and built a new altar according to the former; and made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts. They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table. And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple. Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to make. Ry. Our enemies. p. cxxi. SECOND NOCturn. Book 28. Chap. 45. longer to have prophets, there is no doubt that it degenerated, just at the very time when it hoped to improve for the future, on the restoration of the temple after the captivity in Babylon. For thus it was that carnal-minded people understood what had been foretold by Haggai, the prophet, saying: The glory of the latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former. And he had a little before shewn that this was spoken of the New Testament, where he saith, plainly promising CHRIST: | from all that defilement of idolatry, And I will shake all nations, and when he had routed the generals of the Desire of all nations shall come. Ry. Fear ye not. p. cxxi. Lesson V. FOR, by such of the elect among the Gentiles, the house of God is, through the New Testament, built up with living stones, far more glorious than that which was erected by King Solomon, and rebuilt after the captivity. Wherefore, also, from that time forward, the Jews had no more prophets, but were afflicted with many calamities by foreign kings, and by the Romans themselves, lest this prophecy of Haggai's should be thought to have received its accomplishment in the restoration of the temple. For, no long time after, the Jews were subdued at the coming of Alexander, when, although there was no devastation, because they dared not to resist him, and therefore were most easily subdued, and found him gracious, yet the glory of that house was not so great as it had been under the free rule of their own kings. Ry. The heathen. p. cxxi. Lesson VI. THEN Ptolemy the son of Lagus, after Alexander's death, carried many of them captive into Egypt: whom his successor, Ptolemy Philadelphus, sent back again with all kindness: and through him it came to pass that we have that version of the Scriptures by the Seventy translators. After that, they were severely tried by the wars which are set forth in the books of the Maccabees. Then, they were led captive by Ptolemy, king of Alexandria, who is called Epiphanes. After that, they were compelled by frequent, and most cruel persecutions, under Antiochus, king of Syria, to worship idols; and the temple itself was filled with the sacrilegious superstitions of the Gentiles; which, however, their most valiant leader, Judas, who is also called Maccabæus, purified Antiochus. Ry. Thine, O LORD. p. cxxii. MONDAY. Of the 1st Book of Maccabees. NOW on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning, and offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made. Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals. Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the GoD of heaven, who had given them good success. Ry. Judas said. p. cxxii. AND so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise. They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them. Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away. Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, with mirth gladness. Ry. They decked. p. cxxii. and AT that time also they builded up the mount Sion with high walls Ry. Thou, O LORD. p. cxxiii. and strong towers round about, lest | to destroy them; but they fled to the the Gentiles should come and tread fortress of Dathema. it down, as they had done before. And they set there a garrison to keep it, and fortified Bethsura to preserve it that the people might have a defence against Idumea. Ry. They praised. p. cxxii. TUESDAY. Of the 1st Book of Maccabees. Lesson I. Chap. v. NOW when the nations round about heard that the altar was built, and the sanctuary renewed as before, it displeased them very much. Wherefore they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob that was among them, and thereupon they began to slay and destroy the people. Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea at Arabattine, because they besieged Israel: and he gave them a great overthrow, and abated their courage, and took their spoils. Also he remembered the injury of the chiidren of Bean, who had been a snare and an offence unto the people, in that they lay in wait for them in the ways. He shut them up therefore in the towers, and encamped against them, and destroyed them utterly, and burned the towers of that place with fire, and all that were therein. Ry. This is. p. cxxiii. Lesson II. AFTERWARD he passed over to the children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, and much people, with Timotheus their captain. So he fought many battles with them, till at length they were discomfited before him; and he smote them. And when he had taken Jazar, with the towns belonging thereto, he returned into Judea. Then the heathen that were at Galaad assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters, Lesson III. AND sent letters unto Judas and his brethren: The heathen that are round about us are assembled together against us to destroy us: and they are preparing to come and take the fortress whereunto we are fled, Timotheus being captain of their host. Come now therefore, and deliver us from their hands, for many of us are slain: yea, all our brethren that were in the places of Tobie are put to death: their wives and their children also they have carried away captives, and borne away their stuff: and they have destroyed there about a thousand men. Ry. Open Thine eyes. p. cxxiii. WEDNESDAY. Of the 1st Book of Maccabees. as Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais, Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done. Wherefore they said, Let us also get us a name, and go fight against the heathen that are round about us. So when they had given charge unto the garrison that was with them, they went toward Jamnia. NOW what time Ry. The sun shone. p. cxxii. Lesson II. THEN came Gorgias and his men out of the city to fight against them. And so it was, that Joseph and Azarias were put to flight, and pursued unto the borders of Judea: and there were slain that day of the people of Israel about two thousand men. Thus was there a great overthrow among the children of Israel, because they were not obedient unto Judas and his brethren, but thought |
