ment of her seven sons were offered to her choice, she wisely gave the preference to religion, took God's word before the king's, and chose to have them live for ever with God in heaven, rather than enjoy a short prosperity with Antiochus upon earth. The fear and love of God made her overlook the present ease and advantage of her children; and she knew she could never love them so tenderly, so deservedly, as when their steady virtue and constancy in the cause of truth charmed her af fections, and endeared them to her. They were just, wise, temperate, and magnanimous, affectionate to each other, and dutiful to their mother to that degree, that they even died in the cause of their law in obedience to her. And she was so far from allowing any one of these manifold engagements to betray her into an undue tenderness, or suffering any of the torture they endured to shake her reason, that she exhorted each of them singly, and all of them together, not to decline any sufferings or death for the sake of religion.

And now, to close this bloody tragedy, the soldiers approached to seize the godly matron in order to execution; but she prevented all attempts upon her person, and without any force cast herself into the fire, defeating thus the tyrant's rage and violence, disappointing all his wicked contrivances, and exerting a most vigorous and noble faith. Thus ended this doleful, yet glorious day, with the death of the victorious Solomona, who triumphed in the sharpest agonies of her sons, and her own sufferings, who with them was translated from misery to bliss unspeakable, admitted into the joyful society of all their pious ancestors, and whose souls were received into an eternal rest, after sacrificing their bodies in the service of their God.

The poor Jews for a time laboured under unspeakable oppression from the cruel Antiochus; but at last they were rescued by the divine providence, under the conduct of the' noble family of the Maccabees: the chief of which at that time was Mattathias the priest,

who had fled from Jerusalem, during the persecution, and with his five sons, John, Simon, Judas, Eleazar, and Jonathan, had withdrawn to the mountains of Modin.

In this retirement, Mattathias and his sons bemoaned the hard fate of their religion and country. But they had not opportunity long to enjoy this sad retreat; for the tyrant's restless malice soon found them out, who sent his messengers to Modin to oblige the inhabitants to sacrifice and burn incense in honour of their idols. Many submitted to this force, but the brave Mattathias and his family abhorred this profaneness; and to let Apelles, king Antiochus's general, see, that in defence of his conscience, the honour of God, and the truth of his religion, he was not afraid to die, he bravely slew a Jew that was just going to sacrifice, preventing his idolatry by his death; and Apelles continuing to persuade or force the people to profaneness, received his death from some of the brave Maccabees, who not only in defence of their conscience killed their persecutors, but overturned their altars, and pulled down their idols.

Mattathias, however, perceiving that he could not long maintain his opposition to the superior power of the enemy, calling out to his countrymen, said, "Let him "that loves his religion follow me." Upon which he made the best of his way to the mountains, with his sons; whither several Jews, with their families, followed him. Antiochus's officers hearing this, took a party of the garrison at Jerusalem, and pursued them; and attacking them on the sabbath, slew about a thousand of them, who would not defend themselves because of the solemni ty of the day. Hereupon Mattathias and the rest came to a resolution, not to make any scruple of defending themselves for the future against such as should attack them on the sabbath. After this they formed a body of regu lar forces under the command of Mattathias, and fell upon their enemies as they found opportunity, destroyed the altars of their idols, and caused the children to be circumcised.

VOL. II.

Mattathias having acted the part of a brave and prudent general, at last is forced to submit to the weight of a hundred and forty-six years; when taking leave of his sons and countrymen, he exhorted them, at his death, to defend their nation and religion, and declared his son Judas Maccabeus bis successor in the command of the forces. Which command was accordingly conferred on him after his father's death, and he soon made it appear that he was worthy of it by his courage and conduct: for Apollonius, governor of Samaria, hearing how obstinately the Jews defended themselves against the king's forces, in haste gathered what troops he could, and prepared to attack them : but Judas was apprised of his approach, and marching against Apollonius, routed his army and slew him. Judas, the governor of Cælo-Syria, hearing of this defeat, and resolving to suppress the Jews before their successes should increase their numbers, advanced as far as Bethoron with a numerous army; but Judas, though inferior in number, defeated and pursued him, killing eight hundred of his men upon the spot; the rest fled into the country of the Philistines.

Upon this news, Antiochus was much enraged, and vowing a severe revenge, he raises a powerful army in Greece and other parts, resolved to invade Judea the next spring. But finding his treasure fall short of paying so vast an army, (his tribute being much diminished by the frequent revolts and commotions in his dominions) he intended an expedition into Persia, and there to levy tribute to defray the charge of the war. But before he went, he constituted his favourite Lysias, governor of all the country from Euphrates to Egypt, leaving with him one half of the forces, with orders to send an army into Judea, utterly to destroy Jerusalem, to extirpate the Jews, and settle strangers in the country. Antiochus having thus disposed affairs, marched to Persia; and Lysias, the better to execute his master's commands, chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor and Gorgias, three eminent commanders, to manage the war against the Jews. These

with an army of forty thousand foot, and seven thousand horse, prepared to invade Judea, and all things being ready they marched to Emmaus, where, for a short time, they encamped. During their stay there, their army was increased by the additional troops of the Syrians, renegado Jews, and other neighbouring nations, among whom came several merchants to buy slaves, thinking themselves secure of victory over the Jews.

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In the mean time, Judas was not idle; for he and his brethren gathering what forces they could in so short a time, resolved to defend themselves; and disposing their little army as regularly as the condition of their affairs would permit, Judas in a short speech thus ani. mated them: "There never was a fitter opportunity, my friends, of exercising our valour, and despising danger than now. Liberty, the darling principle of nature, is the cause we are to fight for ; without "which we must never expect to enjoy our religion. "This is the time to recover our ancient laws by our "courage, or pusillanimously deliver them up, and "these poor remains of our countrymen, to ignominy " and slavery. Trust in God, whose cause we fight, "and question not but he will bless our arms with "success here, or give us a glorious reward here" after."

Judas having thus encouraged his men, took post at Maspha, opposite to Jerusalem; where, hearing that Gorgias was detached with five thousand foot, and a thousand horse to surprise the Jewish camp by night, he marches with his best troops to fall upon the main body of the enemy at Emmaus. Gorgias coming to Judas's camp, found it empty, and concluding that the Jews had through fear fled into the mountains, pursued them thither. In the mean time, Judas came to Gorgias's camp by break of day, with only three thousand men; which the enemy seeing, they marched out to charge them; but Judas soon routed them, killed three thousand upon the spot, and pursued the rest into the country of Edom. Then, returning to attack the body which Gorgias had led into the mountains, they un

derstanding that their main body had been defeated, their camp seized and burnt, and that Judas's army was in the plains ready to give them battle, a sudden panic seized them, and they all fled into the neighbouring countries. Judas's victorious army returning from the pursuit, entered the enemy's camp, which they plundered, carrying off a great booty: then giving thanks to God, the author of their success, they repaired to Jerusalem; where they enjoyed the fruits of their victory during the remaining part of that year. But Lysias, impatient at these disappointments, and anxious to wipe off the disgrace of this defeat, the next year raised an' army of sixty thousand foot, and five thousand horse, and came in person to extirpate the Jews. Judas and his army being flushed with their former success, were not in the least discouraged at the sight of this numerous army, for drawing out ten thousand men only, they gave Lysias battle, whom they routed, and cut five thousand of his men in pieces. Lysias upon this defeat returned to Antioch to raise more forces, resolving to be revenged on the Jews with a more powerful army than hitherto he had raised.

The enemy being thus driven out of Judea, Judas endéavoured to settle the affairs of his country. He first began by cleansing the temple, and restoring it to the same condition it was in before, causing it to be again dedicated, and the worship of God revived. He fortified mount Sion, inclosing it with walls and towers. Having put Jerusalem into this posture of defence, he fortified Bethsura, a city near Edom, and made war on the neighbouring nations, which had conspired to destroy the Israelites that were among them. After this, having divided the forces among his brethren, he routed the Ammonites and Edomites, entered the country of Gilead, took many towns, and rescued a great number of Jews, who were besieged in castles and towns, and convoyed them safely to their own country, with their wives and children. In their passage home they besieged and took by storm the city of Ephron, which they burnt, and put all the men to the sword. Then