The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-29
NEW YORK HERALD SUNDAY DECEMBER 49, SHEET

him and overcame him In BATTLE. They then
cleansed the Temple. and having found little vial
OF sacred oil among tho debris they again lighted
the lamp and though the OIL was suf1cient only fcr
one day tradition reports that miracuously is was
found to last for seven days. Hence the Jews CON-
mem0rate the cleansing and lfl 4st At tr$g
REDEDIcATION or rHn TEMPLE a3
by lighting candles--sn additional one every day
ns ann nIsr until the eighth q tas s
commemorative event were the theme OF Dr. Vida
yer's discourse yesterday. He took his text nom
become not vain In robbery II riches Increase set
not your heart upon them God hath spoken once
Tne Docsor sss opening e orr
gin OF the Festival OF Chanuka 1000 years ago,
when men and madens Of Israel bore aloit the
thee o Lord :" The Naccabees, he remarked, are
our ancestors, ana We are reminded a. TINS time
should not be called Alter the haccabees Not only
is this not SO. but the book in which their deeds
all OF equal value with the other books OF the Bible
The Doctor next related the facts concerning the
d an aaG ss these ns the
is called Chsnuka, or dedication. And thus israel
THE TRIUMPH or THE MAccABEEs
over their enemies-the triumph Of truth over
error, OF freedom over moral slavery We are sian
clngng he said with all our hearts 70 the faith Of
our fathers. We are not Boosting to-day Of
victories won on feids OF battle 1000 years
ago by the Maccabees, though their herOism was
Greeks at Marathon and those 5000 at Thermopy-
lac was indeed glorious; but these are confined to
specia! localities and peoples The triumph OF the
all times and nations. Therefore the Psamst says,
"Praise the Lord, for mercy Is everlasting" DR..
Vidaver again referred to history to find the cause
of Antiochus' hatred of and attack upon the Jews.
What was IT, he asked, that made the heather rage
and the people imagine vain things AS soon as
Israel made his appearance on the stage OF national
life the heather tried to make him drink the cup
OF their anger; but thank Heaven, all their machi-
Patriotism cannot exist where Cod and
unhonorcd, but there despOtism and superstition
can prevail and flourish. What is the reading Of
Jewish falthY 1t Is that
GOD Is ONE, NOT TWO OR THREE;
that He Is q God Of love and mercy, and truth.
You can see why the heather RACED against
take root in individuals or nations, then farewell
to sin and superstition. Tradition says that Mount
Sinai was so called from observation-disclosures
Israel had hatred OF everything tnat was opposed
to the law given thereon. AS soon as Israel re-
ceived the law Amalek arose, but II was against
God his annOinted but Israel was saved because
he trusted not In oppression Victory Is the Lords
In the second part Of his discourse the Doctor
defendingg'' And, BY reference again to the his
torcal records, he said they were defending truth
against error. Tradition says that Jacobs wrestle
with the supernatural being was on account OF
bottle OF oil which the patriarch had left. The
Maccabean fight was for . similar object-to pre-
serve the oil. The oil Is light, and
THE LAW IS LAMP.
Preserve the bottle and you shall save the Oil
also; but break the bottle and the oil win be wasted
and your hearts, said the Doctor, will be dark. On
those days, said the preacher the Israelites were
apng the fashions of the Greeks, Just Israelites
do to-day, and the excuse then, as now, was that
themselves and those among whom they lived.
What was the result, then When they were asked
to bow the knee to Baal they readily assented.
The Doctor related tale OF persecution and dia-
bolism connected with the Maccabeah struggle.
and presented the facts asillustratye OF the heroic
lad
story Of the Maccabees teaches all mankind the
glorious truth that God Is opposed to oppression,
small vial burned not only one day but seven
even for ever and ever. SO he prayed that his
hearers might keep the sacred oil burning in their
might attend them all their days, and also all the
children of God.