The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-29
NEW YORK HERALD SUNDAY 49, ls72TRIPLE SHEET

him and overcame him In BATTLE. They then
ceansed the Temple, and having found . litGe vial
OF sacred Oil among the debris they again Ashted
the lamp, and though the oil was sufdcient only fpf
one day tradition reports that miracuously il ~
found to last for seven days. Hence the Jews COM
memorate the cleansing and lft a1 Not3
REDKDICATION or THn TEMPLE 1901
sy lighting candlesan additional .s one every ray
moral and religious and patriotic aspects OF TINS
commemorative event were the theme OF Dr. Vida
Psalms, kit, 10, llsTrust not in oppression and
become not vain In robbery; II riches increase ses
not Your neaIt upon them God hath Spoken o ncs
God" The Doctor referred, In opening, to the orr
gin Of the Festival Of Chanuka 1000 years ago,
banner on which Was Inscribed, .who ia IKE unto
thee 0 Lord ~ me Aaccabees, ne remarked, are
S is Ds9 ana ~ q
should not be called ster the Aaccabees: Not only
are recordedis considered spocryphal. and not at
all OF equal value with the other books OF the Bible
the Doctor next reated the acts concerning the
bottle foi and said that from these the festival
Is called Chanuka, or dedication. And thus israel
THE TRIUMPH OF THE MAceABEKs
over their enemies-the triumph OF truth over
eTror o. re sa over moral ne aat ~" az
our fathers. we are not boasting to-day OF
victories won on felds OF battle 1000 years
indeed glorious. The heroism OF those 1000
Greeks at Marathon and those 5000 at Thermopy-
lie was indeed glorious; but these are confined to
special localities and peoples The triumph OF the
Maccabees, on the other hand, Is for all men and
all times and nations. Therefore the Psalmst 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 the stage of national
life the heather tried to make him drink the cup
OF their anger; but, thank Heaven all their machi
nations were in VAIN and foolish and they failed.
Patriotism cannot exist where God is unknown and
unhonored, but there despottsm and superstition
can prevail and flourish. What iS the reading or
Jewish faithY 1t Is that
GOD Is ONE, NOT TWO OR THREE;
You can see then, why the heather ragged against
Israel because OF their principles. For when they
take root in individuals or nations, then farewell
Sinai was so called from observation-disclosures
Israel had hatred OF everything tnat was opposed
ceived the law Amalek arose Int d was a. against
God ana his Amounted but Israel was saved because
he trusted not in oppression. Victory Is the Lords
In the second part of his discourse the Doctor
asked the question, "What were the Maccabees
defendingY" And, by reference again to the his
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 0bect-to pre-
serve the oil. The oil Is light, and
THE Law IS A LAMP.
Preserve the bottle and you shall save the Oil
als0 but break the bottle and the oil will be wasted
and your hearts, said the Doctor, will be dark. On
those days, said the preacher, the Israelites
aping the fashions of the Greeks, Just as Israetes
do to-day, and the excuse then, as now, was that
they wanted to remove all distinctions between
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 q tale or persecution and dia-
b0lism connected with the Maccabeah struggle.
and presented the facts as lustratve Of the heroic
spirit OF martyrdom which prevailed among women
and men. They chung to the law. And thus the
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
hearts every day, and that peace and prosperity
might attend them all their days. and also all the
children of God.