Soto Thefateofthe Church CAP. 2. loveth? She ffayes not till they examine her, but begins to queftion them;The watchmen& keepers of the city, are the holy Prieffs who (as much as they may) hold fall & keep the truth in thefe dark times. And are Paid to have found the Church wavering, being driven from her feates. The chief of thefe were Mattathias the father of the Maccabees and his funs ; who valiantly anfwered the Kings femur, requiring them to facrifice, Ifall Nations fell aW.tyfrom the WorJhip oftheir elders : yet he andhis children andbrethren Would Walk in the Covenant of their elders, and net tranfgreffe their WorJhhhip to the right handor to the left. 1. Macca. 2. 19. zo. Stich faithful! men then found the Church,which yet gave her no anfwer, theywere fo aflonifhed as their filence here declareth. Verf. 4. It Was but a little that I paffed from them but Ifound himWhommyfoul loveth : I held him and Would not let binsgo,untilt I hadbrought him into my mothers houfe , and into the chamber of her that conceived me. Now fhe departeth from the high priefts and governours of the city, getting nocomfort of them at that time, fuffering with the refs a common deffruetion. But going a little from them , fhe chanceth on him whom the fhould have : whereby is taught that the Church did not long lie in thefe miferies , but was in short time delivered from thole chaffifements. Neither was this comfort vain, but at length fully (hewed by Issdas Maccabcus,I.Mach, 4.47.In the 142. yeer of the reigne of the Greekes, Antiochus began to alflift Judea. In the three and fortyyeer he (polled the Temple. After two whole yeers he took away the daily facrifice and all divine worlhip for the time, a. Maca. I, 1t. 30.47.In the eight and fortieth yeer the nineth moneth, were the holy houles purged and divine worthip reftored again,!.Mach.4.52.53. &cNowwas her beloved found and brought into the houfeof her mother. For we have him prefent withus , as long as we keep his publike worthip, or as often as we recover it being loft : wherein he bath promifed to Phew himfelfe to his. There darknetfes for the time they laf}ed were very black , but not long. After 2300 dayes (limited by the Angel, Dan. 8. 14.) The fanEluarielballbe purged. Wherefore her beloved delayed not long to aid her, but came fwiftly from the mountains of Tether ; whom the faithful! doubted to he farther off: So there few verfes are an Epitome of the whole hifrory of the Maccabees : and thole books a jail commentary of this place. Now that fhe would not let her beloved go till the had brought him into her
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