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But in this cam it was not so; on the contrary by their Reason, which was commended in the sight of God, they rose superior to their passions.

For even as towers on harbour-moles repulse the assaults of the waves and offer a calm entrance to those entering the haven, so the seven-towered right Reason of the youths defended the haven of righteousness and repulsed the tempestuousness of the passions.

But though nature, companionship, and their virtuous disposition increased the ardour of their brotherly love, nevertheless the surviving sons through their religion supported the sight of their brethren, who were on the rack, being tortured to death; nay more, they even encouraged them to face the agony, so as not only to despise their own tortures, but also to conquer their passion of brotherly affection for their brethren. 34 O Reasoning minds, more kingly than kings, than freemen more free, of the harmony of the seven brethren, holy and well attuned to the keynote of piety!

For as hands and feet move in harmony with the promptings of the soul, so those holy youths, as if prompted by the immortal soul of religion, went in harmony to death for its sake.

For as the seven days of the creation of the world do enring religion, so did the youths choir-like enring their sevenfold companionship, and made the terror of the tortures of no account.

But consider how manifold are the yearnings of a mother's heart, so that her feeling for her offspring becomes the centre of her whole world; and indeed,

But nevertheless, though she had so many temptations to yield to her maternal instincts, in no single instance did the dreadful variety of tortures have power to alter her Reason; but the mother urged each son separately, and all together, to die for their religion.

Not the melodies of the sirens nor the songs of swans with sweet sound do so charm the hearer's ears, as sounded the voices of the sons, speaking to the mother from amid the torments.

For as the Ark of Noah, with the whole living world for her burden in the world-whelming Deluge, did withstand the mighty surges, so thou, the keeper of the Law, beaten upon every side by the surging waves of the passions, and strained as with strong blasts by the tortures of thy sons, didst nobly weather the storms that assailed thee for religion's sake.

And not so fierce were the lions around Daniel, not so hot was the burning fiery furnace of Mishael, as burned in her the instinct of motherhood at the sight of her seven sons being tortured.

And not so fierce were the lions around Daniel, not so hot was the burning fiery furnace of Mishael, as burned in her the instinct of motherhood at the sight of her seven sons being tortured.

Not so majestic stands the moon amid the stars in heaven as thou, having lit the path of thy seven starlike sons unto righteousness, standest in honour with God; and thou art set in heaven with them.

For when the tyrant Antiochus saw the heroism of their virtue, and their endurance under the tortures, he publicly held up their endurance to his soldiers as an example; and he thus inspired his men with a sense of honour and heroism on the field of battle and in the labours of besieging, so that he plundered and overthrew all his enemies.

So that thou mayest, not draw them back and take them again:

So speaks in my members the Spirit of the Lord, and I speak by His love.

As the impulse of anger against evil, so is the impulse of joy over what is lovely, and brings in of its fruits without restraint:

For as its work is, so is its end: for it is light and the dawning of thought;

As the eyes of a son to his father, so are my eyes, O Lord, at all times towards thee.

And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, so thou shalt give to me; and hasten to grant our petitions; and thou art able for all our needs. Hallelujah.

As the sun is the joy to them that seek for its daybreak, so is my joy the Lord;

So also my work is the Psalm of the Lord: my craft and my occupation are in His praises:

For they who in their hearts were lifted up were deficient in wisdom, and so they were rejected, because the truth was not with them.

Or who can rest on the Most High, so that with His mouth he may speak?

So also are the wings of the Spirit over my heart:

For according to His praise He made me, and according to His goodness even so He gave unto me:

For according to the greatness of the Most High, so He made me: and like His own newness He renewed me; and He anointed me from His own perfection:

And give them to drink of the wine of their intoxication, and remove their wisdom and knowledge, and so they make them without intelligence;

And I was made wise so as not to fall into the hands of the deceiver; and I congratulated myself because the Truth went with me,

So also is my hope on Thee, my God.

So my heart gushes out the praise of the Lord and my lips utter praise to Him, and my tongue His psalms.

So was my yoke over those that know me:

So is my love over those that believe in me.

And I was not rejected though I was reckoned to be so.