that

And when the guards said to him, 'Consent to eat, that so you may be released from your tortures,' he said to them, 'Your method, O miserable minions, is not strong enough to lead captive my Reason. Cut off my limbs, and burn my flesh, and twist my joints; through all the torments I will show you that in behalf of virtue the sons of the Hebrews alone are unconquerable.'

War a holy and honourable warfare on behalf of righteousness, through which may the just Providence that watched over our fathers become merciful unto his people and take vengeance on the accursed tyrant.'

And to the tyrant he said, 'O most ruthless of tyrants, doth not it seem to thee that at this moment thou thyself sufferest tortures worse than mine in seeing thy tyranny's arrogant intention overcome by my endurance for righteousness' sake?

For I am supported under pain by the joys that come through virtue, whereas thou art in torment whilst glorying in thy impiety; neither shalt thou escape, O most abominable tyrant, the penalties of the divine wrath.'

But he answered in a loud voice, 'Are ye ignorant that the same father begat me and my brothers that are dead, and the same mother gave us birth, and in the same doctrines was I brought up?

But he answered in a loud voice, 'Are ye ignorant that the same father begat me and my brothers that are dead, and the same mother gave us birth, and in the same doctrines was I brought up?

And at the point of death he said, 'We, O most abominable tyrant, suffer thus for our upbringing and our virtue that are of God; but thou for thy impiety and thy cruelty shall endure torments without end.'

Invent tortures, O tyrant, in order that thou mayest learn thereby that I am brother of those who have been already tortured.'

Invent tortures, O tyrant, in order that thou mayest learn thereby that I am brother of those who have been already tortured.'

But God will speedily pursue after thee; for thou cuttest out the tongue that sang songs of praise unto him.'

Yea, of myself I come forward, in order that, slaying me also, thou mayest by yet more misdeeds increase the penalty thou owest to the justice of Heaven.

Doth it seem evil to thee that we worship the Creator of all and live according to his virtuous Law?

Lo, now thou art God's enemy and makest war on those that worship God.'

As he spake thus the guards bound him and brought him before the catapult; and they tied him thereto on his knees, and, fastening them there with iron clamps, they wrenched his loins over the rolling 'wedge' so that he was completely curled back like a scorpion and every joint was disjointed.

And thus in grievous strait for breath and anguish of body he exclaimed, 'Glorious, O tyrant, glorious against thy will are the boons that thou bestowest on me, enabling me to show my fidelity to the Law through yet more honourable tortures.'

And while thus appealing to him he sent for the boy's mother, in order that in her sorrow for the loss of so many sons she might urge the survivor to obey and be saved.

But the mother, speaking in the Hebrew tongue, as I shall tell later on, encouraged the boy, and he said to the guards, 'Loose me, that I may speak to the king and to all his friends with him.'

And thee will he Punish both in this present life and after that thou art dead.'

If therefore the seven brethren despised the tortures even to the death, it is universally proved that the Inspired Reason is supreme lord over the passions.

For if they had yielded to their passions or sufferings and eaten unclean meat we should have said that they had been conquered thereby.

We now shudder when we hear of the suffering of those youths; but they, not only seeing it with their eyes, nor merely hearing the spoken, imminent threat, but actually feeling the pang, endured it through; and that in the torture by fire, than which what greater agony can be found?

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,

For example, among the birds, the tame ones sheltering under our roofs defend their nestlings; and those that nest upon the mountain tops, and in the rock clefts, and in the holes of trees, and in the branches, and hatch their young there, do also drive away the intruder.

REASON of the sons, lord over the passions! O religion, that wast dearer to the mother than her children!

But, of all mothers, she of the seven sons abounded in love beyond the rest, seeing that, having in seven child-bearings felt maternal tenderness for the fruit of her womb, and having been constrained because of the many pangs in which she bore each to a close affection, she nevertheless through the fear of God rejected the present safety of her children.

Ay, and more than that, through the moral beauty and goodness of her sons and their obedience to the Law, her maternal love for them was made stronger.

For they were just, and temperate, and brave and great-souled, and lovers of each other and of their mother in such manner that they obeyed her in the keeping of the Law even unto death.

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.

I have proved, accordingly, that not only have men triumphed over their sufferings, but that a woman also has despised the most dreadful tortures.

I have proved, accordingly, that not only have men triumphed over their sufferings, but that a woman also has despised the most dreadful tortures.

For there is this also to consider, that had the woman been weak of spirit, despite her motherhood, she might have wept over them, and perchance spoken thus:

Alas, for my sons, that some were yet unwed, and those that were wedded had begotten no children; I shall never see children of yours, nor shall I be called by the name of grandparent.

Alas, for my sons, that some were yet unwed, and those that were wedded had begotten no children; I shall never see children of yours, nor shall I be called by the name of grandparent.

Ah me, that had many beautiful children, and am a widow and desolate in my woe! Neither will there be any son to bury me when I am dead!'

But the holy and God-fearing mother wailed not with this lamentation over any one of them, neither besought she any to escape death, nor lamented over them as dying men; but, as though she had a soul of adamant and were bringing forth the number of her sons, for a second time, into immortal life, she besought rather and entreated of them that they should die for religion's sake.

For it would be shameful if, while this aged man endured the agony for religion's sake, you that are young men shrank before the pain.

Remember that for the sake of God ye have come into the world, and have enjoyed life, and that therefore ye owe it to God to endure all pain for his sake; for whom also our father Abraham made haste to sacrifice his son Isaac, the ancestor of our nation; and Isaac, seeing his father's hand lifting the knife against him, did not shrink.

Remember that for the sake of God ye have come into the world, and have enjoyed life, and that therefore ye owe it to God to endure all pain for his sake; for whom also our father Abraham made haste to sacrifice his son Isaac, the ancestor of our nation; and Isaac, seeing his father's hand lifting the knife against him, did not shrink.

And ye also, having the same faith unto God, be not troubled; for it were against Reason that ye, knowing righteousness, should not withstand the pains.'

With these words the mother of the seven encouraged every single one of her sons to die rather than transgress the ordinance of God; they themselves also knowing well that men dying for God live unto God, as live Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the patriarchs.

SOME of the guards declared that when she also was about to be seized and put to death, she cast herself on the pyre in order that no man might touch her body.

SOME of the guards declared that when she also was about to be seized and put to death, she cast herself on the pyre in order that no man might touch her body.

O mother, that together with thy seven sons didst break the tyrant's force, and bring to nought his evil devices, and gavest an example of the nobleness of faith.

For truly it was a holy war which was fought by them. For on that day virtue, proving them through endurance, set before them the prize of victory in incorruption in everlasting life.

And these men, therefore, having sanctified themselves for God's sake, not only have received this honour, but also the honour that through them the enemy had no more power over our people, and the tyrant suffered punishment, and our country was purified, they having as it were become a ransom for our nation's sin; and through the blood of these righteous men and the propitiation of their death, the divine Providence delivered Israel that before was evil entreated.

And these men, therefore, having sanctified themselves for God's sake, not only have received this honour, but also the honour that through them the enemy had no more power over our people, and the tyrant suffered punishment, and our country was purified, they having as it were become a ransom for our nation's sin; and through the blood of these righteous men and the propitiation of their death, the divine Providence delivered Israel that before was evil entreated.

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.

O Israelites, children born of the seed of Abraham, obey this Law, and be righteous in all ways, recognizing that Inspired Reason is lord over the passions, and over pains, not only from within, but from without ourselves; by which means those men, delivering up their bodies to the torture for righteousness' sake, not only won the admiration of mankind, but were deemed worthy of a divine inheritance.

Now these are the words that the mother of the seven sons, the righteous woman, spake to her children:

'I was a pure maiden, and I strayed not from my father's house, and I kept guard over the rib that was builded into Eve.

He quoted to us the proverb of Solomon, "He is a tree of life to all them that do his will."

He confirmed the words of Ezekiel, "Shall these dry bones live?" For he forgat not the song that Moses taught, which teaches, "I will slay and I will make alive. This is your life and the blessedness of your days."'

For who is able to distinguish love, except the one that is loved?

And because I shall love Him that, is the Son, I shall become a son;

For he that is joined to Him that is immortal, will also himself become immortal;

For he that is joined to Him that is immortal, will also himself become immortal;

And it is not (possible) that he should change it and put it in another place: because he hath no power over it:

That which is the older shall not be altered by those that are younger than itself.

That which is the older shall not be altered by those that are younger than itself.

For who is there that shall put on thy grace, and be hurt?

Thou hast given us thy fellowship: it was not that thou wast in need of us: but that we are in need of thee:

Thou hast given us thy fellowship: it was not that thou wast in need of us: but that we are in need of thee:

Distill thy dews upon us and open thy rich fountains that pour forth to us milk and honey:

For there is no repentance with thee that thou shouldest repent of anything that thou hast promised:

For there is no repentance with thee that thou shouldest repent of anything that thou hast promised:

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

For it destroys what is foreign, and everything that is bitter:

For thus it was from the beginning and will be to the end, that nothing should be His adversary, and nothing should stand up against Him.

The Lord has multiplied the knowledge of Himself, and is zealous that these things should be known, which by His grace have been given to us.

Blessed then are the ministers of that draught who are entrusted with that water of His:

Blessed then are the ministers of that draught who are entrusted with that water of His:

They have assuaged the dry lips, and the will that had fainted they have raised up;

And souls that were near departing they have caught back from death:

And limbs that had fallen they straightened and set up:

He became like me, in order that I might receive Him:

He was reckoned like myself in order that I might put Him on;

Like my nature He became that I might learn Him and like my form, that I might not turn back from Him:

Like my nature He became that I might learn Him and like my form, that I might not turn back from Him:

Because He it is that is incorrupt, the fulness of the ages and the Father of them.

He hath given Him to be seen of them that are His, in order that they may recognize Him that made them: and that they might not suppose that they came of themselves:

He hath given Him to be seen of them that are His, in order that they may recognize Him that made them: and that they might not suppose that they came of themselves:

He hath given Him to be seen of them that are His, in order that they may recognize Him that made them: and that they might not suppose that they came of themselves:

He hath given Him to be seen of them that are His, in order that they may recognize Him that made them: and that they might not suppose that they came of themselves:

He hath given Him to be seen of them that are His, in order that they may recognize Him that made them: and that they might not suppose that they came of themselves:

And the Most High shall be known in His Saints, to announce to those that have songs of the coming of the Lord;

That they may go forth to meet Him, and may sing to Him with joy and with the harp of many tones:

And there shall neither be anything that breathes without knowledge, nor any that is dumb:

And there shall neither be anything that breathes without knowledge, nor any that is dumb:

Tell forth ye who were in silence, that your mouth hath been opened.

Ye, therefore, that were despised, be henceforth lifted up, because your righteousness hath been exalted.

For I do not turn away my face from them that are mine;

I fashioned their members: my own breasts I prepared for them, that they might drink my holy milk and live thereby.

Who then shall rise up against my handiwork, or who is there that is not subject to them?

And yet beloved ones in the Beloved: those who are kept, in Him that liveth:

And they that are saved in Him that was saved;

And they that are saved in Him that was saved;

Open your ears and I will speak to you. Give me your souls that I may also give you my soul,

That none of those who hear may fall in war, and that those again who have known Him may not perish, and that those who receive may not be ashamed.

That none of those who hear may fall in war, and that those again who have known Him may not perish, and that those who receive may not be ashamed.

That none of those who hear may fall in war, and that those again who have known Him may not perish, and that those who receive may not be ashamed.