CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT FROM
Alfred C. Barnes
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029308503
THE
FOURTH BOOK
OF MACCABEES:
CONTAINING
REFLECTIONS ON RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLE: LIKEWISE, AN ACCOUNT OF HELIODORUS’ ATTEMPT TO PLUNDER THE TEMPLE: AND THE HISTORY OF ELEAZAR AND THE SEVEN BRETHREN PERSECUTED EVEN TO DEATH FOR THEIR ADHERENCE TO RELIGION.
CHAPTER XVI
B.C. 167
The praises of the mother of the seven brethren.
If then a woman, and she an old one, and the mother of seven children, endured to behold the tortures of her children even unto death: confessedly religious principle is perfect master of the passions. Now I have shewn, that not only men have mastered the passions, but even that a woman nobly disregarded the greatest torments. And not so furious were Daniel’s lions; nor so fiercely flamed the furnace of Misael with most devouring a fire; as the natural love of her children burned in her,
while she beheld her seven sons exposed to torments. But through the principle of religion, the mother quite extinguished such and so power them; full affections. For we must also take this into the account; That if the woman had been faint-hearted, as being a mother, she would have lamented over and perhaps might have said thus : “O wretched I! Thrice, many times, miserable! who, having brought forth seven children, now come to be mother of none! O useless seven labours, and unprofitable seven pregnancies b! And fruitless nursing, and miserable giving of suck! In vain, my children, have I sustained for you many pangs of childbirth, and still more painful anxieties for your bringing up. Alas! Of my children, some never married; others married to no purpose: I shall not behold your children, nor shall I be deemed happy in being saluted as a grandmother c. Alas! I who had so many d, so beautiful children, am now a widow, solitary, and oppressed with grief. Nor if I die, shall I have a single one of my sons to bury me.”
But not one of them did the holy and religious mother bewail with this lament. Nor did she dissuade any one of them from undergoing death, nor grieve for them as they died. But, as if she possessed a mind of adamant, and was again
bringing forth e the entire number of her sons to an immortal life, she rather besought and exhorted them to a death in the cause of religion. O mother, soldier of God for religion! Thou, a female, an aged woman, through perseverance hast vanquished a tyrant; and hast been proved both in deeds and words more powerful than a man. For when thou was seized, together with thy children, thou stoodest looking upon Eleazar under torture, and saidst to thy sons in the Hebrew tongue; “O my sons, the contest is a noble one; to which, seeing that you are called, for a testimony to your nation, exert yourselves in it with alacrity in defence of your country’s law. For indeed it would he shameful, that this old man should bravely endure pains for religion’s sake, but that you, who are younger, should be dismayed at the torments. Remember that through God you received admission into the world and have enjoyed existence. And on this account, you owe the endurance of every suffering for God’s sake. For whom also our father Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son Isaac, who was to be the father of our nation f and Isaac shrank not on seeing the paternal hand, armed with a knife, descending upon him. And Daniel the Just was cast to the lions: and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah , were thrown violently g into the fiery furnace, and endured it”
” for God’s sake. Do you therefore, having the same faith towards God, make no complaint. For it is unreasonable that they who are in structed in religion should not bear up against troubles.”
With these arguments the mother of the seven encouraging each one of her sons, persuaded them to die rather than transgress the command of God: especially as they knew this, that those who die in God’s cause really live to God h, as Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the patriarchs.
MeWe join our group at Friends in Jesus
You may also want to join Creation Ministries International.
Read all about it : Creation.com
Find more Study topics at Quo Vadis World
FaceBook
We give thanks and acknowledgement to Rick Meyers for e-Sword.
P.O. Box 1626
Franklin, TN 37065
United States of America
www.e-sword.net
