Mexico Missouri message., 1909-10-28

to pollute themselves by yielding to
the demands OF the wicked Greeks.
What IL the Greeks have declared
it unlawful to keep our Sabbath
days?" he cried in the streets. What
If they declare that we must share in
their feasts and pay homage to their
god? Shall we forget our God and his
law? What If we gain our lives at
the hands of these wicked Gentiles
and lose them before our God, the God
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob?"
Some listened to the words of the
old man while others turned in fear
away, saying under their breath:
Yes, he may we'll talk for he is
even now an old man and it means not
much to him to die. But how is It
with us who have wives and children
and much goods in the city. We may
outwardly yield to these Gentiles and
still be Jews at heart. OF what avail
| If we die?"
Thus was the city filled with conten-
ton among the Jews, few choosing
to remain loyal to Moses law, while
the great majority outwardly obeyed
the mandates of the man from Athens.
1t was during these days that the
king Of Greece celebrated the anniver-
sary of his birth, and the Greeks in
| Jerusalem, anxious to do honor to
their king and to their great god, made
great sacrifices and held feasts and
commanded that the Jews of the city
enter into the festivities, and eat of
the meats which had been offered to
their god. And when the feast Of Bac-
chus was kept the Jews were com
PEELED to go in the procession carrying
ivy and garlands before the great i'm.
age. Moreover there went out the
decree to the neighboring cities
against the Jews that they should OBJ
serve the same fashions and be par
takers of their sacrifices. And whose
would not conform themselves to the
manners of the Gentiles should be put
to death.
And that terror might seize upon
the hearts of the people who dared to
disobey, two women who had circum-
cised their babes after the law and
command of Moses, were taken and
having been openly led about the city
with their babes in their arms, they
were taken to the highest point on
the wall and cast upon the jagged
rocks in the abyss below. And 9TH
ers, that had run together in the
caves nearby to keep the Sabbath day
secretly, being discovered, were all
burned together, because they feared
to dishonor God and violate his holy
day.
And Eleazar, who had done much to
encourage the people to remain loyal
to Gods law, was not to escape, for
he was seized and made to open his
mouth into which swine flesh was
thrust with the command to eat for
his good health. But he, choosing
rather to die gloriously than to live,
stained with such abomination, spit It
forth.
Then did those who had charge OF
the wicked feast, and who had come
to know the old man and understand
his great influence with his people, be.
ing anxious to win him over to their
customs, that it might encourage 9th
ers to do likewise, took him one side
and said:
What profit If you should die. Let
us tell thee how thou canst save thy
self and still remain true to thy law
Bring thy own flesh such as is lawful
for thee to use, and make as though
thou didst eat of the meat Of the sac
rifice commanded by the king, but cal
that which thou myself hath provided
Then all will be we'll"
at becometh not my age in any wise
to dissemble," he declared with dig
nifty, for by so doing many persons
might think that EleaZar being four
score years old and ten, were gone
to a strange religion, and so they
through mine hypocrisy, and desire t
q live a little time, should be deceived
@ by me, and get stain to mine OLE
n age, and make 1t abominable. Fol
q though for the present time SHOULD
n be delivered from the punishment o
?. men; yet should I not escape the hanC
# of the Almighty, neither alive or dead
Wherefore now, manfully changing
y this life, / will show myself such al
p one as mine age requireth, and leavt
q a notable example to such as b.
o young, to die willingly and courage
,. ously for the honorable and hol!
n laws"
And having thus spoken to thos
e who would have saved him If h
.. would have but dissembled, they weyI
"a greatly inflamed against him ant
n dragged him off to the torment whicl
o was made as awful as possible, hi
# tongue being first cut out and then al
d his extremities cut on and last of al
q. he was cast upon red-hot pan. Ant
3 when he was about to give up tn
n ghost, he cried:
Ie TT is manifest unto the Lord, tina
y hath the holy knowledge, that where
as might have been delivered from
r. death, l now endure sore pain in m
a bOdy hut In soul | am well conten