4 Maccabees 1:28-30

Common English Bible

²⁸ Just as pleasure and pain are two plants growing from the body and the soul, so there are many branches shooting off from each of these plants. ²⁹ But clear thinking, like an expert gardener, pulls out the weeds, trims, supports, waters, and cares for the plants in every way. So it tames the jungle of habits and emotions. ³⁰ Clear thinking is the guide of moral character, but it has full power over the emotions.

clear thinking and the Law

Consider first the way in which clear thinking shows that it is supreme over the emotions through the exercise of self-control.