1618 verses about Faith

and knowing that it is a blessed thing to endure all kinds of hardships for virtue, would not, for the sake of religion, master his passion?

Whence it is, that even boys, imbued with the philosophy of religious reasoning, have conquered still more bitter tortures:

Put confidence in me, then, and you shall receive places of authority in my government, if you forsake your national ordinance,

But if aged men of the Hebrews have died in the cause of religion after enduring torture, more rightly should we younger men die, scorning your cruel tortures, which our aged instructor overcame.

Make the attempt, then, O tyrant; and if you put us to death for our religion, think not that you harm us by torturing us.

And the noble youth, extended upon this, became dislocated.

And with every member disjointed, he exclaimed in expostulation,

he answered, Not so powerful, O accursed ministers, is your wheel, as to stifle my reasoning; cut my limbs, and burn my flesh, and twist my joints.

And although the framework of his bones was now destroyed the high-minded and Abrahamic youth did not groan.

after they with the iron hands had violently dragged all the flesh from the neck to the chin, the panther-like beasts tore off the very skin of his head: but he, bearing with firmness this misery, said,

How sweet is every form of death for the religion of our fathers! and he said to the tyrant,

Thinkest you not, most cruel of all tyrants, that you are now tortured more than I, finding your overweening conception of tyranny conquered by our perseverance in behalf of our religion?

Now this one, having endured this praiseworthy death, the third was brought along, and exhorted by many to taste and save his life.

And when he had died, disfigured in his torments, the fifth leaped forward, and said,

With his breath thus confined, and his body strangled, he said,

He also being dead, the sixth, quite a youth, was brought out; and on the tyrant asking him whether he would eat and be delivered, he said,

for having been born and reared to the same end, we are bound to die also in behalf of the same cause.

And he, while tormented, said, O period good and holy, in which, for the sake of religion, we kindred have been called to the contest of pain, and have not been conquered.

For religious understanding, O tyrant, is unconquered.

Your fire is cold to us, your catapelts are painless, and your violence harmless.

When he, too, had undergone blessed martyrdom, and died in the caldron into which he had been thrown, the seventh, the youngest of all, came forward:

And he, after his mother had urged him on in the Hebrew tongue, (as we shall soon relate) says,

And they, rejoicing exceedingly at the promise of the youth, quickly let him go.

And he, running up to the pans, said,

But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion towards God.

Thus having prayed, he hurled himself into the pans; and so expired.

so that seven-towered right-reasoning of the young men, securing the harbour of religion, conquered the intermperance of passions.

Let us not be cowards in the manifestation of piety.

And another, Remember of what stock you⌃ are; and by the hand of our father Isaac endured to be slain for the sake of piety.

And one and all, looking on each other serene and confident, said, Let us sacrifice with all our heart our souls to God who gave them, and employ our bodies for the keeping of the law.

And yet, although nature and intercourse and virtuous morals increased their brotherly love those who were left endured to behold their kindred, who were ill-used for their religion, tortured even to death.

For just as hands and feet are moved sympathetically with the directions of the soul, so those holy youths agreed to death for religion’s sake, as through the immortal soul of religion.

But sympathy with her children did not turn away the mother of the young men, who had a spirit kindred with that of Abraham.

The mother, when two things were set before here, religion and the safety of her seven sons for a time, on the conditional promise of a tyrant,

But she inclined each one separately and all together to death for religion.

Although beholding the destruction of seven children, the noble mother, after one embrace, stripped off her feelings through faith in God.

so you, the guardian of the law, when surrounded on every side by the flood of passions, and straitened by violent storms which were the torments of they children, did bear up nobly against the storms against religion.

If, then, even a woman, and that an aged one, and the mother of seven children, endured to see her children’s torments even to death, confessedly religious reasoning is master even of the passions.

But as one possessed with an adamantine mind, and as one bringing forth again her full number of sons to immortality, she rather with supplication exhorted them to death in behalf of religion.

O woman, soldier of God for religion, you, aged and a female, have conquered through endurance even a tyrant; and though but weak, have been found more powerful in deeds and words.

For whom also our father Abraham was forward to sacrifice Isaac our progenitor, and shuddered not at the sight of his own paternal hand descending down with the sword upon him.

And the righteous Daniel was cast to the lions; and Ananias, and Azarias, and Misael, were slung out into a furnace of fire; yet they endured through God.

You, then, having the same faith towards God, be not troubled.

For it is unreasonable that they who know religion should not stand up against troubles.

With these arguments, the mother of seven, exhorting each of her sons, over-persuaded them from transgressing the commandment of God.

O you mother, who together with seven children did destroy the violence of the tyrant, and render void his wicked intentions, and exhibit the nobleness of faith!

Be of good cheer, therefore, O holy-minded mother! holding the firm substance of the hope of your steadfastness with God.

And, were it lawful for us to paint as on a tablet the religion of your story, the spectators would not shudder at beholding the mother of seven children enduring for the sake of religion various tortures even to death.

And reverence for God conquered, and crowned her own athletes.

The tyrant himself, and all their council, admired their endurance;

When those persons giving up their bodies to pains for the sake of religion, were not only admired by men, but were deemed worthy of a divine portion.

He used to read to you the slaying of Abel by Cain, and the offering up of Isaac, and the imprisonment of Joseph.

And he used to put you in mind of the scripture of Esaias, which says, Even if you pass through the fire, it shall not burn you.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.

For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.

Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’

The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him,

and saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”

The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel.

I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,

Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that hour.

He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”

While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

Behold, a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment;

for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.”

But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him.

As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!”

When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”

Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say.

Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.

Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”

Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

He didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

He said, “Bring them here to me.”

But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. see Job 9:8

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”

Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”

He said, “Come!” Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.

But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.

Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”

When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region, and brought to him all who were sick;