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An Address to Demetrianus

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 20

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

20. There flourishes with us the strength of hope and the

‹ Section 19 Section 21 ›

firmness

of

faith

.

Among

these

very

ruins

of

a

decaying

world

our

soul

is

lifted

up

,

and

our

courage

unshaken

:

our

patience

is

never

anything

but

joyous

;

and

the

mind

is

always

secure

of

its

God

,

even

as

the

Holy

Spirit

speaks

through

the

prophet

,

and

exhorts

us

,

strengthening

with

a

heavenly

word

the

firmness

of

our

hope

and

faith

.

“

The

fig

-

tree

,

”

says

He

,

“

shall

not

bear

fruit

,

and

there

shall

be

no

blossom

in

the

vines

.

The

labour

of

the

olive

shall

fail

,

and

the

fields

shall

yield

no

meat

.

The

flock

shall

be

cut

off

from

the

fold

,

and

there

shall

be

no

herd

in

the

stalls

.

But

I

will

rejoice

in

the

Lord

,

and

I

will

joy

in

the

God

of

my

salvation

.

”

He

says

that

the

man

of

God

and

the

worshipper

of

God

,

depending

on

the

truth

of

his

hope

,

and

founded

on

the

stedfastness

of

his

faith

,

is

not

moved

by

the

attacks

of

this

world

and

this

life

.

Although

the

vine

should

fail

,

and

the

olive

deceive

,

and

the

field

parched

with

grass

dying

with

drought

should

wither

,

what

is

this

to

Christians

?

what

to

God’s

servants

whom

paradise

is

inviting

,

whom

all

the

grace

and

all

the

abundance

of

the

kingdom

of

heaven

is

waiting

for

?

They

always

exult

in

the

Lord

,

and

rejoice

and

are

glad

in

their

God

;

and

the

evils

and

adversities

of

the

world

they

bravely

suffer

,

because

they

are

looking

forward

to

gifts

and

prosperities

to

come

:

for

we

who

have

put

off

our

earthly

birth

,

and

are

now

created

and

regenerated

by

the

Spirit

,

and

no

longer

live

to

the

world

but

to

God

,

shall

not

receive

God’s

gifts

and

promises

until

we

arrive

at

the

presence

of

God

.

And

yet

we

always

ask

for

the

repulse

of

enemies

,

and

for

obtaining

showers

,

and

either

for

the

removal

or

the

moderating

of

adversity

;

and

we

pour

forth

our

prayers

,

and

,

propitiating

and

appeasing

God

,

we

entreat

constantly

and

urgently

,

day

and

night

,

for

your

peace

and

salvation

.

Notes

33
Hab. iii. 17.