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Exhortation to Martyrdom

Cyprian of Carthage

Part 14 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

The blessed Apostle Paul proves; who by the divine condescension,

‹ Section 12 Section 13 ›

being

caught

up

into

the

third

heaven

and

into

paradise

,

testifies

that

he

heard

unspeakable

words

,

who

boasts

that

he

saw

Jesus

Christ

by

the

faith

of

sight

,

who

professes

that

which

he

both

learnt

and

saw

with

the

greater

truth

of

consciousness

,

and

says

:

“

The

sufferings

of

this

present

time

are

not

worthy

to

be

compared

with

the

coming

glory

which

shall

be

revealed

in

us

.

”

Who

,

then

,

does

not

with

all

his

powers

labour

to

attain

to

such

a

glory

that

he

may

become

the

friend

of

God

,

that

he

may

at

once

rejoice

with

Christ

,

that

after

earthly

tortures

and

punishments

he

may

receive

divine

rewards

?

If

to

soldiers

of

this

world

it

is

glorious

to

return

in

triumph

to

their

country

when

the

foe

is

vanquished

,

how

much

more

excellent

and

greater

is

the

glory

,

when

the

devil

is

overcome

,

to

return

in

triumph

to

paradise

,

and

to

bring

back

victorious

trophies

to

that

place

whence

Adam

was

ejected

as

a

sinner

,

after

casting

down

him

who

formerly

had

cast

him

down

;

to

offer

to

God

the

most

acceptable

gift

—

an

uncorrupted

faith

,

and

an

unyielding

virtue

of

mind

,

an

illustrious

praise

of

devotion

;

to

accompany

Him

when

He

shall

come

to

receive

vengeance

from

His

enemies

,

to

stand

at

His

side

when

He

shall

sit

to

judge

,

to

become

co

-

heir

of

Christ

,

to

be

made

equal

to

the

angels

;

with

the

patriarchs

,

with

the

apostles

,

with

the

prophets

,

to

rejoice

in

the

possession

of

the

heavenly

kingdom

!

Such

thoughts

as

these

,

what

persecution

can

conquer

,

what

tortures

can

overcome

?

The

brave

and

stedfast

mind

,

founded

in

religious

meditations

,

endures

;

and

the

spirit

abides

unmoved

against

all

the

terrors

of

the

devil

and

the

threats

of

the

world

,

when

it

is

strengthened

by

the

sure

and

solid

faith

of

things

to

come

.

In

persecutions

,

earth

is

shut

up

,

but

heaven

is

opened

;

Antichrist

is

threatening

,

but

Christ

is

protecting

;

death

is

brought

in

,

but

immortality

follows

;

the

world

is

taken

away

from

him

that

is

slain

,

but

paradise

is

set

forth

to

him

restored

;

the

life

of

time

is

extinguished

,

but

the

life

of

eternity

is

realized

.

What

a

dignity

it

is

,

and

what

a

security

,

to

go

gladly

from

hence

,

to

depart

gloriously

in

the

midst

of

afflictions

and

tribulations

;

in

a

moment

to

close

the

eyes

with

which

men

and

the

world

are

looked

upon

,

and

at

once

to

open

them

to

look

upon

God

and

Christ

!

Of

such

a

blessed

departure

how

great

is

the

swiftness

!

You

shall

be

suddenly

taken

away

from

earth

,

to

be

placed

in

the

heavenly

kingdoms

.

It

behoves

us

to

embrace

these

things

in

our

mind

and

consideration

,

to

meditate

on

these

things

day

and

night

.

If

persecution

should

fall

upon

such

a

soldier

of

God

,

his

virtue

,

prompt

for

battle

,

will

not

be

able

to

be

overcome

.

Or

if

his

call

should

come

to

him

before

,

his

faith

shall

not

be

without

reward

,

seeing

it

was

prepared

for

martyrdom

;

without

loss

of

time

,

the

reward

is

rendered

by

the

judgment

of

God

.

In

persecution

,

the

warfare

,

—

in

peace

,

the

purity

of

conscience

,

is

crowned

.

Notes

1
Rom. viii. 18.
2
“The eyes of the earth are closed” is the reading of other editions.
3
[It is hard for us to retain the fact that for three hundred years to be a Christian was to be a martyr, at least in spirit and in daily liability. 1 Cor. xv. 31; 1 Pet. iv. 12.]