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Exhortation to Martyrdom

Cyprian of Carthage

Part 8 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

In Exodus the Jewish people, prefigured as a shadow and image

‹ Section 6 Section 7 ›

of

us

,

when

,

with

God

for

their

guardian

and

avenger

,

they

had

escaped

the

most

severe

slavery

of

Pharaoh

and

of

Egypt

—

that

is

,

of

the

devil

and

the

world

—

faithless

and

ungrateful

in

respect

of

God

,

murmur

against

Moses

,

looking

back

to

the

discomforts

of

the

desert

and

of

their

labour

;

and

,

not

understanding

the

divine

benefits

of

liberty

and

salvation

,

they

seek

to

return

to

the

slavery

of

Egypt

—

that

is

,

of

the

world

whence

they

had

been

drawn

forth

—

when

they

ought

rather

to

have

trusted

and

believed

on

God

,

since

He

who

delivers

His

people

from

the

devil

and

the

world

,

protects

them

also

when

delivered

.

“

Wherefore

hast

thou

thus

done

with

us

,

”

say

they

,

“

in

casting

us

forth

out

of

Egypt

?

It

is

better

for

us

to

serve

the

Egyptians

than

to

die

in

this

wilderness

.

And

Moses

said

unto

the

people

,

Trust

,

and

stand

fast

,

and

see

the

salvation

which

is

from

the

Lord

,

which

He

shall

do

to

you

to

-

day

.

The

Lord

Himself

shall

fight

for

you

,

and

ye

shall

hold

your

peace

.

”

The

Lord

,

admonishing

us

of

this

in

His

Gospel

,

and

teaching

that

we

should

not

return

again

to

the

devil

and

to

the

world

,

which

we

have

renounced

,

and

whence

we

have

escaped

,

says

:

“

No

man

looking

back

,

and

putting

his

hand

to

the

plough

,

is

fit

for

the

kingdom

of

God

.

”

And

again

:

“

And

let

him

that

is

in

the

field

not

return

back

.

Remember

Lot’s

wife

.

”

And

lest

any

one

should

be

retarded

by

any

covetousness

of

wealth

or

attraction

of

his

own

people

from

following

Christ

,

He

adds

,

and

says

:

“

He

that

forsaketh

not

all

that

he

hath

,

cannot

be

my

disciple

.

”

Notes

2
Ex. xiv. 11–14.
3
Luke ix. 62.
4
Luke xvii. 31, 32.
5
Luke xiv. 33.