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Exhortation to Martyrdom

Cyprian of Carthage

Part 9 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

In the book of Chronicles: “The Lord is with you

‹ Section 7 Section 8 ›

so

long

as

ye

also

are

with

Him

;

but

if

ye

forsake

Him

,

He

will

forsake

you

.

”

In

Ezekiel

also

:

“

The

righteousness

of

the

righteous

shall

not

deliver

him

in

what

day

soever

he

may

transgress

.

”

Moreover

,

in

the

Gospel

the

Lord

speaks

,

and

says

:

“

He

that

shall

endure

to

the

end

,

the

same

shall

be

saved

.

”

And

again

:

“

If

ye

shall

abide

in

my

word

,

ye

shall

be

my

disciples

indeed

;

and

ye

shall

know

the

truth

,

and

the

truth

shall

make

you

free

.

”

Moreover

,

forewarning

us

that

we

ought

always

to

be

ready

,

and

to

stand

firmly

equipped

and

armed

,

He

adds

,

and

says

:

“

Let

your

loins

be

girded

about

,

and

your

lamps

burning

,

and

ye

yourselves

like

unto

men

that

wait

for

their

lord

when

he

shall

return

from

the

wedding

,

that

when

he

cometh

and

knocketh

they

may

open

unto

him

.

Blessed

are

those

servants

whom

their

lord

,

when

he

cometh

,

shall

find

watching

.

”

Also

the

blessed

Apostle

Paul

,

that

our

faith

may

advance

and

grow

,

and

attain

to

the

highest

point

,

exhorts

us

,

saying

:

“

Know

ye

not

,

that

they

which

run

in

a

race

run

all

indeed

,

yet

one

receiveth

the

prize

?

So

run

,

that

ye

may

obtain

.

And

they

,

indeed

,

that

they

may

receive

a

corruptible

crown

;

but

ye

an

incorruptible

.

”

And

again

:

“

No

man

that

warreth

for

God

binds

himself

to

anxieties

of

this

world

,

that

he

may

be

able

to

please

Him

to

whom

he

hath

approved

himself

.

Moreover

,

also

,

if

a

man

should

contend

,

he

will

not

be

crowned

unless

he

have

fought

lawfully

.

”

And

again

:

“

Now

I

beseech

you

,

brethren

,

by

the

mercy

of

God

,

that

ye

constitute

your

bodies

a

living

sacrifice

,

holy

,

acceptable

unto

God

;

and

be

not

conformed

to

this

world

,

but

be

ye

transformed

in

the

renewing

of

your

spirit

,

that

ye

may

prove

what

is

the

will

of

God

,

good

,

and

acceptable

,

and

perfect

.

”

And

again

:

“

We

are

children

of

God

:

but

if

children

,

then

heirs

;

heirs

indeed

of

God

,

but

joint

-

heirs

with

Christ

,

if

we

suffer

together

,

that

we

may

also

be

glorified

together

.

”

And

in

the

Apocalypse

the

same

exhortation

of

divine

preaching

speaks

,

saying

,

“

Hold

fast

that

which

thou

hast

,

lest

another

take

thy

crown

;

”

which

example

of

perseverance

and

persistence

is

pointed

out

in

Exodus

,

when

Moses

,

for

the

overthrow

of

Amalek

,

who

bore

the

type

of

the

devil

,

raised

up

his

open

hands

in

the

sign

and

sacrament

of

the

cross

,

and

could

not

conquer

his

adversary

unless

when

he

had

stedfastly

persevered

in

the

sign

with

hands

continually

lifted

up

.

“

And

it

came

to

pass

,

”

says

he

,

“

when

Moses

raised

up

his

hands

,

Israel

prevailed

;

but

when

he

let

down

his

hands

,

Amalek

grew

mighty

.

And

they

took

a

stone

and

placed

it

under

him

,

and

he

sate

thereon

.

And

Aaron

and

Hur

held

up

his

hands

on

the

one

side

and

on

the

other

side

,

and

Moses

’

hands

were

made

steady

even

to

the

going

down

of

the

sun

.

And

Jesus

routed

Amalek

and

all

his

people

.

And

the

Lord

said

unto

Moses

,

Write

this

,

and

let

it

be

a

memorial

in

a

book

,

and

tell

it

in

the

ears

of

Jesus

;

because

in

destroying

I

will

destroy

the

remembrance

of

Amalek

from

under

heaven

.

”

Notes

1
2 Chron. xv. 2.
2
Ezek. xxxiii. 12.
3
Matt. x. 22.
4
John viii. 31, 32.
5
Luke xii. 35–37.
6
Oxford edition: “For every one that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.”
7
1 Cor. ix. 24, 25.
8
2 Tim. ii. 4, 5.
9
Rom. xii. 1, 2.
10
Rom. viii. 16, 17.
11
Rev. iii. 11.
12
[Vol. i., Justin, pp. 242, 244; Barnabas, ibid., pp. 144, 145.]
13
Ex. xvii. 11–14.