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On the Mortality

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 10

About this work

Written during epidemic, this pastoral work urges Christians not to fear death, interprets suffering through faith and hope, and calls the community to courage, charity, and readiness for God.

Author: Cyprian of Carthage
Date: c. AD 252
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Theological Treatise

10. Thus Job, after the loss of his wealth

‹ Section 9 Section 11 ›

,

after

the

death

of

his

children

,

grievously

afflicted

,

moreover

,

with

sores

and

worms

,

was

not

overcome

,

but

proved

;

since

in

his

very

struggles

and

anguish

,

showing

forth

the

patience

of

a

religious

mind

,

he

says

,

“

Naked

came

I

out

of

my

mother’s

womb

,

naked

also

I

shall

go

under

the

earth

:

the

Lord

gave

,

the

Lord

hath

taken

away

;

as

it

seemed

fit

to

the

Lord

,

so

it

hath

been

done

.

Blessed

be

the

name

of

the

Lord

.

”

And

when

his

wife

also

urged

him

,

in

his

impatience

at

the

acuteness

of

his

pain

,

to

speak

something

against

God

with

a

complaining

and

envious

voice

,

he

answered

and

said

,

“

Thou

speakest

as

one

of

the

foolish

women

.

If

we

have

received

good

from

the

hand

of

the

Lord

,

why

shall

we

not

suffer

evil

?

In

all

these

things

which

befell

him

,

Job

sinned

not

with

his

lips

in

the

sight

of

the

Lord

.

”

Therefore

the

Lord

God

gives

him

a

testimony

,

saying

,

“

Hast

thou

considered

my

servant

Job

?

for

there

is

none

like

him

in

all

the

earth

,

a

man

without

complaint

,

a

true

worshipper

of

God

.

”

And

Tobias

,

after

his

excellent

works

,

after

the

many

and

glorious

illustrations

of

his

merciful

spirit

,

having

suffered

the

loss

of

his

sight

,

fearing

and

blessing

God

in

his

adversity

,

by

his

very

bodily

affliction

increased

in

praise

;

and

even

him

also

his

wife

tried

to

pervert

,

saying

,

“

Where

are

thy

righteousnesses

?

Behold

what

thou

sufferest

!

”

But

he

,

stedfast

and

firm

in

respect

of

the

fear

of

God

,

and

armed

by

the

faith

of

his

religion

to

all

endurance

of

suffering

,

yielded

not

to

the

temptation

of

his

weak

wife

in

his

trouble

,

but

rather

deserved

better

from

God

by

his

greater

patience

;

and

afterwards

Raphael

the

angel

praises

him

,

saying

,

“

It

is

honourable

to

show

forth

and

to

confess

the

works

of

God

.

For

when

thou

didst

pray

,

and

Sara

thy

daughter

-

in

-

law

,

I

did

offer

the

remembrance

of

your

prayer

in

the

presence

of

the

glory

of

God

.

And

when

thou

didst

bury

the

dead

in

singleness

of

heart

,

and

because

thou

didst

not

delay

to

rise

up

and

leave

thy

dinner

,

and

wentest

and

didst

bury

the

dead

,

I

was

sent

to

make

proof

of

thee

.

And

God

again

hath

sent

me

to

heal

thee

and

Sara

thy

daughter

-

in

-

law

.

For

I

am

Raphael

,

one

of

the

seven

holy

angels

,

who

are

present

,

and

go

in

and

out

before

the

glory

of

God

.

”

Notes

20
Job i. 21. [“The Christian’s sorrow,” says Bishop Horne, “is better than the world’s joy.” John xvi. 33.]
21
Job ii. 10.
22
Job i. 8.
23
Tob. ii. 14.
24
Tob. xii. 11–15.