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On the Glory of Martyrdom

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 14

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

14. And, to pass over everything else, we

‹ Section 13 Section 15 ›

ought

to

remember

what

a

glory

it

is

to

come

immaculate

to

Christ

—

to

be

a

sharer

in

His

suffering

,

and

to

reign

in

a

perpetual

eternity

with

the

Lord

—

to

be

free

from

the

threatening

destruction

of

the

world

,

and

not

to

be

mixed

up

with

the

bloody

carnage

of

wasting

diseases

in

a

common

lot

with

others

;

and

,

not

to

speak

of

the

crown

itself

,

if

,

being

situated

in

the

midst

of

these

critical

evils

of

nature

,

you

had

the

promise

of

an

escape

from

this

life

,

would

you

not

rejoice

with

all

your

heart

?

If

,

I

say

,

while

tossing

amid

the

tempests

of

this

world

,

a

near

repose

should

invite

you

,

would

you

not

consider

death

in

the

light

of

a

remedy

?

Thus

,

surrounded

as

you

are

with

the

knives

of

the

executioners

,

and

the

instruments

of

testing

tortures

,

stand

sublime

and

strong

,

considering

how

great

is

the

penalty

of

denying

,

in

a

time

when

you

are

unable

to

enjoy

,

the

world

for

the

sake

of

which

you

would

deny

,

because

indeed

the

Lord

knew

that

cruel

torments

and

mischievous

acts

of

punishment

would

be

armed

against

us

for

our

destruction

,

in

order

that

He

might

make

us

strong

to

endure

them

all

.

“

My

son

,

”

says

He

,

“

if

thou

come

to

serve

God

,

stand

fast

in

righteousness

,

and

fear

,

and

prepare

thy

soul

for

temptation

.

”

Moreover

,

also

,

the

blessed

Apostle

Paul

exclaimed

,

and

said

,

“

To

me

to

live

is

Christ

,

and

to

die

is

gain

.

”

Notes

13
Ecclus. ii. 1.
14
Phil. i. 21.