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On the Glory of Martyrdom

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 21

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

21. But those by whom God has always been sought

‹ Section 20 Section 22 ›

or

known

,

have

never

lost

the

position

which

Christ

has

given

them

,

where

grace

is

found

,

where

in

the

verdant

fields

the

luxuriant

earth

clothes

itself

with

tender

grass

,

and

is

pastured

with

the

scent

of

flowers

;

where

the

groves

are

carried

up

to

the

lofty

hill

-

top

,

and

where

the

tree

clothes

with

a

thicker

foliage

whatever

spot

the

canopy

,

expanded

by

its

curving

branches

,

may

have

shaded

.

There

is

no

excess

of

cold

or

of

heat

,

nor

is

it

needed

that

in

autumn

the

fields

should

rest

,

or

,

again

in

the

young

spring

,

that

the

fruitful

earth

should

bring

forth

.

All

things

are

of

one

season

:

fruits

are

borne

of

a

continued

summer

,

since

there

neither

does

the

moon

serve

the

purpose

of

her

months

,

nor

does

the

sun

run

his

course

along

the

moments

of

the

hours

,

nor

does

the

banishment

of

the

light

make

way

for

night

.

A

joyous

repose

possesses

the

people

,

a

calm

home

shelters

them

,

where

a

gushing

fountain

in

the

midst

issues

from

the

bosom

of

a

broken

hollow

,

and

flows

in

sinuous

mazes

by

a

course

deep

-

sounding

,

at

intervals

to

be

divided

among

the

sources

of

rivers

springing

from

it

.

Here

there

is

the

great

praise

of

martyrs

,

here

is

the

noble

crown

of

the

victors

,

who

have

the

promise

of

greater

things

than

those

whose

rewards

are

more

abundant

.

And

that

either

their

body

is

thrown

to

wild

beasts

,

or

the

threatening

sword

is

not

feared

,

is

shown

as

the

reason

of

their

dignity

,

is

manifested

as

the

ground

of

their

election

.

Because

it

would

have

been

inconsistent

,

that

he

who

had

been

judged

equal

to

such

a

duty

,

should

be

kept

among

earthly

vices

and

corruptions

.