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On the Glory of Martyrdom

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 18

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

18. For Abraham also thus pleased God, in that

‹ Section 17 Section 19 ›

he

,

when

tried

by

God

,

spared

not

even

his

own

son

,

in

behalf

of

whom

perhaps

he

might

have

been

pardoned

had

he

hesitated

to

slay

him

.

A

religious

devotion

armed

his

hands

;

and

his

paternal

love

,

at

the

command

of

the

Lord

who

bade

it

,

set

aside

all

the

feelings

of

affection

.

Neither

did

it

shock

him

that

he

was

to

shed

the

blood

of

his

son

,

nor

did

he

tremble

at

the

word

;

nevertheless

for

him

Christ

had

not

yet

been

slain

.

For

what

is

dearer

than

He

who

,

that

you

might

not

sustain

anything

unwillingly

in

the

present

day

,

first

of

all

Himself

suffered

that

which

He

taught

others

to

suffer

?

What

is

sweeter

than

He

who

,

although

He

is

our

God

and

Lord

,

nevertheless

makes

the

man

who

suffers

for

His

sake

His

fellow

-

heir

in

the

kingdom

of

heaven

?

Oh

grand

—

I

know

not

what

!

—

whether

that

reason

scarcely

bears

to

receive

that

consciousness

,

although

it

always

marvels

at

the

greatness

of

the

rewards

;

or

that

the

majesty

of

God

is

so

abundant

,

that

to

all

who

trust

in

it

,

it

even

offers

those

things

which

,

while

we

were

considering

what

we

have

done

,

it

had

been

sin

to

desire

.

Moreover

,

if

only

eternal

salvation

should

be

given

,

for

that

very

perpetuity

of

living

we

should

be

thankful

.

But

now

,

when

heaven

and

the

power

of

judging

concerning

others

is

bestowed

in

the

eternal

world

,

what

is

there

wherein

man’s

mediocrity

may

not

find

itself

equal

to

all

these

trials

?

If

you

are

assailed

with

injuries

,

He

was

first

so

assailed

.

If

you

are

oppressed

with

reproaches

,

you

are

imitating

the

experience

of

God

.

Whence

also

it

is

but

a

little

matter

whatever

you

undergo

for

Him

,

seeing

that

you

can

do

nothing

more

,

unless

that

in

this

consists

the

whole

of

salvation

,

that

He

has

promised

the

whole

to

martyrdom

.

Finally

,

the

apostle

,

to

whom

all

things

were

always

dear

,

while

he

deeply

marvelled

at

the

greatness

of

the

promised

benefits

,

said

,

“

I

reckon

that

the

sufferings

of

this

present

time

are

not

worthy

to

be

compared

to

the

glory

that

is

to

follow

,

which

shall

be

revealed

in

us

.

”

Because

he

was

musing

in

his

own

mind

how

great

would

be

the

reward

,

that

to

him

to

whom

it

would

be

enough

to

be

free

from

death

,

should

be

given

not

only

the

prerogative

of

salvation

,

but

also

to

ascend

to

heaven

:

to

heaven

which

is

not

constrained

into

darkness

,

even

when

light

is

expelled

from

it

,

and

the

day

does

not

unfold

into

light

by

alternate

changes

;

but

the

serene

temperature

of

the

liquid

air

unfolds

a

pure

brightness

through

a

clearness

that

reddens

with

a

fiery

glow

.

Notes

22
Rom. viii. 18.