Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

On the Glory of Martyrdom

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 23

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

23. There is nothing, then, so great and

‹ Section 22 Section 24 ›

venerable

as

the

deliverance

from

death

,

and

the

causing

to

live

,

and

the

giving

to

reign

for

ever

.

This

is

fitting

for

the

saints

,

needful

for

the

wretched

,

pleasing

to

all

,

in

which

the

good

rejoice

,

the

abject

are

lifted

up

,

the

elect

are

crowned

.

Assuredly

God

,

who

cares

for

all

,

gave

to

life

a

certain

medicine

as

it

were

in

martyrdom

,

when

to

some

He

assigned

it

on

account

of

their

deserving

,

to

others

He

gave

it

on

account

of

His

mercy

.

We

have

assuredly

seen

very

many

distinguished

by

their

faith

,

come

to

claim

this

illustrious

name

,

that

death

might

ennoble

the

obedience

of

their

devotion

.

Moreover

,

also

,

we

have

frequently

beheld

others

stand

undismayed

,

that

they

might

redeem

their

sins

committed

,

and

be

regarded

as

washed

in

their

gore

by

His

blood

;

and

so

being

slain

they

might

live

again

,

who

when

alive

were

counted

slain

.

Death

assuredly

makes

life

more

complete

,

death

finds

the

glory

that

was

lost

.

For

in

this

the

hope

once

lost

is

regained

,

in

this

all

salvation

is

restored

.

Thus

,

when

the

seed

-

times

shall

fail

on

the

withering

plains

,

and

the

earth

shall

be

parched

with

its

dying

grass

,

the

river

has

delighted

to

spring

forth

from

the

sloping

hills

,

and

to

soothe

the

thirsty

fields

with

its

gushing

streams

,

so

that

the

vanquished

poverty

of

the

land

might

be

dissolved

into

fruitful

wheat

-

stems

,

and

the

corn

-

field

might

bristle

up

the

thicker

for

the

counterfeited

showers

of

rain

.