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Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 10

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

10. Let the faithful Christian, I say, devote himself

‹ Section 9

to

the

sacred

Scriptures

,

and

there

he

shall

find

worthy

exhibitions

for

his

faith

.

He

will

see

God

establishing

His

world

,

and

making

not

only

the

other

animals

,

but

that

marvellous

and

better

fabric

of

man

.

He

will

gaze

upon

the

world

in

its

delightfulness

,

righteous

shipwrecks

,

the

rewards

of

the

good

,

and

the

punishments

of

the

impious

,

seas

drained

dry

by

a

people

,

and

again

from

the

rock

seas

spread

out

by

a

people

.

He

will

behold

harvests

descending

from

heaven

,

not

pressed

in

by

the

plough

;

rivers

with

their

hosts

of

waters

bridled

in

,

exhibiting

dry

crossings

.

He

will

behold

in

some

cases

faith

struggling

with

the

flame

,

wild

beasts

overcome

by

devotion

and

soothed

into

gentleness

.

He

will

look

also

upon

souls

brought

back

even

from

death

.

Moreover

,

he

will

consider

the

marvellous

souls

brought

back

to

the

life

of

bodies

which

themselves

were

already

consumed

.

And

in

all

these

things

he

will

see

a

still

greater

exhibition

—

that

devil

who

had

triumphed

over

the

whole

world

lying

prostrate

under

the

feet

of

Christ

.

How

honourable

is

this

exhibition

,

brethren

!

how

delightful

,

how

needful

ever

to

gaze

upon

one’s

hope

,

and

to

open

our

eyes

to

one’s

salvation

!

This

is

a

spectacle

which

is

beheld

even

when

sight

is

lost

.

This

is

an

exhibition

which

is

given

by

neither

prætor

nor

consul

,

but

by

Him

who

is

alone

and

above

all

things

,

and

before

all

things

,

yea

,

and

of

whom

are

all

things

,

the

Father

of

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

to

whom

be

glory

and

honour

for

ever

and

ever

.

I

bid

you

,

brethren

,

ever

heartily

farewell

.

Amen

.

Notes

18
[Always the sacred Scriptures are held up as capable of yielding delight as well as profit to the believer. The works of God and His word go together. Col. iii. 16.]
19
[There is much in the above treatise which is not unworthy of Cyprian. As to questions of authenticity, however, experts alone should venture upon an opinion. Non nobis tantas componere lites.]