300 Meditation on heaven prepares the mind for Martyrdom.
TREAT. with Christ. He saith that all live and reign with Christ, not only who were slain, but whosoever standing fast in the firmness of their faith, and in the fear of God, worshipped not the image of the beast, and consented not in his deadly and sacrilegious edicts.
The blessed Apostle Paul, who being by the divine good pleasure carried up into the third heaven and into Paradise, bears witness that he heard unspeakable words; who glories that he saw Jesus Christ by a faith not without sight; who delivers that which he both learnt and saw, in a more Rom. 8, entire truth of assurance, says, The sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory which shall be revealed in us. Who then does not labour with all his strength to attain to so great glory, that he may be made the friend of God, and presently be in joy with Christ? that after penalties and torments on earth, he may reap divine rewards? If to the soldiers of this world it is a glorious thing, when they have conquered the enemy, to return triumphant into their country; how far better and greater is the glory, having conquered the Devil to return triumphant into Paradise, and wherefrom Adam was cast out for sin, thither with the overthrow of his subduer, to carry in the trophies of victory? to offer to God the gift He most accepts, faith uncorrupt, virtue of spirit unfailing, praise of devotion full of honour? to be His companion, when He enters upon His way to take vengeance of His enemies? to stand beside Him, when He sits in judgment? to be made coheir of Christ? to be equal to Angles? with Patriarchs, with Apostles, with Prophets, to rejoice in the possession of the heavenly kingdom? These thoughts what persecutions can conquer, what torments can subdue them? The mind that is grounded in religious meditations abides in strength and stedfastness; against all terrors of the Devil and threats of the world, that spirit abides unshaken, which has its strength from a sure and solid faith in the things to come. In persecutions, earth is shut, but heaven opens; Anti-Christ threatens, but Christ protects; death enters, but immortality ensues; in our destruction the world is taken from us, in our restoration Paradise is awarded; the life of time is quenched, the life of eternity accomplished. What dignity and what
Blessedness of the moment of Martyrdom.
safety is it, to go forth hence in joy; among afflictions and straits to go forth with glory! In a moment to close the eyes which had been looking upon men and earth, and to open them at once, where God and Christ are seen! How fleet the transit into joy! Suddenly snatched from earth, to be placed in the realms of heaven! These things we ought to embrace in our mind and thoughts; on these to meditate day and night. If the soldier of God be thus found, when persecution meets him, his valour, prompt to battle, will not be able to be conquered. Or if his summons call him sooner away, a faith that had become ready for Martyrdom will not be without reward. Without the penalty of delay the reward sine will be rendered by God the Judge; in persecution the tempocrown is with the warrior, and in peace with the true of ris. heart.
ADULATION, iii. (3) 115. Afflictions, the trial of the good, iii. (iii) 6, 15. follow upon sin, 47. bless- ing to Christians, viii. 11. misery to the heathen, 12.
Christians consoled under, ix. 1. Alms, wash out sins done after Bap- tism, x. 1. preferred to prayer and fasting, x. 4. scriptural instances, x. 3-6, 14. blessedness of, x. 12, 21. no robbery of our own family, 14. done to Christians done to Christ, 21. Amalek, a type of the Devil, xiii. 8. Angels, cause of their fall, xi. 12. note. Anger, to be subdued, iii. (iii) 8. Antichrist, iii. (iii) 118. viii. 2. xiii. pref. figured in Antiochus, xiii. 11. Arian doctrine that Our Lord had a
beginning of existence, iii. (ii) 1, note. Ark, the; a type of the Church, v. 5. Athanasius fled his see in the Arian
persecution, vi. 7, note. Auguries and auspices, devices of the wicked spirits, ii. 3. Augustine, his opinion of Cyprian's Testimonies, i. pref. quotes Cyprian, vii. 1.
Backbiting forbidden, iii. (ii) 110. Baptism; effects how great, i. 2. a second birth, 3. life-giving water, ib. beginning of spiritual life, 4. suc- ceeded to circumcision, iii. (i) 8. old succeeded by new, iii. (i) 12. alone can wash the guilt of Christ's blood from the Jews, iii. (iii)24. neces- sary to salvation, iii. (ii) 25. grace of, forfeited by sin, 27. cleanses from all impurity of sin, iii. (iii) 65. iv. 2. life-giving laver, ibid. abrenunciation of sin in, 6. sanctification of the divine Laver, 14. sanctification, vii.7. Christians die to sin in, xii. 8.
Administered only by order from a Bishop, xiii. pref. and note.
Bishops, duty of rising up before, iii. (iii) 85. ordained Bishops only to rule in the Church, v. 9. engaged in secular employments, vi. 4. chief objects of persecution, 7, note. justi- fiable in saving themselves by flight,
Carthage, Council of, xiii. pref. Catechumens must sin no more, iii. (iii) 98.
Charity, consists in will, not in alms, iii. (iii) 2. greater than good works and martyrdom, xi. 9.
Charity of the early Church, vi. 21. Christ; the Sermo, or Word, ii. 6. iii. (ii) 3. et passim. the Holy Spirit, ii. 6, note. the Mediator, ii. 6. iii. (ii) 10. came first to the Jews, ii. 7. the Prophet like unto Moses, iii. (i) 18. the first-born, iii. (ii) 1. the Wis- dom of God, ibid. the hand and arm of God, iii. (ii) 4. the Angel who is God, iii. (ii) 5. God, iii. (ii) 6. Son of God from the beginning, iii. (ii) 8. begotten anew according to the flesh, ibid. Man and God, iii. (ii) 9, 10. born of a Virgin, ibid. of the seed of David, iii. (ii) 11. in Bethlehem, 12. came in low estate, 13. the Just One, 14. a Sheep and Lamb who was to be killed, 15. a Stone, 16. the Mountain to which the Gentiles should ascend, 18. the Bridegroom of the Church, 19. was not to remain in hell, 24. should rise on the third day, 25. and should receive all power from the Father, 26. the only way to God, 27. iii. (i) 21. the Judge, iii. (ii) 28, 30. shall reign King for ever, 29, 30. our example of life, 39. the way to eternal life, viii. 15. in all things an example to Christians, xi. 4. our Judge and Avenger, xi. 16. to be worshipped, ibid. the only object of Christian worship, xiii. 2.
Christ's coming foretold, iii. (ii) 7. and His crucifixion by the Jews, 20. Christians; must renounce the world, iii. (iii) 11. not to swear, 12. not to murmur, 14. not to judge one an- other, 21. not to return evil, 22. hated of the world, 29. must not live a Gentile life, 34. women not to dress fine, 36. should not incur punishment for other offences besides his name, 36, 38. must not go before Gentile Judges, 44. women not to speak in the Church, 46. to love their ene- mies, 49. not to seek after much food, 60. nor gain, 61. not to marry Gentiles, 62. masters should take care of their households, 75. must be simple as well as prudent, 80. not to keep company with the wicked, 95. to visit the sick, 109. to protect the widow and orphan, 113. the salt of the earth, v. 1. voluntary poverty recommended to, vi. 8. their duty under persecution, vi. 18. viii. 9. have renounced the world, vii. 14. ix. 20. rejoice in dying, ix. 3. ex- horted to patience under suffering, 5, 6. not to sorrow for the dead, 15. exhorted to patience under provoca- tion, xi. 1, 2. must not be angry, or return evil for evil, xi. 10. Christ's sheep, xii. 7. die to sin in Baptism, xii. 8. to esteem nothing before Christ, xiii. 6. must not return to the world, 7. to press on in faith and virtue, xiii. 8.
Christianity, the only safe refuge from the misery of life, i. 13.
Church, the, our mother, and Spouse of Christ, v. 5.
Corruption of from long peace,
vi. 4. Circumcision, made way for Baptism, iii. (i) 8.
Communion, daily, when observed, and when discontinued, vii. 13, note. of- ferings at, made in kind, x. 12, note. allowed to infants, vi. 16. Confession, to be made, iii. (iii) 114. vi. 19. public in churches, vi. 11. Confessors, 16. vi. 2. xiii. 10. in the Old Test. xiii. 11.
Confessorship, a call for higher obe- dience, v. 17.
Cross, virtue in passion, and sign of, iii. (2) 21.
Sacrament of the, xii. 9. Crucifixion foretold, iii. (ii) 20.
Darkness of, 23.
Cursing and swearing forbidden, iii. (iii) 12, 13.
Cyprian, his account of his state before Baptism, i. 2. a rhetorician before
his conversion, 7, note. fled from his see in the Decian persecution, vi. 7, note.
Death, matter of joy, not sorrow, iii. (iii) 58. ix. 16, 17. Defection, how far excusable under Detraction forbidden, iii. (iii) 107. torture, vi. 10. Devil, the; has no power but by God's permission, iii. (iii) 80. vii. 17.
Our combat against, iii. (iii) 117. xii. 1.
Discipline, to be observed, iii. (iii) 66. those who despise to be shunned, 68. benefits of, iv. 1. Dispensation, the new, prophecies of, iii. (i) 11.
Divination forbidden, iii. (iii) 82. Divorce, iii. (iii) 90.
Donatus, friend and neighbour of Cy- prian, with him in the country in the autumn of 246, i. 1.
Dress, of the women should be plain,
Of virgins, directions for, iv. 6, 7. fine ascribed to the reprobate, 8. arts of, taught by the apostate angels, 9. Duty, of parents, iii. (iii) 71. of chil- dren, 70. of slaves, 72. of masters, 73. of young to old, 76. of wives, 90.
Empires, succession of the great, ii. 3. Envy, evils of, xii. 4. Scripture in- stances, xii. 3.
Episcopacy, Catholic and Romish sys- tems of, contrasted, v. note. Eucharist, to be received with fear, iii. (iii) 94. allowed to infants, vi. 16. taken home from church, 17. our daily bread, vii. 13. offerings in kind at, x. 12. and note. Exorcism, ii. 4. viii. 8.
Fabian, Bishop of Rome, martyred in the Decian persecution, vi. 7, note. Faith, our only power, iii. (iii) 42, 43. The, not to be sold to the un- worthy, iii. (iii) 50.
Is of free choice, iii. (iii) 52. Fear, a ground of hope, iii. (ii) 20.
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