Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| What hope and reward remains for the righteous and for martyrs after the conflicts and sufferings of this present time.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
12. What hope and reward remains for the
righteous and for martyrs after the conflicts and sufferings of this
present time,
The Holy Spirit shows and predicts by Solomon,
saying: “And although in the sight of men they suffered
torments, yet their hope is full of immortality. And having been
troubled in a few things, they shall be in many happily ordered,
because God has tried them, and has found them worthy of Himself.
As gold in the furnace, He hath tried them; and as whole
burnt-offerings of sacrifice, He hath received them, and in its season
there will be respect of them. They will shine and run about as
sparks in a place set with reeds.3799
| 3799
In many editions this clause is wanting. | They shall judge the nations,
and have dominion over the peoples; and their Lord shall reign for
ever.”3800
In the
same also our vengeance is described, and the repentance of those who
persecute and molest us is announced. “Then,” saith
he, “shall the righteous stand in great constancy before such as
have afflicted them,
and who have taken away their labours; when they see it, they shall be
troubled with a horrible fear: and they shall marvel at the
suddenness of their unexpected salvation, saying among themselves,
repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, These are they whom we
had sometime in derision and as a proverb of reproach. We fools
counted their life madness, and their end to be without honour.
How are they numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among
the saints! Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and
the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun hath
not risen upon us. We have been wearied in the way of
unrighteousness and perdition, and have walked through hard deserts,
but have not known the way of the Lord. What hath pride profited
us, or what hath the boasting of riches brought to us? All these
things have passed away like a shadow.” Likewise in the
cxvth Psalm is shown the price and the reward of suffering:
“Precious,” it says, “in the sight of the Lord is the
death of His saints.”3801
In the cxxvth Psalm also is expressed the sadness of the
struggle, and the joy of the retribution: “They who
sow,” it says, “in tears, shall reap in joy. As they
walked, they walked and wept, casting their seeds; but as they come
again, they shall come in exultation, bearing their
sheaves.”3802
And
again, in the cxviiith Psalm: “Blessed are those that are
undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed
are they who search His testimonies, and seek Him out with their whole
heart.”3803
Moreover, the Lord in the Gospel, Himself the avenger of our
persecution and the rewarder of our suffering, says:
“Blessed are they who suffer persecution for righteousness’
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”3804
And again: “Blessed
shall ye be when men shall hate you, and shall separate you, and shall
expel you, and shall revile your name as evil, for the Son of
man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for,
behold, your reward is great in heaven.”3805
And once more:
“Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save
it.”3806
Nor do
the rewards of the divine promise attend those alone who are reproached
and slain; but if the passion itself be wanting to the faithful, while
their faith has remained sound and unconquered, and having forsaken and
contemned all his possessions, the Christian has shown that he is
following Christ, even he also is honoured by Christ among the martyrs,
as He Himself promises and says: “There is no man that
leaveth house, or land, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children,
for the kingdom of God’s sake, but shall receive seven times as
much in this present time, and in the world to come eternal
life.”3807
In the
Apocalypse also He says the same thing: “And I saw,”
saith he, “the souls of them that were slain for the name of
Jesus and the word of God.” And when he had placed those
who were slain in the first place, he added, saying: “And
whosoever had not worshipped the image of the beast, neither had
received his mark upon their forehead or in their hand;” all
these he joins together, as seen by him at one time in the same place,
and says, “And they lived and reigned with
Christ.”3808
He
says that all live and reign with Christ, not only who have been slain;
but even whosoever, standing in firmness of the faith and in the fear
of God, have not worshipped the image of the beast, and have not
consented to his deadly and sacrilegious edicts.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
