AN EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM. 65
sistsratherin thatwar itself; and that by that conflictthe
righteousattainto the reward of thedivineabode and eternal
salvation,— lays down in the twenty-sixthPsalm, and says:
" Though an host should be arrayed againstme, my heart
shallnot fear; though war shouldriseup againstme, in that
willI put my hope. One hope have I soughtof the Lord,
thiswillI require; that I may dwell in the house of the
Lord allthe days of my life."1 Also in Exodus, the holy
Scripturedeclaresthatwe are rathermultipliedand increased
by afflictions,saying: "And the more they afflictedthem,
so much themore theybecame greater,and waxed stronger."2
And in the Apocalypse,divineprotectionispromisedto our
sufferings." Fear nothingof thesethings,"itsays," which
thou shaltsuffer."*Nor does any one elsepromise to us
securityand protection,than He who alsospeaks by Isaiah
the prophet,saying: " Fear not; for I have redeemed thee,
and calledthee by thy name : thou artmine. And if thou
passestthrough thewater,I am with thee,and theriversshall
not overflowthee. And if thou passestthrough the fire,
thou shaltnothe burned,and * the flameshallnotburn thee;
for I,the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel,am He
who maketh thee safe."5 Who alsopromisesin the Gospel
that divinehelp shallnot be wanting to God's servantsin
persecutions,saying: " But when they shalldeliveryou up,
take no thought how or what ye shallspeak. For it shall
be givenyou in thathour what ye shallspeak. For itisnot
ye who speak,hut the Spiritof your Father who speakethin
you."• And again: " Settleitin your heartsnot to medi
tatebeforehow to answer. For I willgiveyou a mouth and
wisdom, which your adversariesshallnot be ableto resist."7
As in Exodus God speaks to Moses when he delayed and
trembled to go to the people,saying: " Who hath given a
mouth to man? and who hath made the stammerer? and
who the deafman ? and who the seeing,and the blindman ?
Have not I,the Lord God ? And now go,and I willopen
1 Ps.xxvii.3,4. • Ex.i.12. 3Rev.ii.10.
4 The common readingis," throughthefire,theflame,"etc.■ Iaa.xliii.1-3. • Matt.x.19,20. 'Lukexxi.14,15.
CTP.— vol. n. E