508 THE OCTAVIUS OF dare to deny thatman, as he couldfirstof allbe formed by God, so can again be re-formed; that he is nothing after death,and thathe was nothingbeforehe began to exist;and as from nothing itwas possiblefor him to be born,so from nothingitmay be possibleforhim to be restored? Moreover, itismore difficultto begin thatwhich isnot,than to repeat that which has been. Do you think that,if anything is withdrawn from our feebleeyes,itperishesto God? Every body, whether it is dried up into dust,or is dissolvedinto moisture,or is compressed into ashes,or is attenuatedinto smoke, iswithdrawn from us,but it is reservedfor God in the custody of the elements. Nor, as you believe,do we fear any lossfrom sepulture,1but we adopt the ancientand bettercustom of burying in the earth. See,therefore,how for our consolationallnaturesuggestsa futureresurrection. The sun sinks down and arises,the starspass away and return,the flowersdie and reviveagain,aftertheirwintrv decay the shrubs resume theirleaves,seeds do not flourish againunlessthey are rotted: thus the body in the sepulchre is likethe treeswhich in winter hide theirverdure with a deceptivedryness. Why areyou in hasteforitto reviveand return,while the winter is stillraw? We must wait also forthe spring-timeof the body. And I am not ignorantthat many, in theconsciousnessof what theydeserve,ratherdesire than believethatthey shallbe nothing afterdeath; for they would preferto be altogetherextinguished,ratherthan to be restoredforthepurposeof punishment. And their error alsoisenhanced,both by thelibertygrantedthem in thislife, and by God's very greatpatience,whose judgment, the more tardyitis,isso much the more just. CHAPTEE XXXV. Argument. — Oclaviusproceeds to show that righteousand piousmen shallbe rewardedtoithnever-endingfelicity,but thaiunrighteousmen shallbe visitedwitheternalpunish- 1Scil." by burning."