ON THE GLORY OF MARTYRDOM. 251 burstopen ; the Manes were disturbed,the graveswere laid bare,and as the tombs gaped open intothe rentof the earth, bodies returning to the lightwere restored; the world trembled at the flowingof His blood; and the veilwhich hung from the opening of the temple was rent,and allthe temple uttereda groan. For which cause it is a great matter to imitateHim who, in dying, convictedthe world. Therefore when, afterthe example of the Lord's passion, and afterallthe testimonyof Christ,you laydown your life, and fear not to shed your blood,everythingmust absolutely give way to martyrdom. Inestimableisthe gloryof martyr dom, infiniteitsmeasure, immaculate itsvictory,invaluable itstitle,immense itstriumph ; because he who ispresented to Him with the specialgloryof a confessor,isadorned with the kindredbloodof Christ. 30. Therefore, beloved brethren,although this is alto gether of the Lord's promise and gift,and although it is given from on high, and isnot receivedexcept by His will, and moreover, can neitherbe expressedin words nor de scribedby speech,nor can be satisfiedby any kind of powers of eloquence,stillsuch willbe your benevolence,such will be your charityand love,as to be mindful of me when the Lord shallbegin to glorifymartyrdom in your experience. That holyaltarenclosesyou withinitself,thatgreatdwelling- place of the venerableName enclosesyou withinitself,as if in the foldsof a heart'sembrace : the powers of the everlast ing age sustainyou, and thatby which you shallever reign and shallever conquer. O blessedones! and such as truly have your sinsremitted,if,however, you who are Christ's peers ever have sinned! O blessedones! whom the blood of the Lord has dyed from the beginningof the world, and whom such a brightnessof snowy clothinghas deservedly invested,and thewhitenessoftheenfoldingrobehas adorned! Finally, I myself seem to myself to behold already,and,as far as ispossibleto the mind of man, thatdivineand illus trious thing occurs to my eyes and view. 1 seem, I say to myself, alreadyto behold,thatthattrulynoblearmy accom panies the gloryand the path of theirChrist. The blessed