ON THE GLORY OF MARTYRDOM. 243 weight of theirown mass. For whatever is receivedfrom the world is made of no account by the antiquityof time. Whence, that nothingshouldbe sweetor dearthatmight be preferredto the desiresof eternallife,thingswhich are of personalrightand individuallaw are cut offby the Lord's precepts; so thatin the undergoingof tortures,forinstance, the son should not softenthe sufferingfather,and private affectionshould not change the heart that was previously pledged to enduring strength,into another disposition. Christ of His own rightordained that truthand salvation alone must be embraced in the midst of great sufferings, under iwhich wife,and children,and grandchildren,under which alltheoffspringof one'sbowels,must be forsaken,and the victorybe claimed. 18. For Abraham alsothus pleasedGod, in thathe,when tried by God, spared not even his own son, in behalf of whom perhapshe might have been pardoned had he hesitated to slayhim. A religiousdevotionarmed hishands ; and his paternallove,at the command of the Lord who bade it,set asideallthe feelingsof affection.Neitherdid itshock him thathe was to shed thebloodof hisson,nor didhe trembleat the word ; neverthelessforhim Christhad notyetbeen slain. For what isdearerthan Him who, thatyou might not sustain anything unwillinglyin the presentday,firstof allHimself sufferedthat which He taught [othersto suffer]? What issweeterthan Him who, althoughHe isour God and Lord, neverthelessmakes the man who suffersfor His sake His fellow-heirin the kingdom of heaven ? Oh grand— I know not what !— whether thatreasonscarcelybearsto receivethat consciousness,althoughitalways marvelsat the greatnessof the rewards; or thatthe majestyof God isso abundant,that to allwho trustin it,iteven offersthosethingswhich,while we were consideringwhat we have done,ithad been sinto desire. Moreover,if only eternalsalvationshouldbe given, for that very perpetuityof livingwe should be thankful. Bat now, when heaven and the power of judging concerning othersisbestowedin the eternalworld,what istherewherein man's mediocritymay not finditselfequalto [theendurance