AN EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM. 77 powers labour to attainto such a glorythat he may become the friendof God, that he may at once rejoicewith Christ, that afterearthlytorturesand punishments he may receive divine rewards? If to soldiersof thisworld it is glorious to return in triumph to theircountrywhen the foe isvan quished,how much more excellentand greateris the glory, when the devilisovercome,to returnin triumph to paradise, and to bring back victorioustrophiesto that placewhence Adam was ejectedas a sinner,aftercastingdown him who formerly had casthim down ; to offerto God the most ac ceptablegift— an uncorruptedfaith,and an unyieldingvirtue of mind, an illustriouspraiseof devotion; to accompany Him when He shallcome to receivevengeance from His enemies, to stand at His sidewhen He shallsitto judge,to become co-heirof Christ,to be made equal to the angels; with the patriarchs,with the apostles,with the prophets,to rejoicein the possessionof the heavenly kingdom ! Such thoughtsas these,what persecutioncan conquer,what torturescan over come ? The brave and stedfastmind, founded in religious meditations,endures; and the spiritabides unmoved against all the terrorsof the deviland the threatsof the world, when itisstrengthenedby the sureand solidfaithof things to come. In persecutions,earth is shut up,1but heaven is opened ; Antichristis threatening,but Christisprotecting; death is brought in, but immortalityfollows;the world is taken away from him that is slain,but paradiseissetforth to him restored; the lifeof time isextinguished,but the life of eternityis realized. What a dignityit is,and what a security,to go gladlyfrom hence,to departgloriouslyin the midst of afflictionsand tribulations; in a moment to close the eyeswith which men and the world are lookedupon, and at once to open them to look upon God and Christ! Of such a blesseddeparturehow great is the swiftness! You shall be suddenlytaken away from earth,to be placedin the heavenly kingdoms. It behoves us to embrace thesethings in our mind and consideration,to meditateon thesethings day and night. If persecutionshould fallupon such a 1 " The eyesoftheearthareclosed" isthereadingofothereditions.