68 THE TREATISES OF CYPRIAN. phets,and shallshow greatsignsand wonders,tocauseerror, ifitbe possible,even to theelect.But takeye heed :behold, I have foretoldyou allthings. If,therefore,they shallsay to you, Lo, he is in the desert; go not forth: lo,he is in the sleepingchambers ; believeitnot. For as the flashing of lightninggoeth forth from the east,and appearetheven to the west,so alsoshallthe coming of the Son of man be. Wheresoever the carcaseshallbe,there shallthe eaglesbe gathered together. But immediately afterthe afflictionof thosedays the sun shallbe darkened,and the moon shallnot giveher light,and the starsshallfallfrom heaven,and the powers of heaven shallbe moved : and then shallappearthe signof the Son of man in heaven : and allthe tribesof the earthshalllament,and shallsee the Son of man coming in the cloudsof heaven with greatpower and glory. And He shallsend His angels with a great trumpet,and they shall gather togetherHis electfrom the four winds, from the heightsof heaven,even into the farthestbounds thereof."1 And theseare not new or sudden thingswhich are now hap pening to Christians; sincethe good and righteous,and those who are devoted to God in the law of innocenceand the fearof truereligion,advance always through afflictions,and wrongs, and the severe and manifold penaltiesof troubles, in the hardshipof a narrow path. Thus, at the very begin ning of the world, the righteousAbel was the firstto be slainby hisbrother; and Jacob was driven into exile,and Joseph was sold,and king Saul persecutedthe merciful David ; and king Ahab endeavoured to oppressElias,who firmlyand bravelyassertedthe majestyof God. Zacharias the priestwas slainbetween the temple and the altar,that himself might therebecome a sacrificewhere he was accus tomed to offersacrificesto God. So many martyrdoms of the righteoushave, in fact,often been celebrated; so many examplesof faithand virtuehave been set forthto future generations. The three youths, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael,equal in age,agreeingin love,stedfastin faith,con stantin virtue,strongerthan the flamesand penaltiesthat 1Matt,xxiv.4-31.