登陆注册
5413400000008

第8章

And so there are indeed many bodies of Christians lying unburied; but no one has separated them from heaven, nor froth that earth which is all filled with the presence of Him who knows whence He will raise again what He created.It is said, indeed, in the Psalm: "The dead bodies of Thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them."(5) But this was said rather to exhibit the cruelty of those who did these things, than the misery of those who suffered them.To the eyes of men this appears a harsh and doleful lot, yet "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."(6) Wherefore all these last offices and ceremonies that concern the dead, the careful funeral arrangements, and the equipment of the tomb, and the pomp of obsequies, are rather the solace of the living than the comfort of the dead.If a costly burial does any good to a wicked man, a squalid burial, or none at all, may harm the godly.His crowd of domestics furnished the purple-clad Dives with a funeral gorgeous in the eye of man; but in the sight of God that was a more sumptuous funeral which the ulcerous pauper received at the hands of the angels, who did not carry him out to a marble tomb, but bore him aloft to Abraham's bosom.

The men against whom I have undertaken to defend the city of God laugh at all this.But even their own philosophers(7) have despised a careful burial; and often whole armies have fought and fallen for their earthly country without caring to inquire whether they would be left exposed on the field of battle, or become the food of wild beasts.Of this noble disregard of sepulture poetry has well said: "He who has no tomb has the sky for his vault."(1) How much less ought they to insult over the unburied bodies of Christians, to whom it has been promised that the flesh itself shall be restored, and the body formed anew, all the members of it being gathered not only from the earth, but from the most secret recesses of any other of the elements in which the dead bodies of men have lain hid !

CHAP.13.--REASONS FOR BURYING THE BODIESOF THE SAINTS.

Nevertheless the bodies of the dead are not on this account to be despised and left unburied; least of all the bodies of the righteous and faithful, which have been used by the Holy Spirit as His organs and instruments for all good works.For if the dress of a father, or his ring, or anything he wore, be precious to his children, in proportion to the love they bore him, with how much more reason ought we to care for the bodies of those we love, which they wore far more closely and intimately than any clothing! For the body is not an extraneous ornament or aid, but a part of man's very nature.And therefore to the righteous of ancient times the last offices were piously rendered, and sepulchres provided for them, and obsequies celebrated;(2) and they themselves, while yet alive, gave commandment to their sons about the burial, and, on occasion, even about the removal of their bodies to some favorite place.(3) And Tobit, according to the angel's testimony, is commended, and is said to have pleased God by burying the dead.(4) Our Lord Himself, too, though He was to rise again the third day, applauds, and commends to our applause, the good work of the religious woman who poured precious ointment over His limbs, and did it against His burial.(5) And the Gospel speaks with commendation of those who were careful to take down His body from the cross, and wrap it lovingly in costly cerements, and see to its burial.(6)These instances certainly do not prove that corpses have any feeling; but they show that God's providence extends even to the bodies of the dead, and that such pious offices are pleasing to Him, as cherishing faith in the resurrection.And we may also draw from them this wholesome lesson, that if God does not forget even any kind office which loving care pays to the unconscious dead, much more does He reward the charity we exercise towards the living.Other things, indeed, which the holy patriarchs said of the burial and removal of their bodies, they meant to be taken in a prophetic sense; but of these we need not here speak at large, what we have already said being sufficient.But if the want of those things which are necessary for the support of the living, as food and clothing, though painful and trying, does not break down the fortitude and virtuous endurance of good men, nor eradicate piety from their souls, but rather renders it more fruitful, how much less can the absence of the funeral, and of the other customary attentions paid to the dead, render those wretched who are already reposing in the hidden abodes of the blessed ! Consequently, though in the sack of Rome and of other towns the dead bodies of the Christians were deprived of these last offices, this is neither the fault of the living, for they could not render them; nor an infliction to the dead, for they cannot feel the loss.

CHAP.14.--OF THE CAPTIVITY OF THE SAINTS, AND THAT DIVINE CONSOLATIONNEVER FAILED

THEM THEREIN.

But, say they, many Christians were even led away captive.This indeed were a most pitiable fate, if they could be led away to any place where they could not find their God.But for this calamity also sacred Scripture affords great consolation.The three youths(7) were captives; Daniel was a captive; so were other prophets:

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 不失落:放下伤痛的快乐生活智慧

    不失落:放下伤痛的快乐生活智慧

    一生中,每个人都不可避免地会遇到:分手、被背叛、离婚,重要的人离我们而去,失业,生病,穷困,等等给人带来伤痛的事,陷入失落之中。遗憾的是,很少有人能够正确地处理。“让我静一静就会好”“时间会治愈伤痛”“忙起来就不难过了”等我们最常使用的方法并没有真正解决那段失落,只是转移了。这些方法并没有让我们与伤痛的经历做真正“了结”,于是心里有一个空洞,潜藏着隐伤。《不失落:放下伤痛的快乐生活智慧》以心理学为理论基础,详细介绍了正确应对那些带来伤痛的事的方法,帮助读者在身体上、情绪上和精神上,与“失落”做个结束,发生当时来不及表示的。
  • 田园医女娉婷传

    田园医女娉婷传

    女医生重生古代农家俏萝莉,秀雅娉婷,冰雪聪明。奈何家中贫困,她在家做牛做马,机缘巧合之下,她得了随身空间,利用空间发家致富,斗极品亲戚,医好傻妹妹,带着妹妹分家做生意赚银子,置地买房,念书院,建马场,开医馆,姐妹俩的日子过的风生水起,金银财宝滚滚来,美男纷纷来求亲,好吧,那姐抛绣球择相公吧,那帅哥谁?抢到绣球了!他,国公府嫡子,丰神俊朗,腹黑冷酷,文武双全,乃敌军闻风丧胆的旷世名将,他对她说,我以真心宠她,爱她,娶她,从此一生一世一双人……他,大楚太子,霸气慵懒,浅浅一笑间,杀人于无形,他踏上鲜血和白骨筑就的帝王宝座,回眸间只有她的倾城一笑才能暖他的心……他,楼兰太子,一颦一笑,风姿若仙,运筹帷幄,决胜千里之外,本想与她再续前缘,奈何她有空间在手,追求她的情路何其坎坷?他,或侯府公子,或神秘身份……他,他……爱!或被爱!几段宿世情缘,她又该何去何从?本文一对一!古代温馨种田文,甜宠、赚钱、过日子!偶尔斗斗极品炮灰!某抽风精彩片段:“启禀主公,刚才夫人让凝香搜集一兜的鸟粪往裴世子的脑袋上砸上去了。”鬼三下跪着禀报给某男听。“倒是娉婷的作风,就我说,娉婷这么做还不够心狠,这样吧,你们几个去多找些鸟粪,马粪,然后一股脑儿扔去归伯侯府,不把归伯侯府给弄个臭气熏天,都别给我回来。”某男闻言非但不生气,还宠溺的含笑道。妈呀,要怎么样才算心狠?鬼三无语望天。但是再怎么样无语,也得按照主公的吩咐去做。某男心道:我的媳妇儿做什么都是好的,你要用鸟粪对付渣男,我做你相公的怎么好落后,就用个鸟粪还便宜了那一家子。这样吧,咱再加个马粪还凑合吧。希望归伯侯府好好享受府内臭气熏天的“美好”氛围!
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 爸爸是孩子最好的教练(全集)

    爸爸是孩子最好的教练(全集)

    《爸爸是孩子最好的教练》一书,从全新的角度分析了父亲教育的重要意义,用全新的教育思维阐释了父亲教育的主要内容,用简单明了的语言总结了父亲教育的方法、原则和技巧,是现代家庭培养优秀女孩的最佳指南,是帮助女孩的爸爸育女成才的最佳帮手!
  • 追凶猎人

    追凶猎人

    八年前消失的警察,八年后案发现场的血液,引出一场真凶和警察的追逐。连环出现的命案究竟是为了追逐名利,追求刺激,还是为了杀人灭口,又或者仅仅是一场生与死的豪赌?TA为了洗清自己的罪恶,不惜用别人的生命来做替罪羊,被人推下高楼冰冷的尸体,掩藏在冰箱里的残骸,被悬挂于窗外的尸首,被掩藏在TA残暴背后的真相究竟是为何?苏默言相信正邪不两立,善恶亦有道,凭借着团队协作能力,与恶势力斗争,找出藏匿在这座城市的TA。
  • 武道战神

    武道战神

    三年前,他收获了一株灵果,却被一位守山弟子抢夺。三年后,那位守山弟子成为了宗门内最耀眼的天才,而他却发现,被夺走的灵果,不过是他所获得的机缘的万分之一。从此他如彗星般崛起,开启一条神话般的逆天之路。
  • 慕卿朝朝暮暮

    慕卿朝朝暮暮

    柳卿兮初时,爱慕先生也敢大胆诉说倾慕再大些,她恨极了毁了自家满府的先生,从此不再将心交托给任何人谁知,碰上了东方邕之,利用她却爱上她,然后把心交给了她世间风景甚是美好,却都不如你
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 我只是你树上的一只蝉

    我只是你树上的一只蝉

    本书主要内容包括:《斗智》、《山羊当了村官》、《猴子取经》、《谁去陪酒》、《精神的孔开在哪里》、《公章》、《在梦里怎样打败外星人》、《删除贪欲》、《色诱》等。
  • 你好薄先生

    你好薄先生

    (甜酥宠文1对1)他是帝都豪门继承人,全球最大集团幕后boss,位高权重,传说霸道凶狠杀人不眨眼,高冷禁欲不近女色。她前世识人不明,惨遭男友背叛,后妈陷害,死于非命。一朝重生,没想到却遭到薄祁瑾的骗婚,她将计就计,用尽办法讨好薄祁瑾,想借他复仇。婚后薄祁瑾花式宠妻,陪她斗后妈,治渣男,整绿茶,打白莲,让她从十八线一跃成为万众瞩目的影后……他就像只老虎,而她,最擅长的就是扮猪吃老虎……