Cyprian of Carthage — Treatises — On the Mortality On the Mortality

1. Although in very many of you, dearly beloved brethren, there is a steadfast mind and a firm faith , and a devoted spirit that is not disturbed at the frequency of this present mortality, but, like a strong and stable rock, rather shatters the turbulent onsets of the world and the raging waves of time, while it is not itself shattered, and is not overcome but tried by these temptations ; yet because I observe that among the people some, either through weakness of mind , or through decay of faith , or through the sweetness of this worldly life, or through the softness of their sex, or what is of still greater account, through error from the truth , are standing less steadily, and are not exerting the divine and unvanquished vigour of their heart, the matter may not be disguised nor kept in silence, but as far as my feeble powers suffice with my full strength, and with a discourse gathered from the Lord's lessons, the slothfulness of a luxurious disposition must be restrained, and he who has begun to be already a man of God and of Christ , must be found worthy of God and of Christ .

2. For he who wars for God , dearest brethren, ought to acknowledge himself as one who, placed in the heavenly camp, already hopes for divine things, so that we may have no trembling at the storms and whirlwinds of the world, and no disturbance, since the Lord had foretold that these would come. With the exhortation of His fore-seeing word, instructing, and teaching, and preparing, and strengthening the people of His Church for all endurance of things to come, He predicted and said that wars , and famines, and earthquakes, and pestilences would arise in each place; and lest an unexpected and new dread of mischiefs should shake us, He previously warned us that adversity would increase more and more in the last times. Behold, the very things occur which were spoken; and since those occur which were foretold before, whatever things were promised will also follow; as the Lord Himself promises, saying, But when you see all these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Luke 21:31 The kingdom of God , beloved brethren, is beginning to be at hand; the reward of life, and the rejoicing of eternal salvation , and the perpetual gladness and possession lately lost of paradise, are now coming, with the passing away of the world; already heavenly things are taking the place of earthly, and great things of small, and eternal things of things that fade away. What room is there here for anxiety and solicitude? Who, in the midst of these things, is trembling and sad,…

3. For it is written that the just lives by faith . If you are just, and live by faith , if you truly believe in Christ , why, since you are about to be with Christ, and are secure of the Lord's promise, do you not embrace the assurance that you are called to Christ , and rejoice that you are freed from the devil ? Certainly Simeon, that just man, who was truly just, who kept God's commands with a full faith , when it had been pledged him from heaven that he should not die before he had seen the Christ , and Christ had come an infant into the temple with His mother, acknowledged in spirit that Christ was now born, concerning whom it had before been foretold to him; and when he had seen Him, he knew that he should soon die. Therefore, rejoicing concerning his now approaching death, and secure of his immediate summons, he received the child into his arms, and blessing the Lord, he exclaimed, and said, Now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation ; Luke 2:29 assuredly proving and bearing witness that the servants of God then had peace, then free, then tranquil repose, when, withdrawn from these whirlwinds of the world, we attain the harbour of our home and eternal security, when having accomplished this death we come to immortality . For that is our peace, that our faithful tranquillity, that our steadfast, and abiding, and perpetual security.

4. But for the rest, what else in the world than a battle against the devil is daily carried on, than a struggle against his darts and weapons in constant conflicts? Our warfare is with avarice , with immodesty, with anger , with ambition; our diligent and toilsome wrestle with carnal vices , with enticements of the world. The mind of man besieged, and in every quarter invested with the onsets of the devil , scarcely in each point meets the attack, scarcely resists it. If avarice is prostrated, lust springs up. If lust is overcome, ambition takes its place. If ambition is despised, anger exasperates, pride puffs up, wine-bibbing entices, envy breaks concord, jealousy cuts friendship; you are constrained to curse, which the divine law forbids; you are compelled to swear , which is not lawful.