For we hear in what manner the Scripture, presenting those who in a time of tribulation or persecution are made to stumble—after seeming to have received the holy teachings with joy, and being made to stumble because they have no root but believe only for a season—says, according to Matthew: But the one sown upon the rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself but is temporary, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, he is immediately made to stumble ; and according to Mark: These are the ones sown upon the rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy, and they have no root in themselves but are temporary, and then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they are made to stumble ; and according to Luke: But those upon the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, and these have no root, who believe for a season and in a time of trial fall away ; but concerning those who bear fruit well, teaching, it says: But the one sown upon the good earth, this is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, one a hundred, one sixty, one thirty, or: And those are the ones sown upon the good earth, who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit in thirty and in sixty and in a hundred, or: But that upon the good earth, these are they who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, hold it fast and bear fruit in endurance.
According to the apostle, then, since you are God's field, God's building, a field in the good earth, a building in the rock: as God's building let us stand unshaken against the storm, and as God's field let us take no thought either of the evil one, nor of tribulation or persecution arising on account of the word, nor of the care of this age, nor of the deceitfulness of riches, nor of the pleasures of life, but, despising all these, let us take up the untroubled spirit of wisdom, and let us hasten toward the riches that in no way possess deceit, and let us press on toward the, so to name them, pleasures of the paradise of delight, reckoning in each of our toils that the present lightness of our tribulation works for us, in surpassing measure unto surpassing measure, an eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen.
[§50] And let us also know this, that what was said concerning Abel, slain by the murderous and unjust Cain, applies to all whose blood has been unjustly poured out. For the words, The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the earth, let us consider to be spoken also concerning each of the martyrs, whose blood's voice cries out to God from the earth.
And perhaps, just as we were purchased by the precious blood of Jesus, Jesus having received the name that is above every name, so by the precious blood of the martyrs some will be purchased, they themselves being exalted more than they would have been exalted had they become righteous but not borne witness; for it stands to reason that death in martyrdom is properly called an exaltation, as is clear from the words, If I be exalted from the earth, I will draw all men to myself. Let us too, then, glorify God, exalting him by our own death, since he who bears witness by his own death will glorify God ; which very thing we have also learned from John, who said, This he said, signifying by what death he would glorify God.
[§51] These things have been dictated to you by me as best I could, in the way that was possible, and I pray that they may prove useful to you for the present contest. But if you, being now especially worthy to behold more of God's mysteries, should grasp things greater and richer and more effective toward the goal that lies before you, and should therefore look down on these words of mine as childish and cheap, then I too would pray that this be so concerning you. For what lies before you is not that your affairs be accomplished through us, but that they be accomplished in whatever way. And would that they might indeed be accomplished through words more divine and more understanding and surpassing all human nature, and through the wisdom of God.