The Instructions of Commodianus.
The Instructions of Commodianus
VI.—Of the Same Jupiter’s Thunderbolt.
VII.—Of the Septizonium and the Stars.
XI.—Apollo the Soothsaying and False.
XVI.—Of the Gods and Goddesses.
XVIII.—Of Ammydates and the Great God.
XXIII.—Of Those Who are Everywhere Ready.
XXIV.—Of Those Who Live Between the Two.
XXV.—They Who Fear and Will Not Believe.
XXVI.—To Those Who Resist the Law of Christ the Living God.
XXVII.—O Fool, Thou Dost Not Die to God.
XXVIII.—The Righteous Rise Again.
XXIX.—To the Wicked and Unbelieving Rich Man.
XXXIV.—Moreover, to Ignorant Gentiles.
XXXV.—Of the Tree of Life and Death.
XXXVI.—Of the Foolishness of the Cross.
XXXVII.—The Fanatics Who Judaize.
XLII.—Of the Hidden and Holy People of the Almighty Christ, the Living God.
XLIII.—Of the End of This Age.
XLIV.—Of the First Resurrection.
XLVIII.—O Faithful, Beware of Evil.
L.—Who Have Apostatized from God.
LIII.—To the Soldiers of Christ.
LVII.—That Worldly Things are Absolutely to Be Avoided.
LVIII.—That the Christian Should Be Such.
LIX.—To the Matrons of the Church of the Living God.
LXI.—In the Church to All the People of God.
LXII.—To Him Who Wishes for Martyrdom.
LXIV.—Of the Zeal of Concupiscence.
LXX.—I Speak to the Elder-Born.
LXXIII.—That Sons are Not to Be Bewailed.
XLIV.—Of the First Resurrection.
From heaven will descend the city in the first resurrection; this is what we may tell of such a celestial fabric. We shall arise again to Him, who have been devoted to Him. And they shall be incorruptible, even already living without death. And neither will there be any grief nor any groaning in that city. They shall come also who overcame cruel martyrdom under Antichrist, and they themselves live for the whole time, and receive blessings because they have suffered evil things; and they themselves marrying, beget for a thousand years. There are prepared all the revenues of the earth, because the earth renewed without end pours forth abundantly. Therein are no rains; no cold comes into the golden camp. No sieges as now, nor rapines, nor does that city crave the light of a lamp. It shines from its Founder. Moreover, Him it obeys; in breadth 12,000 furlongs and length and depth. It levels its foundation in the earth, but it raises its head to heaven. In the city before the doors, moreover, sun and moon shall shine; he who is evil is hedged up in torment, for the sake of the nourishment of the righteous. But from the thousand years God will destroy all those evils.
XLIV.---DE RESURRECTIONE PRIMA.
De coelo descendet civitas in anastasi prima: Est quod referamus de fabrica tanta coelesti. 0235A Resurgemus illi qui fuimus illi devoti, Et incorrupti erunt, jam tunc sine morte viventes: Sed nec dolor ullus, nec gemitus erit in illa. Venturi sunt illi quoque sub Antichristo qui vincunt Robusta martyria: et ipsi toto tempore vivunt, Recipiuntque bona quoniam mala passi fuere, Et generant ipsi per annos mille nubentes. Comparantur ibi tota vectigalia terrae, Terra quia nimium fundit sine fine novata. Inibi non pluvia, non frigus in aurea castra, Obsidiae nullae, sicut nunc, neque rapinae, Nec lucernae lumen desiderat civitas illa: Ex auctore suo lucet, nec non ibi paret Per duodecim millia stadia lata; longa, sic alta; Radicem in terra, sed caput cum coelo peraequat, 0235B In urbe pro foribus autem sol et luna lucebit. Malus in angore septus propter justos alendos. Ab annis autem mille Deus omnia perdet.