Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IV/Commodianus/The Instructions of Commodianus/Chapter 28

XXVII.&#8212;O Fool, Thou Dost Not Die to God.

O fool, thou dost not absolutely die; nor, when dead, dost thou escape the lofty One.&#160; Although thou shouldst arrange that when dead thou perceivest nothing, thou shalt foolishly be overcome.&#160; God the Creator of the world liveth, whose laws cry out that the dead are in existence.&#160; But thou, whilst recklessly thou seekest to live without God, judgest that in death is extinction, and thinkest that it is absolute.&#160; God has not ordered it as thou thinkest, that the dead are forgetful of what they have previously done.&#160; Now has the governor made for us receptacles of death, and after our ashes we shall behold them.&#160; Thou art stripped, O foolish one, who thinkest that by death thou art not, and hast made thy Ruler and Lord to be able to do nothing.&#160; But death is not a mere vacuity, if thou reconsiderest in thine heart.&#160; Thou mayest know that He is to be desired, for late thou shalt perceive Him.&#160; Thou wast the ruler of the flesh; certainly flesh ruled not thee.&#160; Freed from it, the former is buried; thou art here.&#160; Rightly is mortal man separated from the flesh.&#160; Therefore mortal eyes will not be able to be equalled (to divine things).&#160; Thus our depth keeps us from the secret of God.&#160; Give thou now, whilst in weakness thou art dying, the honour to God, and believe that Christ will bring thee back living from the dead.&#160; Thou oughtest to give praises in the church to the omnipotent One.