Is this a small proof of death’s weakness? Is it a slight demonstration of the Savior’s victory over it, when young men and young women who are in Christ disregard this present life and train themselves to die?
Every one is by nature afraid of death and of bodily dissolution; the marvel of marvels is that he who is enfolded in the faith of the cross despises this natural fear and for the sake of the cross is no longer cowardly in face of it.
Fire has by nature the power to burn. Suppose someone said that there is a substance that does not fear its burning but instead shows fire to be weak, as the asbestos found among the Indians is said to do. If someone did not believe the claim and wished to test it, he would put on the fireproof material and touch the fire; then he would be convinced of the fire’s weakness against it.
Or suppose someone wanted to see a tyrant bound. By entering the country and dominion of the tyrant’s conqueror, he would see the one who had terrified others reduced to weakness. In the same way, if anyone remains unbelieving after so many proofs, after so many martyrs in Christ, and after the daily scorn shown toward death by those distinguished in Christ—if his mind still doubts whether death has been abolished and brought to an end—he does well to marvel at so great a thing. But let him not become hardened in unbelief or shameless before facts so clear.
Just as the person who possesses asbestos learns that fire cannot burn it, and the person who wishes to see the tyrant bound enters the dominion of the conqueror, so the one who disbelieves the victory over death should receive the faith of Christ and enter into His teaching. Then he will see death’s weakness and the victory over it. Many who formerly disbelieved and mocked later came to faith and so despised death that they themselves became martyrs for Christ.