Many of them would not have exchanged the darkest and severest dungeons, or the caves of the earth, in which they had to hide themselves, for royal palaces. The wilderness was to them a delightful pleasure-garden, the howling of the wild beasts which surrounded them, as sweet music or the song of birds; and water and roots or dry bread delighted them more than the daintiest viands and drink from the tables of the great. All this was granted them by the munificent hand of God, on account of the constancy of their faith, from which they could by no means be made to swerve, nor brought to waver in it; on account of their living hope, which begat in their souls a longing for the future riches, so that they were enabled to esteem the present ones as of little worth and to forget them; and on account of their unquenchable love for God, his holy truth, and their beloved fellow-believers, whereby their souls were kindled into a flame far more intense than were their bodies through physical fire though these were reduced to ashes. But can carnal men comprehend this? Will any of them believe these things? We think not; for how can a carnal man partake of the Spirit of God? How could one who is earthly-minded ascend to heaven in his thoughts? 1 Cor. 2:14. How can one comprehend that which pertains to salvation, who himself is altogether unsaved and possesses no desire to obtain salvation through the grace of God? What fire of divine love can he feel, whose heart is totally cold, and who loves nothing but sin and sinful creatures. We maintain, therefore, that these are things which belong not to the blind worldly-minded, since they in their ignorance would not esteem them; but to the heavenly-minded, who, as spiritual eagles, contemplate with the eyes of the soul the mysteries of God; who seek their food with God, and find their delight in his saints and well-beloved who sacrificed their lives for his holy truth. For this cause we have addressed ourselves to you, most beloved brethren and sisters, who, with us, and with our slain friends, the blessed martyrs of God, have received the same faith. This book, the humble work of our hands, but which is nevertheless a precious jewel, in view of the persons and matters contained therein, we have dedicated to you. Receive it, then, with the same love with which it has been dedicated to you. Read it again and again, and with the same attention and emotion with which we have written and re-written it. We are fully confident that, if you do this, it will not be unfruitful to you. But, before all things, fix your eyes upon the martyrs themselves, note the steadfastness of their faith, and follow their example.