Sanctus was a deacon at Vienne. He was tortured for Jesus' sake and bore it all with marked fortitude and exclaimed, "I am a Christian." When red-hot plates were applied repeatedly to the most sensitive parts of his body, till the sinews were contracted, still he remained unmovable, inflexible in his steadfastness, and he was again placed in prison. In a few days he was brought forth again, when his tormentors were wonderfully astonished to find that his wounds were healed and his body sound and perfect. He was again put to the torture, but being unable to take his life, he was again remanded to prison, where soon afterward he was beheaded. We may not be called upon to suffer physical torture at the hands of heartless persecutors in these days, but "They that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." We surely will have it in some form if true to God. The world does not love our Christ. Jesus told His own brothers that the world could not hate them, but it hated Him, because He told them their deeds were evil. When our persecutors come, what are we going to do? If we have the palm tree blessing, we have a life hidden so deep that the world can not reach it. This life is a heart life. It does not lie on the surface where the enemy's tortures can reach it. Look at the sainted martyrs in the early day; how they endured the afflictions that were heaped upon them, without a murmur, and would not flinch, nor compromise a hair's breadth. Their tormentors were taxed to the extreme in devising modes of suffering by which they hoped to succeed in getting the Christians to deny Christ. In order to show the real hidden life of the palm tree saint we will record the case of two martyrs as told in "The Historic Martyrs of the Primitive Church," by A. J. Mason. Probus was presented. "Put away all foolish language," said Maximus, "and tell me what you are called." "My first and best name is Christian; my second, by which men call me, is Probus." "Of what station in life?" "My father was a Thracian, but I was born at Sida in Pamphilia. I am a civilian, but a Christian." "Little good you will get from that name. Follow my advice, and sacrifice to the gods, that you may receive honor from the emperors, and be a friend of mine." "I do not want the honor of the emperors, nor am I anxious for your good offices. I had a considerable property, but I gave it up, to serve the living God through Christ." "Take off his cloak. Gird him up. Put him at the stretch. Beat him with thongs of rawhide." The compassionate centurion, Demetrius, again spoke: "Spare yourself, man; you see your blood running to the ground." "My body is at your disposal," answered Probus. "But your punishments to me are an anointing with sweet ointments." After a time Maximus began again his attempts at persuasion: "Will you not have done with this madness now? Do you persist in it, unhappy man?" "I am not mad. I am wiser than you. I do not serve devils."