AUTHOR'S INVOCATION

... this offering, O God, was accompanied with many tears, caused partly by my distress… on account of the weakness of my nature, called upon Thee for help, partly through joy, as I found and experienced Thy comfort and help. Yet that which more than all else caused my tears to flow was the remembrance of the sufferings and the death of Thy martyrs, who altogether innocent, as defenceless lambs, were led to the water, the fire, the sword, or to the wild beasts
Not only oxen and sheep, but also turtle doves and young doves were formerly acceptable offerings to Thee. O my God, and how much more the blood and death of Thy Saints. in the arena, there to suffer and to die for Thy name's sake. However, I experienced no small degree of joy as I contemplated the living confidence they had in Thy grace, and how valiantly they fought their way through the strait gate.
Ah! how often did I wish to have been a partaker with them; my soul went with them, so to speak, into prison; I encouraged them in the tribunal, to bear patiently, without gainsaying or flinching, their sentence of death. It seemed to me as though I accompanied them to the place of execution, scaffold or stake, saying to them in their extremity, Fight valiantly dear brethren and sisters; the crown of life awaits you. I almost fancied that I had died with them; so inseparably was my love bound up with them; for Thy holy name's sake….

AUTHOR'S INVOCATION (Page 5)