Chapter VII.—Ignatius appears in a
vision after his death.
Now these things took place on
the thirteenth day before the Kalends of January, that is, on the
twentieth of December,14351435 Sura and Senecio being then the consuls of the
Romans for the second time. Having ourselves been eye-witnesses of these
things, and having spent the whole night in tears within the house, and
having entreated the Lord, with bended knees and much prayer, that He
would give us weak men full assurance respecting the things which were
done,14361436
it came to pass, on our falling into a brief slumber, that some
of us saw the blessed Ignatius suddenly standing by us and embracing us,
while others beheld him again praying for us, and others still saw him
dropping with sweat, as if he had just come from his great labour, and
standing by the Lord. When, therefore, we had with great joy witnessed
these things, and had compared our several visions14371437 together, we sang praise to God, the giver of
all good things, and expressed our sense of the happiness of the holy
[martyr]; and now we have made known to you both the day and the time
[when these things happened], that, assembling ourselves together
according to the time of his martyrdom, we may have fellowship with the
champion and noble martyr of Christ, who trod under foot the devil, and
perfected the course which, out of love to Christ, he had desired, in
Christ Jesus our Lord; by whom, and with whom, be glory and power to the
Father, with the Holy Spirit, for evermore! Amen.
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