In the house of the forest of Lebanon you find pillars, pillars; so
in the church in the wilderness. Oh the mighty ones of which the
church was compacted; they were all pillars, strong, bearing up the
house against wind and weather; nothing but fire and sword could
dissolve them. As therefore this house was made up of great timber,
so this church in the wilderness was made up of giants in grace.
These men had the faces of lions; no prince, no king, no threat, no
terror, no torment could make them yield. They loved not their lives
unto the death. They have laughed their enemies in the face, they
have triumphed in the flames. None ever showed higher saints than
were they in the church in the wilderness. Others talked, these have
suffered; others have said, these have done; these have voluntarily
taken their lives in their hands, for they loved them not to the
death, and have fairly and in cool blood laid them down before the
world, God, angels, and men, for the confirming of the truth which
they have professed.
That which makes a martyr, is suffering for the word of God after a
right manner. And that is when he suffereth not only for
righteousness, but for righteousness' sake; not only for truth, but
of love to truth; not only for God's word, but according to it, to
wit, in that holy, humble, meek manner that the word of God
requireth. A man may give his body to be burned for God's truth, and
yet be none of God's martyrs. 1 Cor. 13:1-3.