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Let me tell you of a young soldier of His, who bore much for his Lord. We must go back to the early days of Christianity, and picture a martyr being led to death in the city of Antioch. At the place of execution is the judge surrounded by a guard of soldiers. The man about to die for his love to his heavenly King says to the judge — "Ask any little child here whether we ought to adore the many false gods whom you serve or the one living and true God, the only Saviour of men, and that child will tell you." Close by there stood a Christian mother and her boy of ten years old named Cyril. She had brought her son there to see how a true servant of God could die for his Lord. As the martyr spoke, the judge spied the lad, and asked him a question. To the surprise of all, Cyril answered — "There is but one God, and Jesus Christ is one With Him." At these words the judge was very angry. "Wretched Christian," he said, turning to the martyr, "it is thou who hast taught the boy these words." Then more gently, he said to the child — "Tell me, who taught thee this faith?" Little Cyril looked lovingly up to his mother, and answered, "The grace of God taught my mother, and she taught me." "Well, we will see what this grace of God can do for thee," cried the judge. He signed to the guards, who, according to the custom of the Romans, stood with their sheaves of rods. They came near and seized the child. Passionately the mother pleaded that she might give her life for that of her son. But none heeded her entreaties. And all that she could do was to cheer her child, reminding him of the Lord who loved him and died for him. Then cruel strokes fell upon the bare little shoulders of Cyril. In a tone of mocking, the judge said — "What good is the grace of God to him now?... It can enable him to bear the same punishment which his Saviour bore for him," answered the mother decidedly. One look from the judge to ""he soldiers, and again the cruel blows fell on the tender flesh of the boy. "What can the grace of God do for him now?" again asked the pitiless judge. Few of the spectators could hear unmoved the mother, who, with heart bleeding at the sight of her boy's sufferings, answered — "The grace of God teaches him to forgive his persecutors." The child's eyes followed the upward glance of his mother, as she raised her pleading for him in earnest prayer. And when his persecutors asked whether he would not now worship the gods they did, that young soldier answered — "No, there is no other God but the Lord, and Jesus is the Redeemer of the world. He loved me, and I love Him, because He is my Saviour." Stroke after stroke fell upon the boy, and at last he fell fainting. Then he was handed to his mother, and the question was once more repeated: "What can the grace of God do for him now?" Pressing her dying child to her heart, she answered — "Now above all, the grace of God will bring him gain and glory, for He will take him from the rage of his persecutors to the peace of His own home in heaven." Once more the dying boy looked up and said, "There is only one God, and one Saviour, Jesus Christ — who — loved — me." And then the Lord Jesus received him in His arms for evermore. The boy martyr went in to be with his King, that Saviour "who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

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KJV: It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

WEB: This saying is faithful: "For if we died with him, we will also live with him.