Confirming the Martyrs by His Example

Another post offered on "Orthodox time":

Hide me from the gathering together of the froward, and from the insurrection of wicked doers. In our consideration of this Psalm, let us contemplate our Head himself. Many Martyrs have suffered such things as the Psalmist prayeth against ; but no Martyr shineth with such glory as the Head of the Martyrs. In him we best perceive what they endured. He particularly was hidden from the insurrection of wicked doers, to wit, in the sense that God the Son, who was made man, hid Himself under the veil of His own flesh. For He is both Son of Man and Son of God: yea, He was the Son of God (for He was in the form of God), and as such became in the flesh the Son of Man, in the form of a servant; whereby He had power to lay down his life, and power to take it again. What could his enemies do unto him? They could only kill the body: the soul they could not kill. Give heed: it were little for the Lord to exhort the Martyrs by word, did he not confirm them by this His example.

-- Lesson 4 from Matins for Good Friday, taken from the Treatise on the Psalms by St. Augustine of Hippo.