1 Discipline, the safeguard of hope, the bond of faith, the guide of the way of salvation, the stimulus and nourishment of good dispositions, the teacher of virtue, causes us to abide always in Christ, and to live continually for God, and to attain to the heavenly promises and to the divine rewards. To follow her is wholesome, and to turn away from her and neglect her is deadly. The Holy Spirit says in the Psalms, “Keep discipline, lest perchance the Lord be angry, and you perish from the right way, when His wrath is quickly kindled against you.” And again: But unto the ungodly says God, “Why do you preach my laws, and takest my covenant into your mouth?
Whereas you hate discipline, and hast cast my words behind you.” And again we read: “He that casts away discipline is miserable.” And from Solomon we have received the mandates of wisdom, warning us: “My son, despise not the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loves He corrects.” But if God rebukes whom He loves, and rebukes him for the very purpose of amending him, brethren also, and especially priests, do not hate, but love those whom they rebuke, that they may mend them; since God also before predicted by Jeremiah, and pointed to our times, when he said, “And I will give you shepherds according to my heart: and they shall feed you with the food of discipline.?”
Source: The Treatises of Cyprian (New Advent)