On Patience

 1. That virtue of the mind which is called Patience, is so great a gift of God, that even in Him who bestoweth the same upon us, that, whereby He wait

 2. The patience of man, which is right and laudable and worthy of the name of virtue, is understood to be that by which we tolerate evil things with a

 3. Look we then, beloved, what hardships in labors and sorrows men endure, for things which they viciously love, and by how much they think to be made

 4. Nay more for is it not so that even for open wickednesses, not to punish but to perpetrate them, men put up with many most grievous troubles? Do n

 5. When therefore thou shall see any man suffer aught patiently, do not straightway praise it as patience for this is only shown by the cause of suff

 6. But yet, seeing that for lusts’ sake, or even wickednesses, seeing, in a word, that for this temporal life and weal men do wonderfully bear the bru

 7. Though indeed the welfare even of the body is then more providently consulted for if its temporal life and welfare be disregarded for righteousness

 8. But although patience be a virtue of the mind, yet partly the mind exercises it in the mind itself, partly in the body. In itself it exercises pati

 9. It is indeed a greater fight of patience, when it is not a visible enemy that by persecution and rage would urge us into crime which enemy may open

 10. To this man let them look who put themselves to death when they are sought for to have life put upon them and by bereaving themselves of the pres

 11. Let then the Saints hear from holy Scripture the precepts of patience: “My son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand thou in righteousnes

 12. But concerning true patience, worthy of the name of this virtue, whence it is to be had, must now be inquired. For there are some who attribute it

 13. But they answer and speak, saying, “If the will of man without any aid of God by strength of free choice bears so many grievous and horrible distr

 14. They which say these things, do not understand that as well each one of the wicked is in that measure for endurance of any ills more hard, in what

 15. For, as the Divine utterances testify, “God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God dwelleth in him.” Whoso therefore conte

 16. Here some man shall say “If the concupiscence of the bad, whereby it comes that they bear all evils for that which they lust after, be of the wor

 17. Now this election the Apostle demonstrating to be, not of merits going before in good works, but election of grace, saith thus: “And in this time

 18. Whence also the just of old, before the Incarnation of the Word, in this faith of Christ, and in this true righteousness, (which thing Christ is u

 19. Since the case is so, what is man, while in this life he uses his own proper will, ere he choose and love God, but unrighteous and ungodly? “What,

 20. Let thus much have been said with regard to charity, without which in us there cannot be true patience, because in good men it is the love of God

 21. But if it be goaded on and inflamed with deceitful visions and unclean incentives by the devilish spirit, associated and conspiring therewith in m

 22. But the pleasure of the Creator, of which is written, “And from the river of Thy pleasure wilt Thou give them to drink,” is of far other kind, for

 23. But if moreover any not having charity, which pertaineth to the unity of spirit and the bond of peace whereby the Catholic Church is gathered and

 24. But it may well be asked, whether this patience likewise be the gift of God, or to be attributed to strength of the human will, by which patience,

 25. So then, as we are not to deny that this is the gift of God, we are thus to understand that there be some gifts of God possessed by the sons of th

 26. Cry we therefore with the spirit of charity, and until we come to the inheritance in which we are alway to remain, let us be, through love which b

22. But the pleasure of the Creator, of which is written, “And from the river of Thy pleasure wilt Thou give them to drink,”61    Ps. xxxvi. 9 is of far other kind, for it is not, like us, a creature. Unless then its love be given to us from thence there is no source whence it may be in us. And consequently, a good will, by which we love God, cannot be in man, save in whom God also worketh to will. This good will therefore, that is, a will faithfully subjected to God,62    Phil. ii. 13 a will set on fire by sanctity of that ardor which is above, a will which loves God and his neighbor for God’s sake; whether through love, of which the Apostle Peter makes answer, “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee;”63    John xxi. 15 whether through fear, of which says the Apostle Paul, “In fear and trembling work out your own salvation;”64    Phil. ii. 12 whether through joy, of which he says, “In hope rejoicing, in tribulation patient;”65    Rom. xii. 12 whether through sorrow, with which he says he had great grief for his brethren;66    Rom. ix. 2 in whatever way it endure what bitterness and hardships soever, it is the love of God which “endureth all things,”67    1 Cor. xiii. 7 and which is not shed abroad in our hearts but by the Holy Spirit given unto us.68    Rom. v. 5 Whereof piety makes no manner of doubt, but, as the charity of them which holily love, so the patience of them which piously endure, is the gift of God. For it cannot be that the divine Scripture deceiveth or is deceived, which not only in the Old Books hath testimonies of this thing, when it is said unto God, “My Patience art Thou,” and, “From Him is my patience;”69    Ps. lxxi. 5; and lxii. 5 and where another prophet saith, that we receive the spirit of fortitude;70    Is. xi. 2 but also in the Apostolic writings we read, “Because unto you is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but to suffer for Him.”71    Phil. i. 29 Therefore let not that make the mind to be as of its own merit uplifted, wherewith he is told that he is of Another’s mercy gifted.

CAPUT XXV.

22. Bona voluntas non nisi ex Deo. Voluptas autem Creatoris, de qua scriptum est, Et torrente voluptatis tuae potabis eos (Psal. XXXV, 9), longe alterius generis est: neque enim, sicut nos, creatura est. Nisi ergo amor ejus detur inde nobis, non est unde esse possit in nobis. Ac per hoc voluntas bona, qua diligitur Deus, in homine non potest esse, nisi in quo Deus operatur et velle (Philipp. II, 13). Haec igitur voluntas bona, id est, voluntas Deo fideliter subdita, voluntas sanctitate superni ardoris accensa, voluntas quae diligit Deum et proximum propter Deum; sive amore, de quo respondet apostolus Petrus, Domine, tu scis quia amo te (Joan. XXI, 15); sive timore, de quo dicit apostolus Paulus, in timore et tremore vestram ipsorum salutem operamini (Philipp. II, 12); sive gaudio, de quo dicit, Spe gaudentes, in tribulatione patientes (Rom. XII, 12); sive tristitia, qualem se dicit magnam habuisse pro fratribus suis (Id. IX, 2): quaecumque amara et aspera sufferat, charitas Dei est, quae omnia tolerat (I Cor. XIII, 7), quae non diffunditur in cordibus nostris, nisi per Spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis (Rom. V, 5).

CAPUT XXVI.

Piorum patientia Dei donum. Schismaticorum patientia pro Christo an laudanda. Unde nequaquam dubitante pietate, sicut charitas sancte amantium, ita patientia pie tolerantium Dei donum est. Neque enim divina Scriptura fallit aut fallitur, quae non solum in veteribus Libris habet hujus rei testimonia, cum Deo dicitur, Patientia mea tu es (Psal. LXX 5); et, Ab ipso est patientia mea (Psal. LXI, 6); et ubi alius propheta dicit, accipere nos Spiritum fortitudinis: verum etiam in apostolicis Litteris legitur, Quia vobis donatum est pro Christo, non solum ut credatis in eum, sed ut etiam patiamini propter eum (Philipp. I, 29). Non ergo quasi de proprio faciat animum elatum quod sibi audit esse donatum.