6. Nor, beloved brethren, did Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, teach this in words only; but He fulfilled it also in deeds. And because He had said that He had come down for this purpose, that He might do the will of His Father; among the other marvels of His virtues, whereby He showed forth the marks of a divine majesty, He also maintained the patience of His Father in the constancy of His endurance. Finally, all His actions, even from His very advent, are characterized by patience as their associate; in that, first of all, coming down from that heavenly sublimity to earthly things, the Son of God did not scorn to put on the flesh of man, and although He Himself was not a sinner, to bear the sins of others. His immortality being in the meantime laid aside, He suffers Himself to become mortal, so that the guiltless may be put to death for the salvation of the guilty. The Lord is baptized by the servant; and He who is about to bestow remission of sins, does not Himself disdain to wash His body in the laver of regeneration. For forty days He fasts, by whom others are feasted. He is hungry, and suffers famine, that they who had been in hunger of the word and of grace may be satisfied with heavenly bread. He wrestles with the devil tempting Him; and, content only to have overcome the enemy, He strives no farther than by words. He ruled over His disciples not as servants in the power of a master; but, kind and gentle, He loved them with a brotherly love. He deigned even to wash the apostles’ feet, that since the Lord is such among His servants, He might teach, by His example, what a fellow-servant ought to be among his peers and equals. Nor is it to be wondered at, that among the obedient15 Baluzius reads, “compares obaudientes”—His obedient peers. The mss. have “obaudientes” only. He showed Himself such, since He could bear Judas even to the last with a long patience—could take meat with His enemy—could know the household foe, and not openly point him out, nor refuse the kiss of the traitor. Moreover, in bearing with the Jews, how great equanimity and how great patience, in turning the unbelieving to the faith by persuasion, in soothing the unthankful by concession, in answering gently to the contradictors, in bearing the proud with clemency, in yielding with humility to the persecutors, in wishing to gather together the slayers of the prophets, and those who were always rebellious against God, even to the very hour of His cross and passion!
VI. Nec hoc, fratres dilectissimi, Jesus Christus Deus et Dominus noster tantum verbis docuit, sed implevit et factis. Et quia ad hoc descendisse se dixerat 0626A ut voluntatem Patris faceret , inter caetera mirabilia virtutum suarum quibus indicia divinae majestatis expressit, paternam quoque patientiam tolerantiae tenore servavit. Omnes denique actus ejus ab ipso statim adventu patientia comite signantur , quod primum de illa sublimitate coelesti ad terrena descendens non aspernatur Dei Filius carnem hominis induere et, cum peccator ipse non esset, aliena peccata portare. Immortalitate interim posita, fieri se et mortalem patitur, ut innocens pro nocentium salute perimatur . Dominus baptizatur a servo; et, remissam peccatorum daturus, ipse non dedignatur lavacro regenerationis corpus abluere. Diebus quadraginta jejunat, per quem caeteri saginantur: esurit et famem sentit, ut qui in fame sermonis et gratiae 0626B fuerant coelesti pane saturentur. Cum diabolo tentante congreditur, et inimicum tantum vicisse contentus, nihil ultra verba conatur. Discipulis non ut servis dominica potestate praefuit, sed benignus et mitis fraterna eos charitate dilexit. Dignatus est etiam pedes Apostolorum lavare, ut, dum circa servos talis est dominus, exemplo suo doceret qualis circa compares et aequales debeat esse conservus. Nec mirandum quod circa compares obaudientes talis extiterit qui Judam potuit usque ad extremum longa patientia sustinere, cibum cum inimico capere , hostem domesticum scire nec palam ostendere, traditoris osculum non recusare. In Judaeis vero tolerandis aequanimitas quanta et quanta patientia! incredulos ad fidem suadendo flectere, obsequio ingratos fovere, 0626C contradicentibus respondere leniter, superbos sustinere clementer, humiliter persequentibus cedere, Prophetarum interfectores et adversum Deum semper rebelles usque ad crucis et passionis horam velle colligere.