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On the Advantage of Patience

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 10

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

10. Finally, we find that both patriarchs and prophets,

‹ Section 9 Section 11 ›

and

all

the

righteous

men

who

in

their

preceding

likeness

wore

the

figure

of

Christ

,

in

the

praise

of

their

virtues

were

watchful

over

nothing

more

than

that

they

should

preserve

patience

with

a

strong

and

stedfast

equanimity

.

Thus

Abel

,

who

first

initiated

and

consecrated

the

origin

of

martyrdom

,

and

the

passion

of

the

righteous

man

,

makes

no

resistance

nor

struggles

against

his

fratricidal

brother

,

but

with

lowliness

and

meekness

he

is

patiently

slain

.

Thus

Abraham

,

believing

God

,

and

first

of

all

instituting

the

root

and

foundation

of

faith

,

when

tried

in

respect

of

his

son

,

does

not

hesitate

nor

delay

,

but

obeys

the

commands

of

God

with

all

the

patience

of

devotion

.

And

Isaac

,

prefigured

as

the

likeness

of

the

Lord’s

victim

,

when

he

is

presented

by

his

father

for

immolation

,

is

found

patient

.

And

Jacob

,

driven

forth

by

his

brother

from

his

country

,

departs

with

patience

;

and

afterwards

with

greater

patience

,

he

suppliantly

brings

him

back

to

concord

with

peaceful

gifts

,

when

he

is

even

more

impious

and

persecuting

.

Joseph

,

sold

by

his

brethren

and

sent

away

,

not

only

with

patience

pardons

them

,

but

even

bountifully

and

mercifully

bestows

gratuitous

supplies

of

corn

on

them

when

they

come

to

him

.

Moses

is

frequently

contemned

by

an

ungrateful

and

faithless

people

,

and

almost

stoned

;

and

yet

with

gentleness

and

patience

he

entreats

the

Lord

for

those

people

.

But

in

David

,

from

whom

,

according

to

the

flesh

,

the

nativity

of

Christ

springs

,

how

great

and

marvellous

and

Christian

is

the

patience

,

that

he

often

had

it

in

his

power

to

be

able

to

kill

king

Saul

,

who

was

persecuting

him

and

desiring

to

slay

him

;

and

yet

,

chose

rather

to

save

him

when

placed

in

his

hand

,

and

delivered

up

to

him

,

not

repaying

his

enemy

in

turn

,

but

rather

,

on

the

contrary

,

even

avenging

him

when

slain

!

In

fine

,

so

many

prophets

were

slain

,

so

many

martyrs

were

honoured

with

glorious

deaths

,

who

all

have

attained

to

the

heavenly

crowns

by

the

praise

of

patience

.

For

the

crown

of

sorrows

and

sufferings

cannot

be

received

unless

patience

in

sorrow

and

suffering

precede

it

.

Notes

23
According to some, “parricidal.”