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On the Advantage of Patience

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 14

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

14. But patience, beloved brethren, not only keeps watch

‹ Section 13 Section 15 ›

over

what

is

good

,

but

it

also

repels

what

is

evil

.

In

harmony

with

the

Holy

Spirit

,

and

associated

with

what

is

heavenly

and

divine

,

it

struggles

with

the

defence

of

its

strength

against

the

deeds

of

the

flesh

and

the

body

,

wherewith

the

soul

is

assaulted

and

taken

.

Let

us

look

briefly

into

a

few

things

out

of

many

,

that

from

a

few

the

rest

also

may

be

understood

.

Adultery

,

fraud

,

manslaughter

,

are

mortal

crimes

.

Let

patience

be

strong

and

stedfast

in

the

heart

;

and

neither

is

the

sanctified

body

and

temple

of

God

polluted

by

adultery

,

nor

is

the

innocence

dedicated

to

righteousness

stained

with

the

contagion

of

fraud

;

nor

,

after

the

Eucharist

carried

in

it

,

is

the

hand

spotted

with

the

sword

and

blood

.

Notes

34
The older editions have “gustatam,” “tasted,” instead of “gestatam,” “carried,” as above. [See page p. 350, supra. Also St. Cyril. Elucidation VIII.]