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On the Advantage of Patience

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 19

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

19. And, beloved brethren, that the benefit of patience

‹ Section 18 Section 20 ›

may

still

more

shine

forth

,

let

us

consider

,

on

the

contrary

,

what

mischief

impatience

may

cause

.

For

as

patience

is

the

benefit

of

Christ

,

so

,

on

the

other

hand

,

impatience

is

the

mischief

of

the

devil

;

and

as

one

in

whom

Christ

dwells

and

abides

is

found

patient

,

so

he

appears

always

impatient

whose

mind

the

wickedness

of

the

devil

possesses

.

Briefly

let

us

look

at

the

very

beginnings

.

The

devil

suffered

with

impatience

that

man

was

made

in

the

image

of

God

.

Hence

he

was

the

first

to

perish

and

to

ruin

others

.

Adam

,

contrary

to

the

heavenly

command

with

respect

to

the

deadly

food

,

by

impatience

fell

into

death

;

nor

did

he

keep

the

grace

received

from

God

under

the

guardianship

of

patience

.

And

in

order

that

Cain

should

put

his

brother

to

death

,

he

was

impatient

of

his

sacrifice

and

gift

;

and

in

that

Esau

descended

from

the

rights

of

the

first

-

born

to

those

of

the

younger

,

he

lost

his

priority

by

impatience

for

the

pottage

.

Why

was

the

Jewish

people

faithless

and

ungrateful

in

respect

of

the

divine

benefits

?

Was

it

not

the

crime

of

impatience

,

that

they

first

departed

from

God

?

Not

being

able

to

bear

the

delays

of

Moses

conferring

with

God

,

they

dared

to

ask

for

profane

gods

,

that

they

might

call

the

head

of

an

ox

and

an

earthen

image

leaders

of

their

march

;

nor

did

they

ever

desist

from

their

impatience

,

until

,

impatient

always

of

docility

and

of

divine

admonition

,

they

put

to

death

their

prophets

and

all

the

righteous

men

,

and

plunged

even

into

the

crime

of

the

crucifixion

and

bloodshedding

of

the

Lord

.

Moreover

,

impatience

makes

heretics

in

the

Church

,

and

,

after

the

likeness

of

the

Jews

,

drives

them

in

opposition

to

the

peace

and

charity

of

Christ

as

rebels

,

to

hostile

and

raging

hatred

.

And

,

not

at

length

to

enumerate

single

cases

,

absolutely

everything

which

patience

,

by

its

works

,

builds

up

to

glory

,

impatience

casts

down

into

ruin

.

Notes

42
[Admirably worked out in Messias and Anti-Messias, by the Rev. C. I. Black, ed. London, Masters, 1854.]
43
[The downfall of Novatian and of Arius and others seems largely attributable to this sin. They could not await God’s time to give them influence and power for good. See quotation from Massillon, vol. iii. p. 718, this series. Also Tertull., iii. p. 677.]