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On the Advantage of Patience

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 4

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

4. But what and how great is the patience in

‹ Section 3 Section 5 ›

God

,

that

,

most

patiently

enduring

the

profane

temples

and

the

images

of

earth

,

and

the

sacrilegious

rites

instituted

by

men

,

in

contempt

of

His

majesty

and

honour

,

He

makes

the

day

to

begin

and

the

light

of

the

sun

to

arise

alike

upon

the

good

and

the

evil

;

and

while

He

waters

the

earth

with

showers

,

no

one

is

excluded

from

His

benefits

,

but

upon

the

righteous

equally

with

the

unrighteous

He

bestows

His

undiscriminating

rains

.

We

see

that

with

undistinguishing

equality

of

patience

,

at

God’s

behest

,

the

seasons

minister

to

the

guilty

and

the

guiltless

,

the

religious

and

the

impious

—

those

who

give

thanks

and

the

unthankful

;

that

the

elements

wait

on

them

;

the

winds

blow

,

the

fountains

flow

,

the

abundance

of

the

harvests

increases

,

the

fruits

of

the

vineyards

ripen

,

the

trees

are

loaded

with

apples

,

the

groves

put

on

their

leaves

,

the

meadows

their

verdure

;

and

while

God

is

provoked

with

frequent

,

yea

,

with

continual

offences

,

He

softens

His

indignation

,

and

in

patience

waits

for

the

day

of

retribution

,

once

for

all

determined

;

and

although

He

has

revenge

in

His

power

,

He

prefers

to

keep

patience

for

a

long

while

,

bearing

,

that

is

to

say

,

mercifully

,

and

putting

off

,

so

that

,

if

it

might

be

possible

,

the

long

protracted

mischief

may

at

some

time

be

changed

,

and

man

,

involved

in

the

contagion

of

errors

and

crimes

,

may

even

though

late

be

converted

to

God

,

as

He

Himself

warns

and

says

,

“

I

do

not

will

the

death

of

him

that

dieth

,

so

much

as

that

he

may

return

and

live

.

”

And

again

,

“

Return

unto

me

,

saith

the

Lord

.

”

And

again

:

“

Return

to

the

Lord

your

God

;

for

He

is

merciful

,

and

gracious

,

and

patient

,

and

of

great

pity

,

and

who

inclines

His

judgment

towards

the

evils

inflicted

.

”

Which

,

moreover

,

the

blessed

apostle

referring

to

,

and

recalling

the

sinner

to

repentance

,

sets

forward

,

and

says

:

“

Or

despisest

thou

the

riches

of

His

goodness

,

and

forbearance

,

and

long

-

suffering

,

not

knowing

that

the

patience

and

goodness

of

God

leadeth

thee

to

repentance

?

But

after

thy

hardness

and

impenitent

heart

thou

treasurest

up

unto

thyself

wrath

in

the

day

of

wrath

and

of

revelation

of

the

righteous

judgment

of

God

,

who

shall

render

to

every

one

according

to

his

works

.

”

He

says

that

God’s

judgment

is

just

,

because

it

is

tardy

,

because

it

is

long

and

greatly

deferred

,

so

that

by

the

long

patience

of

God

man

may

be

benefited

for

life

eternal

.

Punishment

is

then

executed

on

the

impious

and

the

sinner

,

when

repentance

for

the

sin

can

no

longer

avail

.

Notes

7
“Inseparabili.”
8
The original here is read variously “maturescere” and “mitescere.”
9
Ezek. xviii. 32.
10
Mal. iii. 7. The Oxford edition omits this quotation, and introduces the next with the words, “And again the prophet.”
11
Joel ii. 13.
12
Rom. ii. 4–6.
13
[“Deus patiens quia æternus” (Augustine).]