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On the Advantage of Patience

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 5

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

5. And that we may more fully understand, beloved brethren

‹ Section 4 Section 6 ›

,

that

patience

is

a

thing

of

God

,

and

that

whoever

is

gentle

,

and

patient

,

and

meek

,

is

an

imitator

of

God

the

Father

;

when

the

Lord

in

His

Gospel

was

giving

precepts

for

salvation

,

and

,

bringing

forth

divine

warnings

,

was

instructing

His

disciples

to

perfection

,

He

laid

it

down

,

and

said

,

“

Ye

have

heard

that

it

is

said

,

Thou

shalt

love

thy

neighbour

,

and

have

thine

enemy

in

hatred

.

But

I

say

unto

you

,

Love

your

enemies

,

and

pray

for

them

which

persecute

you

;

that

ye

may

be

the

children

of

your

Father

which

is

in

heaven

,

who

maketh

His

sun

to

rise

on

the

good

and

on

the

evil

,

and

raineth

upon

the

just

and

on

the

unjust

.

For

if

ye

love

them

which

love

you

,

what

reward

shall

ye

have

?

do

not

even

the

publicans

the

same

?

And

if

ye

shall

salute

your

brethren

only

,

what

do

ye

more

(

than

others

)

?

do

not

even

the

heathens

the

same

thing

?

Be

ye

therefore

perfect

,

even

as

your

Father

in

heaven

is

perfect

.

”

He

said

that

the

children

of

God

would

thus

become

perfect

.

He

showed

that

they

were

thus

completed

,

and

taught

that

they

were

restored

by

a

heavenly

birth

,

if

the

patience

of

God

our

Father

dwell

in

us

—

if

the

divine

likeness

,

which

Adam

had

lost

by

sin

,

be

manifested

and

shine

in

our

actions

.

What

a

glory

is

it

to

become

like

to

God

!

what

and

how

great

a

felicity

,

to

possess

among

our

virtues

,

that

which

may

be

placed

on

the

level

of

divine

praises

!

Notes

14
Matt. v. 43–48.