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| The Causes of Impatience, and Their Correspondent Precepts.
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Chapter VII.—The
Causes of Impatience, and Their Correspondent Precepts.
Now, however, while we run through the causes of
impatience, all the other precepts also will answer in their own
places. If our spirit is aroused by the loss of property, it is
commonished by the Lord’s Scriptures, in almost every place, to a
contemning of the world;9084
nor is there any
more powerful exhortation to contempt of money submitted9085
(to us), than (the fact) the Lord
Himself is found amid no riches. He always justifies the poor,
fore-condemns the rich. So He fore-ministered to patience
“loss,” and to opulence “contempt” (as
portion);9086
| 9086 This appears to be the
sense of this very difficult passage as Oehler reads it; and of Fr.
Junius’ interpretation of it, which Oehler approves. | demonstrating, by
means of (His own) repudiation of riches, that hurts done
to them also are not to be much regarded. Of that, therefore, which we
have not the smallest need to seek after, because the Lord did not seek
after it either, we ought to endure without heart-sickness the cutting
down or taking away. “Covetousness,” the Spirit of
the Lord has through the apostle pronounced “a root of all
evils.”9087
Let us not
interpret that covetousness as consisting merely in the
concupiscence of what is another’s: for even what seems
ours is another’s; for nothing is ours, since all things
are God’s, whose are we also ourselves. And so, if, when
suffering from a loss, we feel impatiently, grieving for what is lost
from what is not our own, we shall be detected as bordering on
covetousness: we seek what is another’s when we ill
brook losing what is another’s. He who is greatly stirred
with impatience of a loss, does, by giving things earthly the
precedence over things heavenly, sin directly9088
| 9088 De proximo. See above,
c. v. Deo de proximo amicus, “a most intimate
friend to God.” |
against God; for the Spirit, which he has received from the Lord,
he greatly shocks for
the sake of a worldly matter. Willingly, therefore, let us lose things
earthly, let us keep things heavenly. Perish the whole world,9089
so I may make patience my gain! In truth, I
know not whether he who has not made up his mind to endure with
constancy the loss of somewhat of his, either by theft, or else by
force, or else even by carelessness, would himself readily or heartily
lay hand on his own property in the cause of almsgiving: for who
that endures not at all to be cut by another, himself draws the sword
on his own body? Patience in losses is an exercise in bestowing and
communicating. Who fears not to lose, finds it not irksome to give.
Else how will one, when he has two coats, give the one of them to the
naked,9090
unless he be a man
likewise to offer to one who takes away his coat his cloak as
well?9091
How shall we fashion to us friends from
mammon,9092
if we love it so
much as not to put up with its loss? We shall perish together with the
lost mammon. Why do we find here, where it is our
business to lose?9093
To exhibit
impatience at all losses is the Gentiles’ business, who give
money the precedence perhaps over their soul; for so they do, when, in
their cupidities of lucre, they encounter the gainful perils of
commerce on the sea; when, for money’s sake, even in the forum,
there is nothing which damnation (itself) would fear which they
hesitate to essay; when they hire themselves for sport and the camp;
when, after the manner of wild beasts, they play the bandit along the
highway. But us, according to the diversity by which we are
distinguished from them, it becomes to lay down not our soul for money,
but money for our soul, whether spontaneously in bestowing or patiently
in losing.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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