1.
That virtue of the mind which is called Patience, is so
great a gift of God, that even in Him who bestoweth the same upon
us, that, whereby He waiteth for evil men that they may amend, is
set forth by the name of Patience, [or long-suffering.] So,
although in God there can be no suffering,2627
and “
patience” hath its name
a patiendo, from suffering, yet a
patient God we not only
faithfully believe, but also wholesomely confess. But the
patience
of
God, of what
kind and how great it is, His, Whom we say to be
impassible,
2628
yet not
impatient, nay even most
patient, in words to unfold this who can
be able? Ineffable is therefore that
patience, as is His
jealousy,
as His
wrath, and whatever there is like to these. For if we
conceive of these as they be in us, in Him are there none. We,
namely, can feel none of these without molestation: but be it
far
from us to surmise that the impassible
nature of
God is liable to
any molestation. But like as He is
jealous without any darkening of
spirit,
2629
wroth
without any perturbation,
pitiful without any
pain, repenteth Him
without any wrongness in Him to be set right; so is He patient
without aught of passion. Now therefore as concerning human
patience, which we are able to conceive and beholden to have, of
what sort it is, I will, as God granteth and the brevity of the
present discourse alloweth, essay to set forth.
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