12. But concerning true
patience, worthy of the name of this virtue, whence it is to be
had, must now be inquired. For there are some2650
who attribute it to the
strength
of the human will, not which it hath by
Divine assistance, but
which it hath of free-will. Now this error is a
proud one: for it
is the error of them which abound, of whom it is said in the Psalm,
“A scornful
reproof to them which abound, and a despising to the
proud.”
2651
It is not
therefore that “
patience of the
poor” which “perisheth not
forever.”
2652
For these
poor receive it from that
Rich One, to Whom is said, “My
God art
Thou, because my goods Thou needest not:”
2653
of Whom is “every good
gift, and
every
perfect gift;”
2654
to Whom crieth the needy and the
poor, and in asking, seeking, knocking, saith, “My
God,
deliver
me from the
hand of the
sinner, and from the
hand of the
lawless
and
unjust: because Thou art my
patience, O
Lord, my
hope from my
youth up.”
2655
But these
which abound, and disdain to be in want before
God, lest they
receive of Him true
patience, they which
glory in their own false
patience,
seek to “
confound the
counsel of the
poor, because the
Lord is his
hope.”
2656
Nor do they regard, seeing they
are men, and attribute so much to their own, that is, to the human
will, that they
run into that which is written, “
Cursed is every
one who putteth his
hope in man.”
2657
Whence even if it chance them that
they do bear up under any
hardships or difficulties, either that
they may not displease men, or that they may not
suffer worse, or
in self-pleasing and
love of their own presumption, do with most
proud will bear up under these same, it is meet that concerning
patience this be said unto them, which concerning
wisdom the
blessed Apostle James saith, “This
wisdom cometh not from above,
but is earthly,
animal, devilish.”
2658
For why may there not be a false
patience of the
proud, as there is a false
wisdom of the
proud? But
from Whom cometh true
wisdom, from Him cometh also true
patience.
For to Him singeth that
poor in spirit, “Unto God is my soul
subjected, because from Him is my patience.”
2659
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