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,26272627 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,26282628 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,26292629 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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