26) By true patience we become conformed to Christ, the Son of God, Who endured so many sorrows and sufferings for our sake as members of the Head. And whoever in patience is conformed to Him, the same will partake of His glory in the resurrection, if only we suffer with Him, says the Apostle, that we may also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17). What is it like for the Son of God to be conformed in patience and glory, and to be a true spiritual member of this most-blessed Head—not only the tongue, but even our mind cannot comprehend it.

27) God's love demands that we bear the cross that He imposes on us without complaint, even gratefully. He punishes us out of love, and not out of anger, as was said above, so we should not endure His Fatherly punishment with anger and murmuring, even though our hearts are troubled, but with love and thanksgiving. For nothing shows love for God so much as grateful endurance of troubles and sorrows. Many think of themselves as loving God; but the finding of trouble shows whether this opinion of theirs is true. In prosperity, even the wicked think that they thank God, but in unfavorable circumstances they murmur. In prosperity and misfortune, to be grateful to God is the work of a God-loving heart only.

(28) How great is the benefit of patience in society and in every calling! Patience preserves love and harmony between the authorities and the ruled, between parents and children, between masters and slaves, between brothers, between friends, between neighbors, between buyers and sellers, so that without patience there can be no good. From impatience, husband and wife, brother and brother, with each other, where there should be peace and harmony, quarrel and enmity. From impatience the lord of the slave, the father of the son, the husband of the wife, the lord of the subject painfully beats him. From impatience in those who endure beatings, evil thoughts arise against those who strike; Hence it happens that the servant of the master, the wife of the husband, subject to the master, the son of the evil father, seeks to kill, and kills, for this evil often happens.

Patience stops all this evil. Impatience destroys houses, villages, cities, and states, for from impatience there is disagreement, from disagreement there is quarrel and strife, and from strife, there is bloodshed and murder in the people who make up society. Patience averts all this evil. For where there is patience, there is no strife or strife. What kind of quarrel can there be when one has offended, and the other has yielded and forgiven the offender? From human impatience even the most innocent nature suffers. In this way, the wicked burn houses, granaries, shops, kill or damage livestock. From impatience a man beats himself, tears his hair, and becomes like a demoniac and more terrible than a beast; often he kills himself, and so he dies in soul and body. Patience does not allow this calamity to be.

Oh, blessed are those houses, cities, villages, villages, and societies in which patience dwells: for it preserves society more than weapons, more protects the city than walls! Oh, the sweet sight and hearing of patience is the refuge of the overwhelmed, the source of peace, strength, friendship, the visor and storehouse of virtues, the crown of piety, a well-known sign of faith, the cause of true joy, the fruit of humility, peace of conscience, the Christian coat of arms, the banner of Christ's soldiers, the seal of God's chosen ones, the path to eternal life, the ladder to heaven, the forerunner of eternal glory, victory over enemies, a plague to the devil and his angels, a reproach to the world, triumph over oneself, and so on.

§ 215. Patience is strengthened:

1) a prayer that asks for God's help in bearing the imposed cross. For as suffering children declare their sorrow to their parents, and so they receive comfort from them; or just as a friend communicates the sorrow of his heart to his faithful friend and thus feels a certain consolation in his heart, so we especially feel the relief of our sorrow when we communicate our sorrow to God, the Father of mercy and the God of all consolation (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), through prayer.

2) It is strengthened by the confession of sins. For in the confession of sins a man learns that through his own sins he has come to such a calamity, and therefore he does not complain about anyone, but only about himself and his sins. In this way, God's consolation is sent to the confessing and repentant.

3) Sorrow and sorrow are relieved by spiritual songs. Thus travelers drive away boredom and sorrow with various songs; This is how craftsmen dissolve sadness and boredom by singing. For singing to the sorrowful is like a plaster applied to a wound, or like cold water to the thirsty.

4) Укрепляется терпение ожиданием избавления, которое, хотя и не до смерти, но со смертью последует. Ибо смертью всякое бедствие сокращается.

5) Воззрением на образ страдания Христова, святых мучеников и прочих святых, а также и тех, кто ныне всякое бедствие терпит, как сказано.

6) Ожиданием будущей славы утешение приобретается. Так утешаются земледельцы надеждой плодов, путники – надеждой покоя, воины – надеждой победы и славы, купцы – надеждой приобретения богатства. Если надежда этих временных благ ободряет, тем более надежда верных и неизреченных благ ободрит и поощрит к терпению бедствия и печали.

7) Святое Писание подает разнообразные утешения скорбящим и сетующим душам. Как в богатой и изобильной аптеке различные имеются лекарства, которыми различные исцеляются телесные болезни, так и в Священном Писании предлагаются нам различные средства, которыми можем в терпении утешиться и укрепиться. Ибо для того и дано оно Богом, чтобы мы терпением и утешением из Писаний сохраняли надежду (Рим. 15:4).

Глава 7.