34 THE TREATISES OF CYPRIAN.
of patience. What dartsof the devilwere sentforthagainst
him ! what tortureswere put in use! The lossof hisestate
isinflicted,the privationof a numerous offspringisordained
forhim. The master,rich in estate,and the father,richer
in children,ison a sudden neithermaster nor father! The
wastingof wounds is added ; and, moreover,an eating pest
of worms consumes his festeringand wasting limbs. And
that nothing at allshould remain that Job did not experi
ence in histrials,the devilarms hiswife also,making use of
thatold deviceof hiswickedness,as if he coulddeceiveand
mislead allby woman, even as he did in the beginning of
the world. And yet Job is not broken down by his severe
and repeatedconflicts,nor the blessingof God withheldfrom
being declaredin the midst of thosedifficultiesand trialsof
his,by the victoryof patience. Tobias also,who, afterthe
sublimeworks of his justiceand mercy, was triedwith the
lossof his eyes,in proportionas he patientlyendured his
blindness,in thatproportiondeservedgreatlyof God by the
praiseof patience.
19. And, beloved brethren,that the benefitof patience
may stillmore shine forth,letus consider,on the contrary,
what mischiefimpatiencemay cause. For as patienceisthe
benefitof Christ,so,on the other hand, impatienceis the
mischief of the devil; and as one in whom Christ dwells
and abidesisfound patient,so he appearsalways impatient
whose mind the wickednessof the devilpossesses.Briefly
letus lookat the very beginnings. The devilsufferedwith
impatiencethatman was made in the image of God. Hence
he was thefirstto perishand to ruinothers. Adam, contrary
to the heavenly command with respectto the deadlyfood,by
impatiencefellintodeath; nor didhe keep the gracereceived
from God under the guardianshipof patience. And in order
thatCain should put his brotherto death,he was impatient
of his sacrificeand gift; and in that Esau descended from
the rightsof the first-borntothoseof the younger,he losthis
priorityby impatienceforthe pottage. Why was the Jewish
people faithlessand ungrateful in respectof the divine
benefitsI Was itnot the crime of impatience,thatthey first