understand that as well each one of the wicked eager of lust, and bearing ills with the more
THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
that animal, this spiritual; that devilish, this Godlike. Because concupiscence, whereof it cometh that persons sinning suffer all things stubbornly, is of the world; but charity, whereof cometh that persons living aright suffer all things bravely, is of God. And therefore to that false patience it is possible that, without aid of God, the human will may suffice; harder, in proportion as it is more eager of lust, and bearing ills with the more endurance the worse itself becometh: while to this, which is true patience, the human will, unless aided and inflamed from above, doth not suffice, for the very reason that the Holy Spirit is the fire thereof; by Whom unless it be kindled to love that impassible Good, it is not able to bear the ill which it suffereth.
most atrocious and protracted torments persevere in a lie, lest confessing their misdeeds they be ordered to be put to death; and not sufficient the will of the just, unless strength be put into them from above, that whatever be their pains, they should, either for beauty's sake of very righteousness or for love of eternal life, bear the same ?"'
14. They which say these things, do not understand that as well each one of the wicked is in that measure for endurance of any ills more hard, in what measure the lust of the world is mightier in him; as also that each one of the just is in that measure for endurance of any ills more brave, in what measure in him the love of God is mightier. But lust of the world hath its beginning from choice of the will, its progress from enjoyableness of pleasure, its confirmation from the chain of custom, whereas ''the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts," * not verily from ourselves, but *' by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us." And therefore from Him cometh the patience of the just, by Whom is shed abroad their love (of Him). Which love (of charity) the Apostle praising and setting off, among its other good qualities, saith, that it
15. For, as the Divine utterances testify, 'God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God dwelleth in him.'' 7 Whoso therefore contends that love of God may be had without aid of God, what else does he contend, but that God may be had without God? Now what Christian would say this, which no madman would venture to say ? Therefore in the Apostle, true, pious, faithful patience, saith exultingly, and by the mouth of the Saints; '' Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
''beareth all things."? °** Charity," saith he, '*is magnanimous.' 3 saith, ''endureth all things."' The greater then is in saints the charity (or love) of God, the more do they endure all things for Him whom they love, and the greater in sinners the lust of the world, the more do they endure all things for that which they lust after. And consequently from that same source cometh true patience of the righteous, from which there is in them the love of God; and from that same source the false patience of the unrighteous, from which is in them the lust of the world. With regard to which the Apostle John saith; '* Love not the world, neither the things that be in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him: because all that is in the world, is lust of the flesh, and lust of the eyes, and pride of life;+ which is not of the Father, but is of the world. ''5 This concupiscence, then, which is not of the Father, but is of the world, in what measure it shall in any man be more vehement and ardent, in that measure becometh each more patient of all troubles and sorrows for that which he lusteth after. Therefore, as we said above, this is not the patience which descendeth from above, but the patience of the godly is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. And so that is earthly, this heavenly;
And a little after he.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us:'' not through ourselves, but, ''through Him that loved us."'* And then he goes on and adds; '"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is that *'love of God" which '*is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.'' But the concupiscence of the bad, by reason of which there is in them a false patience, ''is not of the Father,''° as saith the Apostle John, but is of the world.
16, Here some man shall say; ''If the concupiscence of the bad, whereby it comes that they bear all evils for that which they lust after, be of the world, how is it said to be of their will?'' As if, truly, they were not themselves also of the world, when they love the world, forsaking Him by Whom the world was made. For ''they serve the creature t Rom. Vv. 5. 3 Magnanima. 2 1 Cor. xili. 4, 7, 4Ambitio seculi. il 5 1 John il. 15, 16.
6 Deifica. 7 x John iv. 16. 8 Rom. viii. 35-39. 91 John ii. 16,