26. Cry we therefore with the spirit of charity, and until we come to the inheritance in which we are alway to remain, let us be, through love which becometh the free-born, not through fear which becometh bondmen, patient of suffering. Cry we, so long as we are poor, until we be with that inheritance made rich. Seeing how great earnest thereof we have received, in that Christ to make us rich made Himself poor; Who being exalted unto the riches which are above, there was sent One Who should breathe into our hearts holy longings, the Holy Spirit. Of these poor, as yet believing, not yet beholding; as yet hoping, not yet enjoying; as yet sighing in desire, not yet reigning in felicity; as yet hungering and thirsting, not yet satisfied: of these poor, then, “the patience shall not perish for ever:”80    Ps. ix. 18 not that there will be patience there also, where aught to endure shall not be; but “will not perish,” meaning that it will not be unfruitful. But its fruit it will have for ever, therefore it “shall not perish for ever.” For he who labors in vain, when his hope fails for which he labored, says with good cause, “I have lost so much labor:” but he who comes to the promise of his labor says, congratulating himself, I have not lost my labor. Labor then is said not to perish (or be lost), not because it lasts perpetually, but because it is not spent in vain. So also the patience of the poor of Christ (who yet are to be made rich as heirs of Christ) shall not perish for ever: not because there also we shall be commanded patiently to bear, but because for that which we have here patiently borne, we shall enjoy eternal bliss. He will put no end to everlasting felicity, Who giveth temporal patience unto the will: because both the one and the other is of Him bestowed as a gift upon charity, Whose gift that charity is also.

CAPUT XXIX.

26. Patientiae pauperum Christi merces aeterna. Clamemus ergo spiritu charitatis, et donec veniamus ad haereditatem in qua semper maneamus, liberali amore simus, non servili timore patientes . Clamemus, quamdiu pauperes sumus, donec illa haereditate ditemur. Magna quippe inde pignora accepimus, quod ad nos ditandos pauper factus est Christus, quo in supernas divitias exaltato, missus est qui sancta desideria nostris cordibus inspiraret Spiritus sanctus. Horum pauperum adhuc credentium, nondum contemplantium; adhuc sperantium, nondum tenentium; adhuc desiderio suspirantium, nondum felicitate regnantium; adhuc esurientium et sitientium, 0626 nondum satiatorum: horum ergo pauperum patientia non peribit in aeternum (Psal. IX, 19): non quia et illic patientia erit, ubi quod toleretur non erit; sed non peribit, dictum est, quia infructuosa non erit. Fructum autem habebit aeternum, ideo non peribit in aeternum. Qui enim laborat inaniter, cum eum spes fefellerit, propter quam laborabat, merito dicit, Perdidi tantum laborem: quisquis vero ad sui laboris promissa pervenerit, gratulans dicit, Non perdidi laborem meum. Dicitur ergo labor non perisse, non quia manet perpetuus, sed quia non est inaniter fusus. Sic et patientia pauperum Christi, sed ditandorum haeredum Christi, non peribit in aeternum: non quia et illic patienter ferre jubebimur, sed quia pro iis quae hic patienter pertulimus, aeterna beatitudine perfruemur. Non dabit finem sempiternae felicitati, qui donat temporalem patientiam voluntati: quia utrumque munus donatae donatum est charitati.