whom it will be crowned; but rather weighs the persons and the injuries offered to oneself. He is not truly patient, who wills to suffer only so much as he thinks good, and from whom he pleases. But the truly patient man minds not by whom he is exercised, whether by his superior, by one of his equals, or by an inferior; whether by a good and holy man, or by one that is perverse and unworthy. But indifferently from every creature, how much or how often anything adverse befalls him, he takes all thankfully as from the hand of God, and esteems it a great gain. For with God it is impossible that anything, however small, if only it be suffered for God's sake, should pass without its reward.
Be therefore prepared for the fight, if you will have the victory. Without a combat you cannot receive the crown of patience.† If you will not to suffer, you refuse to be crowned. But if you desire to be crowned, strive manfully, endure patiently. Without labor there is no arriving at rest, nor without fighting can the victory be reached.
O Lord, let that become possible to me by grace, which by nature seems to me impossible! You know that I am able to suffer but little, and that I am quickly cast down, when a slight adversity arises. For Your name's
