Understand, you senseless among the people: and you fools, when will you be wise?
Read Chapter 94
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
8. "Take heed now, ye that are unwise among the people: O ye fools, some time understand!" (ver. 8). He teacheth His people whose feet might slip: any one among them seeth the prosperity of the wicked, himself living well among the Saints of God, that is, among the number of the sons of the Church: he seeth that the wicked flourish, and work iniquity,he envieth, and is led to follow them in their actions; because he seeth that apparently it profiteth him nothing that he liveth well in humility, hoping for his reward here. For if he hopeth for it in future, he loseth it not; because the time is not yet come for him to receive it. Thou art working in a vineyard: execute thy task, and thou shall receive thy pay. Thou wouldest not exact it from thy employer, before thy work was finished, and yet dost thou exact it from God before thou dost work? This patience is part of thy work, and thy pay dependeth upon thy work: thou who dost not choose to be patient, choosest to work less upon the vin...
Fools. Who talk in this manner, (Haydock) whether you really believe, that God is thus ignorant and inactive; or you only act as if you did. (Berthier)
There are but few of the former description. But very many, even among Christians, act as if they admitted no Providence. (Worthington)
