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| The Freedom of the Will is Also the Gift of God, for God Worketh in Us Both to Will and to Do.
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Chapter 32.—The Freedom of the Will is Also the Gift
of God, for God Worketh in Us Both to Will and to Do.
And further, should any one be
inclined to boast, not indeed of his works, but of the freedom of
his will, as if the first merit belonged to him, this very liberty
of good action being given to him as a reward he had earned, let
him listen to this same preacher of grace, when he says: “For it
is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His own good
pleasure;”1133
and in
another place: “So, then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of
him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.”1134
Now as,
undoubtedly, if a man is of the age to use his reason, he cannot
believe, hope, love, unless he will to do so, nor obtain the prize
of the high calling of God unless he voluntarily run for it; in
what sense is it “not of him that willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that showeth mercy,” except that, as it is
written, “the preparation of the heart is from the Lord?”1135
Otherwise,
if it is said, “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that showeth mercy,” because it is of both,
that is, both of the will of man and of the mercy of God, so that
we are to understand the saying, “It is not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy,” as if it
meant the will of man alone is not sufficient, if the mercy of God
go not with it,—then it will follow that the mercy of God alone
is not sufficient, if the will of man go not with it; and
therefore, if we may rightly say, “it is not of man that willeth,
but of God that showeth mercy,” because the will of man by itself
is not enough, why may we not also rightly put it in the converse
way: “It is not of God that showeth mercy, but of man that
willeth,” because the mercy of God by itself does not suffice?
Surely, if no Christian will dare to say this, “It is not of God
that showeth mercy, but of man that willeth,” lest he should
openly contradict the apostle, it follows that the true
interpretation of the saying, “It is not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy,” is that the
whole work belongs to God, who both makes the will of man
righteous, and thus prepares it for assistance, and assists it when
it is prepared. For the man’s righteousness of will precedes many
of God’s gifts, but not all; and it must itself be included among
those which it does not precede. We read in Holy Scripture, both
that God’s mercy “shall meet me,”1136
and that His mercy “shall follow
me.”1137
It goes
before the unwilling to make him willing; it follows the willing to
make his will effectual. Why are we taught to pray for our
enemies,1138
who are
plainly unwilling to lead a holy life, unless that God may work
willingness in them? And why are we ourselves taught to ask that we
may receive,1139
unless
that He who has created in us the wish, may Himself satisfy the
wish? We pray, then, for our enemies, that the mercy of God may
prevent them, as it has prevented us: we pray for ourselves that
His mercy may follow us.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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