21. These things I am
compelled to admonish by reason of certain little discourses of
some men, that are to be shunned and avoided, which have begun to
steal through the ears unto the minds of many, being (as must be
said with tears) hostile to the grace of Christ, which go to
persuade that we count not as necessary for us prayer unto the
Lord, that we enter not into temptation. For they so essay to
defend the free will of man, as that by it alone, even without help
of the grace of God, we are able to fulfill what is commanded us of
God. And thus it follows, that the Lord in vain said, “Watch and
pray, lest ye enter into temptation;”2268
and in
vain daily in the
Lord’s
Prayer itself we say, “Lead us not into
temptation.”
2269
For if it
is of our own
power alone that we be not overcome by
temptation,
why do we
pray that we enter not, nor be led into it? Rather let us
do what is of our own free will, and most absolute
power; and let
us
mock at the
Apostle, saying, “
God is
faithful, Who will not
suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able;”
2270
and let us
oppose him, and say, Why
seek I of the
Lord, what He hath set in my
own
power? But
far be it, that he be so
minded, who is sound
minded. Wherefore let us
seek that He may give, what He bids us
that we have. For to this end He bids us have this, which as yet we
have not, to
admonish as what to
seek; and that when we shall have
found the
power to do what He hath bidden, we may understand, of
this also, whence we have received it; lest, being puffed and
lifted up by the spirit of this
world, we know not what things have
been given unto us of
God. Wherefore the free choice of the human
will we by no means
destroy, when the
Grace of
God, by which the
free choice itself is helped, we deny not with ungrateful
pride,
but rather set forth with
grateful piety. For it is ours to will:
but the will itself is both
admonished
that it may arise, and
healed, that it may have
power;
2271
and
enlarged, that it may receive;
and filled, that it may have. For were not we to will, certainly
neither should we receive the things that are given, nor should we
have. For who would have continence, (among the
rest of the
gifts
of
God to speak of this rather, of which I am speaking to you,)
who, I say, would have continence, unless willing? forasmuch as
also no one would receive unless willing. But if you ask, Whose
gift it is, that it can be by our will received and had? listen to
Scripture; yea, rather, because thou knowest, recollect what thou
hast read, “Whereas I knew,” saith he, “that no one can be
continent, unless
God give it, and this itself was of
wisdom, to
know whose
gift it was.”
2272
| 2272 Wisdom 8.21" id="v.iv.xxii-p6.1" parsed="|Wis|8|21|0|0" osisRef="Bible:Wis.8.21">Wisd. viii. 21 |
Great are these two
gifts,
wisdom
and continence;
wisdom, forsooth, whereby we are formed in the
knowledge of
God; but continence, whereby we are not
conformed unto
this
world. But
God bids us that we be both
wise and continent,
without which goods we cannot be just and
perfect. But let us
pray
that He give what He bids, by helping and inspiring, Who hath
admonished us what to will by commanding and calling. Whatsoever of
this He hath given, let us
pray that He
preserve; but what He hath
not given as yet, let us
pray that He supply; yet let us
pray and
give thanks for what we have received; and for what we have not yet
received, from the very fact that we are not ungrateful for what we
have received, let us
trust that we shall receive it. For He, Who
hath given
power unto the
faithful who are
married to contain from
adulteries and
fornications, Himself hath given unto holy
virgins
and
widows to contain from all sexual intercourse; in the case of
which
virtue now the term inviolate chastity
2273
or continence is properly used. Or
is it haply that from Him indeed we have received continence, but
from ourselves have
wisdom? What then is it that the
Apostle James
saith, “But if any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of
God, Who
giveth unto all liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be
given unto him.”
2274
But on this question, already in
other little works of ours, so far as the Lord hath helped us, we
have said many things; and at other times, so far as through Him we
shall be able, when opportunity is given, we will
speak.
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