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| Chapter XV. That the understanding, by means of which we can recognize God's commands, and the performance of a good will are both gifts from the Lord.
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Chapter XV.
That the understanding, by means of which we can
recognize God’s commands, and the performance of a good will are
both gifts from the Lord.
Further the blessed David asks
of the Lord that he may gain that very understanding, by which he can
recognize God’s commands which, he well knew, were written
in the book of the law, and he says “I am Thy servant: O give me
understanding that I may learn Thy commandments.”1257
Certainly he was in possession of
understanding, which had been granted to him by nature, and also had at
his fingers’ ends a knowledge of God’s commands which were
preserved in writing in the law: and still he prayed the Lord that he
might learn this more thoroughly as he knew that what came to him by
nature would never be sufficient for him, unless his understanding was
enlightened by the Lord by a daily illumination from Him, to understand
the law spiritually and to recognize His commands more clearly, as the
“chosen vessel” also declares very plainly this which we
are insisting on. “For it is God which worketh in you both to
will and to do according to good will.”1258
What could well be clearer than the
assertion that both our good will and the completion of our work are
fully wrought in us by the Lord? And again “For it is granted to
you for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him but also to
suffer for Him.”1259
Here also he
declares that the beginning of our conversion and faith, and the
endurance of suffering is a gift to us from the Lord. And David too, as
he knows this, similarly prays that the same thing may be granted to
him by God’s mercy. “Strengthen, O God, that which Thou
hast wrought in us:”1260
showing that it is
not enough for the beginning of our salvation to be granted by the gift
and grace of God, unless it has been continued and ended by the same
pity and continual help from Him. For not free will but the Lord
“looseth them that are bound.” No strength of ours, but the
Lord “raiseth them that are fallen:” no diligence in
reading, but “the Lord enlightens the blind:” where the
Greeks have κύριος
σοφοῖ
τυφλούς, i.e.,
“the Lord maketh wise the blind:” no care on our part, but
“the Lord careth for the stranger:” no courage of ours, but
“the Lord assists (or supports) all those who are
down.”1261
But this we say,
not to slight our zeal and efforts and diligence, as if they were
applied unnecessarily and foolishly, but that we may know that we
cannot strive without the help of God, nor can our efforts be of any
use in securing the great reward of purity, unless it has been granted
to us by the assistance and mercy of the Lord: for “a horse is
prepared for the day of battle: but help cometh from the
Lord,”1262
“for no
man can prevail by strength.”1263
We ought
then always to sing with the blessed David: “My strength and my
praise is” not my free will, but “the Lord, and He is
become my salvation.”1264
And the teacher
of the Gentiles was not ignorant of this when he declared that he was
made capable of the ministry of the New Testament not by his own merits
or efforts but by the mercy of God. “Not” says he,
“that we are capable of thinking anything of ourselves as of
ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, which can be put in less good
Latin but more forcibly, “our capability is of God,” and
then there follows: “Who also made us capable ministers of the
New Testament.”1265
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