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FURTHER the blessed David asks of the Lord that he may gain that very
understanding, by which he can recognize God's comrounds 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." 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." 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." 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:" 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 ku'rios sophoi^ tuphlou's, 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." 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," "for no
man can prevail by strength." 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." 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."
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