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BUT so thoroughly did the Apostles realize that everything which
concerns salvation was given them by the Lord, that they even asked that
faith itself should be granted from the Lord, saying: "Add to us faith"
as they did not imagine that it could be gained by free will, but believed
that it would be bestowed by the free gift of God. Lastly the Author of
man's salvation teaches us how feeble and weak and insufficient our faith
would be unless it were strengthened by the aid of the Lord, when He says
to Peter "Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may
sift you as wheat. But I have prayed to my Father that thy faith fail
not." And another finding that this was happening in his own case, and
seeing that his faith was being driven by the waves of unbelief on the
rocks which would cause a fearful shipwreck, asks of the same Lord an aid
to his faith, saying "Lord, help mine unbelief." So thoroughly then did
those Apostles and men in the gospel realize that everything which is good
is brought to perfection by the aid of the Lord, and not imagine that they
could preserve their faith unharmed by their own strength or free will that
they prayed that it might be helped or granted to them by the Lord. And if
in Peter's case there was need of the Lord's help that it might not fail,
who will be so presumptuous and blind as to fancy that he has no need of
daily assistance from the Lord in order to preserve it? Especially as the
Lord Himself has made this clear in the gospel, saying: "As the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, so no more can ye,
except ye abide in me." And again: "for without me ye can do
nothing." How foolish and wicked then it is to attribute any good action
to our own diligence and not to God's grace and assistance, is clearly
shown by the Lord's saying, which lays down that no one can show forth the
fruits of the Spirit without His inspiration and co-operation. For "every
good gift and every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father
of lights." And Zechariah too says, "For whatever is good is His, and
what is excellent is from Him." And so the blessed Apostle consistently
says: "What hast thou which thou didst not receive? But if thou didst
receive it, why boastest thou as if thou hadst not received it?"
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