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WHENCE human reason cannot easily decide how the Lord gives to those
that ask, is found by those that seek, and opens to those that knock, and
on the other hand is found by those that sought Him not, appears openly
among those who asked not for Him, and all the day long stretches forth His
hands to an unbelieving and gainsaying people, calls those who resist and
stand afar off, draws men against their will to salvation, takes away from
those who want to sin the faculty of carrying out their desire, in His
goodness stands in the way of those who are rushing into wickedness. But
who can easily see how it is that the completion of our salvation is
assigned to our own will, of which it is said: "If ye be willing, and
hearken unto Me, ye shall eat the good things of the land," and how it
is "not of him that willeth or runneth, but of God that hath mercy?"
What too is this, that God "will render to every man according to his
works;" and "it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do, of His
good pleasure;" and "this is not of yourselves but it is the gift of
God: not of works, that no man may boast?" What is this too which is
said: "Draw near to the Lord, and He will draw near to you," and what
He says elsewhere: "No man cometh unto Me except the Father who sent Me
draw Him?" What is it that we find: "Make straight paths for your feet
and direct your ways," and what is it that we say in our prayers:
"Direct my way in Thy sight," and "establish my goings in Thy paths, that
my footsteps be not moved?" What is it again that we are admonished:
"Make you a new heart and a new spirit," and what is this which is
promised to us: "I will give them one heart and will put a new spirit
within them:" and "I will take away the stony heart from their flesh and
will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in Thy statutes and
keep My judgments?" What is it that the Lord commands, where He says:
"Wash thine heart of iniquity, O Jerusalem, that thou mayest be saved,"
and what is it that the prophet asks for from the Lord, when he says
"Create in me a clean heart, O God," and again: "Thou shalt wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow?" What is it that is said to us: "Enlighten
yourselves with the light of knowledge;" and this which is said of God:
"Who teacheth man knowledge;" and: "the Lord enlightens the blind,"
or at any rate this, which we say in our prayers with the prophet: "Lighten
mine eyes that I sleep not in death," unless m all these there is a
declaration of the grace of God and the freedom of our will, because even
of his own motion a man can be led to the quest of virtue, but always
stands in need of the help of the Lord? For neither does anyone enjoy good
health whenever he will, nor is he at his own will and pleasure set free
from disease and sickness. But what good is it to have desired the blessing
of health, unless God, who grants us the enjoyments of life itself, grant
also vigorous and sound health? But that it may be still clearer that
through the excellence of nature which is granted by the goodness of the
Creator, sometimes first beginnings of a good will arise, which however
cannot attain to the complete performance of what is good unless it is
guided by the Lord, the Apostle bears witness and says: "For to will is
present with me, but to perform what is good I find not."
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