Chapter 5 [V.]—The Will of Man Requires the Help of God.

Now for the commission of sin we get no help from God; but we are not able to do justly, and to fulfil the law of righteousness in every part thereof, except we are helped by God. For as the bodily eye is not helped by the light to turn away therefrom shut or averted, but is helped by it to see, and cannot see at all unless it help it; so God, who is the light of the inner man, helps our mental sight, in order that we may do some good, not according to our own, but according to His righteousness. But if we turn away from Him, it is our own act; we then are wise according to the flesh, we then consent to the concupiscence of the flesh for unlawful deeds. When we turn to Him, therefore, God helps us; when we turn away from Him, He forsakes us. But then He helps us even to turn to Him; and this, certainly, is something that light does not do for the eyes of the body. When, therefore, He commands us in the words, “Turn ye unto me, and I will turn unto you,”253    Zech. i. 3. and we say to Him, “Turn us, O God of our salvation,”254    Ps. lxxxv. 4. and again, “Turn us, O God of hosts;”255    Ps. lxxx. 3, 4. what else do we say than, “Give what Thou commandest?”256    Da quod jubes; see the Confessions, Book x. chap. 26. When He commands us, saying, “Understand now, ye simple among the people,”257    Ps. xciv. 8. and we say to Him, “Give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments;”258    Ps. cxix. 73. what else do we say than, “Give what Thou commandest?” When He commands us, saying, “Go not after thy lusts,”259    Ecclus. xviii. 30. and we say to Him, “We know that no man can be continent, except God gives it to him;”260    Wisd. viii. 21. what else do we say than, “Give what Thou commandest?” When He commands us, saying, “Do justice,”261    Isa. lvi. 1. and we say, “Teach me Thy judgments, O Lord;”262    Ps. cxix. 108. what else do we say than, “Give what Thou commandest?” In like manner, when He says: “Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled,”263    Matt. v. 6. from whom ought we to seek for the meat and drink of righteousness, but from Him who promises His fulness to such as hunger and thirst after it?

CAPUT V.

5. Voluntas hominis eget ope Dei. Ad peccandum namque non adjuvamur a Deo: justa autem agere vel justitiae praeceptum omni ex parte implere non possumus, nisi adjuvemur a Deo. Sicut enim corporis oculus non adjuvatur a luce, ut ab eadem luce clausus aversusve discedat; ut autem videat adjuvatur ab ea, neque hoc omnino nisi illa adjuverit, potest: ita Deus, qui lux est hominis interioris, adjuvat nostrae mentis obtutum, ut non secundum nostram, sed secundum ejus justitiam boni aliquid operemur. Si autem ab illo avertimur, nostrum est; et tunc secundum carnem sapimus, tunc concupiscentiae carnis ad illicita consentimus. Conversos ergo Deus 0154 adjuvat, aversos deserit. Sed etiam ut convertamur, ipse adjuvat: quod certe oculis corporis lux ista non praestat. Cum ergo nobis jubet dicens, Convertimini ad me, et convertar ad vos (Zach. I, 3); nosque illi dicimus, Converte nos, Deus sanitatum nostrarum (Psal. LXXXIV, 5); et, Deus virtutum, converte nos (Psal. LXXIX, 8): quid aliud dicimus, quam, Da quod jubes? Cum jubet dicendo, Intelligite ergo, qui insipientes estis in populo (Psal. XCIII, 8); et nos illi dicimus, Da mihi intellectum, ut discam mandata tua (Psal. CXVIII, 73): quid aliud dicimus, quam, Da quod jubes? Cum jubet dicendo, Post concupiscentias tuas non eas (Eccli. XVIII, 30); nosque dicimus, Scimus quia nemo potest esse continens, nisi Deus det (Sap. VIII, 21): quid aliud dicimus, quam, Da quod jubes? Cum jubet dicendo, Facite justitiam (Isai. LVI, 1); nosque dicimus, Doce me justificationes tuas (Psal. CXVIII, 12): quid aliud dicimus, quam, Da quod jubes? Item cum dicit, Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt justitiam, quoniam ipsi saturabuntur (Matth. V, 6): a quo debemus petere cibum potumque justitiae, nisi ab illo qui esurientibus eam et sitientibus promittit ejus saturitatem?