Chapter 16 [VII.]—Paul Fought, But God Gave the Victory: He Ran, But God Showed Mercy.

Let us, therefore, consider those very merits of the Apostle Paul which he said the Righteous Judge would recompense with the crown of righteousness; and let us see whether these merits of his were really his own—I mean, whether they were obtained by him of himself, or were the gifts of God. “I have fought,” says he, “the good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.”125    2 Tim. iv. 7. Now, in the first place, these good works were nothing, unless they had been preceded by good thoughts. Observe, therefore, what he says concerning these very thoughts. His words, when writing to the Corinthians, are: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.”126    2 Cor. iii. 5. Then let us look at each several merit. “I have fought the good fight.” Well, now, I want to know by what power he fought. Was it by a power which he possessed of himself, or by strength given to him from above? It is impossible to suppose that so great a teacher as the apostle was ignorant of the law of God, which proclaims the following in Deuteronomy: “Say not in thine heart, My own strength and energy of hand hath wrought for me this great power; but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, how it is He that giveth thee strength to acquire such power.”127    Deut. viii. 17. And what avails “the good fight,” unless followed by victory? And who gives the victory but He of whom the apostle says himself, “Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”?128    1 Cor. xv. 57. Then, in another passage, having quoted from the Psalm these words: “Because for Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for slaughter,”129    Ps. xliv. 22. he went on to declare: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us.”130    Rom. viii. 37. Not by ourselves, therefore, is the victory accomplished, but by Him who hath loved us. In the second clause he says, “I have finished my course.” Now, who is it that says this, but he who declares in another passage, “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.”131    Rom. ix. 16. And this sentence can by no means be transposed, so that it could be said: It is not of God, who showeth mercy, but of the man who willeth and runneth. If any person be bold enough to express the matter thus, he shows himself most plainly to be at issue with the apostle.

CAPUT VII.

16. Proinde consideremus ipsa merita apostoli Pauli, quibus dixit coronam justitiae redditurum judicem justum, et videamus utrum merita ipsius tanquam ipsius, id est, ex ipso illi comparata, an dona sint Dei. Bonum, inquit, certamen certavi, cursum consummavi, fidem servavi. Primo ista bona opera, si non ea praecessissent cogitationes bonae, nulla essent. Attendite itaque quid de ipsis cogitationibus dicat: ait enim scribens ad Corinthios, Non quia idonei sumus cogitare aliquid a nobis , tanquam ex nobismetipsis; sed sufficientia nostra ex Deo est (II Cor. III, 5). Deinde singula inspiciamus: Bonum, inquit, certamen certavi. Quaero qua virtute certaverit; utrum quae illi ex semetipso fuerit, an quae desuper data sit. Sed absit ut tantus doctor ignoraverit legem Dei, cujus vox est in Deuteronomio: Ne dicas in corde tuo, Fortitudo mea et potentia manus meae fecit mihi virtutem magnam hanc: sed memoraberis Domini Dei tui, quia ipse tibi dat fortitudinem facere virtutem (Deut. VIII, 17, 18). Quid autem prodest bonum certamen, nisi sequatur victoria? Et quis dat victoriam, nisi ille de qua dicit ipse, Gratias Deo qui dat nobis victoriam per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum (I Cor. XV, 57)? Et alio loco cum commemorasset testimonium de Psalmo, Quoniam propter te mortificamur tota die, deputati sumus velut oves occisionis; subjecit atque ait, Sed in his omnibus supervincimus per eum qui dilexit nos (Psal. XLIII, 22; Rom. VIII, 36, 37): non ergo per nos, sed per eum qui dilexit nos. Deinde dixit, Cursum consummavi: sed ille hoc dixit, qui alio loco dicit, Igitur non volentis neque currentis, sed miserentis est Dei (Rom. IX, 16). Quae sententia nullo modo potest etiam sic converti ut dicatur, Non miserentis Dei, sed volentis et currentis est hominis: quisquis enim hoc ausus fuerit dicere, aperte se ostendit Apostolo contradicere.