Concerning the Help of God and Free Will

 

by Archbishop Wulfstan of York [+1023] 

Most beloved brothers, in the Gospel we have heard the Lord calling us to come to Him through free will. He saith: “Come unto Me, all ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” [Matt. 11:28] But the Same Lord testifieth against our weakness when He saith: “No man can come to Me, except the Father Which hath sent Me draw him.” [John 6:33] The Apostle also urges on our free will, saying: “So run, that ye may obtain.” [1 Cor. 9:4] But John testifieth to our weakness when he saith: “ A man can receive nothing except it be given him from Heaven.” (John 3:27) By this, therefore, we should understand (on the one hand) that without God’s Help we can do nothing right, and (on the other) that He alloweth us the power of free choice that we may seek the Lord and obey His Commands. Therefore we may take the example of a farmer working well, when he employeth all his efforts in the cultivation of the field to break up or plough the soil, and also scattering the seed and sustaining the efforts of his cattle and himself by the hardships of sweat and chill, hunger and thirst, and with all his ability caring for the field, so that birds do not eat up the seed or a raid of wild beasts lay it waste, and when by his effort he hath seen to all these things, all his labour is spent in vain unless the Lord should have sent rain from above to make the crop grow, or the sun’s heat to bring it to maturity. But indeed, those things do not help if they are reduced to nothing either by hail or a storm or excessive rain. Therefore, we must strive with great labour so that our hearts may be prepared to receive the see of the word of God, and when it hath been received, we must pray wholeheartedly that it may sprout and mature to ripeness. And if by the Lord’s Assisting Grace the fruit of good deeds should grow in us, we must pray all the more that He Who granted it to sprout and grow may also give perseverance together with a good will, as the Apostle saith: “For it is God Which worketh in you both to will and to do of His Good Pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13) 

Therefore, in order that we may quote some examples among many of Holy Scripture [to show] how God’s Assistance is in harmony with the power of our good will, let your love turn his attention to these testimonies of Divine Scripture. Therefore, God’s Grace cometh before human will where it is said: “My God, His Mercy shall prevent me,” (Ps. 58:11) and our will precedes when it saith: “In the morning my prayer shall prevent Thee,” (Ps. 87:14) and again: “Mine eyes to Thee have prevented the morning.” (Ps. 118:148) He admonisheth us when He saith: “All day long I have stretched forth Mine Hands to a people that believeth not.” (Rom. 10:21) And He is being invited by us when we said to Him: “I stretched forth mine hands to Thee.” (Ps. 142:6) He looketh for us when the Prophet saith: “Therefore the Lord waiteth that He may have mercy on you.” (Is. 30:18) And we look for Him when we say: “With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and He was attentive to me.” (Ps. 39:2) He strengtheneth us when He saith: “And I have chastised them, and strengthened their arms.” (Hosea 7:15) And that we ourselves may be comforted He exhorteth when He saith: “Strengthen ye the feeble hands, and confirm the weakness.” (Is. 35:3) Jesus crieth out when He saith: “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.” (John 7:27) And let us also cry out with the Prophet: “I have cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said ‘Thou Art mine Hope.’” (Ps. 141:6) The Lord seeketh us when He saith: “I sought, and there was no man to give aid; and there was none who responded.” [cf. Is. 63:5] And He asketh that we may seek when He saith: “Seek His Face evermore,” (Ps. 104:4) and “Seek ye the Lord when He is able to be found.” (Is. 55:6) And thus likewise the Grace of Our God Helps will in good part so also that good which we will may help, that it may send the consolation of His Grace. For to fall into sin of bad will is a decision; yet to return through penitence after the action is to find forgiveness, and the Mercy of God, and the intention of our labor. Thus David who fell down in free will, committed two grave evils, namely, murder and adultery, yet through the Clemency of God it is read that he was forgiven the sin. Therefore that crime was committed by free will; however, what is declared through the Prophet is the Grace of Divine Dignity. Again that he acknowledge humbly that his own sin is his; what brief space of time is to merit the forgiveness of the Lord in mercy. 

For thus He must be held to work in all, so as to incite, protect, and strengthen, not that He taketh away the once granted freedom of the will which He Himself has once given, for the will of His is perfected in us in the operation of our good will, for thus praying we say, that His Will may be done in us. Amen.