Prosper of Aquitaine — Commentary on Scripture

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Unless God works in us, we cannot be partakers of any virtue. For indeed, without this Good, nothing is good. Without this Light, nothing is bright. Without this Wisdom, nothing is wise. Without this Justice, nothing is right. For the Lord says through the mouth of Isaiah, “I am, I am the Lord, and there is no one besides me who saves,” and through Jeremiah, “I know, O Lord, that the way of a person is not in him. Neither is it in a person to direct his way.”

Jeremiah, explaining that humankind receives wisdom from God, states, “I know, O Lord, that the way of a person is not his. Neither is it of a person … to direct his way.” Again the Lord proclaims through the same prophet that God effects the conversion of a heart to him and says, “I will bring them again into this land. And I will build them up again and not pull them down. And I will plant them and pluck them up. And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. And they shall be my people and I will be their God, because they shall return to me with whole heart.”

Jeremiah 31:34 · 2 passages

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Obviously, those who have heard the gospel and refused to believe are all the more inexcusable than if they had not listened to any preaching of the truth. But it is certain that in God’s foreknowledge they were not children of Abraham and were not reckoned among the number of them of whom it is said, “In your seed all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.” He promised them the faith when he said, “And no one shall teach his neighbor and no one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord.’ For all shall know me, from the small among them even to the great.” He promised them pardon when he said, “I will forgive their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” He promised them an obedient heart when he said, “I will give them another heart and another way, that they may fear me all days.” He promised them perseverance when he said, “I will give my fear in their heart, that they may not revolt from me, and I will visit them, that I may make them good.” Finally, to all without exception he promised the faith when he said, “I have sworn by myself, justice alone shall go out of my mo…

Obviously, those who have heard the gospel and refused to believe are all the more inexcusable than if they had not listened to any preaching of the truth. But it is certain that in God’s foreknowledge they were not children of Abraham and were not reckoned among the number of them of whom it is said, “In your seed all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.” He promised them the faith when he said, “And no one shall teach his neighbor and no one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord.’ For all shall know me, from the small among them even to the great.” He promised them pardon when he said, “I will forgive their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” He promised them an obedient heart when he said, “I will give them another heart and another way, that they may fear me all days.” He promised them perseverance when he said, “I will give my fear in their heart, that they may not revolt from me, and I will visit them, that I may make them good.” Finally, to all without exception he promised the faith when he said, “I have sworn by myself, justice alone shall go out of my mouth, and my words shall not be turned away. Every knee shall be bowed to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

The adulterous woman whom the law prescribed to be stoned was set free by him with truth and grace when the avengers of the law, frightened with the state of their own conscience, had left the trembling guilty woman to the judgment of him who had come “to seek and save what was lost.” For that reason he, bowing down—that is, stooping down to our human level and intent on the work of our reformation—“wrote with his finger on the ground,” in order to repeal the law of the commandments with the decrees of his grace and to reveal himself as the One who had said, “I will give my laws in their understanding, and I will write them in their hearts.” This indeed he does every day when he infuses his will into the hearts of those who are called and when with the pen of the Holy Spirit the Truth mercifully rewrites on the pages of their souls all that the devil enviously falsified.

Jeremiah 51:7

Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

Indeed, since the sum total of all God’s bounty and the soul of all virtues are given with this ineffable gift, all other gifts are granted us to enable the yearning of the faithful soul to strive effectively after perfect charity. As this is not only from God but is God, it makes steadfast, persevering and unconquerable all those whom it floods with its delight. But people who do not know the sweetness of these waters and still drink of the torrents of this world, people who even after touching with the lips and tasting of the fountain of life still like to get drunk with the golden cup of Babylon, are completely deceived by their own judgment and fall through their own fault. If they persist in this slothfulness, they themselves throw off what they had received. For without charity it is easy to lose all gifts, which same gifts are useless without charity.

John 15:5

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Hope is not in the fading flower of the field. For just as no one is able to eat the fruit of the branch Unless the branch remains in the vine which brings Sap to the leaves from the root and fills the grapes with must— So also those who are barren in virtue and without fruit Shall be fuel for the perpetual fire: those who leave the vine Dare to put their faith in the immoderate liberty of the leaves, So that their fruitfulness is not dependent on the fruitfulness of Christ: And even more, they believe they are able to excel on their own, As if God is not the author of the virtues that please him.… [But] why would they be ashamed, especially in this valley of tears, If their power came from God, that they have a minimum of mortal works, When it is nothing but sin which has destroyed Liberty to which alone evil deeds recur? And yet, when we focus the mind on holy acts, When a chaste mind refuses carnal desires, When we do not give in to temptations, and through harsh Vexing punishments, we remain in our hearts unyielding; Then we are acting freely; but with a freedom redeemed, And ove…

Hope is not in the fading flower of the field.
For just as no one is able to eat the fruit of the branch
Unless the branch remains in the vine which brings
Sap to the leaves from the root and fills the grapes with must—
So also those who are barren in virtue and without fruit
Shall be fuel for the perpetual fire: those who leave the vine
Dare to put their faith in the immoderate liberty of the leaves,
So that their fruitfulness is not dependent on the fruitfulness of Christ:
And even more, they believe they are able to excel on their own,
As if God is not the author of the virtues that please him.…
[But] why would they be ashamed, especially in this valley of tears,
If their power came from God, that they have a minimum of mortal works,
When it is nothing but sin which has destroyed
Liberty to which alone evil deeds recur?
And yet, when we focus the mind on holy acts,
When a chaste mind refuses carnal desires,
When we do not give in to temptations, and through harsh
Vexing punishments, we remain in our hearts unyielding;
Then we are acting freely; but with a freedom redeemed,
And over which God is ruler as light from the highest light, [there is]
Life, health, virtue, wisdom: It is the grace of Christ
By which freedom runs, rejoices, endures, takes care, chooses, stands,
Believes, hopes, loves, is cleansed and is justified.
For if we are right in anything we do, Lord, we do it only with your help;
You move hearts, you command prayers—those you want to grant you bestow, bestowing
Lavishly and producing merit from merits and enriching the gifts of your crown.
But this does not mean I should diminish my care and become lax in the pursuit of virtue, or
Become complacent by letting mental apathy hold sway,
Because the good works of the saints are yours,
And whatever in them is pure or strong, depends on you:
So that none of the actions of human beings is seen as occurring entirely apart from your will:
For without you what is achieved by the will except to be exiled far away from you?
The paths are always precipitous and the ways twisting
When advancing alone: When our will is exhausted, you are kind; when feeble
You lift it up, you carry it back, you keep it warm, you watch over it and provide it with dignity.
Then it will make rapid progress, its eyes actually seeing, its freedom free, its wisdom wise,
Its justice just, its virtue strong and its senses healed.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Since, therefore, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and this virtue can be had without wisdom, to whom belongs the beginning of fear? The blessed apostle Peter says, “Grace to you and peace be accomplished in the knowledge of God, and of Christ Jesus our Lord,” who has now given “us all things of his divine power, which appertain to life and godliness.” Does he say, “Who has excited in us by his help the seeds of virtues which we had naturally implanted”? Rather, he says, “Who has now given us all things which pertain to life and godliness.” And in saying this, of what virtue has he placed the beginning in nature, which was not conferred by him who gave all things? Wherefore, St. Paul also says, “For what have you that you have not received? And if you have received, why do you glory as if you had not received?”

Romans 1:21

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

It is well known how Greek schools and Roman eloquence and the search of the whole world in the quest of the supreme good, with the most penetrating study and outstanding ability, accomplished nothing by their labor except to become “futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened.”

Romans 3:24

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed.

Romans 6:20

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

He who serves the devil is free from God, but he who being freed serves God is free from the devil. As a result it is apparent that a false liberty could have been had from a defect of the human will but that a true liberty could not have been received without the help of the liberator.

Romans 7:18

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Although Paul has received the knowledge of right willing, he cannot find in himself the power to do what he wills. It is not until he receives a good will as a gift that he finds the power for the virtues which he seeks.

Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Since the Lord prepares the will, he also touches the hearts of his children with fatherly inspirations so that they might do good.… Consequently, we do not think that our free will is lacking, nor do we doubt that, in each and every movement of man’s free will, his help is the stronger force.

Romans 11:35

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

No good work comes from the dead; nothing righteous from the ungodly. Their whole salvation is gratuitous and is therefore the glory of God, so that he who glories may glory in him of whose glory he has stood in need.