Restore us, O God of our salvations.^[1] Why did the psalmist not say our salvation instead of our salvations? If we sinned just once, we would need only one salvation; but we have sinned many times and, therefore, are in need of many salvations. Will you not instead, O God, give us life? Until the Lord restores us to life, we are dead. Show us, O Lord, your kindness, and grant us your salvation. The Savior’s descent is the work of God’s mercy. He would not have come as a physician if most people were not sick. Because so many were sick, he came as Physician; because we were in need of compassion, he came as Savior.

But [the objector might continue], It is by his own will that each person abandons God and is deservedly abandoned by God. Who would ever deny this? And the reason why we ask not to be brought into temptation is that this may not happen. And if we are heard, then this indeed does not happen, because God does not allow it to happen. For nothing happens except what God either does himself or permits to occur. Therefore, he has the power both to turn wills from evil to good and to turn them back when they are inclined toward a fall, as well as to direct their steps in ways that are pleasing to him. It is not in vain that we say to him, You will turn us, O God, and bring us to life. It is not said in vain, Do not suffer my feet to be moved.^[1] It is not said in vain, Give me not up, O Lord, from my desire, to the wicked.^[2] Finally, not to increase the number of citations, since more may well occur to you, it is not said in vain, Bring us not into temptation. For whoever is not brought into temptation is evidently not brought into the temptation of his own evil will, and he who is not brought into the temptation of his own evil will is certainly not brought into any temptation at all.

But against this error, why do we not instead listen to these words: Who has first given to him, and what recompense shall be made to him? For of him, and by him and in him are all things.^[1] And therefore, that very beginning of our faith—from whom is it if not from him? For it is not the case that, with this excepted, all other things are from him, but of him, and by him and in him are all things. But who would say that he who has already begun to believe does not merit anything from him in whom he has believed? From which it results that other divine gifts are said to be added in recompense to him who already has merit, and hence that God’s grace is given according to our merits—a statement that Pelagius, when it was raised in objection to him, himself condemned, so that he might not be condemned. Therefore, whoever wishes in every way to avoid this condemnable opinion, let him understand that the apostle spoke truly when he said, It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for him.^[2] Both of these he shows to be the gifts of God, because both he says are given. He does not say, to believe in him more fully and perfectly, but to believe in him. Nor does he say that he himself had obtained mercy in order to be more faithful, but to be faithful,^[3] because he knew that he had not first given the beginning of his faith to God, and had its increase returned to him by God, but had been made faithful by God, by whom he was also made an apostle. For the beginning of his faith is recorded in Scripture,^[4] and the account is very well known, for it is read in our churches on a solemn occasion.^[5] Thus, he felt an aversion to the faith to which he was laying waste and, being vehemently adverse toward it, he was suddenly converted to it by a more powerful grace, converted by him to whom, as the one who would do it, the prophet said, You will turn and bring us to life. Thus, not only from one who refused to believe did he become a willing believer, but even from a persecutor he came to suffer persecution in defense of that faith that he had persecuted. For it was given him by Christ, not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him.

Why, they say, does he not teach everyone? If we reply that those whom he does not teach are not willing to learn, we shall be given this answer: And what happens to that which is said to him, ‘You will turn, O God, and bring us to life’ ? Or if God does not make people willing who are not willing, why does the church, in accordance with the Lord’s commandment, pray for its persecutors?^[1] For in this sense also the blessed Cyprian^[2] wanted it to be understood when we say, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,^[3] that is just as for those who have already believed and are in a sense heaven, so too for those who do not believe and for this reason are still earth. What then do we pray for those who do not will to believe, except that God shall work in them that they will?^[4] Certainly, the apostle spoke of the Jews when he said, Brothers, the good will of my heart indeed, and my prayer to God, is for their salvation.^[5] What does he pray for those who do not believe, except that they may believe? For in no other way do they obtain salvation. Therefore if the faith of those who pray precedes the grace of God, then does the faith of those for whom we pray that they might believe precede the grace of God? Not at all, since this is the very thing that is sought for them, that to those who do not believe, that is, those who do not have faith, faith itself be given. Therefore, when the gospel is preached, some believe and some do not, but those who believe, when they hear the voice of the preacher from without, hear from the Father and learn within, while those who do not believe hear the external word but inwardly do not hear nor learn. That is to say, to the former it is given to believe, to the later it is not given.

We were wolves. We too were by nature children of wrath just like the rest.^[1] But the sheep died and turned us into sheep. Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin, not of this person or that, but of the world.^[2] So then, my brothers, let us claim no credit for anything we are, provided it is by faith in him we are whatever we are—let us claim no credit for ourselves, or we may lose what we have received. But for whatever we have received let us give him the glory, him the honor, and may he water the seeds he has sown. What would our land have if he had not sown anything? He too sends the rain. He does not abandon what he has sown. The Lord will give his sweetness, and our land will yield its fruit.