"But you ask, who gave the law?". There are vain and impious men who say the law was given by another but grace through our Lord Jesus Christ; as if the law were bad and perverse but grace were right. And they wish to distinguish the two Testaments in such a way that they say the Old Testament is from some prince of darkness, but the New Testament from the Lord God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to Paul himself. If you think that for this reason the law was given by another, not by God, because through it you became a transgressor, listen to the same Apostle, a praiser of the law. "So," he says, "the law is holy, and the commandment holy." Add: "and just." Add further: "and good." "What then is good," he says, "has become death to me? Far from it! But sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin." For it was sin, but sin was hiding. When was sin hiding? When it did not yet make you suffer as an adversary. You began to strive, and the one who held you appeared. When you followed, you did not feel the chain. You sought refuge and the bond appeared. You wished to flee, and you began to be dragged. Therefore, since you began to be dragged, let him who is not bound help you. Who is not bound, but the one who said: "If you find sin in me, say so"? Who is not bound, but the one who said: "Behold, the prince of this world comes, and in me he will find nothing"? Why should he kill me, he will find nothing, because death is justly due to sin. Why then do you die? "So that all may know," he says, "that I do the will of my Father." He himself loosens, who is not bound. He himself frees from the dead, who is free among the dead.
Elisha, a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But he himself sent the law. Through his servant, the law; through himself, grace. Consider Elisha in a great and high mystery, acting as a prophet, not only speaking as one. The son of his hostess was dead. What did the dead boy signify, if not Adam? It was reported to the holy Prophet, bearing in prophecy the type of Lord Jesus Christ. He sent his servant with his staff and said to him: Go, go, place it on the dead boy. He went, like an obedient servant. The Prophet knew what he had done. He placed the staff on the dead boy, and he did not rise. For if there had been a law given that could give life, righteousness would indeed have been by the law. Therefore the law could not give life. The great one came to the small, the savior to the saved, the living to the dead. He himself came. And what did he do? He contracted his youthful limbs, as if emptying himself to take the form of a servant. Thus, he contracted his youthful limbs, he fitted himself to the small one, so that he might make the body of our humility conform to the body of his glory. Therefore, in this type of Christ prophetically expressed, the dead was raised, as the impious was justified.
We have been created and re-created by the grace of God.
Let this grace be proclaimed. This is the grace of Christians through the Mediator, through the one who suffered and rose again, who ascended into heaven and led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. This, I say, let grace be proclaimed. Against this grace let not the ungrateful dispute. A prophetic staff was not sufficient for the dead. Could a dead nature be sufficient? And let us acknowledge that by which we have been created, although we have not read it called by this name in any way, yet because it was given freely, let us acknowledge it as grace. But let us show you that the grace by which we are Christians is greater. Pay attention. Before we were created, we deserved no good, and therefore grace, by which we were created, when we deserved nothing good. If therefore grace is great when we deserved no good, how much greater is grace when we deserved so much evil? He who was not yet did not deserve any good; a sinner deserved evil. He who was not yet, was not yet, but he had not offended. He who was not yet was made; he offended and was saved. He who was not yet hoped for nothing, was made. But having fallen, he expected damnation and was liberated. This is grace through Jesus Christ our Lord. He made us, and before we were at all He made us, and having been made and fallen, He made us righteous, and not we ourselves. Therefore, if any new creature is in Christ, the old has passed away, the new has come.
On the power which the potter has over the clay.
There was one mass of perdition from Adam to which only punishment was owed. Vessels were made from that same mass in honor. For the potter has power, from the same mass. Which mass? Certainly it had already perished, certainly that mass was already owed just condemnation. Rejoice because you have escaped. Indeed, you have escaped the death owed, and found the life not owed. The potter has power from the same mass to make one vessel for honor, another for dishonor. But you say: "Why did he make me for honor, and another for dishonor?" What shall I answer? You are going to hear Augustine, since you do not listen to the Apostle who says: O man, who are you to answer God? Two little ones were born. If you seek what is owed, the mass of perdition holds both. But why does the mother carry one to grace, and suffocate the other while sleeping? Will you tell me what merit he had who was carried to grace, what merit he had whom the mother suffocates while sleeping? Neither deserved any good. But the potter has power from the same mass to make one vessel for honor, another for dishonor. Do you wish to argue with me? Rather, marvel with me, and exclaim with me: O depth of riches! Both let us tremble, both let us cry out: O depth of riches! Let us both agree in fear, lest we perish in error. O depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Search the unsearchable, do the impossible, corrupt the incorruptible, see the invisible.
We have received everything from God.
His judgments are unsearchable. You have heard, let it suffice for you. And his ways are inscrutable. For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given him anything first, and it will be repaid to him? Who has given first, when everything was received freely? Who gave him first, and it will be repaid to him? If the Lord wished to repay, he would repay nothing but due punishment. They gave nothing, so that it would be repaid to them. For nothing you will save them. Who gave him first, as if by the merit of their deeds? Who gave him first, who preceded the grace that is given freely? If any merit precedes grace, it is no longer given freely, but is rendered as a debt. But if it is not given freely, why is it called grace? Who then gave him first, and it will be repaid to him? For from him, and through him, and in him are all things. Certainly, unless all the good things we have received from him, and we have received them to be good? For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change. For you have changed for the worse. With whom there is no change, he has come to help. With whom there is not even a shadow of turning, for you lie in the darkness of your night. Therefore, all things are from him. No one gave him anything first, no one demands a debt. By grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Recognize the benefits of the Shepherd and do not follow the wolves of error.
"But it moves me, you say, that he perishes, he is baptized. It moves me, it moves me like a man." If you wish to hear the truth, it moves me too because I am a man. But if you are a man, and I am a man, let us both listen to the one who says: O man! Certainly, if we are moved because we are men, the Apostle speaks to the very weak and infirm human nature saying: O man, who are you to answer back to God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it: Why did you make me thus? If an animal could speak and said to God: "Why did you make this man, and me an animal?"; wouldn't you rightly be angry and say: "O animal, who are you to answer back to God?" And you are a man, but to God you are like an animal. And would that you be his animal and the sheep of his pasture. Recognize the benefits of the shepherd, and do not follow the wolves of error. We were wolves. We too were by nature children of wrath like the others. But the sheep died, and made us sheep. Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin, not of this one or that one, but of the world. Therefore, nothing of what we are, Brothers, because we are something, if indeed we are something, in his faith, let us ascribe nothing to ourselves, so that we do not lose what we have received. But in what we have received, let us give him glory, let us honor him, let him shower down his own seeds. What would our land have, unless he had sown it? But he also gives rain. He does not abandon what he has sown. The Lord will give sweetness, and our land will give its fruit. Turned to the Lord, etc.