Whether a Man May Merit Perseverance?
Objection 1: It would seem that anyone may merit perseverance. For
what a man obtains by asking, can come under the merit of anyone that
is in grace. Now men obtain perseverance by asking it of God;
otherwise it would be useless to ask it of God in the petitions of
the Lord's Prayer, as Augustine says (De Dono Persev. ii). Therefore
perseverance may come under the merit of whoever has grace.
Obj. 2: Further, it is more not to be able to sin than not to sin.
But not to be able to sin comes under merit, for we merit eternal
life, of which impeccability is an essential part. Much more,
therefore, may we merit not to sin, i.e. to persevere.
Obj. 3: Further, increase of grace is greater than perseverance in
the grace we already possess. But a man may merit an increase of
grace, as was stated above (A. 8). Much more, therefore, may he merit
perseverance in the grace he has already.
_On the contrary,_ What we merit, we obtain from God, unless it is
hindered by sin. Now many have meritorious works, who do not obtain
perseverance; nor can it be urged that this takes place because of
the impediment of sin, since sin itself is opposed to perseverance;
and thus if anyone were to merit perseverance, God would not permit
him to fall into sin. Hence perseverance does not come under merit.
_I answer that,_ Since man's free-will is naturally flexible towards
good and evil, there are two ways of obtaining from God perseverance
in good: first, inasmuch as free-will is determined to good by
consummate grace, which will be in glory; secondly, on the part of
the Divine motion, which inclines man to good unto the end. Now as
explained above (AA. 6, 7, 8), that which is related as a term to the
free-will's movement directed to God the mover, falls under human
merit; and not what is related to the aforesaid movement as
principle. Hence it is clear that the perseverance of glory which is
the term of the aforesaid movement falls under merit; but
perseverance of the wayfarer does not fall under merit, since it
depends solely on the Divine motion, which is the principle of all
merit. Now God freely bestows the good of perseverance, on whomsoever
He bestows it.
Reply Obj. 1: We impetrate in prayer things that we do not merit,
since God hears sinners who beseech the pardon of their sins, which
they do not merit, as appears from Augustine [*Tract. xliv in Joan.]
on John 11:31, "Now we know that God doth not hear sinners,"
otherwise it would have been useless for the publican to say: "O God,
be merciful to me a sinner," Luke 18:13. So too may we impetrate of
God in prayer the grace of perseverance either for ourselves or for
others, although it does not fall under merit.
Reply Obj. 2: The perseverance which is in heaven is compared as term
to the free-will's movement; not so, the perseverance of the
wayfarer, for the reason given in the body of the article.
In the same way may we answer the third objection which concerns the
increase of grace, as was explained above.
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