Whether Sinners Impetrate Anything from God by Their Prayers?
Objection 1: It would seem that sinners impetrate nothing from God by
their prayers. It is written (John 9:31): "We know that God doth not
hear sinners"; and this agrees with the saying of Prov. 28:9, "He
that turneth away his ears from hearing the law, his prayer shall be
an abomination." Now an abominable prayer impetrates nothing from
God. Therefore sinners impetrate nothing from God.
Obj. 2: Further, the just impetrate from God what they merit, as
stated above (A. 15, ad 2). But sinners cannot merit anything since
they lack grace and charity which is the "power of godliness,"
according to a gloss on 2 Tim. 3:5, "Having an appearance indeed of
godliness, but denying the power thereof." and so their prayer is
impious, and yet piety is required in order that prayer may be
impetrative, as stated above (A. 15, ad 2). Therefore sinners
impetrate nothing by their prayers.
Obj. 3: Further, Chrysostom [*Hom. xiv in the Opus Imperfectum
falsely ascribed to St. John Chrysostom] says: "The Father is
unwilling to hear the prayer which the Son has not inspired." Now in
the prayer inspired by Christ we say: "Forgive us our trespasses as
we forgive them that trespass against us": and sinners do not fulfil
this. Therefore either they lie in saying this, and so are unworthy
to be heard, or, if they do not say it, they are not heard, because
they do not observe the form of prayer instituted by Christ.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (Tract. xliv, super Joan.): "If God
were not to hear sinners, the publican would have vainly said: Lord,
be merciful to me a sinner"; and Chrysostom [*Hom. xviii of the same
Opus Imperfectum] says: "Everyone that asketh shall receive, that is
to say whether he be righteous or sinful."
_I answer that,_ In the sinner, two things are to be considered: his
nature which God loves, and the sin which He hates. Accordingly when
a sinner prays for something as sinner, i.e. in accordance with a
sinful desire, God hears him not through mercy but sometimes through
vengeance when He allows the sinner to fall yet deeper into sin. For
"God refuses in mercy what He grants in anger," as Augustine declares
(Tract. lxxiii in Joan.). On the other hand God hears the sinner's
prayer if it proceed from a good natural desire, not out of justice,
because the sinner does not merit to be heard, but out of pure mercy
[*Cf. A. 15, ad 1], provided however he fulfil the four conditions
given above, namely, that he beseech for himself things necessary for
salvation, piously and perseveringly.
Reply Obj. 1: As Augustine states (Tract. xliv super Joan.), these
words were spoken by the blind man before being anointed, i.e.
perfectly enlightened, and consequently lack authority. And yet there
is truth in the saying if it refers to a sinner as such, in which
sense also the sinner's prayer is said to be an abomination.
Reply Obj. 2: There can be no godliness in the sinner's prayer as
though his prayer were quickened by a habit of virtue: and yet his
prayer may be godly in so far as he asks for something pertaining to
godliness. Even so a man who has not the habit of justice is able to
will something just, as stated above (Q. 59, A. 2). And though his
prayer is not meritorious, it can be impetrative, because merit
depends on justice, whereas impetration rests on grace.
Reply Obj. 3: As stated above (A. 7, ad 1) the Lord's Prayer is
pronounced in the common person of the whole Church: and so if anyone
say the Lord's Prayer while unwilling to forgive his neighbor's
trespasses, he lies not, although his words do not apply to him
personally: for they are true as referred to the person of the
Church, from which he is excluded by merit, and consequently he is
deprived of the fruit of his prayer. Sometimes, however, a sinner is
prepared to forgive those who have trespassed against him, wherefore
his prayers are heard, according to Ecclus. 28:2, "Forgive thy
neighbor if he hath hurt thee, and then shall thy sins be forgiven to
thee when thou prayest."
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