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The Lord rules over the wills of people 41. I believe that I have already argued enough with those who furiously attack the grace of God, thanks to which the human will is not abolished, but changes from evil to good, and also receives help when it has already become good; At the same time, I argued in such a way that it was rather not I myself who spoke to you, but the Divine Scripture who spoke with the help of the most obvious evidence of the truth. And if you look closely at the [words] of Divine Scripture, they will show that in the power of God are not only the good wills (bonas voluntates) of people, which He Himself makes good from evil and, having made good, directs to good deeds and eternal life, but also those wills that remain a creation belonging to this age (illas quae conservant saeculi creaturam) 228. He when it pleases Him. forces these wills to incline wherever He pleases, either in order to show His benefits to someone, or in order to impose punishment on someone according to His judgment, although completely hidden, but, without any doubt, also completely fair. For we find that some sins are nothing more than punishment for other sins. This was the case with the vessels of wrath, which the apostle calls ready to perish 229 ; such is the bitterness of Pharaoh, and the reason for it is also said: [this happened] so that the power of God would be manifested on him 230. This also includes the flight of the Israelites from their enemies near the city of Ai; for fear arose in their souls, so that they fled, and this was done so that sin could be avenged as it should have been avenged. Therefore, the Lord says to Joshua: The children of Israel could not stand before their enemies 231. What does it mean: Couldn't resist? Why did they not resist with the help of a free decision, but fled out of fear when their will was confused? Is it not because God rules over the will of people and turns whom he wills into trembling in anger? Didn’t the enemies of the Israelites fight against the people of God, led by Joshua, of their own free will? And yet the Scripture says that it was from the Lord that they hardened their hearts and met Israel with war so that they would be given over to the curse 232. Was it not of his own free will that the wicked man, the son of Gera, slandered King David? And yet, what did David say, being filled with true, high and godly wisdom? What did he say to the one who wanted to stone the slanderer? What are the sons of Saruina to me and to you, he says? Leave him and let him curse, for the Lord commanded him to curse David. And who will say to Him: “Why did you do this?” 233 Then the Divine Scripture, as if again desiring to convey the complete saying of the king, says: And David said to Abishai and to all his servants: “Behold, if my son, who came out of my bowels, seeks my life, how much more is the son of Benjamite. Leave him, let him slander, for the Lord told him, so that the Lord may see my humility and reward me with goodness for slandering him on this day” 234. Who will understand and comprehend how the Lord told this man to slander David? After all, He did not speak in the sense of a command, so that obedience could be praised here, but He, by His righteous and secret judgment, inclined the will of this man, evil because of its own depravity, to sin, which is why the Scripture says: the Lord said to him. For if this man had obeyed the commanding God, he should have been praised rather than punished, and we know that he was later punished for this sin. One should not remain silent about the reason why the Lord told him to slander David in this way, that is, he inclined or inclined his evil heart to this sin. As David himself says, [He did this] so that the Lord would see my humility and reward me with goodness for slandering him on this day 235. This is how you can prove that God even uses the hearts of evil people to praise and help the good. This is how He took advantage of Judas, who betrayed Christ, and this is how He took advantage of the Jews who crucified Christ. And what benefits through this he provided to the nations who were to believe! God also uses the devil himself, the worst of all, but he uses him in the best way, to exercise and strengthen the faith and piety of good people. He does not do this for Himself, for He knows everything before it happens, but for us, who need this to happen to us. Was it not of his own free will that Absalom chose the advice that harmed him? And yet he did so because the Lord heard his father praying for this to happen. Therefore the Scripture says: Thus the Lord destined to destroy the good advice of Ahithophel, in order that the Lord might bring all evil upon Absalom. Scripture calls this advice good, for it was useful at this time, since it could serve Absalom against his father, with whom he fought, so that Absalom could have overcome him, if the Lord, working in the heart of Absalom, had not destroyed the advice that Ahithophel had given, and therefore Absalom rejected the latter's advice, and chose another, which was unfavorable to him. De gratia et libero arbitrio (CPL 352). Translation based on the publication: Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina. Accurante J.-P. Migne. Paris, 1845. T. 44, Col. 881–912. That is, apparently, evil wills.