what we should pray for as we ought”; since on account of the various turns of circumstances, and because we do not know ourselves perfectly, we cannot fully know what is for our good, according to Wis. 9:14:  “For the thoughts of mortal men are fearful and our counsels uncertain.”  Hence we must be guided and guarded by God, Who knows and can do all things.  For which reason also it is becoming in those who have been born again as sons of God, to say:  “Lead us not into temptation,” and “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” and whatever else is contained in the Lord’s Prayer pertaining to this.

Reply Obj. 1:  The gift of habitual grace is not therefore given to us that we may no longer need the Divine help; for every creature needs to be preserved in the good received from Him.  Hence if after having received grace man still needs the Divine help, it cannot be concluded that grace is given to no purpose, or that it is imperfect, since man will need the Divine help even in the state of glory, when grace shall be fully perfected.  But here grace is to some extent imperfect, inasmuch as it does not completely heal man, as stated above.

Reply Obj. 2:  The operation of the Holy Ghost, which moves and protects, is not circumscribed by the effect of habitual grace which it causes in us; but beyond this effect He, together with the Father and the Son, moves and protects us.

Reply Obj. 3:  This argument merely proves that man needs no further habitual grace. ________________________

TENTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 109, Art. 10]

Whether Man Possessed of Grace Needs the Help of Grace in Order to
Persevere?

Objection 1:  It would seem that man possessed of grace needs no help to persevere.  For perseverance is something less than virtue, even as continence is, as is clear from the Philosopher (Ethic. vii, 7, 9).  Now since man is justified by grace, he needs no further help of grace in order to have the virtues.  Much less, therefore, does he need the help of grace to have perseverance.

Obj. 2:  Further, all the virtues are infused at once.  But perseverance is put down as a virtue.  Hence it seems that, together with grace, perseverance is given to the other infused virtues.

Obj. 3:  Further, as the Apostle says (Rom. 5:20) more was restored to man by Christ’s gift, than he had lost by Adam’s sin.  But Adam received what enabled him to persevere; and thus man does not need grace in order to persevere.

On the contrary, Augustine says (De Persev. ii):  “Why is perseverance besought of God, if it is not bestowed by God?  For is it not a mocking request to seek what we know He does not give, and what is in our power without His giving it?” Now perseverance is besought by even those who are hallowed by grace; and this is seen, when we say “Hallowed be Thy name,” which Augustine confirms by the words of Cyprian (De Correp. et Grat. xii).  Hence man, even when possessed of grace, needs perseverance to be given to him by God.