both are simultaneous in time.  And since the infusion of grace and the remission of sin regard God Who justifies, hence in the order of nature the infusion of grace is prior to the freeing from sin.  But if we look at what is on the part of the man justified, it is the other way about, since in the order of nature the being freed from sin is prior to the obtaining of justifying grace.  Or it may be said that the term whence of justification is sin; and the term whereto is justice; and that grace is the cause of the forgiveness of sin and of obtaining of justice.

Reply Obj. 2:  The disposition of the subject precedes the reception of the form, in the order of nature; yet it follows the action of the agent, whereby the subject is disposed.  And hence the free-will’s movement precedes the reception of grace in the order of nature, and follows the infusion of grace.

Reply Obj. 3:  As the Philosopher says (Phys. ii, 9), in movements of the soul the movement toward the speculative principle or the practical end is the very first, but in exterior movements the removal of the impediment precedes the attainment of the end.  And as the free-will’s movement is a movement of the soul, in the order of nature it moves towards God as to its end, before removing the impediment of sin. ________________________

NINTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 113, Art. 9]

Whether the Justification of the Ungodly Is God’s Greatest Work?

Objection 1:  It would seem that the justification of the ungodly is not God’s greatest work.  For it is by the justification of the ungodly that we attain the grace of a wayfarer.  Now by glorification we receive heavenly grace, which is greater.  Hence the glorification of angels and men is a greater work than the justification of the ungodly.

Obj. 2:  Further, the justification of the ungodly is ordained to the particular good of one man.  But the good of the universe is greater than the good of one man, as is plain from Ethic. i, 2.  Hence the creation of heaven and earth is a greater work than the justification of the ungodly.

Obj. 3:  Further, to make something from nothing, where there is nought to cooperate with the agent, is greater than to make something with the cooperation of the recipient.  Now in the work of creation something is made from nothing, and hence nothing can cooperate with the agent; but in the justification of the ungodly God makes something from something, i.e. a just man from a sinner, and there is a cooperation on man’s part, since there is a movement of the free-will, as stated above (A. 3).  Hence the justification of the ungodly is not God’s greatest work.

On the contrary, It is written (Ps. 144:9):  “His tender mercies are over all His works,” and in a collect [Tenth Sunday after Pentecost] we say:  “O God, Who dost show forth Thine all-mightiness most by pardoning and having mercy,” and Augustine, expounding the words, “greater than these shall he do” (John 14:12) says that “for a just man to be made from a sinner, is greater than to create heaven and earth.”