rom
God.

In a sinner we have to consider two things: his nature, which God loves;
his fault, which God hates. If, then, a sinner asks something of God
formally as a sinner--that is, according to his sinful desires--God, out
of His mercy, does not hear him, though sometimes He does hear him in
His vengeance, as when He permits a sinner to fall still farther into
sin. For God "in mercy refuses some things which in anger He concedes,"
as S. Augustine says.[246] But that prayer of a sinner which proceeds
from the good desire of his nature God hears, not, indeed, as bound in
justice to do so, for that the sinner cannot merit, but out of His pure
mercy, and on condition, too, that the four above-mentioned conditions
are observed--namely, that he prays for himself, for things needful for
his salvation, that he prays devoutly and perseveringly.

Some, however, maintain that sinners do not by their prayers win
anything from God, thus:

1. It is said in the Gospel,[247] _Now we know that God doth not hear
sinners_; and this accords with those words of _Proverbs[248]; He that
turneth away his ears from hearing the law, his prayer shall be an
abomination_. But a prayer which is "an abomination" cannot win anything
from God.

But, as S. Augustine remarks,[249] the words first quoted are
due to the blind man as yet unanointed--viz., not yet perfectly
illumined--and hence they are not valid; though they might be
true if understood of a sinner precisely as such, and in this
sense, too, his prayer is said to be "an abomination."

2. Again, just men obtain from God what they merit, as we have said
above. Sinners, however, can merit nothing, since they are without
grace, and even without charity which, according to the Gloss[250] on
the words, _Having an appearance of piety, but denying the power
thereof_, is "the _power_ of piety." And hence they cannot pray piously,
which, as we have said above, is requisite if prayer is to gain what it
asks for.

But though a sinner cannot pray piously in the sense that his
prayer springs from the habit of virtue, yet his prayer can be
pious in the sense that he asks for something conducive to
piety, just as a man who has not got the habit of justice can
yet wish for some just thing, as we have pointed out above. And
though such a man's prayer is not meritorious, it may yet have
the power of winning favours; for while merit reposes upon
just