The Work of the Spirit

In hujus absolutione quaestionis flagitare vos video parvitatis nostrae sententiam. Proinde spero in abundantia bonitatis Dei, qua sic est ille semper dives, ut exinde nostra quoque possit ditari pauperies, et ex qua caeteris quantum vult sic donat, ut in ea plenius ipse permaneat; quia talia nostro cordi spiritaliter dignabitur infundere, quae et nobis dicere prosit, et vobis audire. Sermo enim quem vobis in Dei gratia ministramus, tunc etiam nobis prodest, si quod vobis pro salute verbo styloqie foris dicimus, nos intus mites et humiles audiamus. Non enim frustra David sanctissimus dicit: Audiam quid loquatur in me Dominus Deus. Qui auditus proprie ad humiles pertinet. Propter quod alio speo idem propheta dicit: Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam, et exsultabunt ossa humiliata. Alio loco majestas ipsa sic loquitur: Super quem requiescet Spiritus meus, nisi super humilem et quietem, et trementem verba mea? Nec vero iste Spiritus Dei sic super humilem et quietem requiescit ut non ipse quietum humilemque faciat, sed tamquam humilem quietumque requieturus inveniat. In eo quippe super humilem et quietem dignatur requiescere, quia super quem requiescit, quietum et humilem facit. Hoc ergo Spiritus sanctus operatur, ut vitium superbiae atque inquietudinis ab homine in quo requiescit, expellat; ac sic praeveniente sancti Spiritus operatione, hominis voluntatem misericorditer immutante, omne praeteritae humanae iniquitatis vinculum gratis data solvat remission peccatorum. Sanctus Fulgentius Ruspensis, De Remissione Peccatorum, Lib I, Cap III

In the solution of this question I mark that you cry out for understanding of our littleness. Whence I hope in the abundance of the goodness of God, in which He is always so rich that from it He is able to enrich the our poverty, giving to others as much He wishes to give, and in Himself remaining replete, that He make our heart worthy to be spiritually infused so that it may profit us to speak and for you to hear. For the speech to you which in the grace of God we minister, then even to us may be of benefit, if what we say to you with word and pen brings salvation, we within meek and humble hear. For not in vain does the most holy David say, 'I shall hear what is spoken against me, Lord God.' 1 Which hearing is proper to the humble. On account of which with another hope the same Prophet says, 'Into my hearing you shall give joy and delight and my humbled bones shall exult.' 2 And in another place the majesty Himself says: 'Over whom shall my spirit rest, unless the humble and quiet, and who tremble at my words?' 3 For truly it is not that this Spirit of God rests on the humble and quiet that He does not make quiet and humble, since as one humble and quiet he should be found on whom He shall rest. By which on the humble and quiet He is worthy to rest, because upon whom He does rest, He makes quiet and humble. This, then, is the work of the Holy Spirit, that the fault of pride and inquietude He expels from the one on whom he rests; and so with the prior work of the Holy Spirit, the merciful transformation of the will of a man, grace is given that every existing chain of human iniquity be loosed in forgiveness of sin. Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, On the Forgiveness of Sinners, Book 1, Chap III 1 Ps 84. 9 2 Ps 50.10 3 Is 66.2