Nature And Grace

Cum ergo Dominus introivit in hominem, necessario homo induit Deum. Quotquot enim baptizati estis, Christum induistis, Adam exuistis, ut deforis jam oppugnet concupiscentia, intus adjuvet gratia, sitque gratia per hanc regenerationem naturalis, sicut culpa per generationem originalis. Intus fulgeat novitate veritatis imago Dei: foris squaleat vetus adhuc similitudo carnis peccati. Itaque hinc concupiscentia hinc gratis; natura vero jam media prurit, tentat ac suggerit concupiscentia: si delectatur natura, concipit; si consentit, parit; si parit, moritur: non enim nascitur viperea proles, nisi parente disrupta. Suggerit etiam gratia, et hortatur naturam, praefert consilium, offert auxilium; si delectatur natura, concipit; si consentit, virtutem parit: virtus autem parta beatitudinem parit: ut jam audire debeat, Beati pauperes spiritu etc. Paupertas spiritus virtus est, regnum coelorum beatitudo: haec proles, illa parens. Isaac, Cisterciensis Abbas, Sermo VI In Festum Omnium Sanctorum Source: Migne PL 194.1712a-b

When the Lord entered into mankind, mankind necessarily put on God. 'As many as have been baptised have put on Christ.' 1 and cast off Adam, so that concupiscence now besieges from outside, and grace gives aid from within, for grace is now natural thanks to our rebirth, as fault was natural through our original birth. Let the image of God within shine forth in its newness and crush down the old man outside in the likeness of bodily sin. 2 So here is desire and here is grace, and nature is in the middle. Concupiscence allures and tempts and suggests, and if nature is pleased it conceives, and if nature consents it gives birth, and if it gives birth it dies, for there is no birth of such viperous offspring but the parent is torn apart. Grace also suggests and exhorts nature and brings forward its counsel and offers help, and if it delights nature it conceives, and if it consents it gives birth to virtue, and the birth of virtue gives birth to blessedness, so that now it should hear, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit...' 3 Poverty of spirit is virtue and the kingdom of heaven is blessedness; the latter is the child, the former the parent. Isaac of Stella, from Sermon Six on the Feast of All Saints 1 Galat 3.27 2 2 Cor 4.4 3 Mt 5.3