Augustine: Earlier Writings (continued)
absurd to say that he made some one he was going to hate. For another Scripture says, "Thou abhorrest none of the things which thou didst make; for never wouldest thou have formed anything if thou didst hate it" (Wisdom 11:24). ^Y what merit did the sun deserve to be made as it is? How did the moon offend so as to be made so much inferior? How did the moon earn the right to be made so much brighter than the other stars? All these were created good each in its own kind. God would not say "The sun have I loved, but the moon I have hated," or "The moon have I loved, but the stars have I hated," as he said "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." He loved them all though he ordained them in different degrees of excellence, for God saw that they were good when they were created at his Word. That he hated Esau is unjust unless the hatred was merited by injustice on Esau's part. If we admit this, then Jacob must be loved because he had merited to be loved by his justice. And if that is true, it is false to say that it was not of works. Could it possibly be from the righteousness of faith? But what support for that view can you get from the words, "When they were not yet born"? Not even the righteousness of faith can exist in one who is not yet born.
9. The apostle saw the questions that might arise in the mind of the hearer or reader of these words, and so he immediately added, "What shall we say, then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid." And as if to teach us how there is no unrighteousness, he goes on, "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will show compassion to him on whom I will have compassion." Does he solve the question in these words or at least narrow it down? If God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and show compassion to whom he wdll show compassion, our chief difficulty remains, which is, why did his mercy fail in Esau's case? Why was not Esau too made good by God's mercy as Jacob was made good? Perhaps the real import of the words is this. If God will have mercy on a man so as to call him, he will also have mercy on him so that he may believe; and on him on whom he in mercy bestows faith he will show compassion, i.e., will make him compassionate, so that he may also perform good works. So we are admonished that no one ought to glory or exult in his works ofmercy as if he had propitiated God by meritorious works of his own. God gave him the power to be merciful when he showed compassion on whom he would show compassion. If anyone boasts that he has merited compassion by his faith, let him know