De Sacrificiis Abelis Et Caini

And he who conceives that he was deserving to receive the possession and enjoyment of good things, may be taught to change his opinion by the oracle which says, "You do not enter into this land to possess it because of thy righteousness, or because of the holiness of thy heart; but, in the first place, because of the iniquity of these nations, since God has brought on them the destruction of wickedness; and in the second place that he may establish the covenant which he swore to our fathers." [*](Deut. ix. 5. ) Now by the covenant of God his graces are figuratively meant (nor is it right to offer to him anything that is imperfect), as all the gifts of the uncreated God are complete and entirely perfect, and virtue is a thing complete among existing [*](Deut. viii. 12. ) [*](Deut. viii. 17. ) [*](Deut. ix. 5. )

things, and so is the course of action in accordance with it.