ment of the soul, in the order of
nature it moves towards God as to its end, before removing the
impediment of sin.
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NINTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 113, Art. 9]

Whether the Justification of the Ungodly Is God's Greatest Work?

Objection 1: It would seem that the justification of the ungodly is
not God's greatest work. For it is by the justification of the
ungodly that we attain the grace of a wayfarer. Now by glorification
we receive heavenly grace, which is greater. Hence the glorification
of angels and men is a greater work than the justification of the
ungodly.

Obj. 2: Further, the justification of the ungodly is ordained to the
particular good of one man. But the good of the universe is greater
than the good of one man, as is plain from _Ethic._ i, 2. Hence the
creation of heaven and earth is a greater work than the justification
of the ungodly.

Obj. 3: Further, to make something from nothing, where there is
nought to cooperate with the agent, is greater than to make something
with the cooperation of the recipient. Now in the work of creation
something is made from nothing, and hence nothing can cooperate with
the agent; but in the justification of the ungodly God makes
something from something, i.e. a just man from a sinner, and there is
a cooperation on man's part, since there is a movement of the
free-will, as stated above (A. 3). Hence the justification of the
ungodly is not God's greatest work.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Ps. 144:9): "His tender mercies are
over all His works," and in a collect [*Tenth Sunday after Pentecost]
we say: "O God, Who dost show forth Thine all-mightiness most by
pardoning and having mercy," and Augustine, expounding the words,
"greater than these shall he do" (John 14:12) says that "for a just
man to be made from a sinner, is greater than to create heaven and
earth."

_I answer that,_ A work may be called great in two ways: first, on the
part of the mode of action, and thus the work of creation is the
greatest work, wherein something is made from nothing; secondly, a
work may be called great on account of what is made, and thus the
justification of the ungodly, which terminates at the eternal good of
a share in the Godhead, is greater than the creation of heaven and
earth, which terminates at the good of mutable nature. Hence,
Augustine, after saying that "for a just man to be made from a sinner
is greater than to create heaven and earth," adds,