It is as though Job said in plain words, “If a created being unburdened by a physical body cannot think clearly about God, how can I dispute God’s judgments, as I am hampered by the burden of corruption?” God’s words to us are frequently his judgments, declaring God’s sentence upon our actions. Our words to God are the deeds that we set forth. A human being, however, cannot use words to reason with God. For in the eye of God’s exact judgment, he cannot rely on his own actions. Hence, Job appropriately adds, “Even if I possessed anything righteous, I would not answer. Rather, I would make supplication to my Judge.” For, as we have often said, all human righteousness is proved to be unrighteousness, if it is judged by strict rules. And so there is need for prayer to follow righteous actions.… The human mind with difficulty puts into practice the truths that it apprehends, and the things that it apprehends are nothing more than the outskirts. Therefore, let Job say, “Though I possessed nothing righteous, yet I would not answer, but I would make supplication to my Judge.” It is as if Job acknowledged in plainer words, “And if I should grow to the practicing of virtue, I am strengthened to life not by merit but by pardoning grace.” Therefore, we must be strenuous in prayer when we act rightly, so that all the righteous ways in which we live may be seasoned by humility.
28. For, as we have often said, all human righteousness is proved unrighteousness, if it be judged by strict rules. And so there is need of prayer following after righteousness, that this, which if sifted to the bottom might be brought down, may be firmly established in the mere pitifulness of the Judge. And when this is possessed fully by the more perfect sort, it is said that they possess a something of it. In that the human mind both with difficulty puts in practice the truths apprehended by it, and the things which it apprehends are the merest outskirts. Therefore let him say, Who, though I possessed any thing righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my Judge. As if he owned in plainer words; ‘And if I should grow to the practising of virtue, I am made vigorous to life, not by merit, but of pardoning grace.’ Therefore we must be strenuous in prayer, when we do right, so that all the righteous ways we live in we may season by humility; but very often it happens that our very supplication is tost to and fro by such a multitude of temptations, that it seems almost cast off from the presence of the Judge. And often our pitiful Creator receives it, but because it cannot put forth itself undefiled, as it is minded, it dreads the sentence of condemnation upon its head.
[AD 604] Gregory the Dialogist on Job 9:14-16