God gave a common language to everyone. This was part of His loving-kindness toward the human race. They did not use the gift rightly, however, and lapsed into utter foolishness. Therefore He took away what He had given. For when they had one common speech they were foolish enough to want to build a tower to heaven. Had they not been immediately chastised, they would have even tried laying hold of the heights of heaven itself….If they do not pay the penalty now and are not restrained from the very root of their sins, they will never stop being wicked….Don’t you see that depriving them of the unity of one language was an act of mercy? He inflicted the different languages on them in order that they would not fall into greater wickedness. Hold onto this argument then with me, and let it become fixed in your minds that God is good and loving not only when He confers benefits, but even when He chastises.
St. John Chrysostom, Concerning the Power of Demons, I.4
Locus Communis 