Posted on 01/23/2003 5:27:50 AM PST by ksen
Institutes of the Christian Religion
Book I: The Knowledge of God the Creator
Chapter 1: THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND OF OURSELVES MUTUALLY CONNECTED. - NATURE OF THIS CONNECTION.
Section 1: Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God
Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other. For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone. In the second place, those blessings which unceasingly distil to us from heaven, are like streams conducting us to the fountain. Here, again, the infinitude of good which resides in God becomes more apparent from our poverty. In particular, the miserable ruin into which the revolt of the first man has plunged us, compels us to turn our eyes upwards; not only that while hungry and famishing we may thence ask what we want, but being aroused by fear may learn humility. For as there exists in man something like a world of misery, and ever since we were stript of the divine attire our naked shame discloses an immense series of disgraceful properties every man, being stung by the consciousness of his own unhappiness, in this way necessarily obtains at least some knowledge of God. Thus, our feeling of ignorance, vanity, want, weakness, in short, depravity and corruption, reminds us, (see Calvin on John 4: 10,) that in the Lord, and none but He, dwell the true light of wisdom, solid virtue, exuberant goodness. We are accordingly urged by our own evil things to consider the good things of God; and, indeed, we cannot aspire to Him in earnest until we have begun to be displeased with ourselves. For what man is not disposed to rest in himself? Who, in fact, does not thus rest, so long as he is unknown to himself; that is, so long as he is contented with his own endowments, and unconscious or unmindful of his misery? Every person, therefore, on coming to the knowledge of himself, is not only urged to seek God, but is also led as by the hand to find him.
2.Without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self
On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself. For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity. Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and not to the Lord also - He being the only standard by the application of which this conviction can be produced. For, since we are all naturally prone to hypocrisy, any empty semblance of righteousness is quite enough to satisfy us instead of righteousness itself. And since nothing appears within us or around us that is not tainted with very great impurity, so long as we keep our mind within the confines of human pollution, anything which is in some small degree less defiled delights us as if it were most pure just as an eye, to which nothing but black had been previously presented, deems an object of a whitish, or even of a brownish hue, to be perfectly white. Nay, the bodily sense may furnish a still stronger illustration of the extent to which we are deluded in estimating the powers of the mind. If, at mid-day, we either look down to the ground, or on the surrounding objects which lie open to our view, we think ourselves endued with a very strong and piercing eyesight; but when we look up to the sun, and gaze at it unveiled, the sight which did excellently well for the earth is instantly so dazzled and confounded by the refulgence, as to oblige us to confess that our acuteness in discerning terrestrial objects is mere dimness when applied to the sun. Thus too, it happens in estimating our spiritual qualities. So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable impotence. So far are those qualities in us, which seem most perfect, from corresponding to the divine purity.
3.Man before God's majesty
Hence that dread and amazement with which as Scripture uniformly relates, holy men were struck and overwhelmed whenever they beheld the presence of God. When we see those who previously stood firm and secure so quaking with terror, that the fear of death takes hold of them, nay, they are, in a manner, swallowed up and annihilated, the inference to be drawn is that men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God. Frequent examples of this consternation occur both in the Book of Judges and the Prophetical Writings; so much so, that it was a common expression among the people of God, "We shall die, for we have seen the Lord." Hence the Book of Job, also, in humbling men under a conviction of their folly, feebleness, and pollution, always derives its chief argument from descriptions of the Divine wisdom, virtue, and purity. Nor without cause: for we see Abraham the readier to acknowledge himself but dust and ashes the nearer he approaches to behold the glory of the Lord, and Elijah unable to wait with unveiled face for His approach; so dreadful is the sight. And what can man do, man who is but rottenness and a worm, when even the Cherubim themselves must veil their faces in very terror? To this, undoubtedly, the Prophet Isaiah refers, when he says, (Isaiah 24: 23,) "The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign;" i. e., when he shall exhibit his refulgence, and give a nearer view of it, the brightest objects will, in comparison, be covered with darkness.
But though the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves are bound together by a mutual tie, due arrangement requires that we treat of the former in the first place, and then descend to the latter.
We like Mercy, we don't like Justice.......unless of course it is Justice meted out on someone else.
Through God's gracious gift of regeneration we are born again, desiring only to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
At the center of that gift is Christ's sacrifice on the cross, wherein He suffered in our place, and washed our sins away forever.
Don't worry Mom, I'll make sure to read Hunt with a big grain of salt. ;^)
You may wish to read James White's book as well...can't remember the name at the present, mental block, either The Potter's Field or The Potter's Freedom...i think the second one is what i meant, since it deals with God as the Potter. It is a rebuttal to both Dave Hunt and Norman Geisler.
Jean
Thanks for the tip.
BTW, I like your tagline. Kenneth Branagh's adaptation is one of my favorites.
That's too bad, but how many people actually read the reformers vs. reading ABOUT the reformers.
That's one reason I thought posting The Institutes in their entirety would be beneficial for all of us.
I don't see anything objectionable in Book 1, Chapter 1. I was hoping more non-Calvinists would get involved, read what Calvin actually wrote, and then we could discuss Calvin's actual words.......in context even.
You got it.
Most of what Calvin wrote in his Institutes is not objectionable.
It is when you get to Book 3 chapter 21 that you get to the heart of his system, Sovereign Election 'Of the Eternal Election,by Which God has Predestinated Some to Salvation, and Others to Destruction' to see the real heresies in Calvinism.
http://pw1.netcom.com/~rogh/
This site has a very good article on the two systems titled 'Calvin and Arminius', you might want to check it out.
Already seen em, thats why there is no reason to talk about em, it just gives them a platform to scream from, mark em, and move on.
BigMack
Point well made (Tit.3:10)
how do you explain the universal need for Man to connect with God?
I don't recognize any such "need." That's gnosticism and new-age drivel -- that we all have a spark of the divine inside us. Look around you. Is the world striving for good or ill; charity or compassion; God or self?
Every age has its pretensions towards goodness. Certainly the 20th century pretensions were as corrupted as any, centering around "the psychology of self," and the largesse of the state, and the inherent goodness of the "natural" man.
The Bible tells us we are all fallen, everyone. Our "attempting to encounter the Divine," as you say, is simply chasing after our own shadow.
We do not "encounter the divine."
God "encounters" us, at His pleasure.
People generally do not like calvinism.. I know I didn't
No Mack ..you have not seen THEM..
And do you intend to get people banned from this thread too...so they do not threaten your world?
Only cowards silence their crtitics
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