BOOK ONE
The Knowledge* of God the Creator'
CHAPTER I
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THAT OF OURSELVES ARECONNECTED. HOW THEY ARE INTERRELATED2 /. Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of Godb<a)N early all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true andsound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.3 eBut, while joined by many bonds, bwhich oneprecedes and brings forth the other is not easy to discern. eIn thefirst place, no one can look upon himself without immediatelyturning his thoughts to the contemplation of God, in whom he"lives and moves" [Acts 17:28]. For, quite clearly, the mightygifts with which we are endowed are hardly from ourselves; indeed, our very being is nothing but subsistence in the one God.T benefits shed like dew from heaven upon us, weare led as by rivulets to the spring itself. Indeed, our very povertybetter discloses the infinitude of benefits reposing in God. Themiserable ruin, into which the rebellion of the first man cast us,especially compels uhen, by theses to look upward. Thus, not only will we, infasting and hungering, seek thence what we lack; but, in beingaroused by fear, we shall learn humility.4 bFor, as a veritableworld of miseries is to be found in mankind, e(b)and we are therebydespoiled of divine raiment, our shameful nakedness exposes ateeming horde of infamies. Each of us must, then, be so stung bythe consciousness of his own unhappiness as to attain at leastsome knowledge of God. "Thus, from the feeling of our ownignorance, vanity, poverty, infirmity, and—what is more—depravity and corruption, we recognize that the true light of wisdom,sound virtue, full abundance of every good, and purity of righteousness rest in the Lord alone. To this extent we are promptedrighteousness in place of righteousness itself abundantly satisfiesus. And because nothing appears within or around us that has notbeen contaminated by great immorality, what is a little less vilepleases us as a thing most pure—so long as we confine our mindswithin the limits of human corruption. Just so, an eye to whichnothing is shown but black objects judges something dirty white or even rather darkly mottled to be whiteness itself. Indeed, wecan discern still more clearly from the bodily senses how much weare deluded in estimating the powers of the soul. For if in broaddaylight we either look down upon the ground or survey whatevermeets our view round about, we seem to ourselves endowed withthe strongest and keenest sight; yet when we look up to the sunand gaze straight at it, that power of sight which was particularlystrong on earth is at once blunted and confused by a great brilliance, and thus we are compelled to admit that our keenness inlooking upon things earthly is sheer dullness when it comes tothe sun. So it happens in estimating our spiritual goods. As long as we do not look beyond the earth, being quite content with ourown righteousness, wisdom, and virtue, we flatter ourselves mostsweetly, and fancy ourselves all but demigods. Suppose we butonce begin to raise our thoughts to God, and to ponder his nature,and how completely perfect are his righteousness, wisdom, andpower—the straightedge to which we must be shaped. Then, whatmasquerading earlier as righteousness was pleasing in us will soongrow filthy in its consummate wickedness. What wonderfully impressed us under the name of wisdom will stink in its very foolishness. What wore the face of power will prove itself the most miserable weakness. That is, what in us seems perfection itself corresponds ill to the purity of God. 3. Man before God's majestybHence that dread and wonder8 with which Scripture commonly represents the saints as stricken and overcome whenever they feltthe presence of God. Thus it comes about that we see men who inhis absence normally remained firm and constant, but who, when he manifests his glory, are so shaken and struck dumb as to be laidlow by the dread of death—are in fact overwhelmed by it andalmost annihilated. As a consequence, we must infer that man isnever sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of hislowly state until he has compared himself with God's majesty.Moreover, we have numerous examples of this consternation both in The Book of Judges and in the Prophets. So frequent was itthat this expression was common among God's people: "We shalldie, for the Lord has appeared to us" [Judg. 13:22; Isa. 6:5; Ezek.2:1; 1:28; Judg. 6:22-23; and elsewhere]. The story of Job, in itsdescription of God's wisdom, power, and purity, always expresses a powerful argument that overwhelms men with the realization oftheir own stupidity, impotence, and corruption [cf. Job 38:1 ff.].And not without cause: for we see how Abraham recognizesmore clearly that he is earth and dust [Gen. 18:27] when once hehad come nearer to beholding God's glory; and how Elijah, withuncovered face, cannot bear to await his approach, such is theawesomeness of his appearance [I Kings 19:13]- And what canman do, who is rottenness itself [Job 13:28] and a worm [Job7:5; Ps. 22:6], when even the very cherubim must veil their facesout of fear [Isa. 6:2]? It is this indeed of which the prophet Isaiahspeaks: "The sun will blush and the moon be confounded whenthe Lord of Hosts shall reign" [Isa. 24:23]; that is, when he shallbring forth his splendor and cause it to draw nearer, the brightestthing will become darkness before it [Isa. 2:10, 19 p.].Yet, however the knowledge of God and of ourselves may bemutually connected, the order of right teaching requires that wediscuss the former first, then proceed afterward to treat the latter.