The Institution of Christian Religion

To this, to this I say, we should have lifted up our eyes, to learn rather to tremble for fear, than vainly to rejoice. It is in deed easy so long as the comparison extendeth no further than men, for every man to think himself to have somewhat which other ought not to despise. But when we rise up to have respect unto God, then suddenly that confidence falleth to the ground and cometh to nought. And in the same case altogether is our soul in respect of God, as mans body is in respect of the heaven. For the sight of the eye, so long as it continueth in viewing things that lie near unto it, doth show of what piercing force it is, but if it be ones directed up to the sun, then bring dazzled and dulled with the to great brightness thereof, it feeleth no less feebleness of it self in beholding of the sun, than it perceived strength in beholding inferior things. Therefore let us not deceive our selves with vain confidence, although we compt our selves either equal or superior to other men: but that is nothing to God, by whose will this knowledge is to be tried. But if our wildness can not be tamed with these admonitions, he will answer to us as he said to the Pharisees: you be they that justify your selves before men:¹ but that which is hie to men is abominable to God. Now go thy way and proudly boast of thy righteousness among men, while God from heaven abhorreth it. But what say the servants of God that are truly instructed with his Spirit?² Enter not into judgement with thy servant, because every living man shall not be justified in thy sight. An other saith, although in somewhat diverse meaning.³ Man can not be righteous with God: if he will commend with him, he shall not be able to answer one for a thousand. Here we now plainly hear what is the righteousness of God, even such as can be satisfied with no works of men, to whom when it examineth us of a thousand offences, we can not purge our selves of one. Such a righteousness had that same chosen instrument of God Paul conceived,⁴ when he professed that he knew himself guilty in nothing, but that he was not thereby justified.