The Institution of Christian Religion

Therefore, where as in this point the trueth of God doth agree §3with the common natural meaning of all men, that the second part of wisdom consisteth in the knowledge of our selves, yet in the very manner of knowing there is much disagreement. For by the judgement ⟨image 81⟩of the flesh, a man thinketh that he hath then well searched himself, when trusting upon his own understanding & integrity, he taketh boldness & encourageth him self to doing the duties of virtue & bidding battle to vices, travaileth with all his study to bend himself to that which is comely and honest. But he that looketh upon and trieth himself by the rule of Gods judgement, •inneth nothing that may raise up his mind to good affiance: and the more inwardly that he hath examined him self, the more he is discouraged, till being altogether spoiled of all confidence, he leaveth to himself nothing toward the well ordering of his life. And yet would not God have us to forget the first nobleness that he gave to our father Adam, which ought of good right to awake us to the study of righteousness and goodness. For we can not consider either our own first estate, or to what end we are created, but we shall be pricked forward to study upon immortality, & to desire the kingdom of God. But that consideration is so far from putting us in courage, that rather discouraging us, it throweth us down to humbleness For what is that first estate of ours? even that from whence we are false. What is that end of our creation? even the same from which we are altogether turned away: so that loathing our own miserable estate, we may gro•e for sorrow, & in groaning may also sigh for the loss of that dignity. But now when we say that man ought to behold nothing in himself that may make him of bold courage, we mean that there is nothing in him upon affiance whereof he ought to be proud. Wherefore, if any list to hear what knowledge man ought to have of himself, let us thus divide it, that first he consider to what end he is created, and endued with gifts that are not to be despised, by which thought he may be stirred up to the meditation of the hearing of God and of the life to come. Then let him weigh his own strength, or rather needy want of strength, by perceiving whereof he may lye in extreme confusion, as one utterly brought to naught.