The Institution of Christian Religion

We cease not (sayeth he) to pray for you,¹ and to desire that ye may be filled with the knowledge of God in all wisdom and spiritual ⟨p. 16⟩understanding, that ye may walk worthily of God. &c. But so oft as he maketh that thing the good gift of God, let us remember that he doth withal testify,² that it lieth not in mans power. And Augustine so far acknowledged this defect of reason to understand those things that are of God, that he thinketh the grace of illumination to be no less necessary for our minds, than the light of the sun is for our eyes. And not content with that, he addeth a correction of that, saying, that we lift up our eyes to see the light: but the eyes of our mind lie shut, unless the Lord open them. And the Scripture teacheth that our minds are not enlightened one day alone, that they may afterward see by themselves: for that which I even now alleged out of Paul, belongeth to continual proceedings and increasings. And this doeth David expressly set out in these words:³ With my whole heart I have sought thee, make me not to stray from thy commandments. For when he had ben regenerated and had not slenderly profited in true godliness, yet he confesseth, that for every moment he needeth continual direction, lest he should swerve from the knowledge wherewith he is endued.⁴ Therefore, in an other place he prayeth to have the right spirit renewed, which he had lost by his own fault, because it belongeth to the same God to restore unto us the same thing being lost for a time, which himself gave at the beginning.

We cease not (sayeth he) to praye for you,¹ and to desire that ye may be filled wyth the knowledge of God in all wisedome and spirituall ⟨p. 16⟩vnderstandyng, that ye maye walke worthely of God. &c. But so ofte as he maketh that thing the good gift of God, let vs remember that he doth withall testifie,