Sermon Tone Analysis

CHAPTER I

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THAT OF OURSELVES ARE CONNECTED.

HOW THEY ARE INTERRELATED

1.

Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God

Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.3

But, while joined by many bonds, bwhich one precedes and brings forth the other is not easy to discern.

In the first place, no one can look upon himself without immediately turning his thoughts to the contemplation of God, in whom he “lives and moves” [].

For, quite clearly, the mighty gifts with which we are endowed are hardly from ourselves; indeed, our very being is nothing but subsistence in the one God.

Then, by these benefits shed like dew from heaven upon us, we are led as by rivulets to the spring itself.

Indeed, our very poverty better discloses the infinitude of benefits reposing in God.

The miserable ruin, into which the rebellion of the first man cast us, especially compels us to look upward.

Thus, not only will we, in fasting and hungering, seek thence what we lack; but, in being aroused by fear, we shall learn humility.

bFor, as a veritable world of miseries is to be found in mankind, and we are thereby despoiled of divine raiment, our shameful nakedness exposes a teeming horde of infamies.

Each of us must, then, be so stung by the consciousness of his own unhappiness as to attain at least some knowledge of God.

bThus, from the feeling of our own ignorance, 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 prompted by our own ills to contemplate the good things of God; and we cannot seriously aspire to him before we begin to become displeased with ourselves.

For what man in all the world would not gladly remain as he is—what man does not remain as he is—so long as he does not know himself, that is, while content with his own gifts, and either ignorant or unmindful of his own misery?

Accordingly, the knowledge of ourselves not only arouses us to seek God, but also, as it were, leads us by the hand to find him.

2. Without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self

Again, it is certain that man never achieves a clear knowledge of himself5 unless he has first looked upon God’s face, and then descends from contemplating him to scrutinize himself.

For we always seem to ourselves righteous and upright and wise and holy—this pride is innate in all of us—unless by clear proofs we stand convinced of our own unrighteousness, foulness, folly, and impurity.

Moreover, we are not thus convinced if we look merely to ourselves and not also to the Lord, who is the sole standard by which this judgment must be measured.

For, because all of us are inclined by nature to hypocrisy,7 a kind of empty image of righteousness in place of righteousness itself abundantly satisfies us.

And because nothing appears within or around us that has not been contaminated by great immorality, what is a little less vile pleases us as a thing most pure—so long as we confine our minds within the limits of human corruption.

Just so, an eye to which nothing is shown but black objects judges something dirty white or even rather darkly mottled to be whiteness itself.

Indeed, we can discern still more clearly from the bodily senses how much we are deluded in estimating the powers of the soul.

For if in broad daylight we either look down upon the ground or survey whatever meets our view round about, we seem to ourselves endowed with the strongest and keenest sight; yet when we look up to the sun and gaze straight at it, that power of sight which was particularly strong on earth is at once blunted and confused by a great brilliance, and thus we are compelled to admit that our keenness in looking upon things earthly is sheer dullness when it comes to the sun.

So it happens in estimating our spiritual goods.

As long as we do not look beyond the earth, being quite content with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue, we flatter ourselves most sweetly, and fancy ourselves all but demigods.

Suppose we but once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and to ponder his nature, and how completely perfect are his righteousness, wisdom, and power—the straightedge to which we must be shaped.

Then, what masquerading earlier as righteousness was pleasing in us will soon grow 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 majesty

Hence that dread and wonder8 with which Scripture commonly represents the saints as stricken and overcome whenever they felt the presence of God.

Thus it comes about that we see men who in his absence normally remained firm and constant, but who, when he manifests his glory, are so shaken and struck dumb as to be laid low by the dread of death—are in fact overwhelmed by it and almost annihilated.

As a consequence, we must infer that man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly 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 it that this expression was common among God’s people: “We shall die, for the Lord has appeared to us” [; ; ; ; ; and elsewhere].

The story of Job, in its description of God’s wisdom, power, and purity, always expresses a powerful argument that overwhelms men with the realization of their own stupidity, impotence, and corruption [cf.

.].

And not without cause: for we see how Abraham recognizes more clearly that he is earth and dust [] when once he had come nearer to beholding God’s glory; and how Elijah, with uncovered face, cannot bear to await his approach, such is the awesomeness of his appearance [].

And what can man do, who is rottenness itself [] and a worm [; ], when even the very cherubim must veil their faces out of fear []?

It is this indeed of which the prophet Isaiah speaks: “The sun will blush and the moon be confounded when the Lord of Hosts shall reign” []; that is, when he shall bring forth his splendor and cause it to draw nearer, the brightest thing will become darkness before it [, p.].

Yet, however the knowledge of God and of ourselves may be mutually connected, the order of right teaching requires that we discuss the former first, then proceed afterward to treat the latter.

CHAPTER II

WHAT IT IS TO KNOW GOD, AND TO WHAT PURPOSE THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM TENDS

1. Piety is requisite for the knowledge of God*

Now, the knowledge of God, as I understand it, is that by which we not only conceive that there is a God ebut also grasp what befits us and is proper to his glory, in fine, what is to our advantage to know of him.

Indeed, we shall not say that, properly speaking, God is known where there is no religion or piety.

Here I do not yet touch upon the sort of knowledge with which men, in themselves lost and accursed, apprehend God the Redeemer in Christ the Mediator; but I speak only of the primal and simple knowledge to which the very order of nature would have led us if Adam had remained upright.

In this ruin of mankind no one now experiences God either as Father or as Author of salvation, or favorable in any way, until Christ the Mediator comes forward to reconcile him to us.

Nevertheless, it is one thing to feel that God as our Maker supports us by his power, governs us by his providence, nourishes us by his goodness, and attends us with all sorts of blessings—and another thing to embrace the grace of reconciliation offered to us in Christ.

First, as much in the fashioning of the universe as in the general teaching of Scripture the Lord shows himself to be simply the Creator.

Then in the face of Christ [cf.

] he shows himself the Redeemer.

Of the resulting twofold knowledge of God we shall now discuss the first aspect; the second will be dealt with in its proper place.4

Moreover, although our mind cannot apprehend God without rendering some honor to him, it will not suffice simply to hold that there is One whom all ought to honor and adore, unless we are also persuaded that he is the fountain of every good, and that we must seek nothing elsewhere than in him.

This I take to mean that not only does he sustain this universe (as he once founded it) by his boundless might, regulate it by his wisdom, preserve it by his goodness, and especially rule mankind by his righteousness and judgment, bear with it in his mercy, watch over it by his protection; but also that no drop will be found either of wisdom and light, or of righteousness or power or rectitude, or of genuine truth, which does not flow from him, and of which he is not the cause.

Thus we may learn to await and seek all these things from him, and thankfully to ascribe them, once received, to him.

eFor this sense of the powers of God is for us a fit teacher of piety, from which religion is born.

I call “piety” that reverence joined with love of God which the knowledge of his benefits induces.

For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond him—they will never yield him willing service.

Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him.

2. Knowledge of God involves trust and reverence*

What is God?

Men who pose this question are merely toying with idle speculations.

It is more important for us to know of what sort he is and what is consistent with his nature.6

What good is it to profess with Epicurus some sort of God who has cast aside the care of the world only to amuse himself in idleness?

What help is it, in short, to know a God with whom we have nothing to do? c(b)Rather, our knowledge should serve first to teach us fear and reverence; secondly, with it as our guide and teacher, we should learn to seek every good from him, and, having received it, to credit it to his account.

For how can the thought of God penetrate your mind without your realizing immediately that, since you are his handiwork, you have been made over and bound to his command by right of creation, that you owe your life to him?—that whatever you undertake, whatever you do, ought to be ascribed to him?

If this be so, it now assuredly follows that your life is wickedly corrupt unless it be disposed to his service, seeing that his will ought for us to be the law by which we live.

Again, you cannot behold him clearly unless you acknowledge him to be the fountainhead and source of every good.

From this too would arise the desire to cleave to him and trust in him, but for the fact that man’s depravity seduces his mind from rightly seeking him.

For, to begin with, the pious mind does not dream up for itself any god it pleases, but contemplates the one and only true God.

And it does not attach to him whatever it pleases, but is content to hold him to be as he manifests himself; furthermore, the mind always exercises the utmost diligence and care not to wander astray, or rashly and boldly to go beyond his will.

It thus recognizes God because it knows that he governs all things; and trusts that he is its guide and protector, therefore giving itself over completely to trust in him.

Because it understands him to be the Author of every good, if anything oppresses, if anything is lacking, immediately it betakes itself to his protection, waiting for help from him.

Because it is persuaded that he is good and merciful, it reposes in him with perfect trust, and doubts not that in his loving-kindness a remedy will be provided for all its ills.

Because it acknowledges him as Lord and Father, the pious mind also deems it meet and right to observe his authority in all things, reverence his majesty, take care to advance his glory, and obey his commandments.

Because it sees him to be a righteous judge, armed with severity to punish wickedness, it ever holds his judgment seat before its gaze, and through fear of him restrains itself from provoking his anger.

And yet it is not so terrified by the awareness of his judgment as to wish to withdraw, even if some way of escape were open.

But it embraces him no less as punisher of the wicked than as benefactor of the pious.

For the pious mind realizes that the punishment of the impious and wicked and the reward of life eternal for the righteous equally pertain to God’s glory.

Besides, this mind restrains itself from sinning, not out of dread of punishment alone; but, because it loves and reveres God as Father, it worships and adores him as Lord.

Even if there were no hell, it would still shudder at offending him alone.

Here indeed is pure and real religion: faith so joined with an earnest fear of God e(b)that this fear also embraces willing reverence, and carries with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed in the law.

And we ought to note this fact even more diligently: all men have a vague general veneration for God, but very few really reverence him; and wherever there is great ostentation in ceremonies, sincerity of heart is rare indeed.

CHAPTER III

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD HAS BEEN NATURALLY IMPLANTED IN THE MINDS OF MEN

1.

The character of this natural endowment

There is within the human mind, and indeed by natural instinct, an awareness of divinity.2

This we take to be beyond controversy.

To prevent anyone from taking refuge in the pretense of ignorance, God himself has implanted bin all men a certain understanding of his divine majesty.

Ever renewing its memory, he repeatedly sheds efresh drops.

bSince, therefore, men one and all perceive that there is a God and that he is their Maker, they are condemned by their own testimony because they have failed to honor him and to consecrate their lives to his will.

If ignorance of God is to be looked for anywhere, surely one is most likely to find an example of it among the more backward folk and those more remote from civilization.

Yet there is, as the eminent pagan says, no nation so barbarous, no people so savage, that they have not a deep-seated conviction that there is a God.

And they who in other aspects of life seem least to differ from brutes still continue to retain some seed of religion.

So deeply does the common conception occupy the minds of all, so tenaciously does it inhere in the hearts of all!