Institutes of the Christian Religion

by John Calvin

Again, what more agreeable to faith than to feel assured that God is a propitious Father when Christ is acknowledged as a brother and propitiator, than confidently to expect all prosperity and gladness from Him, whose ineffable love towards us was such that He “spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32),

In short, the object on which all to a man are bent, is to keep their kingdom safe or their belly filled; not one gives even the smallest sign of sincere zeal.

I may add, that my object in this work was to prepare and train students of theology for the study of the Sacred Volume, so that they might both have an easy introduction to it, and be able to proceed in it, with unfaltering step, seeing I have endeavoured to give such a summary of religion in all its parts,

And first I wrote it in Latin, that it might be serviceable to all studious persons, of what nation soever they might be; afterwards,

However I may promise this much, that it will be a kind of key opening up to all the children of God a right and ready access to the understanding of the sacred volume.

but when I understood that it had been received, by almost all the pious with a favour which I had never dared to ask, far less to hope for, the more I was sincerely conscious that the reception was beyond my deserts,

After this letter to the reader was in the press, I had undoubted information that, at Augsburg, where the Imperial Diet was held, a rumour of my defection to the papacy was circulated, and entertained in the courts of the princes more readily than might have been expected[2].

knowledge of God the Creator.

Thus the whole book divides itself into two principal heads - the former relating to the knowledge of God, and the latter to the knowledge of man.

And, in the second place, (Chapter 3 - 9,) where this knowledge must be sought, namely, not in man; because, although naturally implanted in the human mind, it is stifled, partly by ignorance, partly by evil intent, Chapter

that though God employs the instrumentality of the wicked, he is pure from sin and from taint of every kind.

God uses secondary agents

Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.

Wisdom two things knoweldege of God and ourselves

it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other.

because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves;

All gifts, personality and being is not of ourselves

we cannot aspire to Him in earnest until we have begun to be displeased with ourselves. For what man is not disposed to rest in himself?

is not only urged to seek God, but is also led as by the hand to find him.

Led by the hand to seek him

On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God,

Humans never attain a true knowleldge of self untill they have contemplated the face of God

So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But

men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.

But though the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves are bound together by a mutual tie, due

Knowledge of God first that leads to knowledge of self. But both bound togather intimatley

unless they place their entire happiness in him, they will never yield up their whole selves to him in truth and sincerity.

Placing our whole happiness in God

Epicureans.

For, of what use is it to join Epicures in acknowledging some God who has cast off the care of the world, and only delights himself in ease?

The effect of our knowledge rather ought to be, first, to teach us reverence and fear; and, secondly, to induce us, under its guidance and teaching, to ask every good thing from him, and, when it is received, ascribe it to him.

The effect of our knowledge of God

If so, it undoubtedly follows that your life is sadly corrupted, if it is not framed in obedience to him, since his will ought to be the law of our lives.

Besides, it is not the mere fear of punishment that restrains him from sin. Loving and revering God as his father, honouring and obeying him as his master, although there were no hell, he would revolt at the very idea of offending him.

use this as quotation for Father heart of God

Conclusion, that the knowledge of God is naturally implanted in the human mind.

the k owledge of God naturally implanted in human minds

but they never could have succeeded in this, had the minds of men not been previously imbued will that uniform belief in

God,

from which, as from its seed, the religious pro...

For the world (as will be shortly seen) labours as much as it can to shake off all knowledge of God, and corrupts his worship in innumerable ways.

"No religion is genuine that is not in accordance with truth."

that a sense of Deity is naturally engraven on the human heart,

When at their ease, they can jest about God, and talk pertly and loquaciously in disparagement of his power; but should despair, from any cause, overtake them, it will stimulate them to seek him, and dictate ejaculatory prayers, proving that they were not entirely ignorant of God, but had perversely suppressed feelings which ought to have been earlier manifested.

No one, indeed, will voluntarily and willingly devote himself to the service of God unless he has previously tasted his paternal love, and been thereby allured to love and reverence Him.

quote for session

For in conducting the affairs of men, he so arranges the course of his providence,

the righteous are the special objects of his favour,

the wicked and profane the special objects of his severity.

declares that he is the protector, and even the avenger of innocence, by

And though he often permits the guilty to exult for a time with impunity,

nay, even to be wickedly and iniquitously oppressed, this ought not to produce any uncertainty as to the uniform justice of all his procedure.

his leaving many crimes unpunished, only proves that there is a judgement in reserve,

when the punishment now delayed shall be inflicted.

judgment in reserve

he continues to visit miserable sinners with unwearied kindness, until he subdues

their depravity, and woos them back with more than a parent's fondness?

not to attempt with presumptuous curiosity to pry into his essence, which

intresting dont know what to think of this

but to contemplate him in his works, by which he draws near, becomes familiar, and in a manner communicates himself to us.

coming into God pressence by contemplating his works. Agree

By the knowledge thus acquired, we ought not only to be stimulated to worship God, but also aroused and elevated to the hope of future life.

Moreover, when we observe that the Lord often lays his chastening rod on the righteous, we may the more surely conclude, that far less will the righteous ultimately escape the scourges of his anger.

when we have the rod it shows we wont experince God anger for our wickedness

Like water gushing forth from a large and copious