Dear Friends,

Has anyone here read BOOK I of John Calvin's Institutes. This is Chapter 5. What do you think ?

Quote
3. Man as the loftiest proof of divine wisdom

Hence certain of the philosophers have not improperly called man a microcosm, (miniature world,) as being a rare specimen of divine power, wisdom, and goodness, and containing within himself wonders sufficient to occupy our minds, if we are willing so to employ them. Paul, accordingly, after reminding the Athenians that they "might feel after God and find him," immediately adds, that "he is not far from every one of us," (Acts 17: 27;) every man having within himself undoubted evidence of the heavenly grace by which he lives, and moves, and has his being. But if, in order to apprehend God, it is unnecessary to go farther than ourselves, what excuse can there be for the sloth of any man who will not take the trouble of descending into himself that he may find Him? For the same reason, too, David, after briefly celebrating the wonderful name and glory of God, as everywhere displayed, immediately exclaims, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" and again, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength," (Psalm 8: 2, 4.) Thus he declares not only that the human race are a bright mirror of the Creator's works, but that infants hanging on their mothers' breasts have tongues eloquent enough to proclaim his glory without the aid of other orators. Accordingly, he hesitates not to bring them forward as fully instructed to refute the madness of those who, from devilish pride, would fain extinguish the name of God. Hence, too, the passage which Paul quotes from Aratus, "We are his offspring," (Acts 17: 28,) the excellent gifts with which he has endued us attesting that he is our Father. In the same way also, from natural instinct, and, as it were, at the dictation of experience, heathen poets called him the father of men. 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.

I have always wondered why Calvin started with 'THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR" - whereas the Westminster Confession begins with 'Of Scripture'. My personal thought is that often so many Christians develop a genuine block to the idea that God is able to speak through His creation, and quite literally, or else we would have to burn all literature. Sure Scripture can never be contradicted, but prose, poetry, include Shakespeare, and Milton, and okay I might not include others, but so much speaks, and clearly teaches us that God speaks, and that He created us with beaks that need to speak, to be happy, and pens and quills that we have to communicate ideas. How often have we been perplexed and spoken to a friend and they have shared from their hearts and we have just sat there soothed and amazed and just thinking, 'Man you really spoke to me through this person Lord.' Did He not say He would be with us always, even unto the end of the world ? (Matthew 28) If our Bibles were taken away we would still have the presense of our living Lord and God with us. Right?

I often wondered why it is that if 'Christ is in us, the hope of glory' why so many object to the idea of actually hearing and even seeing Him ? Perhaps it is with new ears and new eyes and for some who reject the idea they will certainly both hear and see the Lord in the Kingdom to come.

Last edited by straw; Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:55 PM.