John Knox - Scottish Reformer

Knowledge of God and of Ourselves

All true and sound wisdom consists of two parts:
the knowledge of God and of ourselves.

- John Calvin

“The Institutes of the Christian Religion”

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