[ 1 1 1 1 ] Tota fere sapientiae nostrae summa, quae vera demum ac solida sapientia censeri debeat, duabus partibus constat, Dei cognitione et nostri.
[ 1 1 1 1 ] 1. 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.
[ 1 1 1 2 ] Caeterum quum multis inter se vinculis connexae sint, utra tamen alteram praecedat, et ex se pariat, non facile est discernere.
[ 1 1 1 2 ] But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other.
[ 1 1 1 3 ] Nam primo, se nemo aspicere potest quin ad Dei in quo vivit et movetur, intuitum sensus suos protinus convertat: quia minime obscurum est, dotes quibus pollemus, nequaquam a nobis esse; imo ne id quidem ipsum quod sumus, aliud esse quam in uno Deo subsistentiam.
[ 1 1 1 3 ] For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone.
[ 1 1 1 4 ] Deinde ab his bonis quae guttatim e caelo ad nos stillant, tanquam a rivulis ad fontem deducimur.
[ 1 1 1 4 ] In the second place, those blessings which unceasingly distil to us from heaven, are like streams conducting us to the fountain.
[ 1 1 1 5 ] Iam vero ex nostra tenuitate melius apparet illa, quae in Deo residet bonorum infinitas.
[ 1 1 1 5 ] Here, again, the infinitude of good which resides in God becomes more apparent from our poverty.
[ 1 1 1 6 ] Praesertim miserabilis haec ruina, in quam nos deiecit primi hominis defectio, sursum oculos cogit attollere, non modo ut inde ieiuni et famelici petamus quod nobis deest, sed metu expergefacti, humilitatem discamus.
[ 1 1 1 6 ] In particular, the miserable ruin into which the revolt of the first man has plunged us, compels us to turn our eyes upwards; not only that while hungry and famishing we may thence ask what we want, but being aroused by fear may learn humility.
[ 1 1 1 7 ] Nam ut in homine reperitur quidam miseriarum omnium mundus, ac ex quo spoliati sumus divino ornatu, pudenda nuditas immensam probrorum congeriem detegit: propriae infoelicitatis conscientia unumquenque pungi necesse est, ut in aliquam saltem Dei notitiam veniat.
[ 1 1 1 7 ] For as there exists in man something like a world of misery, and ever since we were stript of the divine attire our naked shame discloses an immense series of disgraceful properties every man, being stung by the consciousness of his own unhappiness, in this way necessarily obtains at least some knowledge of God.
[ 1 1 1 8 ] Ita ex ignorantiae, vanitatis, inopiae, infirmitatis, pravitatis denique et corruptionis propriae sensu recognoscimus, non alibi quam in Domino sitam esse veram sapientiae lucem, solidam virtutem, bonorum omnium perfectam affluentiam, iustitiae puritatem; atque adeo malis nostris ad consideranda Dei bona excitamur: nec ante ad illum serio aspirare possumus, quam coeperimus nobisipsis displicere.
[ 1 1 1 8 ] Thus, our feeling of ignorance, vanity, want, weakness, in short, depravity and corruption, reminds us, (see Calvin on John 4: 10,) that in the Lord, and none but He, dwell the true light of wisdom, solid virtue, exuberant goodness. We are accordingly urged by our own evil things to consider the good things of God; and, indeed, we cannot aspire to Him in earnest until we have begun to be displeased with ourselves.
[ 1 1 1 9 ] Quis enim hominum non libenter in se requiescat? quis etiam non requiescit quandiu sibi est incognitus, hoc est, suis dotibus est contentus, et inscius suae miseriae vel immemor?
[ 1 1 1 9 ] For what man is not disposed to rest in himself? Who, in fact, does not thus rest, so long as he is unknown to himself; that is, so long as he is contented with his own endowments, and unconscious or unmindful of his misery?
[ 1 1 1 10 ] Proinde unusquisque sui agnitione non tantum instigatur ad quaerendum Deum, sed etiam ad reperiendum quasi manu ducitur.
[ 1 1 1 10 ] Every person, therefore, on coming to the knowledge of himself, is not only urged to seek God, but is also led as by the hand to find him.