nature which
renders them unworthy of Him. It is equally im****tant to men to know both
these points; and it is equally dangerous for man to know God without
knowing his own wretchedness, and to know his own wretchedness without
knowing the Redeemer who can free him from it. The knowledge of only one
of
these points gives rise either to the pride of philosophers, who have
known
God, and not their own wretchedness, or to the despair of atheists, who
know
their own wretchedness, but not the Redeemer.
And, as it is alike necessary to man to know these two points, so is it
alike merciful of God to have made us know them. The Christian religion
does
this; it is in this that it consists.
Let us herein examine the order of the world and see if all things do not
tend to establish these two chief points of this religion: Jesus Christ is
end of all, and the centre to which all tends. Whoever knows Him knows the
reason of everything.
Those who fall into error err only through failure to see one of these two
things. We can, then, have an excellent knowledge of God without that of
our
own wretchedness and of our own wretchedness without that of God. But we
cannot know Jesus Christ without knowing at the same time both God and our
own wretchedness.
Therefore I shall not undertake here to prove by natural reasons either
the
existence of
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