Humility consists in the creature's willingly acknowledging its own inferiority to God. One of the first views of God, which produces this acknowledgment, is that of his being incomprehensible, or exalted above the possibility of being perfectly known, by any other understanding beside his own. This humble sense of distance from God, was, in the state of primitive integrity, entirely sweet and joyful. But, as the first motion of apostacy from God consists in an attempt to shake off the sense of inferiority to him, so we are taught, that an aspiring to equality with God, in point of knowledge, was interwoven with man's first transgression. The mysterious dignity of the Godhead, as infinitely beyond the reach of created faculties, being uneasy and troublesome to man, he became dissatisfied, because the Author of his being had set bounds to his knowledge. The same poison is found operating in every child of Adam, and is a fatal hindrance to their returning to God. For, as God cannot lay aside his essential greatness, so, while this petulant impudence of understanding remains, there can be nothing but a mutual loathing between God and the haughty sinner. It is, therefore, one of the first aims of divine revelation, to recover the soul from this diabolical madness, by presenting to view the glorious unsearchableness of God. John Love
Hosea 4:6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
In a short time there will (we have reason to fear) remain but two kinds of persons among us, either those who think not at all, or those whose imaginations are active indeed, but continually evil. Of these latter it may be said, "Their foolish heart was darkened." Of the principles, I do not say of the detail, of political science, a sound theology is the only sure and steady basis. Now we trace the operations by which a destruction so extended in its consequences has been effected. The master-spring of every principle which can permanently secure the stability of a people is the fear and knowledge of Almighty God. The first operation of a principle of atheism, and perhaps one of the most formidable in its consequences, is that which leads political men to conceive of Christianity as a mere auxiliary to the State. Religion was not instituted (in the Divine council I mean) for the purpose of society and government, but society and government for the purposes of religion. As a...
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