不認識神就不認識自己
2. On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself. For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity. Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and not to the Lord also—He being the only standard by the application of which this conviction can be produced. For, since we are all naturally prone to hypocrisy, any empty semblance of righteousness is quite enough to satisfy us instead of righteousness itself. And since nothing appears within us or around us that is not tainted with very great impurity, so long as we keep our mind within the confines of human pollution, anything which is in some small degree less defiled delights us as if it were most pure just as an eye, to which nothing but black had been previously presented, deems an object of a whitish, or even of a brownish hue, to be perfectly white. Nay, the bodily sense may furnish a still stronger illustration of the extent to which we are deluded in estimating the powers of the mind. If, at mid-day, we either look down to the ground, or on the surrounding objects which lie open to our view, we think ourselves endued with a very strong and piercing eyesight; but when we look up to the sun, and gaze at it unveiled, the sight which did excellently well for the earth is instantly so dazzled and confounded by the refulgence, as to oblige us to confess that our acuteness in discerning terrestrial objects is mere dimness when applied to the sun. Thus too, it happens in estimating our spiritual qualities. So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable impotence. So far are those qualities in us, which seem most perfect, from corresponding to the divine purity. 3. Hence that dread and amazement with which as Scripture uniformly relates, holy men were struck and overwhelmed whenever they beheld the presence of God.
2．不認識神就不認識自己b
照樣，除非人先仰望神的面並由對他的沉思謙卑地省察自己，( 4) 否則就不可能清楚地認識自己。( 5) 因為我們總是自以為公義、正直、聰明和聖潔，這種驕傲是每一個人與生俱來的——除非有充分的證據指控我們是不義、汙穢、愚蠢和不潔的。此外，若我們只看自己而不仰望主（因主是唯一審查我們的標準），我們便不會認自己的這些罪。既然我們生性是假冒為善的，( 6) 徒有義的外表而無其實就足以使我們自己滿足了。在我們內外四周既然都汙穢不堪，而我們又依據人的敗壞為標準，所以只要我們看到一些稍微潔淨的東西便以為那是純潔無瑕的。正如人看慣了黑色，便以為略帶白色甚至棕色之物即為極白的。我們的感官也能幫助我們更清楚地發覺我們是如何錯誤地估計我們的屬靈景況。在大晴天裡，我們觀看地面和周遭之物時，覺得一目瞭然，但當舉目注視太陽時，卻頓覺頭暈目眩，於是只得承認我們的眼目雖能洞察地上之物，然而當面對太陽時，就眼目昏暗了。我們在估計自己屬靈的景況時也是如此。我們的眼光若只侷限於塵世，滿足於自己的義、智慧和美德，我們必然得意洋洋、自吹自擂、幻想自己為神。然而一旦我們仰望神，思想到他的屬性，他的公義、智慧和權能是何其完美——而神的屬性就是他要求我們的標準，那麼，先前令我們欣喜的假冒之義，如今因看清它是極其邪惡的，而被我們視為汙穢；先前我們視為智慧的，如今因發現它的愚妄而感到作嘔；先前看似大有能力的，如今被顯露是最軟弱無能的。我們所看為完美的，卻仍與神的純潔有天壤之別。3．人
Love never fails.
愛是永不止息。
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