recocity was
remarkable. At the age of twenty-three he wrote his first
book, a commentary on Seneca's "Treatise on Clemency." At
twenty-five he revised a translation of the French Bible. At
twenty-seven he published the first edition of his mighty
work, "The Institution of the Christian Religion," a treatise
which has been styled "one of the landmarks of the history of
Christian doctrine." At twenty-eight Calvin was the foremost
man in Geneva, and was already one of the most remarkable
reformers in the world. His career has rarely been paralleled.
Calvin died on May 27, 1564.

_I.--THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR_

Our wisdom consists almost exclusively of two parts: the knowledge of
God, and of ourselves. But, as these are connected together by many
ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes, and which
gives birth to the others. Our weakness, ignorance, and depravity remind
us that in the Lord, and in none but Him only, dwell the two lights of
wisdom, of virtue, and of piety. It is evident that man never attains to
a true self-knowledge until after he has contemplated the face of God,
and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.

It is beyond dispute that there exists in the human mind, and indeed by
natural instinct, some sense of deity. As Cicero, though a pagan, tells
us, there is no nation so brutish as not to be imbued with the
conviction that there is a God. Even idolatry is an evidence of this
fact. But, though experience teaches that a seed of religion is divinely
sown in all, few cherish it in the heart. Some lose themselves in
superstitious observances; others, of set purpose, wickedly revolt from
God; and many think of God against their will, never approaching Him
without being dragged into His presence.

But since the perfection of blessedness consists in the knowledge of
God, He has been pleased not only to deposit in our minds the seed of
religion, of which we have already spoken, but so to manifest His
perfections in the whole structure of the universe, and daily place
Himself in our view, that we cannot open our eyes without being
compelled to behold Him. His essence is, indeed, transcendent and
incomparable, but on each of His works His glory is engraven in
characters so bright that none, however dull and illiterate, can plead
ignorance as an excuse.

Herein appears the shameful ingratitude of men, that, thoug