I think Calvin is certainly on target here: "Nevertheless, what I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter I am compelled here to repeat once more: that whoever is utterly cast down and overwhelmed by the awareness of his calamity, poverty, nakedness, and disgrace has thus advanced farthest in knowledge of himself." For myself though, I find it is easy to forget this and to begin to find some reason for pride in the very things that are simply gifts from God.
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Institutes of the Christian Religion II, ii, 10–11Institutes of the Christian Religion, Volumes 1 & 2
bNevertheless, what I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter I am compelled here to repeat once more: that whoever is utterly cast down and overwhelmed by the awareness of his calamity, poverty, nakedness, and disgrace has thus advanced farthest in knowledge of himself.48 For there is no danger of man’s depriving himself of too much so long as he learns that in God must
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