theCloudis talken offtheTabernacle. pear as they are to be nothing but Darknetfe,Deformity, Delufion, Lyes, Confufion andMifery ; and God appears to the foul tobeonely Light, Life, Happineffe, and Perfeecî- on ; and the foule is not af,amcd to be thus naked,, becaufe this makes way that God may have all the glory, all the wifedome, all the excellency,and man may come to be nothing but fin and emptineffe. Thus the foule comes with the A- poftle to rejoyce in and toglory in his infirmities, and that the power and wifedom ofGod is made perfei in his Weaknef and Folly. As a goodWife, fhe is not afhamed to be as nothing in the prefence ofher Husband, but rejoyces that He is e- fleemed,, and that he is made all in all to her :.So doth the true Spoufe ofChrifc ; let her be nothing, fo He may be all: for fhe acknowledges that fhe is only rich in her Husbands riches, and wife in his wifdom, andfirong in his frength ; the fees the lives not by-her owncare and indullry, but in the loveand careofher Husband : and thus the glories not in her felfe, but in her Husband : This is to become NAKED, and yet not afhamed, as was Adam in his Innocency : To have apoor fannerfreely to confeß, to theglory ofChrift , Timewas when I was rich and had high imaginations ofmy felf, and I was in my own efleem able toguide and rule, and dire& my felf and all my affaírs,and I thought my felfe in a blef fed and fecure condition : but I findenow,that was nothing but a lye, and adelufon; But even then, the meer`love- and tender compaffion ofmy Saviour and Rfdeemer fet' up a candle and light in myfoul whereby I was difcovered to be nothing but Afinkoffin, Abody ofdeath, Abottomlefepit ofabomina- tions that I was a fool, andmad?!eß was in my heart in all I did. And that he alonewas goodnefi, mercy, porrer,wifdom, eternity,falvation, and Alfuiciency ; this he freely, andwith all readineffeacknowledgeth, and this he is not afhamed to declare,as thofe are that would be efteemed holy Ones, but to tell it to all theworld; though all the wife and holy men of the world efteem him a foule and a madman , yet this is his. glory , to takejhame to himfelfe. But all your wife and righteous men, all their contriving is to hide all their fhame, and they would he thought to be holy Gen.2.25 2 Cor. I 2. 5, i :Pet.I.7. Rev. 3.17 2 Cor, 10 5, Mark, 4. 2I. Rom. 7. 24. Rev. ç: 2,
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