66 ¡ theFathersgreat Love , Pâal: 73< . 22. art naked, and poor, andblind, andnnferable : It is to take a- way thy falfeftrength, and thy falfe wifedome , and riches , and to let thee fee thyweakneffe, and folly, and poverty ; but ` this is thy onely mifery, and the general univerfal mite_ ry of all the Eons of mesa that they dare not Rand in the light and abide in it ; To abide in fuck a light which fhewes that man bath not one good thou*bt, but is as a bull. before God ; That he hath no holineffe, nor no righteoufneffe at all: Now for thee fo farre toprefume and to think fo highly of thy (elfe, that thou art of fuch abilities, and wifdome and parts as to fit down at the head-end oftheTable : or becaufe that thou haft gotten in thy own conceit into thebell way of Religion for knowledge, and pra&ice, and performances : and therefore thou art Some-body, and thou muff be mag- nified and reverenced: and for thefe men now, to bebrought back, to l00%intotheir own hearts, and fee themfelves as bid as the reft of the world, and to fee themfelves the worft of men; Oh Beloved , what a mighty fall mull thefe men have, before ever God brings them into this condition ? whichmuff be if ever they be brought or drawn home to Je- fus Chrift by the power of theFather. Andyet to adde to this, betides all this thou haft gotten a covering for thy fins, and haft wipt thy mouth, and faid thouhaft done nothing, when all thy wayes are nothing but refif$ings, fightings, and emnity againft God : Do not men refill himwhen they leek efleem to themfelves, and they muff be great, and refpe&ed, and honoured ? what is all this but to rob JefusChrift of his honour, and heal it away toput upon themfelves? Oh that thepower of Godwould but make men abide in theCenter oftheir own hearts to fee that there is nothing therebut darkne(?, nothing but folly in regard ofGod and Chrift if man would but dwell and abide here, to fee himfelfe loft, andwretched, miferable and undone, then Gódwould leadhim, and bring him unto fal- vation : but this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, andmen love darkieß rather then light, hecaufe their deeds areevil. I make no queftion but 41414 all here pre- tend at_leaft tobefeelers ofGod. Now enter into thy owne heart
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