The souls humiliationThe soules humiliation

you, and your works, and all must be renounced, and all that you are and do, as any way meritorious; and not to be found in your selves but in Christ, before ever you can receive mercy from Christ. So I dispute thus. There is none that will save us, Man nor Angel, and our works will not; therefore we must go to Christ, and if we go to Christ for all, and expect all from him, then we must be content, to be guided by him in all. Now, let me propound this question: Either thou must be content, to be at the dispose of God, and mercy, or at whose dispose wilt thou be. If thou wilt have any thing else (besides mercy) to dispose of thee? thou makest that to be a Mediator to thee. But haply thou wouldst dispose of thy self, and dispose of mercy after thy own mind? Yes, so I thought. It may be thou sayest, I will have grace, ⟨p. 131⟩if I may dispose of it. Thus a proud heart would fain have it in his own hands; but upon these terms thou never hadst: (nay, thou never shalt have) grace. Here is the winding of the Soul. Therefore many dare not venture their salvation upon Gods free favour. But they would have it in their own power, that they may receive it when they will, that they may be drunk and take grace, and be proud, and profane, and take grace when they will. It is a sottish delusion of men, that are deluded, and blinded by the devil. But that the Soul (which would have it thus) cannot have it upon these terms, I thus reason.

you, and your works, and all must be renounced, and all that you are and doe, as any way meritorious; and not to bee found in your selves but in Christ, before ever you can receive mercy from Christ. So I dispute thus. There is none that will save us, Man nor Angel, and our works will not; therefore we must goe to Christ, and if we goe to Christ for all, and expect all from him, then we must be content, to be guided by him in all. Now, let me propound this question: Either thou must be content, to be at the dispose of God, and mercy, or at whose dispose wilt thou be. If thou wilt have any thing else (besides mercy) to dispose of thee? thou makest that to be a Mediator to thee. But haply thou wouldst dispose of thy selfe, and dispose of mercy after thy owne minde? Yes, so I thought. It may be thou sayest, I will have grace, ⟨p. 131⟩if I may dispose of it. Thus a proud heart would faine have it in his owne hands; but upon these termes thou never hadst: (nay, thou never shalt have) grace. Here is the winding of the Soule. Therefore many dare not venture their salvation upon Gods free favour. But they would have it in their owne power, that they may receive it when they will, that they may be drunke and take grace, and be proud, and prophane, and take grace when they will. It is a sottish delusion of men, that are deluded, and blinded by the divell. But that the Soule (which would have it thus) cannot have it upon these termes, I thus reason.