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Show If f 1 ' " ' 5Wifc5 Q'Kp'5. j CHAPTER XXXII. Son, thou carfs't not possess perfect liberty, unless thou wholly deny thyself. thy-self. All self-seekers and self-lovers are bound in fetters; full of desires, full of cares, ever unsettled, and seeking always their own ease, not the things of Jesus Christ; but oftentimes devising and framing that which shall not stand. For all shall perish that cometh not of God. Hold fast this short and perfect word: "Forsake all, and thou shall find all; relinquish desire, and thou shalt find rest." Consider this well, and when thou hast nut it into practice, thou shalt understand all things. Lord, this is not the work of one day, nor children's sport; ye, in this short sentence is included all the perfection of religions. j Son, thou oughteat not to be turned back, nor presently cast down, when , thou hearest what is the way of the perfect; but be drawn thee more onwards on-wards and upwards toward its lofty heighth, or at least aspire ardently for their attainment. I would it were so with thee, and that thou wert come so far that thou wert no longer a lover of thyself, but didst simpl -wait My bidding and his whom I have appointed father over thee; then wouldst thou exceedingly please Me, and all thy lif 2 would pass in joy and peace. Thou hast yet many things to forsake, for-sake, which unless thou give them to Me without reserve, thou shalt not obtain ob-tain that for which thou prayest. I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayst become rich that is, heavenly wisdom, which treadeth under foot all things below. Lay aside earthly wisdom that is, all human and self-complacency. I have said, buy for thyself things most contemptible con-temptible for such as are previous and most valued in human estimation. For very mean and contemptible, and almost forgotten amongst men, seems that wisdom which is true and heaven-ly, heaven-ly, not teaching high notions of self, nor seeking to be magnified upon earth; which many praise in words, while in their life they are far from it; yet this same is that precious pearl which is Hidden from many. |