holiness, from wrong opinions of our own works and good deeds, and from a multitude of errors, the most dangerous to our souls, all which arise from the something that we take ourselves to be either in nature or grace. *But when we once apprehend but in some degree, the all of God, and the nothingness of ourselves, we have got a truth whose usefulness and benefit no words can express. It brings a kind of infallibility into the soul, in which it dwells; all that is vain, and false, and deceitful, is forced to vanish before it. When our religion is founded on this, it has the firmness of a rock, and its height reaches unto heaven. The world, the flesh and the devil can do no hurt to it; all enemies are known, and all disarmed by this great truth, dwelling in our souls. It is the knowledge of the all of God, that makes cherubim and seraphim to be flames of divine love. For where this all of God is truly known and felt in any creature, there its whole breath and Spirit is a fire of love, nothing but a pure, disinterested love can rise up in it, or come from it, a love that begins and ends in God. For this pure love introduces the creature into the all of God, all that is in God, is opened in the creature, it is united with God, and hath the life of God manifested in it. *There is but one salvation for all mankind, and that is the life of God in the soul. God has but one design towards all mankind, and that is to generate his own life, light, and spirit in them, that all may be as so many images, temples, and habitations of the holy Trinity. Now there is but one possible way for man to attain this salvation, or life of God in the soul: and that is, _the desire of the soul turned to God_. Through this desire the poor prodigal son leaveth his husks and swine, and hasteth to his father; ’tis because of _this desire_ that the father seeth the son, while yet afar off, that he runs out to meet him, falleth on his neck, and kisseth him. No sooner is this desire in motion towards God, but the operation of God’s Spirit answers to it, cherishes and welcomes its first beginnings, signified by the Father’s seeing, and having compassion on his Son, whilst yet afar off, that is, in the first beginnings of his desire. Thus does this desire bring the soul to God, and God into the soul. Suppose this desire not to be alive, either in a _Jew_, or _Christian_, and then all the sacrifices, the service, the worship either of the law or the gospel, are but dead works, that bring no life into the soul. Suppose this desire to be awakened, though in souls that never heard either of the law or gospel, and the operation of God enters into them, and Christ blesses those that never heard of his name.