The idol 'self' must fall

(From Winslow's, "A Full Christ for Empty Sinners")

The soul of man in its natural condition is
devoid of all holiness, of all righteousness,
of all spiritual goodness, strength, and love.

The soul of man is full to overflowing with
self righteousness, with rebellion against God,
with the love of sin, and the reigning power
of all iniquity. It is brimmed and overflowing
with all the elements of destruction, which,
if left to work their own results, will infallibly
plunge the soul into the chambers of eternal
darkness and despair.

The idol 'self' must fall, your own righteousness
must be renounced, there must be the deep
spiritual conviction of the plague of your own
heart; you must feel that you are under the
condemnation of the law, and that you have
not one claim to God's mercy, nor one plea
springing from yourself whereby He should
accept and save you.

It is only a heart deeply, spiritually conscious
of its poverty, lowliness, and uncleanness, and
emptied and humbled thereby in the dust, that
opens its doors to receive and welcome Him
who came "not to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance."

Oh, if your heart is lowly, empty and penitent,
Jesus will make His gracious advent into it,
and dwell there forever!

It is the power of God alone that empties a man,
that makes him clearly to see the imperfection
of his own righteousness, his ignorance of truth,
of God, and of Christ.

It is the work of the Holy and Eternal Spirit to show
to the poor sinner that all his righteousness is as
filthy rags, that he has no spiritual strength, and
not one pulse of love to God throbbing in his bosom.

Oh, it is a power as great, as mighty, and as Divine
as that which spoke this universe into being, which
said, "Let there be light, and there was light," which
alone can empty your soul of all its darkness, its
rebellion, its ignorance, its love and homage of self,
and bring you to the cross of Christ, to the feet
of Jesus as a poor, empty beggar.