A sad motley mixture'

Back to Man's religion & God's religion 3

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(The following is an excerpt from Philpot's letter to 
a church which desired him to come as their pastor)

"I am less than the least of all God's people." 
Ephesians 3:8

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am the worst." 1 Timothy 1:15

Many are foolishly apt to think that a minister is more 
spiritual than anyone else. But I am daily more and more 
sensible of the desperate wickedness of my deceitful heart, 
and my miserable ruined state as a sinner by nature and by 
practice. I feel utterly unworthy of the name of a Christian, 
and to be ranked among the followers of the Lamb.

I have no desire to palm myself off on any church, as 
though I were anything. I am willing to take a low place. 

The more you see of me, you will be sure to find out more of 
my infirmities, failings, waywardness, selfishness, obstinacy, 
and evil temper. I am carnal, very proud, very foolish in 
imagination, very slothful, very worldly, dark, stupid, blind, 
unbelieving and ignorant. 

I cannot but confess that I am a strange compound—a sad 
motley mixture of all the most hateful and abominable vices 
that rise up within me, and face me at every turn.