This hard school of painful experience'

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Back to Man's religion & God's religion 4

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In times of trial and darkness, the saints and servants 
of God are instructed. They see and feel what the flesh 
really is, how alienated from the life of God—they learn 
in whom all their strength and sufficiency lie—they are 
taught that in them, that is, in their flesh, dwells no 
good thing—that no exertions of their own can maintain 
in strength and vigour the life of God—and that all they 
are and have, all they believe, know, feel, and enjoy, 
with all their ability, usefulness, gifts, and grace—flow 
from the pure, sovereign grace—the rich, free, undeserved, 
yet unceasing goodness and mercy of God. 

They learn in this hard school of painful experience 
their emptiness and nothingness—and that without Christ 
indeed they can do nothing. They thus become clothed 
with humility, that lovely, becoming garb—cease from 
their own strength and wisdom—and learn experimentally 
that Christ is, and ever must be, all in all to them, and 
all in all in them.