I will venture to affirm that if your souls prosper you will grow downwards. What is that? Why, you will grow in the knowledge of yourselves … the knowledge of ourselves is the first thing God implants: “Lord, let me know myself,” was a prayer that one of the fathers put up for 16 years together. If you have high thoughts of yourselves, you may know you are light-headed, you forget what poor silly creatures you are. As our souls prosper, we shall be more and more sensible, not only of the outside, but of the inside; we first battle with the outward man, but as we advance in the divine life, we have nearer views of the chambers of imagery that are in our hearts; and one day after another we shall find more and more abominations there, and consequently we shall see more of the glory of Jesus Christ, the wonders of that Immanuel, who daily delivers us from this body of sin and death; and I mention this because there is nothing more common, especially with young Christians … some trees I fancy grow downward; and the deeper you grow in the knowledge of yourself, the deeper you grow in the knowledge of God and His grace, that discovers the corruptions of your hearts … I never knew a person in my life that diligently used the word, and other means, but as they improved in grace, saw more and more the necessity of depending upon a better righteousness than their own.
From Daily Readings of George Whitefield, edited by Randall J. Peterson
