The Life of God in the Soul of Man - part 5 paraphrase

(my ongoing contemporary rendering of this spiritual classic by Henry Scougal)

The Basis of True Spirituality (What is Authentic Faith?)

Now let us return to the discussion of that Divine reality I was explaining before, that “life which is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3), and is not highly regarded by the world, and to the natural person appears useless and empty. For the natural person is self-centered and controlled by a love for self and the truly spiritual person has an other-centered love without prejudice and the ability to overcome sinful habits and the deception of false piety.
The root of this true spirituality is faith; with its main branches of love to God, love to others, purity and humility. As one noteworthy person has observed that while these things may sound ordinary, they carry a reality that no man or angel can utter with greater weight or excellence. Faith in a general sense is a conviction that certain things are true, but in our sinful state it has the unique role of showing us the mercy of God in reconciling sinners to Himself through a Mediator and therefore has its substance in this object, which is called “faith in Jesus Christ” (Rom. 3:23; Gal.2:16).
The Love of God will give us delight and affection for God’s law and make us yield and sacrifice our all to Him, desiring nothing but to please Him and delighting in nothing but to enjoy fellowship and communion with Him, and being ready to do or endure anything for His sake and for His pleasure. Though this affection first comes from the favor and mercy of God for us, it grows until it is rooted in God’s infinite goodness, which is seen in everything He has done in all His works.
A person who has the love of God in them will also love all people with a sincere and unbounded affection because they know God and being made by Him, have His image stamped on them. (1 John 3:17;1 John 4:20). This is the second branch of love, which is rooted in this perfected reality and all our obligations to others are part and parcel of this truth. For the one who truly loves others will be concerned for their welfare and far from hurting or injuring them, will hate any evil that falls on them, as though it had happened to himself.

Purity

By purity, I mean a certain control or mastery over the flesh and those sinful appetites and the new attitude toward those impulses that would lessen and dampen our white hot love for God; coupled with an iron determination to endure any hardship for God with self-control and moderation in our bodily needs. This comes with humility, which is just acknowledging our lowly state and need. It is a heartfelt understanding that all we have comes from God’s provision, displayed through a sincere submission to God’s will and being dead to the glory of the world and the applause of men.
This is the height that men and angels can rise to if the foundation of heaven is laid in the soul. The one who possesses this reality will not desire to pry into the hidden truths of God’s decrees or search the volumes of heaven to inquire about his eternal condition, but will need only to look into his own heart to discover written what God thinks about him. His love for God will be the assurance of God’s favor and the source of these new desires to know God and to obey His will are sure pledges or signposts that this faith will be perfected and made whole in eternity. It is not without reason one has said, “I had rather see the impression of a godly nature impressed upon my soul than to have a heavenly vision or angel tell me that my name was written in the book of life (Rev. 20:12).