though I be unworthy, yet if God fhould give me all the world, it would no: fatishe me for my portion, I must have himfelfe, I must have heaven, and eternity, and glory; This is a man of a true rayfed fpirit, and all men in the world are of poore, bale, low fpirits, in comparison of this man whofe fpirit Godliness hath thus elevated in this gracious way. Therefore it's not every one that is poore in fpirit which is thus bleffed.

Well, but who then: what poverty of spirit is that that makes a man bleffed.

For that you must know, Firft thus, Blefled are thofe that are poor in ipirit, notes thus much, when a man or woman (fo I find fome carry it) is willing in their fpirits to be in a low and poor condition, if God thall fo pleafe: So as to be willing though he hath never fo much of the world, yet if God fhall pleale to call for all his eftate, he is willing in his fpirit to give it up to God, and to live poorly: Now God doth give a man a comfortable eftate, he hath comings in, he hath all things wel about him in his family, I but now faith this foule, it's true, I have received thefe good mercies from God, but yet God knowes this is in my Spirit, that God that fearches the hearts of all, and converfes with mens fpirits, knowes that this is in my fpirit,that if the Lord will call for all these to give witnefle to his truth, I am here ready to part with all thefe outward accommodations, and to live upon bread and water all my dayes,to live in as poor a condition as ever poor creature liv'd in in this world, to lay afide all my pompe, and riches, and glory that I have in this world, and willing to be in the lowest condition that any poor almes body is, fo be it that the Lord may have any glory by me:and I may further witneffe to himfelf, here's one that is truly poor in fpirit: It may be he is not poor in his eftate; I confetle the Papifts make a great deal of doe about this, poor in fpirit; that is fay they, one that is willing to vow poverty, but God doth not call for this, but when ever he calls for your eftates, or any comforts you have, that you should be willing to lay them down at his feet: fo much God requires of every man :- And now examine as I goe a

long,

long, you that have eftates, and doe enjoy them, do you finde fuch a difpofition in your hearts, indeed if it were put to it, that rather then you would deny the leaft truth of God, all your eftate fhould goe: Rather then you would commit the leaft fin any way against your confciences your eftates should all goe, and you will prize rather the witneffing to any truth, then to live in all the jollity in this world; could you bring your hearts to this, why this is to be Poor in fpirit, in the midst of all your aboundance: it is not grace to caft away our eftates and riches willingly,but grace confifts in the wel managing of our eftates while we have them, and in the willingnesle to part with them when God calls for them.

But Secondly, Bleffed are the poore in fpirit, that is, a spirit willing to lye downe under God in a low condition, when I am put into fuch a one- Firft, fuch as are willing to be poore if God will, -And Secondly, fuch as are already poore for their outward eftate, and futable to that poverty of their outward eftare, they find a poverty in fpirit, that is, their spirits doe lye down under Gods hand, and are willing to glorifie God in this way that God hath fet them, they do not envy at others that are in a higher condition, they do not murmure and repine against God; why doth God difpence his gifts fo diverfly, that fuch and fuch men shall have fo much, and other men fhall have fo little, No, God hath by his providence brought me to this condition, and Lord here I am, and submit to thy hand, I am content to glorifie thee in this mean condition that thou hast fet me; I am content to apply my felfe to thofe dutyes that thou requireft of me in fuch a poor and low eftate; many poor people think,O if I were rich as others are, then indeed I could glorifie God, but in the way that they are in they vex and frer, and feek after fhifting wayes to provide for themselves, and cannot bring their foules to glorifie God in fuch a low way wherein they are, but now if you can find your hearts fubmifive to God in that low way wherein you are, bfeffed are the roore in fpirit: And this difpofition of your fpirits to be willing thus to glorifie God, it is a greater excellency, then if God made you the chiefe of a Parish, or the chiefe of a Kingdome.

F

Third

Thirdly, Bleffed are they that are poore in fpirit; not thofe that feeme to be poore in their words, in their expreffions, in their carriages; You shall have many that will be complaining of themselves, and fay that they are thus weake, and poore,and vile, and have nothing in them, and yet God knowes their hearts are haughty enough, and proud enough, that if other men should but think of them, and fay of them as they speake of themselves, they would not bare it: Therefore though they be poore in words, yet not in fpirit. There be fome that will carry themfelves in a very poore way, and live very meanly in the world, I but in fpirit they are not fo, they goe very poorely, and feeme to be very humble, as if there were no other pride but in cloaths and gay things. But the maine pride is the pride of mens fpirits: Therefore blefled are thofe that are poore in fpirit, that is, thofe that have their wills and affecti ons and understandings bowed downe to God, blessed are those that ate fo fincerely poore.

In the fourth place, and more efpecially and principally; Bleffed are thofe that are poore in fpirit, that is, fuch as are truely apprehenfive and fenceable of their fpirituall poverty. Now this is a great point, I am now indeed come unto the point it felfe, That Chrift promifes bleflednefs too.

Now for this, there are these three things that I shall doe about it.

First, To fhew you what is that fpirituall poverty, that thefe that are poore in fpirit doe fee and are fencible of.

Secondly, What the behaviour of the heart is that is thus poore in fpirit, how it doth behave it felfe, or what are the feverall workings of fuch a heart that is thus poore in fpirit.

Thirdly, Why it is that fuch a heart is fo bleffed in the efteeme of Jefus Chrift.

But now wherein the bleffednefs confifts, That especially will appeare in the promife; For their's is the kingdome of

Heaven

Ile but briefely open a little the firft unto you ;, what the fpirituall poverty is that fuch a foule doth fee and is fenci ble of.

In refpect of its fpirituall eftate, fuch a foule apprehends it felfe as a very poore creature.

First, it fees that it is depriv'd, as it is in it felfe of all true fpirituall good that fhould doe it good in reference to God, and in reference to its own happiness; This it is that it fees cleerely; As a poore man fees himfelfe poore; what's that, that is, I want all thofe outward comforts that o.hers have, I am deftitute of fuch and fuch comfortable things,ye neceifary things that others have: fo one that's poor in firit fees his condition to be thus, O Lord, though indeed at firft when thou didst make man, thou didst make him rich, thou putteft him into paradife, and madeft him according to thine own Image, by which he was the King, and the great heir of all the world, but Lord now I am depriv'd of all good wharfoever, of all fpirituall good, depriv'd of thine Image, I have nothing of thine Image now in me that is fpirituall, not any part of fpirituall life whereby I should come to have union with thee, or communion with thee,that in any way may worke in order to eternall life, I am wholly deftitute of every good thing that may make me any way acceptable to God; now here's a poor man, when I can fee it, and be convinc'd of this that what ever good thing that fhould make me acceptable to God, that am I wholly deprived of, I have not one whit of it; I have it may be an eftate in the world, and outward comforts in my family, I but what have I in reference to God? how are things with me in reference to the inf nite glorious firft being of all things: why, as I am in my self naturally, I am depriv'd of all, never was there a man fo poor, that had not a ragg to cover him ; as I am poor in regard of my ffirituall condition: ô for a man that hath the riches of the world, yet to fee himselfe a miferable poor undone man, this is not ordinary, and therefore indeed you shall find that Chrift in the 6 of Luke, doth oprofe that poor here, to the rich of the world, that is, because there are fo few of the rich of the world, that can be brought to be convinc'd of this, their fpirituall poverty.

A poore man you know, is put upon many ftraights that others are not put upon, and many miferies a poor man doth

F 2

endure,

endure, that others doe not, and fo a fecond thing in this fpirituall poverty, is, for the foule to apprehend and be fenfible of thofe fpirituall evills that are upon it: As I doe not only want the Image of God, and fpirituall life, but I have that that is contrary: ôthe mifery that is upon me in my mind, the darknetle of that; The croffenefle of my will and heart to God, thofe many corruptions that are in my foule; oh the vermine that creeps about me continually: there is no mifery that poor people do endure; but thofe that are fpiritually poore, do fee that mifery upon them elves, as they are in themfelves.

And then a third thing that makes one poor is this, fuppofe I have many miferies up on me yet if I am able to work for my felfe, I can be extreamely poore,but when the man hath many miferies upon him, and is not able to work for his livelihood then is he poor indeed, fo it is,though we have loft the Image of God, yet if we were able to do any thing to help our felves, we were not fo poore, but now, when a man fees himfelfe thus miferable, and can do nothing for him felfe to get any good for the inriching of his foul, he is poor; A man or woman that hath loft all,and then falls lame,fo that they cannot work,nor do any thing for their maintainance, this now is a poor man or woman, when their labour is loft as well as their eftate, fo now when we have loft all and are lame, and can doe nothing that may help us in any fpirituall good, then must we needs be indeed.

poore

Fourthly,But if I be not able to labour,yet if I have friends that may helpe me, I am not miferably poo e, thus it is in regard of our fpiritual eftate, what friend haft thou to relieve or help thee, is it God or Chrift that fhould help thee? Why? God he is a ftranger, Chrift thou haft no intereft in, as thou art in thy felfe, thou must not looke upon God as he is in himfelfe, thou art an enemy to Cod, for fo the Scripture faith, We are enemies to God, and strangers to the covenant of grace, and thou art a poore creature indeed that haft no whither to go for thy hele; All the Angels in heaven cannot help thee, all the men in the world cannot help thee in this thy poor condition in which thou art.

Fifthly,