THE POOR man's RICHES. 241
to fit them for better riclies. As a wise physician he purgeth a foul bod^-, till he bring it almost to skin and bone ; but why ? That having made it poor, there may be a spring of better blood and spirits.
Let us take no offence therefore at God's dispensation, either towards others or ourselves, if we find him by his Holy Spirit sanctifying that out- ward condition to a holy inward bent and disposition of soul to Grod-ward. It is a happy aflliction and poverty and abasement, whatsoever it be that draws us nearer to God, in whom we have more supply than we can want in the world. God never takes away anything from his children in this world, but he gives them more in better things. That is always his course. * The poor receive the gospel,' Mat. xi. 5. The gospel is preached to them, and they receive it ; those that by their outward abasements are brought to a sight of their spiritual wants, and thereupon to hunger sifter Christ.
Again, In that this outward poverty helps to inward poverty of the soul, outward aliiictions help the inward disposition ; hence we see likewise this truth that
Obs. Providence is serviceable to jvedcstination and election.
God in election hath a purpose to call us out of the world, to save our souls. Providence, that is a general government of all things in the world. Election is in order to salvation ; he hath chosen us to a supernatural end, and fits us for it by calling and. sanctification. Now how doth providence serve the decree of election ? Thus ; whom God purposeth to save, to bring to an end above nature, he directs providence, so that all things shall serve for that end ; therefore he eucourageth them with .o,utward things, or takes outward things from them in his providence, as may serve his purpose in election to save their souls. He hath a purpose to save them, there- fore providence works all things for their good, Rom. viii. 28. All things, by the overruling providence of God, are serviceable to a higher degree of love that God bears to his children, to serve his purpose to bring them to heaven. Thereupon comes the dispensation of riches or poverty, honour or abasement. He takes liberty for outward things concerning this life, to give or take them as they may serve the spiritual and best good of his children.
Use. Therefore God's children, when they see God intends their good in taking away the things of this life, in letting them blood, as it were, for their health, they should bless God as ivellfor taking as for givinrj, as Job did. Job i. 21. And there is as great mercy and love hid in taking away blessings as in conveying of them. ' I will leave an afflicted and poor people.' In the original it is poor and mild and gentle {a). Poverty of estate, and poverty of spirit, the disposition of soul, come almost in one word, and indeed in God's children they are joined together. For he sanctifies all dispensations and carriages of himself towards them. When God hath a purpose to save a man, everything shall help him homeward. And it is not a better outward argument to know a man's state in grace, than to sec how the carriage of things serve God's purpose to do good to his soul, when we ourselves are bettered in our inward man by whatsoever befalls us. God complains of the Jews ; they were as ' reprobate silver,' Jer. vi. 30, because he had melted them, and they were never a whit the better ; they were like dross consumed in the melting. God's children are as gold refined. Those that find themselves refined and bettered, it is an evidence that they are God's ; because there is a providence serving their spiritual good, directing all things to that end.
But from their condition, wo come to the disposition implied, inward and spiritual poverty.
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242 THE RICH PO\'ERTy ; OR,
1. Now this poverty is not a mere, xcaut of (fnice. To be poor in spirit is not to be poor of that spirit, or to be of a poor spirit. To be of a poor spirit is to have no goodness, no worth at all, but to bo of a dejected, base mind. God's children are not so. There are none more courageous than they, when they are called to it. It is not this poverty of spirit to have no goodness at all. But to bo ' poor in spirit,' is a state and disposition of soul, that hath some goodness, wherein they sec a want of farther goodness. They have so much goodness and worth, as to see an unworthiness in them- selves, and a greater worthiness out of themselves. They are sensible of their own want, and see they have no means of supply in themselves ; and they see an all-sufficiency out of themselves, in God, in Christ ; they see a necessity of dependence for supply out of themselves, in their whole condition till they come to heaven. In a word, this poverty is a sight of our own nothingness in ourselves, and besides that, our own inability, and a sight of sufficiency out of ourselves, and a desire of it; and likewise a hope of supply from thence, which hope carries us to endeavour and to waiting till we have supply.