6. It is alway joined likewise with a wondrous abasing of himself. He thinks himself not worth the ground he goes on, till God hath mercy on him in Jesus Christ. This is not so sensible in those that are brought up in the church, or that have religious thoughts put into them continually in both kinds ; both concerning their own estate by nature, and withal con- cerning grace and mercy in Christ. Therefore grace is instilled into them by little and little, and the change is not so sensible. But where the conver- sion is anything sudden, from an ill course of life to a better, God works such a poverty of spirit before he bring a man to Christ. In Mat. v. 3, it is the beginning of all happiness, the blessedness that leads to the rest, ' Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' And indeed, those that are poor in spirit are blessed, though they have not yet the sense of God's love so much as they desire ; for this draws on all the rest, as I shall shew afterwards. To be poor in spirit therefore, is to see that we have no good in ourselves ; that we are beggars and bankrupts, and have no means to pay or satisfy ; and this stirs up desire and the use of means, and all the qualifications that follow there, ' hungering and thirsting after righteousness, mourning, and meekness.' For this will follow. A man that is poor in spirit, say what you will to him, he is so tractable and meek, let God do what he will with him so he give him grace ; if he will cast him
2-14 THE RICH POVERTY ; OR,
down, so be it. * What shall we do to be saved?' Acts xvi. 30, implying a pliablcncss to take any course ; he is willing to do or to sufl'er anything. And indeed there must be such a poverty of spirit, before we can believe in Christ, whereby we may be convinced of our debts and of our unability to pay those debts, and our misery ; that wo are in danger to be cast into eternal bondage for them.
1. There must be this before ; for else,
(1.) We will never repair to Christ nor God's mercy in him. ' The full stomach despiseth an honey comb,' Prov. xxvii. 7. We will not relish Christ, nor value him as we should.
(2.) Then again, without this, n-e uill not he thankful to God as ive should he. Who is thankful to God but he that sees before what need he stands in of mercy and of every drop of the blood of Christ ?
(3.) And then we will not he fruitful ; for who is so fruitful a Christian as he that is thankful ? And this depends upon the other. A Christian that was never truly cast down and laid low by the spirit of bondage, he is a baiTcn Christian. The other having tasted of the love of God in Christ, the very ' love of Christ constrains him,' 2 Cor. v. 14, and he studies to be * abundant in the work of the Lord,' 1 Cor. xv. 58, as St Paul saith, and every way to ' shew forth the virtues of him that hath called him out of darkness into marvellous light,' 1 Peter ii. 9.
(4.) Again, this is the ground, when men are not sufficiently humbled before, that they fall away danyerously. It is the ground of apostasy, be- cause they did not feel the smart of sin. He that hath smarted for his estate before, and knows what it is to be in such a condition, he will be loath ever to come into the prison again. Therefore the ground of careful walk- ing is a sense of our unworthiness and misery. The more we are convinced of this, the more careful and watchful we will be, that we never come into that cursed condition again.
(5.) And indeed it is an error in the foundation which is not mended in the fabric, as we say, when there is an error in poverty of spirit at the fii'st, when the work of humiliation is not kindly wrought ; hence is the defect in all the whole carriaye of a ChrlHtian. The foundation of God's building lies low ; he digs deep. God lays his foundation ofttimes as low as hell itself in a manner ; ho brings his children to sec that that he means they shall never feel, to see his wrath against sin, that so he may build upon this foundation. For Chri?tianity it is an excellent frame ; it is a frame for eternity, a building for ever. Therefore it must have a sure founda- tion, which must be laid in humiliation and poverty of spirit. An error in the first digestion is not amended in the second ; if that be not good, the rest are naught. If there be not sound humiliation, nothing will be sound afterward. Therefore we should desire that God by his Spirit would help us more and more to know what we are in om'selves, that we may get to be what we are in Christ.
2. But there is a continual frame and disposition of soul, which is a poverty in spirit that accompanies (lod's children all the days of their life till they be in heaven, till they enjoy that riches that is laid up there for them ; and that is especially here meant. And indeed it is an ingredient into all the passages of salvation.