And for want of this, the best of God's saints have fallen foully. Though they have had grace in them, yet, notwithstanding, the Spirit had left them to themselves in regard of new supply, because they have been conceited ; they have not been poor enough in spirit. As Peter, he was conceited of his own strength : ' Though all men forsake thee, yet I will not,' Mat. xxvi. 33. This conceit moved God in mercy, as well as in justice, to leave him to himself, that by his fall he might learn to stand another time, and not trust his own strength. The best of us all, I say, when there is any- thing to be done, we had need of a fresh influence of grace, and a fresh light to shine upon us.
It should force perpetual poverty of spirit, to see the want that is in ourselves, and the supply that is out of ourselves, and to make use of that by going out of ourselves, and making towards him in whom is all our supply. In all our communion we have with God, which is the happiness of our estates, this frame and disposition of soul, to be poor in spirit, it is necessary in every act. Even in our very prayers for grace, we are so void of it, that we want ability to call for what we want. We must have that from the Spirit, not only grace, but that disposition of soul which carries ITS to God. A spirit fitting us to pray, that must be also given us ; we know not what to call for. We of ourselves are so poor, that we not only want grace and ability to action, but we have not ability to ask ; but God's Spirit must dictate our prayers, and give us motions, and make us sensible of our wants, and must enable our faith to cherish those graces, and make us go out of ourselves even in our very prayers. What a state is this, then ! Had we not need to be ' poor in spirit ' all our lifetime, that have not so much as ability to go out of ourselves for supply from another, but that must come from Christ too ? As St Augustine, who was a great advancer of the grace of God, and an abaser of man ; he had indeed St Paul's spirit, saith he, ' We should boast and glory of nothing, because nothing is ours ' (b). We have need of this poverty of spirit in the whole tenure of our Christian life.
Again, in the actions of this life, how pitifully do we miscarry, because we think we have wit | and strength enough, and set upon things in our own wit and strength, we speed and have success answerable. Where the *" That is, ' government.' — G. f That is, ' wisdom. — G.
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beginning is confidence, the end is shame, of any business even of this life. What is the reason that ofttimes the great and weighty business of this Ufe have not answerable success ? Many times it falls out so ; as one said of general councils, they seldom were successful, because men came with confidence and wit for victory rather than truth.- Certainly there is less success in great matters, because men come with self-confidence. There- fore it is a good sign that God means to bless great businesses, when he puts it into the hearts of those that are agents in them to seek him in the afi'airs of this life. We must be poor in spirit to see that the carriage and success comes from him.
Well, so it is in suffering likewise. We cannot sufier the least cross of ourselves but with murmuring and repining, without strength from him. When Moses came to the 'waters of strife,' Moses' spirit was discovered. He could not endure the harshness and rebellion of the people, Num. xx. 13. A Christian comes sometimes to such opposition that his spirit is moved, and he discovers much corruption. It is so with the best men. Even Moses, a meek man, when he had such temptations and provocations, it moved him. We must labour to get a greater spirit than our own, to have the Spirit of God to work this spiritual poverty in us.
This poverty of spirit, as we call it, is spiritimh vacuum, spiritual empti- ness. You know in philosophy there is nothing empty in the world, but it is filled either with air or some kind of body, and to avoid the enemy of nature, emptiness, things will change their seat ; heavy things will go up- ward, and things that are above will come below to avoid emptiness ; that is contrary to nature, there being a fulness of things with one body or other. So, I say, spiritual poverty, it is an emptying of the soul, which of force alway bring better things in. Wheresoever this emptying of the soul is, this making of ourselves poor, it is upon good ground by this course. It is always such a vacuum and emptiness of one thing that brings in another better. The soul can never be altogether empt3% When wind and vain stuff" is out, then comes better things in, which St Paul calls ' the ful- ness of God.' He prays and wishes that they might * be filled with the fulness of God,' Col. ii. 9. Then comes fulness of knowledge and under- standing, and fulness of aff'ection, and fulness of contentment, and com- placency in the will ; and all the soul hath an answerable fulness to the proportion of the emptying itself of itself.