rob r f ¡Revelation ofthe A.pocalyp%. C A r.3: Luke- that do wholly give themfelves to ambitious afpiringunto worldlyho- warme Hours, howfoever they pleafe themfelves very greatly in applauding vain-glo- their ownfelicitie.For what thing is theremore worthy ofcommif1è- ricus La- ration , then for a man to fee his brethren that are blinded with od = "'' the vain-glory of the world , wholly to gape after the getting of earthly Dignities, and for the attainingof them, profanely and wilfully to fuffer the fhipwrackoftheir heavenly Crown ? If they had alwaies been lying afleep in the fnares of the Devil,the matter had not been fo much to bebewailed ; but after thatthey had efcapedand awaked out ofhis gins,thraugh the faving knowledgeof the Gofpei,that they fhoudbe again intangled in them by this means, what godly heart is there that cannot lament , not their cafe onely but the common mifery alfo of our whole, Church and people, who are dragged into the fame pit of deftrudionwith them, and that athoufand waes. Thefe then are the Symptomes of the difeafe,grie- vous indeed ofthemfelves, yet but a flea biting to the difeafe it fèlfe ; which let us now come to rubbe, as gently as we can, and with a minde to heal it, not to exafperate it. The first filthy matter that is to be purged out, is his Poverty. And knoweft not ( faith he) that thouart Poor. What kinde of poor man ? not in fpirit furely, of which Chriif fpeaketh, Mat.5.3. For this is a bleffed poverty,that is a miferable one,Befides,the Angel glorieth in this, That he is and hath been rich, anti wanteth nothing, fo that he is fàr from that holy humility. This poverty there- fore is a timorous kinde ofbeggarlineffe, whereby a manboth tremb- leth for fear, at the fight ofone that is richer then himfelf, anddared' neither fpeak, nordo any thing, but what may pleafe him that is of more power and authority then he, as alto is fain to maintain, and fuftain a miferable life, with importunate beggingofan alines. For fa the word Prokos in Greek , that fignifieth a poor mtv, hath both thename offearfuineffe, andfignifieth withall,fuch an one as he was, that lay proftrate at the threfhold of the Richman, defiriná to be fil- led, with thecrams thatfell from his Table, Luke z 6.2o. Put how can either of thefe agree to ourAngels ? is not all this bafe beggery far remote from them,and fromfuch wealth and pompe as they abound withall ? I would ro God it were fo. But as at all times, lo here in this place, I am cot rained to admire the infinite wifdom of God, which path opened our hidden impoílurne,with a word fo fitly ap- plyed to the matter, that nothing could be ever *pokcn.or devifed more fit for thepurpofe. l or fiat, how bafe and fervile. a fear hath feized
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