What Pozerty of fpirit is. 3' In refpe& of its fpirituall eftate, fuch a foule apprehends it felf as a very poore creature. Firif, it fees that it is depriv'd, as it is in it felff of all true fpirituall good that fhould doe it good in reference to God, and in referenceto its own happinefs; This it is that it fees cleerely ; As a poore man fees _himfelfe poore what's that, that is, I want all chafe outward comforts that o:hers have, I am deflitute of fuch and fuch comfortable things,ye neceilà- ry things that others have : fo one that's poor in fpirit fees his condition to be thus, O Lord, though indeed at firft when thou didft make man, thou didft make him rich, thou putteft him into paradife, and madeft him according to thine own I- mage, by which he was the King and the great heir of all the world, butLord now I am depriv'd of all good whatfoever, 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 fpi- rituall life whereby I f}:ould come to have union with thee, or communion with thee,that in any way may in order to eternal' life, I am wholly deftitute of every good thing that Maymake rile 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, 'but what have I in reference to God ? how are things with me in referencero the infinite glorious firft being of all things: why, as I am in my Pelf naturally, I am depriv'd of all, never was there a. man fo poor, that had not a ragg ro cover him as I am poor in regard of my,ffiritnall condition : o fora man that hath the riches of the world, yet ro fee himfelfe a:mifera- ble poor undone man, this is not ordinary, and therefore in- deed you shall find that (brill in the 6 of Luke, doth oppofe that poor here, to the rich of the world, that is, becaufe there are fo few of the rich of the world, that can be brought ro be conviné d of this, their fpirituall poverty. A poore man you know, is put upon many firaights that o- thers are not put upon, and many miferies a poor man doth F 3 endure,
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