What Poverty of fpir. it i.c.. 37 ---- -- Fifthly, But fuppó:e a man bath no friend to hel,Ie him and he is not able to work, yet if he bath any excellency at all in him, there is force hope that fore will regard him for the worth that is in him , perhaps he is a man of excellent parrs, though through weaknelie he is able to doe little now : this is our ípirituall poverty; We are thus miferable, we have no friends, we can do nothing, and then we have no worth at alt in us whereby God fhould have any refpect to us; whereby his Angels should have refpeei to us ; If they could doe us good ; we are naturally worthlefle creatures,we Rill aggravate our poverty. Sixthly, If a man were fo poore, as that he f }could not be able to doe fomething now, yet if it can be conceiv'd that hereafter he might doe fomething; there were hope, but I am fo in debt, that as foone as I can get any thing my credi ors may come upon me and take away all this is our fpiritual l poverty ; Suppofe God ( hould put abilities in us to enable us;. CO doe fomething that is good, why, all that we are able to do cannot fatisfie for what is paft,if we were able to obeynow the law of Godperfe&ly,what becomes of all the old arrears; The. Juftice of God will have fatisfa &ion, God is refolved that no foule (hall ever be accepted but his infinite Juftice (hall be fatisfied, Now the foule fees itfelfe poore indeed, as it is in it felfe, when it fees that the debt mutt be paid to every far thing,if a man now bath broke. and loft his eflate,yet he thinks; he may agree with his creditors and get up again, and fo is not fo miferably poore : But if he knowes this, that certainly the debt mutt be paid,nowand there will be no compounding with his creditors, now he will conclude, his life is like to be poor indeed : This doth thofe that are fpiritually poor fee in them- felves, they are in debt, and all that they can do can never be able to fatisfie for what is pall. Seventhly, fuppofe a man-or woman fhould- receive force thing to help them for the prefent; yet they muff live upon continuall acmes, this is poverty, fo a foule that is fpiritually poor,it fees it mull live in a continual dependance,thar though God do :h give me foone power to ae },yet there mull be a new influence' .
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