where the poverty of the Saints tong fis. companions come and call him to an Alehoufe or Taverne, he cannot refifl iz : For a man not to be abfe to (land againft a temptation, but to be led by every poore témptation like a foole to his own deftruc`tion, here's a bale poore fpiriced man : a man that bath no excellency, no naturali excellency of fpirit in him ; and yet how ordinary is this in thofe that looke full highly ; they are men of poore and mean fpirits, This poverty of fpirit that is in many, it's a curfe of God that is upon them, and it's a heavy curfe when fuch men are in pub lick place, they are caufes of hindring a great deale of good, and doing a great deale of mifchiefe ; it's a miferable curie either upon ningdomes or countryes, when the Lord by' his providence shall io order things, that men that have no excel- lency of fpirit in them, but are pore bale fpirited men fhould fit at the Herne and have no power to manage things ; O,this, where ever it is, is a grevious afhi ion,and therefore we have caufe to pray, that thofe that are in place of power that they lhould have fpirits futable to the places wherein they are; nor men of fordid and low fpirits : Well,thefe are not the poore fpirits that are here blefled. Who then? I the 1aí1 day (hewed yon three or four fe- verall poor fpirited men that are blefled : but to let that palle, and to proceed to that that further remaines, and that indeed is of great concernment, and is more clore to the words. The poverty of the Saints, even godly men, though they have grace in them,yet Rill they are fpiritually poor : Now this poore in fpirit is one that doth apprehend, and is fenfible of his fpiri- tuail poverty ; together with feverall other things that were mentioned before -. But now I fay, Suppofe God bath given grace, yet Hill there is a great deale of poverty. As in the firft place, That grace thou haft ,it hath need of continuall fupply : There's no chriftian can live upon the grace he bath without new fupply, it is not with-a chriftian now, as it was with Adam, to live upon the flock that was gi- ven him; and fo able to aél by it now, God will not.trufl thee with the flock of grace, it is not in thy hand, but in the hand cf Chrift, and t ais is the condition of the ftrengeft godly_ G 11141 s
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