Burroughs - Houston-Packer Collection BX7233.B87 G67 1660

-42 Where the Poverty of the Saints confifts. man inthe world, he nauR go daily & continually to Chrift to fetch new fupply, or he cannot fubír{î. -- The poor condition that we are now iti,in refpeck of what Adam was in,may be fet out in this fimiliturie --- A nun that is fet up to trade with a Rock, and .to is able to gae on in his Trade, and hash skill in it, his father lets him goo on till fuch time as he proves an ill husband, and breaker, and bofes all and runs into debt ' : yet his father afterwards takes pity on him, will let him up againe, but fo as he Will not trill him with the Rock any more, he will give the Rock into Come trufly friends hand, and his ion (hall goo every day to give an account to his friend ; and to fetch money from him, and to returne to him every day, becaufe his father will lib'_ truft him any more : This is iuR our condition, In Adam `ea did receive a Rock of grace,& Cod inabled us to goo on and trade with it for himf lfe, but all mankind fell in him, we turn'd bankrupts, we loft that flock, now the Lord is pleafed to fet up again thole that he hath chofen for himfelfe, to trade againe in a way of godlineife ; but fo, as God will not truiR his flock in their hands ; th. Rock therefore of Gods grace, it is now in Chrif, in our head, and we muff have fup- ply dayly f om him : And this is the poore condition that we are in ; This fpirituall poverty even of the Saints. Secondly, The poverty of the Saintsconfiíls in this : The graces that they have are but frnall : Godly men and women though they have grace'beihWed upon them, yet' for the molt part it is io finall; as they can fcarce know whether they have grace or not (I fay for the moll part it is fo :) Now that's a poore condition, thou art a very poor creature, for though thou haft grace, yet i'tis fo little as you cannot tell 'whether you have any or no i Though God hath given thee grace, yet how often art thou at a Rand in thy thoughts about thy' grace, whether there be any or no in thy heart, thy grace is like a lit- tle fpark wrapt up in a heape of embers, fo that the maid is taking a goodwhile'before the-can fee it ô how long art thou a raking many times in thy heart, in the exantinatton of thy heart, before thou canfl fee one fparke of grace, fo as thou canf fay, this is a fparke of true grace :furely thou art but poor then. Thirdly,

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=