34 7 he·rare Jtwel'of Cbriftian Contentment " ll(? a~ain? Till your ~verty be remove~? Yes,certain1y Cbri:. fi1.1mty would teach Contentment, thou~b po:verty continue~, ye-t 1t W1ll tea,b you how to turn yonr poverty into fpiritual riches j that you !hall be poor tlifl for your outward e·llare • but this iliall be altered, whereas before it was ence a n:otural evil to you,it comes no1v to be turned into a fpiritu.al ~er.efit ro you, and fo yon come to be content. It is a fpeecb of Amlrof~ Even povmy it /elf is riches unto holy men : Godly men do make their poverty turn tQ be riche~,they get more riches out of their poverty then ever they get out of their rever.ues 1out of all their trading in thi~ world; they ne~ er bad fuch incomes as they tJ<.ve had out of theu p~verty ; ThJs a carnal heart will thirk fhange that am?.n fuall make poverty to be· the moft Eainful! trade chat ever he had in the world ; I am perfwaded that many Cbriftians have found it fo, that they have got mure good by tbeir_povery then ever th_ey got by _all tb~ir riches, you .find it in Scnpturre; therefore thmk not th1s flran~e that I am fpeaking of, you do no~ find any one godly man rha~ came out t)f an affliction worfe than when h,e came into ir, though for a while he was fuaken, yet at 1afl: he was better for im ~ fR i ction : but a great-many godly men you fir.d have been worfe for their profperity, fcarfe _one Godly man that you read in Scripture of hnt was worfe for profperity ( except Do~niel and Nthani.,h, I do ~:~ot read of any hurt.they got by their profpe~i ty that they bad) fcarce (I think) is any one example of ar.y godly man but was rather worfe for his profperity then better; fo that you fee it's no fncb flrange thing, neither to one that is gracious tha they !hall get good by their ~ffiietion : Luther bat!<! fucb an ex· preffion in his C_om~ent upon the 5. Chap, of the(JA!Athi4nJ, in the 17,verfe·mhis Comment upon that place fanh,A Chriflian btcometb a mighty 1!ork_er_And ~ W8ndtrful CreAtor, that is ·(faith he) to create·ol:lt ot heavmef~ JOY, our of_ teno: comfort, out of fin riohteeufnefs:,out of death bfe,and brmgs l1ght out of darknefs. It ~vas Gods prerogative and great po~over, his creating power to command the ligh~ t~ fhine out ofdarknefs;. now a Chri!tian is partaker of the Dmne Nature, fo the Scnpture faith Grace it is parr of the Divine Nature, ar.d being part of , 1be Divine Nature it lnth an impreffion cf Gcds Omnipotent , Power
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