rol Of SpirituallrPovérty. that are eternal', that make us truly and inwardly good, which all the outward things in the world cannotdoe ' All the Empires in the world can- not make a manan honeft man : they may make him worle ; they maybe fnares tomake him for- get God and himfelfe; theymay be a meanes of hisdamnationwithout wondrous care. What if God take away agreat dealeoftheft things , and make them up infavours ofahigher kinderThere- fore ifwe finde God fanetifie anyontward abafe- ment for the i nwardgood of our 'foules , lét us ble(ïe him forit,and, takeit ingoodpartas anevi- dence of his love : for God thus deales with his children, he fanlifies their outward abatements for their inward göod; to dra i them neirer"to himfelfe. Thereforethofe that are weake in theircondition (for a manmay be poor in regard ofhis conditió, though not inwardly poor)thòfethat are broken in their condition outwardly, they may know whether it be in love or no, ifthey finde this con- ditionfanhified ro abetter difpofition Forasall things in generall worke to the heft to them that love Cod: fo this is one, efpeciall af1ietion and poverty, worke for good tothemthat love`God; God fan tifies it to them for thatend. Thereforewe fhould examine when weare un- der any croffe, fee how it workes uponus, whe- ther by it we are humbled or no; whether we joyne with Godor no : for thofe thatbelong to God, have the gracesofrhe Spirit, to joyne with him in theworke; when he affli is them, they la- bour vfe.a To examine 'f croies humble us.
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