104 I Outwardpoverty helps in7bard. condition in this world for the Church is alway rich inanother kinde ofriches: the Church is rich in reverfon, it hathHeaven and happineffe : and the Church is rich in bits and promifes. The Church is rich in an apparantpledge,that isworth all the world befides, that is, inChrift. Ifhe have given us his Sonne, mill he not with himgive tre all things elfe ? The Church is rich in this world in- dee4 : for all things are yews , andyan are Chrilis. Chrift carries riches for the Church, and difpen- feth them to the Church as_occafion ferves. In- deed Chrifts riches are the Churchesriches. The Church cannot be poore if Chrift be rich ; is is only a medicinali poverty, it is Gods difpenfation Simile, to fit them for better riches. As a wife Phyfitian hepurgeth a foule body, till he bring it almoft to skin and bone : but why r That having madeit Poore, there may be a fpringofbetter blood and fpirits. Let us take nooffence therefore at Gods difpen- fation, either towards others, or our felves, ifwe finde him by his holy Spirit fanCtifying that out- ward conditionto a holy inwardbenr,and dilpofi- nonoffoule toGod-ward. It is a happy aff i tion and poverty, and abafement,whatfoever it be that drawes us neerer toGod, inwhom wehavemore fupply then we canhavewantin theworld. God never takes away any thing fróhis children in this world, but he gives themmore inbetter things : that is alway his courfe, theFore receive the Go. fpell, the Gofpell is preachedto them, and they receive it,thofe that bytheiroutward abatements, are
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