32o Signes of 'Spiritual/ Poway. Signes of po- verty of fplut, i Prayer. die or other : fo I fay, fpirituall poverty it is ai emptying of the foule which of force alway brings better things in. Wherefoever thisempty- ing ofthe foule issthis making ofour felves poore, ir isupon good groundby this courfe: it is alwaies filth a vacuum and emp:ineffc of one thing, as brings in anotherbetter. The foule cannever be altogetherempty ; when winde,and vaine fluffe is out,chencomes betterthings in,whichS. Paul cals the fulneffe ofGod ; heprayes, and wifhes that they mighthefilled with the fulneffeofGed : then comes fulneffe of knowledgeand underftanding, and ful- neffe of-affetion,and fulnefl'cofcontentment,and complacency in the will, andalithe foulehath an. anfwerable fulneffe tothe proportionof theemp- tying itfenfe of it fclfe. In the next place, let uscome todifcover this difpofirionof povertyof fpirit whereit is. And then thewTomehelper to ir. Fi ft to difcover where thisbkfld frameof foule is. Surelythofcthat are thus poore in fpirit, they are full of prayer. Thtpoere wan fpeakes [up. plicatioFls, as the wifeman faith, that is his dialed. The pooreman is much in prayer,he that is poore in fpirit,is much in fupplication : for prayers they are theAmbaffadours of the poore foule to God, to fupply it with theriches of his grace. There- fore where there is noprayer, there is no fenfe of poverty, but there is a Laodicean temper, as if they were rich enough. Youhave acompanyof men, they fay they cannot pray privately, their fpirits are barren. They ,intimate much pride of fpirit
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