Sibbes - Houston-Packer Collection BX9318.S45 L5 1638

Sigxes of Sptrioall Poverty. 127 Let us labour to bringour Sòules to tl fs bleffcd temper, to bee poore in fpirit, the happy temper that our Saviour beganhis preachingwithal). : the Ertl thing that he fais upon is, Bleffedare thepoore in [pint, for theirs the kingdom( of Heaven. But before I come toany direc`ionsfor the getting this fpirituall poverty, we mull know and pi emit this caution, that wee mutt not befopççe in;fpirit,as to deny the worke of grace inqur.he r i.. j is one thing to bee poore in fpirit, and to1-ee our wants, and it is another thing tobee unthankful) andun- kinde, to deny theworkeof grace, and fo tograti- fie Satan e ; wee muff not give falfe witneffe again[} our felves, and fo deny theworke of Gods Spirit in us, it is not poverty, but darkncfle of fpirit ; we are not acquainted with that grace that God hath enriched us with. Thereforewhere theCottle is in ,aright temper, there is a double eye, onto fee the defe is and the (laines of thofcgraces we have, to fee what wearewanting in of what we fhoúldbe, and to fee how our graces are ílaíned, and that There ris a mingling of our coxcuptionA with ' them. The viewing with the Azle eye, that wee have any grace, tl as f4puld, Make us cheer- full, and thankefull,and qgrpfprtably goe on, con- fidering that there are lome beginnings that God will perfeä: for hee never repents of his begirt,- nings. And then a fight of the want, and of the (lainesof thofe graces, that wemingle our corrup- tions with them, that workesagaine this poverty ofjpirit to go (lill out of our felves,todefiregrace, to: purge and cleanfe;our felves more and more. Therefore 1'o labour tor fpirituall po. Yerty, Caution. Not to deny the worke of grace,

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