Sibbes - Houston-Packer Collection BX9318.S45 L5 1638

128 Meares toget:,olretyofjpirit.. Therefore I befeech you let us remember that, that we doe not unthankfully deny the workeof grace, and thinke that to be poverty offpirit ; as fome do out of covetoufnefle, becaufethey have not that they wouldhave , they think they have nothing at all ; that is a fpirituall covetoufnefl"e. But let us be wife to difcerne what God hath wrought in our hearts what he hash done for,and in Our foules. A holy man, you fhall have him much in mourning and complaining, but it isof himfelfe,; not of God :, as ifGod were wanting to him, you fhall have aholy man in a perpetual! kindeofdefpaire, but it is in himfelfe, he hopes in God nil!. Remember this caution, that as wee complaine, fo let us be fore it be ofour felves, al- way juftifie God in hismercy ;and if wedefpaire, let usdefpaire of our felves,that wecan°donothing of ourfelves; butbe fure tomaintaine(all we can) How to come the hopeof Godsrich mercy in Chrift. to fpirituall Now having premifed thiscaution. Theway poverty. tocometo fpirituall povertyamong manyothers, To come into Gods preaßr. is: Fiat, to bring ourfelves into theprefence of God,to the pretence of greater lights then our own;men that thinkfhèfelves fomebodywhen they arealone; yet Wheiithey confider ,God fees them, wholeeyes are a thoufand times brighter then the fun; then.thcy learne toabhor themfelves indaft and .¡her, as we fee robdid'then God talk- ed with him, when he law God : and t.tfbrabsrb when he talked with God, he accounts himfelfe daft and afiies. Let us bring our felves into the pretence of God, confider hisholinefï'e,his juflice. And

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