Of Spirituali poverty. And withal! let us bring our felves to greater lights then our owns ; that is, oft come into the company ofthofe that have greater grace then our íèlves. The Starres giveno light when theSunne is up ; the Starres are fomebody in the night, but theyare nothing in theday;andchofe that are con- ceitedof their ovine excellencies, when they corne into the prefence,andcompany,and converfe with chofe that arebetter thenthemfelves, their fpirits fall downe, they are abafed. It is a good courfe therefore not to lovealway to be bell in thecorn- p.tny (as it is force mens vanity, becaufe theywill be conceited oftheir owne worth) but toprefent our felvesbefore God inhisordinances, and pre- fent our felvesin communion and fellowfhipwith others that are greater and richer ingrace thenour (elves, and fo wemay feeour owne wants. This is onedire&on to get fpirituall poverty. Againe, that we may come tobe poore in fpi rit, let us confider what weare, that weare cream tures: the terme whence creation begins is juft nothing : it is fo in the creatures in the world, God made all of nothing, and is it not fo in the new creature much more +. ThereforeifI will be anything inmy felfe as ofmy felfe, furely I muff looke to be no creature of Godsmaking: for grace is Gods creature, therefore it mutt rifeofnothing, there muff be a fight of ottr owne nothíngnefte. Indeed a Cbriftian in himfelfe isnothing now in the flare of grace: whatfoever he is forgrace or glory, it is out ofhimfelfe ; heehath nothing in himfelfe as of himfelfe, all that hebath, he bath I i from 129 2 Confider we arc crcatura. A Cöriftiarc bathai; (non G4aäR
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