Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

But here it may be objected, Christ was Himself voluntarily poor; ^tHe became poor for our sakes, and he commanded poverty to the young man, go sell all that thou hast, and give it to the poor. Is every man to be herein a follower of Christ? To this I answer in general, that poverty was not in Christ any act of Moral Obedience, no• to the young man any command of Moral Obedience. First, for Christs poverty we may conceive that it was a requisite preparatory act to the work of redemption, and to the magnifying of his spiritual power in the subduing of his enemies, and saving of his people; when it appeared that thereunto no external accessions nor contribution of temporal greatness did concur. And secondly for the command to the young man, it was merely personal, and indeed not so much intending obedience to the letter of the precept, as trial of the sincerity of the mans former profession, and conviction of him touching those mispersuasions and self-deceits which made him trust in himself for righteousness like that of God to Abraham to offer up his Son, which was not intended for death to Isaac, but for trial to Abraham, and for manifestation of his faith.

But heere it may be objected, Christ was Himselfe voluntarily poore; ^tHee became poore for our sakes, and he commanded poverty to the young man, goe sell all that thou hast, and give it to the poore. Is every man to be herein a follower of Christ? To this I answere in generall, that poverty was not in Christ any act of Morall Obedience, no• to the yong man any command of Morall Obedience. First, for Christs poverty we may conceive that it was a requisite preparatorie act to the worke of redemption, and to the magnifying of his spirituall power in the subduing of his enemies, and saving of his people; when it appeared that thereunto no externall accessions nor contribution of temporall greatnesse did concurre. And secondly for the command to the yong man, it was meerely personall, and indeede not so much intending obedience to the letter of the precept, as triall of the sinceritie of the mans former profession, and conviction of him touching those misperswasions and selfedeceits which made him trust in himselfe for righteousnesse like that of God to Abraham to offer up his Sonne, which was not intended for death to Isaake, but for tryall to Abraham, and for manifestation of his faith.