A12186:827
Light from heaven discovering the fountain opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich poverty. In…Light from heaven discovering the fountaine opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich povertie. In…
Light from heaven discovering the fountain opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich poverty. In four treatises. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibs, Doctor in Divinity, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Gray's-Inn. Published according to the authors own appointment, subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect copies.Light from heaven discovering the fountaine opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich povertie. In foure treatises. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibs, Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Grayes-Inne. Published according to the authors owne appointment, subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect copies.
London: printed by E. Purslow and Richard Badger for N. Bourne, 1638
THE RICH POVERTY: OR, The Poor-mans Riches.THE RICH POVERTY: OR, The Poore-mans Riches.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
God sanctifies affliction and poverty for the inward good of the souls of his children.
God sanctifies affliction and poverty for the inward good of the soules of his children.
This is the reason of it, outward poverty and affliction takes away the fuel that feeds pride,1 that is an opposite to spiritual poverty,2 and humility, and sight of our wants. that which pride feeds upon, it is some outward thing, some outward excellency: that the flesh takes occasion by to swell, to over-ween it self, and to over-look ⟨p. 100⟩all others: now when the fuel is taken away, the fire goes out; when the fodder and nourishment is taken away,3 those wanton steeds (you know) that grew fierce with pampering, they grow more tractable: so it is with the nature of man, take away that that makes him fierce, and then when his fierce and high conceits are taken away, he will be tame: take away that that feeds his carnal disposition, and he grows tractable and gentle. Thus then affliction and poverty outward in our condition, it helps to inward poverty of spirit and disposition: for it takes away that which inflames the fancy of a carnal man. A carnal man thinks himself as great, and as good as he hath possessions of the things of this life• and the devil enlargeth his conceit more upon the imagination, to think these things to be a great deal greater then they are: we come afterward by experience to see them nothing but vanity: but this is in man without grace, we are prone (as I said) to surfeit of them, they are too strong for us to digest and overcome, and therefore God takes them away that he may help the inward disposition of our souls.