A12186:854
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.
Again, this is the ground (when men are not sufficiently humbled before) that they fall away dangerously,4 it is the ground of apostasy, because they did not feel the smart of sin. He that hath smarted for his estate before, & knows what it is to be in such a condition, he will be loth ever to come into the prison again. Therefore the ground of careful walking is a sense of our unworthiness and misery: the more we are donvinced of this, the more careful and watchful we will be, that ⟨p. 113⟩we never come into that cursed condition again.
Againe, this is the ground (when men are not sufficiently humbled before) that they fal away dangerously,4 it is the ground of apostacy, because they did not feele the smart of sin. He that hath smarted for his estate before, & knowes what it is to be in such a condition, he will be loth ever to come into the prison againe. Therefore the ground of carefull walking is a sense of our unworthinesse and misery: the more we are donvinced of this, the more carefull and watchfull wee will bee, that ⟨p. 113⟩we never come into that cursed condition againe.
- 4The want of it the ground of apostasy.The want of it the ground of apostacy.
And indeed it is an error in the foundation which is not mended in the Fabric (as we say) when there is an error in poverty of spirit at the first,5 when the work of humiliation is not kindly wrought; hence is the defect in all the whole carriage of a Christian. The foundation of Gods building lies low, he digs deep: God lays his foundation oft times, as low as Hell it self (in a manner) He brings his children to see that that he means they shall never feel, to see his wrath against fin, that so he may build upon this foundation. For Christianity it is an excellent frame, it is a frame for eternity, a building for ever; therefore it must have a sure foundation which must be laid in humiliation and poverty of spirit. An error in the first digestion is not amended in the second; if that be not good, the rest are naught; if there be not sound humiliation, nothing will be sound afterward. Therefore we should desire, that God by his spirit would help us more and more to know what we are in our selves, that we may get to be what we are in Christ.