A12186:877
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.
Let us labour to bring out souls to this blessed temper,1 to be poor in spirit,2 the happy temper that our Saviour began his preaching withal: the first thing that he falls upon is, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. But before I come to any directions for the getting this spiritual poverty, we must know and premise this caution,3 that we must not be so poor in spirit, as to deny the work of grace in our hearts.4 It is one thing to be poor in spirit, and to see our wants, and it is another thing to be unthankful and unkind, to deny the work of grace, and so to gratify Satan: we must not give false witness against our selves, and so deny the work of Gods Spirit in us, it is not poverty, but darkness of spirit; we are not acquainted with that grace that God hath enriched us with. Therefore where the soul is in a right temper, there is a double eye, one to see the defects and the stains of those graces we have, to see what we are wanting in of what we should be, and to see how our graces are stained, and that there is a mingling of our corruptions with them. The viewing with the one eye, that we have any grace, that should make us cheerful, and thankful, and comfortably go on, considering that there are some beginnings that God will perfect: for he never repents of his beginnings. And then a sight of the want, and of the stains of those graces, that we mingle our corruptions with them, that works again this poverty of spirit to go still out of our selves, to desire grace, to purge and cleanse our selves more and more. ⟨p. 128⟩Therefore I beseech you let us remember that, that we do not unthankfully deny the work of grace, and think that to be poverty of spirit; as some do out of covetousness, because they have not that they would have, they think they have nothing at all; that is a spiritual covetousness. But let us be wise to discern what God hath wrought in our hearts what he hath done for, and in our souls. A holy man, you shall have him much in mourning and complaining, but it is of himself, not of God, as if God were wanting to him, you shall have a holy man in a perpetual kind of despair, but it is in himself, he hopes in God still. Remember this caution, that as we complain, so let us be sure it be of our selves, alway justify God in his mercy;