First of all, Faith hath a pri•ative emptying work: it empties •he Soul, of all its own worth and righteousness, and excellency in •s own eyes; and gives a through sight, unto the Soul, of •he sinfulness of sin, of its spiritual sins, and contrarieties of •LL in its self, unto Holiness •nd Faith: And withal fully convinceth it, of its just deserved•ess, to be utterly destroyed: and •herefore much more of its due desert of all, or any Afflictions, whatever; they being any, or all •f them far less then destruction it •elf. And in the sight and sense of •hese, Faith lays the Soul a poor empty, naked wretched CREATURE, ⟨p. 46⟩in all Spiritual respects both in the sight and presence o• God, and in its own eyes. And thi• helps greatly towards working Patience. You shall observe• in that golden chain of Grace• whereof each latter link depends upon the former, Ma• 5. v. 3, 4, 5. How poverty of sp• rit is placed first, Blessed are […] poor in Spirit, that is, That […] emptied of themselves, loo• upon themselves, as having n• thing, deserving nothing, able […] do nothing, spiritually. And th• true poverty of Spirit, the• have from Faith wrought: F•• blessedness is only pronounced […] them that believe, and of th• fruits of Faith, in them; accor• ing to that, Rom. 4. 7, 8, 9▪ Then Secondly follows, Bless•• are they that mourn, namely, […] their sins; that in the second pla•• ▪ And then Thirdly, Blessed are […] meek, that is, those who in th• ⟨p. 47⟩sight of their poverty and sinfulness, lye at Gods feet, so subdued and affected, as God may do what he will to them, or with them. Thus it is with them, when, they are thus emptied, which is when they have seen their sins, and deservedness to be destroyed, and are humbled for them, and mourn for them. These foregoing dispositions work meekness, submission to God: They have nothing to •ay against whatever he shall do; but to justify God in all, and to condemn themselves. And all these make them willing •nd Patient to take any thing well, at the hands of God. It is •n excellent speech (to our purpose) of the Church in that humbled frame of heart, you ••nd her in, Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore doth a LIVING man […], a MAN, for the […] of his sin? The ⟨p. 48⟩Church expresseth it as the mos• brutish improper incongruity, unbecoming a man, such as ther• could not be imagined a greater What?
First of all, Faith hath a pri•ative emptying work: it empties •he Soul, of all its own worth and •ighteousness, and excellency in •s own eyes; and gives a •hrough sight, unto the Soul, of •he sinfulness of sin, of its spiri•ual sins, and contrarieties of •LL in its self, unto Holiness •nd Faith: And withall fully •onvinceth it, of its just deserved•ess, to be utterly destroyed: and •herefore much more of its due •esert of all, or any Afflictions, whatever; they being any, or all •f them far less then destruction it •elf. And in the sight and sense of •hese, Faith lays the Soul a poor •mpty, naked wretched CREATURE, ⟨p. 46⟩in all Spiritual respects both in the sight and presence o• God, and in its own eyes. And thi• helps greatly towards workin• Patience. You shall observe• in that golden chain of Grace• whereof each latter link depends upon the former, Ma• 5. v. 3, 4, 5. How poverty of sp• rit is plac'd first, Blessed are 〈…〉 poor in Spirit, that is, That 〈…〉 emptyed of themselves, loo• upon themselves, as having n• thing, deserving nothing, able 〈…〉 do nothing, spiritually. And th• true poverty of Spirit, the have from Faith wrought: F blessedness is only pronounced them that believe, and of th fruits of Faith, in them; accor ing to that,
