Characters of a Sincere Heart, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of Spiritual Poverty.
THE firſt Character of a Sincere Charact. 1. Spiritual Poverty.Heart, is, Spiritual Poverty: And Spiritual Poverty conſiſts in emptying of the Heart to the utmoſt, of all and every thing, whatever is Self; as ſelf-love, ſelf-righteouſneſs, ſelf-opinion, ſelf-ſufficiency, ſelfreaſonings and diſputings with fleſh and blood, and ſelf-confidence, and ſelfconceit, and all manner of ſelf-ends, ſelfaims, and ſelf-deſigns, So that when a Chriſtian is wholly emptied of himſelf, and he hath learned that great and excellent Goſpel-Leſſon of Self-denyal, and he comprehends himſelf, as he is in himſelf only, nothing, and leſs then no▪ thing, and is vile in his own eyes, and h… magnifies the riches of Gods mercy, and aſcribes all honour and glory to God ſuch a one is Sincere, & upright hearted towards God. Jacob whom the Holy Ghoſt ſtiles a plain man, (i. e.) as *Taatum dicit ſuiſse ſimplicem; foreign quidem pro integro & ſincero at plurimū accipitur, Calv. Jacob viz. integer, ſimplex: Graeci foreign alienus ab omni fraude dolo, & callidatate, Mercer. in Lo….ſome Gen. 25. 27.interpret, a ſincere and ſingle hearted man, was a man of an humble ſpirit, witneſs his confeſſion, I am not worthy o… the leaſt of all thy mercies, and of all the truth which thou haſt ſhewed unto thy ſervant, Gen. 32. 10. David was poo… in ſpirit, & endowed with that excellen… grace of Humilitie: For he was ſo vil… in his own eyes, as he accounted himſel… a worm and no man, Pſal. 22. 6. and when the Lord ſent Nathan the Prophet to tell what great things God had, and would do, for him, as to take him from 2 Sam. 7. 8. and that he had cut off all his the Sheep Coat to be ruler over Iſrael, enemies, and made him a great name, ver. 9. and that he would fix the children of Iſrael, that they may dwell in … place of their own, and …ve no more, and that the Lord would make David an houſe; how David received theſe meſſages from the Prophet, is apparent by the humility and thankfulneſs, whereof he gave a large teſtimony, 2 Sam. 7. 18. 19. Then went King David in, and ſate before the Lord, and he ſaid, who am I, O Lord God? and what is my houſe, that thou haſt brought me hitherto? And this was yet a ſmall thing in thy ſight O Lord God; but thou haſt ſpoken alſo of thy ſervants houſe, for a great while to come, and is this the manner of man, O Lord God? Agur was a wiſe man, and the more wiſe, becauſe the more humble, and the more eſteem'd of by God, by how much the more vile he was in his own opinion. His Qui ſ…i vilis eſt Deo charus eſt. Born. Prov. 30. 2.acknowledging himſelf to be more brutiſh then any man, and not to have the underſtanding of a man, plainly declares the lowlineſs and poverty of his ſpirit. S. Paul, who was the chiefeſt of the Apoſtles, and more eminent in gifts, and graces, then any of them, yet he had ſo cheap and mean thoughts, and valuation of himſelf, as to confeſs that he was chief 1 Tim. 1. 15.of ſinners.
Sect. 2 Every humble ſpirited perſon, who trades moſt at home, and negotiates about his own ſoul, in heart-ſearching, and ſelf-examination, thinks far worſe of himſelf, and is more abject in his own eies, then in the eies of the worſt of his enemies. Wherefore he is ſenſible of his forlorn and miſerable eſtate: He knows himſelf to be poor, and indigent, and therefore he goes to Chriſt to inrich him. He apprehends himſelf blind, and ignorant, or knowing nothing as he ought to know, and therefore he begs eye-ſalve and a ſpirit of illumination from Jeſus Chriſt. He is ſenſible of his nakedneſs, and therefore he goes to Chriſt for cloathing, knowing that the immaculate robes of Chriſts righteouſnes can alone cloath and cover his nakedneſs. For this is that ſoul-ſaving Counſel, which Chriſt gives to the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans,—I counſel thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the fire, that thou may'ſt Rev. 3. 18. Suadendi no imperandi verbo utitur Dominus, quo illorum retundat inſani em qui niſi violenter trahantur non arbitrantur ſe a Domino admonitos, tractos vel vocalos. Bulling. 1 Pet. 1. 7.be rich, …nd white rayment, that thou may'ſt be cloathed, that the ſhame of thy nakedneſs do not appear, and anoint thine eies with eie-ſalve that thou may'ſt ſee. By Gold we are to underſtand true grace, eſpecially true faith, which is much more pretious then Gold, and this faith is not an ordinary faith, but 'tis a tryed faith, for its ſaid tryed in the fire, (i. e.) ſuch a faith that is genuine, and of the right ſtamp, that can endure the tryal of the ſword, and the tryal of afflictions though they be fiery. Further, by white rayment we are to underſtand, the unſpotted and innocent robes of Chriſts righteouſneſs. And by eye-ſalve, we are to underſtand the illumination of the ſpirit, even that wiſdom that cometh from above. All theſe we are counſelled to buy of Jeſus Chriſt: * yet here is no gap opened to let in Popiſh merit: Chriſtus eſt foreign ille qui merces ſalutis caelitus venales nobis promittit, et offert in Evangelio, no… pretio, vel meritis parandas, ſed …precibus & fide gratis Deo accipiendas. Hoc monopolium eſt Chriſti, extra quod nulla eſt ſalus, Pareus.Here is not the leaſt allowance given to that rotten Doctrine of Merits: For all graces which we have, and all gifts which we have, are gratuitouſly given us by God, and to him alone we muſt aſcribe the praiſe and glory of all. Whoever then hath received this great and excellent grace of Spiritual Poverty, the free gift of God (which is by our Saviour mentioned the firſt, and leads the van to the reſt of all the Beatitudes) he is obliged more and more daily to ſearch his heart thoroughly, and ſo to find out, and be ſenſible of, his own loſt, forlorn, and utterly undone condition as in himſelf, and ſo likewiſe to apprehend his abſolute neceſſity of makeing ſure of his intereſt in Chriſt; who was for this very purpoſe ſent into the world, to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt: For Mat. 18. 11.he profeſſeth, Matth 15. 24. I am not ſent, but to the loſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael. He then, who is ſo poor in ſpirit, and vile, and deſpicable, and altogether leſs then nothing in his own eies, O! what haſt doth he make unto Chriſt. As poor men flock apace to the Lord Almoner, to receive Alms, ſo all ſpiritually poor Chriſtians make haſt unto Chriſt, who only can enrich them with never fading …iches. They therefore apply themſelves unto Chriſt, and apply his merits unto themſelves. They are thoroughly apprehenſive of their abſolute neceſſity of getting a ſaving intereſt in Chriſt, and that without him, they are utterly undone, wherefore with all expedition they run to Chriſt, and …hey lay hold on him by faith (for he is their life) and they will not let go their hold.
Sect. 3 Further, whoſoever tis endowed with this rare and pretious grace of Spiritual Poverty, he, I ſay, exerciſeth himſelf in a frequent and ſerious meditation of the promiſes of the Goſpel, and he applies them particularly for his own ſingular conſolation. He likewiſe meditates of, and with all thankfulneſs accepts of, the invitations of the Goſpel, and he makes particular application of them unto his own ſonl. He is one of thoſe who labors and is heavy laden, and therefore he goes to Chriſt for reſt: For ſo runs the Invitation, and promiſe, both made by Chriſt, Mat. 11. 29. Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy foreign, A…imo delaſſati dicuntar qui ſub peccatorum gravi ſenſu animo faitſcu…t. Beza. Refocillatio, quam promittit in gratuit â peccatorum remiſ…ione ſeta eſt quae nos tranquillat, Calvin.laden, and I will give you reſt. But ſome are conſcious to themſelves of ſo much unworthineſe, as they are afraid to come, leaſt if they do come, they be utterly rejected: But O! Chriſtian, labour to be ſenſible of thy unworthineſs, and mourn for the ſame, and then, notwithſtanding thy unworthineſs, be not diſcouraged; O! do not ſlacken thy pace, but make haſt to go to Jeſus Chriſt, for he hath made a gracious promiſe,—And him that cometh Ioh. 6. 36.to me I will no wiſe caſt out, Joh 6. 37. Although you are poor and indigent, blind, miſerable and naked, and can claim no merit from any thing, no not the beſt things, which you can do, yet you muſt not exclude your ſelves, and ſo refuſe that great ſalvation offered to you in the Goſpel. The expoſtulation is pathetical, Heb. 23. How ſhall we eſcape, if we neglect ſo great ſalvation? If you are thirſty, and vehemently deſire Tam pauperes quam divites fo…s graciae De… recipit, ac largiter polat, Muſc. in Loc.Chriſt, you have many ſpecial invitations: One is …ſaiah 55. 1. Ha every one that thirſteth, come unto the witers, and let not want and penury ſet a barr againſt your coming, for it followeth, And he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea come buy Wine, and Milk without money, and without price. Another Invitation is made by Chriſt amongſt a great confluence of people.—In the laſt day, that great day of the feaſt, Jeſus stood, and cryed ſaying, if any man thirſt let him come unto me and drink. Joh. 7. 37. A Third Invitation is Rev. 22. 17. And the Spirit, and the Bride ſay, come, and let him, that is athirſt come, and whoſoever will let him take of the water of life. Now leaſt any may affix a falſe gloſs, and a corrupt ſenſe upon thoſe Invitations, as if they laid down a ground for Liberum facio cuilibet veniendi: neminem ex—cludo, prorſus omnes venire ſubeo. Omnes venite & accipite aquas. Domino …t gloria. Bulling.Free-will: I anſwer, That all thoſe Invitations abundantly manifeſt the Free grace of God and aſcribe nothing to mans Free will (which if we truſt to it, will prove an Aegyptian reed to deceive us.) We read Ezrah. 1. 5. Then roſe the cheif of the Fathers of Judah, and Benjamin, and the Prieſts and the Levites, with all them, whoſe ſpirit God had raiſed to go up, to build the houſe of the Lord in Jeruſalem. Before we can come to Chriſt and accept of the Goſpel Invitation, God raiſeth up our hearts: For ſaith our Saviour. Joh. 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father, which hath ſent m… draw him. But when he draws us w… can run (as the ſpouſe profeſſeth) Can. 1. 4. Draw me, we will run after the. Before we can run the waies of Gods Commandments, he inlargeth our hearts. So ſaith the Pſalmiſt. Pſal. 119. 32. I will run the way of thy Commandments: When thou ſhalt enlarge my heart.
Sect. 4. He that is poor in ſpirit is weak, ſick, and in a diſtreſſed condition, as to his own apprehenſion, and therefore of neceſſity (all delaies being laid aſide) he muſt repair to Chriſt, and beg ſtrength, health, Comforts, even all from him, as the only skilfull Phyſitian who alone can Work an effectual cure. And Chriſt is the only Phyſitian, and his blood is the only Medicine; and both the Phyſitian, and his Medicine are of infinite dignity, price, value. For no Phyſitian, nor no Medicine can work that cure, which Chriſt works, Pſal. 103. 3. For he pardoneth all iniquities, and healeth all diſeaſes. Chriſt prepares and preſcribes the Medicine: our Duty is to apply it to our wounds: For the moſt Soveraign Medicine cures not in preparation, but in Application. Wherefore we muſt imitate the Apoſtle, by making a particular Application of of Chriſt and all his merits unto our own ſouls. For (ſaith he) Gal. 2. 20. I am cruciſied with Chriſt, nevertheleſs I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life with I now live in the Fleſh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and g…ve himſelf for me. After Thomas had a demonſtrative Conviction of Chriſt's perſonal appearance after his reſurrection, he made uſe of a Pronoun Poſſeſſive to his comfort, ſaying, Joh. 20. 28. My Lord, and my God. Whoever he be, that is ſo poor in ſpirit as to be nothing and leſs then nothing in his own accompt and value Chriſt above all, and (as the Apoſtle phraſeth foreign. Eſt Chriſtus (ſeſe ſcilicet uniens re…atis eoſ que regenerans) omnia, ſcilicet ad ſalutem neceſsaria: Omnibus, ni mirum fidelibus ſanctificatis & Chriſto copulatis, Eſt illis omnia meritoriè. Daven. in Loc. foreign. Macar. Hom. 16.it) Col. 3. 11. All in All, he (queſtionleſs) is in the ſtate of bleſſedneſs; for (ſaith our Saviour, Matth. 5. 3.) Bleſſed are the poor in ſpirit, for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven. Obſerve how low the Foundation is laid, even in Poverty of ſpirit: But Chriſt ſetts a high Roof and glorious ſuperſtructure upon ſo low a Foundation, even the Kingdome of heaven.