Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 8 · Part 31 · Subpart 23
Wicked Men pool.
Rev. 3.17. Poor, and blind, and naked.
A Chriſtleſs Soul is poor: It is true, a godly Man, one that hath much Grace, is poor in his own Eyes: I know thy Poverty, but thou art rich; But a wicked Man is really a poor Man, as will appear by the following Parallel.
Parallels.
HE is a poor Man, that hath nothing that is really or truly good, that hath no Clothes to cover him, but is naked as ever he was born; that hath never a Bit of Bread, nor any thing that is good, to eat, but lives upon Husks, Chaff, and Aſhes, &c. Now wicked Men are ſo poor and miſerable, that they have nothing that is truly good: they are naked, as we have ſhewed, their Souls are naked; they have nothing to eat but Husks and Aſhes; for ſuch are thoſe empty and periſhing Things of the World compared to in the Scripture, on which they feed: He feedeth on Aſhes, Iſa. 45.20. Luk. 15.16 Hoſ. 12.1.&c. The Prodigal would fain have filled his Belly with the Husks which the Swine did eat. Ephraim (ſaith God) feedeth on the Wind, &c. Therefore wicked Men are poor and miſerable.
II. He is a poor Man, that as he hath nothing, ſo he can do nothing, whereby to help or relieve himſelf in his Neceſſity: Wicked Men, as they have nothing, ſo they can do nothing, to relieve their own Souls: They have no Clothes, and none can they, by any ways of their own, obtain, or help themſelves unto; they have no Food,Iſa. 55.1, 2 Pſal. 49.7. nor can they procure any: They labour for that which is not Bread, and ſpend their Strength for that which ſatisfies not: Therefore poor and miſerable.
III. He is a poor Man, that as he hath nothing, and can do nothing, ſo he hath no Body, neither Friend nor Brother, that can do any thing for him: But thus in a ſpiritual Sence 'tis with wicked Men, and therefore poor and miſerable.
IV. He is a poor Man, who as he hath nothing, can do nothing, nor hath any Body to do for him, and yet is many thouſand Pounds in debt: Such is the State of wicked Men, they have nothing, can do nothing, have no Friend or Brother to do any thing for them,Mat. 18.24 yet do owe ten thouſand Talents to God's Juſtice, which is a great, a very great Sum, and therefore poor and miſerable.
V. He is a poor Man, that as he hath nothing, can do nothing, hath none to do any thing for him, and is many thouſand Pounds in debt; and beſides, is a ſorry Soul, he has no worth in him, being a vile, baſe, fordid, and ill-natured Wretch, worthy of no regard or pity, one that no Body will caſt an Eye of Compaſſion upon: But ſuch is the Condition of every ungodly Perſon,Ezek. 16. they have no Worth nor Excellency at all in them, they are not worth regard nor pity, there is nothing in them that can move God to reſpect them, nor his Angels to regard them, therefore very poor and miſerable.
VI. He is a poor Man that is in the Condition we have mentioned, and that which aggravates his Poverty is this, He is not like ever to be in a Condition to help himſelf, nor to find a Friend or Brother to help him: a Man may be to day miſerable, helpleſs, and friendleſs, but in a little time poſſibly it may be better with him, and he may ſupply his own Neceſſities, or get ſome to relieve him. Now ungodly Men are in the State you have heard, and are never like to be in a better Condition, by any means of their own, or by any Friend of theirs, and therefore poor and miſerable.
VII. He is a poor Man that is in the Condition above-mentioned, and not only ſo, but is ſick, wounded, and in Priſon, &c. Such ſpiritually is the State of all wicked Men,Iſa. 1.5. viz. ſick, wounded, blind, naked, and in Priſon, under the Power of Sin and Satan, and therefore poor and miſerable.
VIII. Some Mens great and miſerable Poverty has come upon them, partly by the Pride, abominable Luſt, and Extravagancy of their Parents, and partly by their own Idleneſs, Luſt, and Prodigality: Even ſo the ſpiritual Want and Poverty of Men was in part brought upon them by the Sins of our firſt Parents, and partly by their own actual Sins. This is the State of unregenerate Perſons, they are all even thus poor and miſerable: And happy are they who ſee this to be their Condition;Mat. 5.3. Bleſſed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Thoſe who ſee their own Wants, Poverty, and Miſery, ſhall out of the Fulneſs of Jeſus Chriſt be ſupplied with whatſoever they need: for tho Man naturally be ſo poor, that he hath nothing, can do nothing, and hath no earthly Friend or Brother that can do any thing for him; and beſides, he owes ten thouſand Talents, and is worth no regard nor pity; yet the eternal God hath found out a Way, for the manifeſtation of his own glorious Grace and Bounty, to enrich him, and make him happy for ever.2 Cor. 8.9. He that was rich became poor, that we through his Poverty might be made rich.
Diſparity.
POor Men are full of Complaints, they commonly bewail their Poverty, and would gladly have all their Wants ſupplied, and be made rich, if they knew but which way it might be done: But wicked Men, tho they are poor, ſo poor and miſerable as hath been ſhewn, yet they are contented, being wofully blinded by the Devil, &c. So that tho they are daily told how they may be made rich, yet they ſlight all Advice and Counſel, and ſtubbornly refuſe the Riches of Grace and Glory.