(the Heir of this kingdom) it was to take away the curfe of thy poverty, and to fanctifie thy poverty, when thou heareft that he was poore in this world; why? thou mayeft exerci e thy faith, Lord this was to fanctifie my poverty, when as indeed otherwise poverty in it felfe it is a curfe, but thofe that are Godly have the curfe taken away in the poverty of Jefus Chrift: As the Death of Jefus Chrift did fanctiae the Death of the Godly. The fting of Death is taken away by his Death, fo their poverty and all their affictions are fanctified by what poverty and affictions that Christ himfelfe did indure, and therefore in this kingdome you fee what comfort and good there is to you. Thirdly, This kingdome of Heaven it is fo ordered out for the moft part,that the poor in the world are the fubjects of this kingdome: The very confideration of this is a mighty helpe to. thofe that are outwardly poore,I confefe fometimes there are some rich men that are Subjects, as in the 15. Mark 43. An honourable Counsellour (there it's faid) waited for the kingdome of God. Great men fometimes are, but ordinarily it's the poore. that are the Subjects of this kingdome. Then Fourthly, The Lord hath fo ordered things that the great tranfactions of this kingdome of Heaven (that hath been: opened unto you) hath been carryed on by thofe that are mean and poore, not by the great ones of the world, The Lord Chrift hath been very little beholding to the great ones of the world for the furthering of his kingdome. Hence followes therefore in the fifth place, That poverty it is no hindrance to the highest degree in this kingdome of Heaven, indeed poverty it is a hindrance to degrees in the honours of a worldly kingdome, a poore man cannot expect to beare great Offices in the kingdomes of the world, but for the kingdome of heaven, the poore may, the rooreft that is may come to as high degree as the richeft that is. So that the truth. -is, when you come to choose any Officers that concerne, the Church, there should be no confideration of niens eftates: I confetle when you come to choofe Officers for the State, though perhaps a poore man may be a wifer man thena manof eftate: eftate, yet a man of estate if oild be chofen rather then another that is poore, becaute it is not to fit for a man that hath no eftate to have the difpofe of all other mens eftates. But now when you come to the kingdom of Heaven, where there is nothing but spirituall power, nothing but in a spirituall way wherein men are to deale with conciences,and no way to deal with mens eftates no: outward liberty. The kingdome of Heaven concernes not the bufineffe of outward liberty or eftaze, but meerely to deale with mens confciences in regard of their fpirituall eftates, in reference unto Heaven, I tay now,whatever Offices there are in the Church, there should be no confideration of the eftates of men fo as to down weigh the leaft graine, but if the poorest man have more Godlinelle and underftanding in the things of the kingdome of Heaven, he should rather be an Officer there then any man whatfoever that hath lefle understanding in the things of the kingdome of Heaven, and therefore it's a carnall way to goe after that marmer when they come to choose Church-Officers, then to think of the chiefe of the Parith whither he be Godly or no; It's true, if he were as Godly and understanding as any other,then for him as well as another, but to make that to be the fway of bufineffe though there be not that Godlineffe nor understanding, I fay this i to fute the ftate of the kingdome of Heaven to the world, whereas thofe that are poor in that kingdome, they are capable of as high dignity there, as any whatfoever, and that's a great helpe and comfort to Godly poore people,that are partakers of the kingdome of heaven,they have all the priviledges of this kingdome, they cannot enjoy the priviledges of a worldly kingdome, fo as others do, but they may enjoy to the full the priviledges of this kingdome. Sixthly, Even thofe that are outwardly poor, if Godly they have right to all things in this world fo far as may be good for them, it's faid of Abraham, (Rom: 4. 13.) that he was the heir of the world, It is fpoken of Abraham as he was a beleeyer · now every beleever is a child of Abraham, and every child of Abraham doth inherit Abrahams blefing,and therefore every beleever is heir of the world. All is yours, and you are Christs, and - and Chrift is Gods:- You will fay, why have they not the world then in poffeffion? There may be right to all things, & yet not poffeffion, because they are not in ant condition for them; all things are to work for their god, one way or other : as all the kingdomes of the world are.ubject to Jefus Chrift, they are given up to him for the furtherance of his kingdome, fo all the things in the world are given up to the Saints for the furthering of their good whofe is the kingdome of Heaven. Seventhly, In this kingdome are fi.ituall riches that may countervaile to the full, and are in nicely good beyond all outward riches: thou thinkeft if the State would give thee fo much, thou wouldst be a happy man; O that were a carnil heart to prize more the riches of the world, then the things of the kingdome of Heaven; The things of the kingdome of Heaven make thee rich in faith, rich in holinefle, rich in the promises, rich in thy reference to God and Chrift, and rich in the enjoj, ments of the holy Ghost and his gifts and graces. Now thefe things are in an abundant manner communicated in the kingdome of the Melfias, more then they were in the times of the Law: Indeed it was a greater evill to be a poor man then,then now why? because then there was not fuch a plentifull meafure of 1piritual riches communicated from God, but it was referved to the coming of the Meffias that there fhould be fuch fpiritual riches let forth and communicated, God indeed to. fome few did communicate his fpiritual riches then, and there were fome eminent Godly people inthe times of the Law,fuch. as Abraham and David, but ordinarily they were very fcanty in regard of the communications of fpirituall things now, and the reafon was, the Lord referved thore fpirituall riches to the Meffias coming into the world, and hence it was that God wass more indulgent in the times of the Law for their outward eftates,we read there,that if they did but walk in ways probedience to Cod,they were for the most part abundantly bl fed in outward things more then he doth now,because thatnowi is the time of communication of fpiritual riches. If thou hidht liv'd in the times of the Law, It is very like that thon wouldft not have been fo poore, but then on the other fide it's not like! that that thou wouldst have had fuch grace as now thou haft, fuch manifeftations of God to thy foute as now thou haft, and therefore it's well with thee that thou art in the kingdome of Heav.n where there is fuch communications of fuch fpirituall riches. And then from all thefe in the Eigth place followes, that hence the great temptations that thote that are poor people are troubled withall, may from the confideration of the bleffing of the Kingdome be taken away. What are they you will tay. There are three great temptations which thofe that are poor people and are godly have, the Devill comes against them with very fore Temptations, that fuch as have eftates are not fo much troubled withall. As First, I am afraid that God goes out against me, and doth not bleffe me in any thing that I go about, and fo they are afraid, and under great bondage, but that hath been anfwered already. The Second is, I am in a poore condition and therefore defpifed, No, thou art a King, thou art tranflated into the Kingdome of his dear Son, thou haft part in his Kingdome, and art a King together with himfelfe. And therefore liften not to that temptation that rifes from contempt and being defpifed, doth not the world regard thee? the Lord God hath a high refpect to thee, for he hath given thee a Kingdome. And then a Third temptation is, They are ufeleffe in the world, nay this Text will answer that temptation, Thine is the Kingdome, and as you heard the Lord Chrift doth carry on the great defign of his Kingdome by thofe that are poore, and therefore be not troubled becaufe of thy ufelet nefle in the world; And that's the eight fupport of thofe that are outwardly poores and poore in fpirit futable to their outward poverty. The Ninth is this, That it laft, those that are poor and godly, yet they shall poffeffe all things, And I find Scripture for it: 21 Rev. 7. Let men thinke what they will of fuch an fertion as this, yet by comparing one thing with another, it can not speak of the glory that there shall be in the highest Heaven, buc 9 but of another glory: He that overcometh fhall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my fon. There is a time that he thall have all, and honour certainly he thall have enough,in Zech. 16. he fpeakes there of the Kingdome of Chrift, and we have there an excellent expreffion of the honour that God will put upon his Saints. And the Lord their God hall fave them in that day, as the flock of his people,for they fall be as the ftones of a Crowne, lifted up as an enfigne upon his land. It's a promile that refpects all the Saints. That there is a time a coming that they thall be as the precious ftones in a Kings Crowne that are lifted up, that is, that they thall be honoured among all people, how oever they are despised now, and in the 13 of Matth.43. There Chrift tells what his Saints fhall be in his kingdome,, Then all the righteous (peaking of the time of his kingdome). Shine forth as the fun in the kingdome of their Father, who hath eares to hear let him hear; There is a time coming when poor people that are cloathed with rags, and are very defpicable in the eyes of the world fhall fhine then as bright as the fun: Doeft thou fee the fun in the firmament, that poore body, of thine that wants food and raiment,thall within a while thing as bright as the fun in the firmament:And for poffeffion of the things that are in the world, compare thofe two Scriptures together, in the 19 Matth. 29. And every one that haik forfaken houses, on brethren, or fifters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my names fake, fhall receive an bundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life. So that he doth not fpeak of being rewarded in heaven for it, for that's befide, befides his everlasting life he fhall receive an hundred foldBut you will fay, I find in another Gofpell that the hundred fold it is fpoken of with the addition of perfecution, in the 10 of Mark 30. Though there be the addition of perfecution, you fhall find the promife more large, For He fhall receive an hundred fold now in (this time) houses, and brethren, fifters, and mothers, and children, and lands: You will fay, he shall receive an hundredfold, that is, he hall have grace that is as much worth as a hundred times his lands, nay, you fee the holy ghoft doth mention the perticulars,of houtes & lands,&c, M But |