And certainly if troubles come we should many of us be better then we are now afflictions would be so farre from doing us harme that they would refine us we shall lose nothing but that that doth us hurt that that we may well spare that that hinders our joy and comfort But I say let us comfort our selves in respect of the present state of the Church Christ rules in the midst of his enemies in the midst of crosses and persecutions not to free us alway from them but he rules in turning them to good in strengthning exercising our graces and he rules in the midst of his Church at this time by turning his enemies cruelty to the good of the elect As he ruled in the Israelites when he suffered Pharaoh to goe on in the hardnesse of his heart but he had a time for Pharaohs ruine so Christ hath a time for the persecutors of the Church as he had for all the ten persecuting Emperours that came to fearefull and base ends Was there ever any man fierce against God and prospered sayth Iob. Was there ever any that set themselves against the Church of God and prospered No No It is with the Church as it was with Christ to have looked on Christ hanging and bleeding on the Crosse to have seen him groveling on the ground in the Garden men would be readie to take offence what he the Saviour of the world But stay and see him in the Text assumed to Glory and then there would be no offence taken at Christ. So it is in the Church You see the Church suffers persecution but lay one thing with another see the Church in Heaven with the Head of the Church see the Church advanced see it in glory ere long see it refined and fitted by sufferings to come better out of afflictions then it went in and then none will take scandall at the afflictions of the Church as they ought not at the abasement of Christ for though he was God manifest in weake flesh yet we see he ascended up in glory There is a comfortable speech Ierem. 30.7 It is even the time of Iacobs trouble but he shall be delivered out of it So we may say This is the time of the Churches trouble but the Church shall be delivered out of it The enemies have their time to afflict and trample upon the Church but Christ hath his time to trample on them Let us wait and expect with comfort better times The Kingdomes of the world will be knowne to be the Lord Iesus Christs there will be a further subjection to Christs Kingdome then ever there was since the first times when the fulnesse of the Gentiles and the conversion of the Iewes shall be Let us comfort our selves with the times to come Christ is in glory and he will bring his Church to further glory even in this world besides eternall glory at the latter day Rejoyce not over me oh mine enemie for though I be fallen yet shall I rise Let not the enemies of the Church insult over-much though the Church be fallen yet she shall rise againe after three dayes sayth the Prophet Christ though he were abased as low as possible he could be yet after three dayes he arose so the Church shall rise out of her troubles after three dayes that is after a certaine time that we know not but the exact time is onely in the hands of Christ but certainely there are glorious times of the Church comming Consider the wonderfull love of Christ that would suspend his glory so long the glory of Heaven was due to him upon his Incarnation by vertue of the union of his humane nature with the divine for that nature that was united to the God-head it must needs have right to glory by that very union What should hinder when it was so neere to God as to be one Person to be taken into the union of the Person Oh but where had our salvation beene then if Christ had entred into glory upon his Incarnation if he had not shed his blood if he had not beene abased to the death of the Crosse Therefore the Schoole-men speake well he enjoyed the presence of God affectione justitiae with the affection of Justice and all Vertues that is he was as gracious from the beginning from his Incarnation for matter of Grace and love of all that is good yet not affectione accommoda There was a neerenesse to God in pleasure and joy and comfort this he denyed himselfe till he was assumpted to glory after his Resurrection and this he did in love to us that he might suffer and be abased to worke out our Salvation that redundance of glory that should have beene upon his Person presently upon the Union it was stayed till his Resurrection that he might accomplish and fulfill our Salvation What a mercie and love was this So it is with the Church it is glorious as it hath Union with Christ Is not the Church a glorious thing that is joyned to Christ that is Lord of Lords and King of Kings the Ruler of Heaven and Earth What is the reason the Church is so abased thâ—n If the Church were not abased it could not be conformed to Christ. Christ that he might worke our Salvation he must be abased and have suspension and stopping of the glory due to him till the Resurrection Of necessitie we must be conformed to Christ as farre as we may and that we may be conformed to him in abasement and suffering there must be a stop of our glory till we be dead and turned to dust untill we rise againe untill Christ come to be glorious in his Saints If Christ as I formerly sayd had shewed all his glory in his abasement hee could never have suffered the Devill himselfe would have done him no harme there had beene no pretence the Pharises would never have persecuted him and hated him if they had seene him to have beene such a person as he was but he veiled his glory that he might suffer If the World did but see the thousand part of the glory that of due belongs to Christians would they revile them and disgrace and maligne and trample on them Certainely they would not This is discovered in Scripture but the World to discover their Atheisme that they beleeve not the Word of God take no notice of it And that the children of God may be conformed to their Head and that way may be made to the malice of wicked men to trample upon them they goe in the shape of miserable men Therefore let us not be discouraged for any abasement we have a glorious life hid with Christ which shall be revealed one day in the meane time in the midst of abasement let us beleeve Glory And let me adde this to the rest As the same Body wherein Christ was spit upon and mangled and crucified in the same Body he rose againe and in the same Body ascended
that hath such a glorious condition in the eye of Faith to enter into We should not so much as looke up to heaven without comfort Yonder is my Saviour yonder is a house provided for me we should thinke and looke upon heaven as our owne place whither Christ is gone before and keepes a roome for us Here we may want comforts we may be thrust out of house home out of our habitation and Countrey and all but all the world and all the Devils in hell they cannot thrust us out of heaven nor dissolve and breake the communion that is betweene Christ and us they cannot take away either grace or glory from us Therefore we should be content with any condition in this world Christ is ascended into heaven to keep a blessed condition for us Likewise when we thinke of the troubles of this world of the enemies we have here thinke of Christ taken up to glory and thinke of Christs order first he suffered and then he entred into glory so we must be content to suffer first and then be glorious We are predestinate to be comformable to Christ wherein stands our conformitie It is in abasement first and then in glory Christ entred into glory in this order and shall we thinke to come to Heaven in another order then Christ did Shall we wish for a severed condition from him If we be in Christ all that we suffer in this world they are sufferings of conformity to make us sutable to our Head and to fit us for glory And our greatest abasements what are they to the abasement of Christ None was ever so low and there is none so high as he was the lowest in abasement so he is the highest in glory when he was at the lowest in the Grave not onely dead but under the kingdome and command of death then he rose gloriously and ascended Our lowest abasements are fore-runners of our advancement and glory this assumption of Christ to glory should helpe us in this respect In all disconsolations there is a world of comfort hence We must not thinke of 〈◊〉 as if his honours had changed his manners as it is among men that now he is become stately that he doth not regard his poore Church No such matter he regards his poore Church now he is in Heaven as much as he ever did The members here cannot suffer any thing but the Head in Heaven is sensible of it as it is Act. 9 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me The foot is trod upon and the tongue complaines Our blessed Saviour is not like Pharaohs unkind Butler that forgat Ioseph when himselfe was out of prison Christ being advanced to honour now forgets us not here No he is as good Ioseph that was sent into Aegypt to provide for all the Family before hand So this our Ioseph the great Steward of Heaven and Earth he is gone to provide for us all against we come to Heaven he forgets us not he disdaines not to looke on things below he considers every poore Christian he is as mercifull now as he was when he was upon Earth as you have it largely proved Heb. 4.7 He was man for this end that he might be a mercifull High-Priest and he is so in Heaven and pitties all our infirmities it is not here Out of sight out of mind for as I sayd he hath us in his breast I and he is with us by his Spirit to the end of the world He is taken up to Heaven in his Body but his Spirit which is his generall Vicar is here with us to the end of the world I will send you the Comforter and he shall abide alway with you And it is better for us to have the Comforter here without his bodily presence then to have his bodily presence without the abundance of his Spirit as it was better with the Disciples when he was taken up to Heaven and was present by his Spirit then it was before We lose nothing therefore by the ascension of Christ it was for us he was given for us borne for us he lived for us he died for us he rose and ascended to Heaven for our good It is good for you that I goe it was to provide a place for us and to send the Comforter all was for our good whatsoever he did in his abasement and exaltation Againe this administreth comfort in regard of the afflictions of the Church When the Church is under any abasement at the lowest it hath a glorious Head in Heaven and what doth he sit there and do nothing No he sits at the right hand of God rules his Church even in the midst of his enemies If he doe give the chaine to them it is for speciall ends his people stand in need of all that they endure and he measures it even to a Dram whatsoever his Church suffers for they are his members and he is sensible of their sufferings He is a High-Priest that is touched with our infirmities therefore nothing can befall his Church without his government He le ts loose the enemies thus far and then he restraines them and subdues and conquers them making them his foot-stoole The enemies seeme to domineere now and trample on the Church but ere long they shall become the Churches foot-stoole Christ will governe his Church till all his enemies be under his feet He is ascended into Heaven for this purpose and he is fitting his Church by these afflictions for greater grace in this world and for eternall glory in the world to come Therefore let us not take scandall at the present sight of things We stand amazed to see the state of Europe at this time but for our comfort let us consider that Christ is taken up to glory and he sits in Heaven and rules his Church and will guide all these Wartes to a good and gracious end He sits at the Sterne the Ship may be tossed where Christ sleepes but it cannot be drowned the House that is built upon a Rock it may be blowne upon it shall never overthrowne the Bush wherein the fire is it may burne but it shall never be consumed the Church wherein Christ rules and governes it may be tossed it shall never be overcome and subdued Nay by all these things that the Church suffers Christ rules and exerciseth his Churches graces mortifies his Churches corruptions It is necessarie there should be some change standing waters breed Frogges and other base creatures so it is with Christians if there be not some exercise by afflictions what kind of vices grow As we see in these times of peace what kind of lives most men live that we may take up an admiration that God should be so mercifull to continue his Truth to acompanie of proud base carnall persons that lead lives under the Gospel no better then if they were in Paganisme Therefore we cannot looke for any good without further abasesement
Christ doth hide himselfe under the person of the poore the poore man reacheth out his hand indeed but Christ receives that that we give and â—hey are Christs exchangers for they take from us and Christ rewards us with grace and increase of our substance here with glory hereafter they receive it instead of Christ and Christ begs in the person of the poore in all joyntly and in every one particularly Think of the grace of Christ to us and then think Christ comes to me in the person of this or that poore man and it will stir us up to this duty But some will say if Christ were on Earth himselfe I should be ready to doe it to him Certainly thou wouldst not you know the place Matth. 25. In as much as you have not relieved these you have denied it to me saith Christ let us not deceive our selves for even as we would do â—o Christ if he were on earth we will doe to his poore members he hath made them his receivers But I shall want my selfe I have a family and children It is the best way to provide for thy children Psalme 112. God provides for the posterity of the righteous bounteous man A man is not the poorer for discreet mercy It is seed as I said before a poore man labours to have his seed sowne because it returnes plentifully Let us be sober and abate of our superfluous expences pride is an expender and superfluous lusts let us cut off from them that we may have somewhat for seed let us labour in an honest calling that we may have somewhat to give Oh it is a blessed thing to give It is a thing that must be gotten by use our soules must be exercised to it and when we have gotten it learne an art of giving we must exercise faith in it And when we come to dye it will make us dye wondrous sweetly for when a man hath depended by faith and trust upon Gods promise that He that gives to the poore lends to the Lord and other like promises I have exercised liberality and now I come to give up my soule to God I beleeve that God will make good the promise of life everlasting I have beleeved his other promises before and though I have cast my seed into the ground that I saw it not yet I have found that God hath blessed me the better in a way that I know not and now I depend upon the same gracious God in the promise of life everlasting We should labour to doe this that we may die with comfort What is it that troubles many when they come to dye Oh they have not wrought out their salvation with feare and trembling they have neglected this duty and that duty they have bene carelesse in the workes of mercy c. The time will come that that which wee have given will comfort us more then that we have we shall alway have that which we give for that goes in bâ—nck many prayers are made for us we have the comfort of it here and when we dye what we leave we know not what becomes of it Therefore let us labour to be discreetly large and bountifull as we desire to dye with comfort as we would make it good that we know The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ with interest in it and as we would make it good to our soules that the example of Christ is a thing that hath any efficacy with us or else wee shew that wee have no interrest in the grace of Christ and then how miserable are we We shall wish ere long that wee had part in this grace and love of Christ that he would speak comfortably to us at the latter day Come ye blessed of my Father inherit a kingdome Our life is short and uncertaine as we shall desire it then so labour to be assured of it now and let us bee stirred up from this Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who though he were rich became poore for our sakes that we through his poverty might be made rich FINIS THE RICH POVERTY OR THE POORE MANS RICHES By the late Learned and Reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Dr. in Divinity Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAIES-INNE Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit Iames 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith LONDON Printed by R. Badger for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-Noster Row 1638. THE RICH POVERTY OR The Poore-mans Riches ZEPH. 3.12 â— will also leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shaâ—â— trust in the name of the LORD BEfore the Captivity in Babylon God sent Prophets to his people as Ieremiah and among the rest Zephaniah likewise who lived in the time of Iosias to forewarne and fore-arme them against worse times And as the Contents of all other Prophesies are for the most part these three so of this They are either such expressions and prophesies as set forth the sins of the people or secondly the judgments of God thirdly comfort to the remnant to Gods people so these be the parts of this prophesie A laying open of the sins of the time under so good a Prince as Iosias was and likewise the jâ—dgments of God denounced and then in this third Chapter especially here is comfort set downe for the good people that then lived the comfort begins at the ninth verse This particular verse is a branch of the comfort that how ever God dealt with the world he would be sure to have a care of his owne I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The whole Scripture is for consolation and comfort when God pulls downe it is that he may build up when he purgeth it is that he may cure and heale he is the father of comfort whatsoever he doth it is for comfort therefore he hath a speciall care in his Prophets and Ministers and Ambassadours that those that belong to him may be raised up with comfort and not be overmuch dejected and cast downe but to come to the words I will also leave in the middest of thâ—e c. In the words these three generall heads First Gods dealing with his poore Church when he comes to visit the world I will leave in the middest of thee Secondly their condition and 〈…〉 they are an afflicted and poore people Thirdly their practise and carriage towards God they shall trust in the name of the Lord. From the first Gods dealing with his people in the worst times we may observe first that There is a difference of the people both in regard of providence in this world and in regard of that love that tends to the world to come for God hath a more speciall care as we
beset of Devils then he triumphed when he was visibly overcome then invisibly he overcame he was an invisible Conqueror when he was visibly subdued For did he not on the Crosse satisfie the wrath of God and by enduring the wrath of God free us from it and from Satan Gods Gaoler and reconcile us by his bloud The chiefe workes of all were wrought in his chiefe abasement At length he died and was buried I but he that died rose againe gloriously therefore he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by raysing himselfe from the dead That was the greatest abasement when he lay in the Grave and especially then he was justified by his Resurrection from the dead and his Ascension in his state of Glorification especially So if we goe from Christs birth to his lowest degree of abasement there was alway some manifestation of his justification by the Spirit He was justified in a double regard In regard of God he was justified and cleared from our sinnes that he tooke upon him He bore our sinnes upon the Tree and bore them away that they should never appeare againe to our discomfort He was made a Curse for us How came Christ to be cleared of our sinnes that lay upon him When by the Spirit by his Divine Nature he raysed himselfe from the dead so he was justified from that that God layd upon him for he was our Suretie Now the Spirit raysing him from the dead shewed that the Debt was fully discharged because our Suretie was out of Prison All things are first in Christ and then in us he was acquitted and justified from our sinnes and then we And then he was justified by the Spirit from all imputations of men from the mis-conceits that the World had of him they thought him to be a meere man or a sinfull man No he was more then a meere man nay more then a holy man he was God-man Whence were his Miracles Were they not from his Divine Power He overcame the Devill in his temptations Who can overcome the Devill but he that is the Sonne of God He cast out the Devils and dispossest them with his Word All the enemies of Christ that ever were at length he conquered them and so declared himselfe mightily to be as he was the Sonne of God He healed the outward man and the inward man by his Divine Power he caused the spirituall as well as the bodily eyes to see the dead to live and the lame to goe c. Whatsoever he did in the bodie he did in the soule likewise in those excellent Miracles he was justified and declared to be the Sonne of God especially in his Resurrection and Ascension and daily converting of soules by his Ministerie all being done by his Spirit which is his Vicar in the World ruling his Church and subduing his enemies so that he was every way justified in the Spirit to be God to be the true Messias prophesied of and promised to the Church Therefore he was justified in his Truth that all the Promises were true of him and in his faithfulnesse that he was faithfull in performing the Promises he made he was justified in his goodnesse and mercy and all those attributes he was justified in the Spirit But you will say it seemes he was not justified in the Spirit There are many Heretikes that thinke not Christ to be God that take not Christ to be so glorious as he is I answer when we speake of the justifying of Christ it is meant to those that have eyes to see him to those that shut not their eyes hee was justified to be so great as he was to those whose eyes the god of the world had not blinded to all that were his as it is excellently set downe Iohn 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glorie as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of Grace and Truth We beheld his glorie we did others did not take notice but they were those whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded the malicious Scribes and Pharises that sinned against the Holy-Ghost and would never acknowledge Christ an ignorant people that had not Faith nor the Spirit of God He was justified by the Spirit of God to all that had spirituall eyes to see and take notice of his course as S. Iohn sayth in one of his Epistles What we have seene and heard and our hands have handled the Word of Life that we declare to you So that he was God manifest in the flesh and he shewed himselfe to be the Word of Life to those that were his Apostles and Disciples and those that were converted by him As we see S. Peter when he had felt his Divine Power upon his heart by his Preaching Lord sayth he thou hast the words of eternall life whither shall we goe He felt the Spirit in his preaching And so another time S. Peter in Matth. 16. he confessed him to be the Sonne of the living God You see to whom he was justified and declared to be the true Messias to be God as well as man by his Spirit The reason why he justified himselfe to be so it was the more to strengthen our Faith all his Miracles were but so many sparkles of his Divine Nature so many expressions of his Divine Power And after he was raysed from the dead at his Ascension and sending of the Holy-Ghost he shewed his Divine Power more gloriously and all to strengthen the Faith of the Elect and to stop the mouthes of all impudent rebellious persons For considering that he wrought such Miracles that he raysed men from the dead and raysed himselfe considering that he called the Gentiles and converted the World by the Ministerie of weake men he shewed that hee was more then a man Well to make some use of this that Christ was Iustified in the Spirit Then first of all Christ will at length justifie himselfe this is a ground of Faith How-ever he be now as a Signe set up that many speake against and contradict yet the time will come when he will gloriously justifie himselfe to all the World Now some shut their eyes willingly and the opposites of Christ seeme to flourish yet Christ will be justified by his Spirit to all his Elect in every Age especially in the Resurrection For when he shall come and appeare to be glorious in his Saints it will appeare who he is indeed Now he suffers many to tread upon his Church and he suffers many Heretikes to denie him sometimes in one nature sometimes in another and so to offend against him but the time will come that he will trample all his enemies under his feet he will be justified by his Spirit that is our comfort There are many Schismatikes and Heretikes and Persecutors but Christ will be justified at length the Kingdomes of the Earth
will be the Lord Iesus Christs Are they not now so They are but truly they appeare not to be so but at length they will appeare to be so at the conversion of the Iewes and the confusion of Antichrist then it will appeare more and more that he is King of the World indeed Now as it were his Offices are darkened his Kingly Office is darkned and his Propheticall Office is darkned but at length it will appeare that he is King of the Church and all Kingdâ—mes will be Christs There are glorious times comming especially the glorious Day of the Resurrection Christ at leâ—gth will be cleared he will be justified The Sunne at length will scatter all the clouds In the morning they gather about the Sunne as if they would cover it oh but the Sunnâ— breakes thorow all and gloriously appeares at length so Christ will scatter all clouds and gloriously appeare to be that which the Word sets him forth to be Againe as Christ will justifie himselfe so he will justifie his Church and children first or last by his Spirit His children are now accounted the off-scouring of the World they are trampled and trod upon they are the objects of scorne and hatred and who accounted so base Will Christ endure this No he that justified himselfe that is that declared himselfe and will more and more declare himselfe to be as he is will he not justifie his Church his Mysticall Body to be as they are indeed Certainely it shall appeare to the World that he will justifie them to be Kings and Priests to be Heires to be glorious to be so neere and deare to him as the Scripture sets them forth to be Whatsoever the Scripture hath spoken of the Saincts and children of God the time will come that all this shall be justified and made good by that Spirit of Christ whereby he made good whatsoever he had said of himselfe Therefore in our eclipses and disgraces let us all comfort our selves in this Let the World esteeme us for the present as the reffuse of the World as persons not worthy to be acquainted with not worthy to be regarded we shall be justified and cleared and glorified especially at that day when Christ shall come to be glorious in his Saints There is a hidden life of the Church and every Christian they have a life in Christ but that life is hid in Christ in Heaven As the Flowers in Winter they have a life but it is hidden in the root When Christ shall appeare as blessed S. Paul and S. Iohn say then it shall appeare who we are Then our glorious life that now is in our Head shall appeare then we shall be justified to be so glorious as the Scripture sets us forth to be the Church shall be glorious within and without too at that Day Therefore let us comfort our selves this hidden life though it appeare not now yet we shall be justified And hence we may answer some objections likewise Some may say How doth it appeare that Christ is King of the Church We see how the Church is trampled on at this day Where is the life and glory of the Church What! his Spouse and thus used What! his Turtle and thus pulled and plucked by the Birds of prey I answer Looke with other Spectacles with the eye of Faith and then you shall see a Spring in the Winter of the Church how-ever she be now abased and eclipsed yet she shall be justified and it will appeare that Christ regards his Church and people and children more then all the World besides onely there must be a conformitie It was fit there should be a time of Christs abasement how should he have suffred else the World would never have crucified God they could not have done it Therefore he was abased he veiled his God-head under his manhood under a base condition so he passed thorow suffering to glory So it must be in the Body of Christ it must passe thorow the veile of infirmities of weakenesse affliction and disgrace how else should it be conformable to Christ If Christ had justified himselfe at all times in his humiliation he could not have suffered if we should be justified now and appeare to all the World who we are who would persecute us how could we be conformable to Christ Therefore let us quietly and meekely a while endure these things that are nothing but to conforme us to our Head knowing this that as he was justified by little and little till he was perfectly justified when he was raysed from the dead so we shall be perfectly justified and freed from all imputations at the last day when by the same Spirit that raysed him wee shall be raysed up too Nay in this World when it is for his glory and for our good he will bring our righteousnesse to light as the Noone-day he will free us from the imputations that the World layes on us he will have a care of our credit For as Christ was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God in a fit time so shall we when we are fit Then the World shall see that we are not the men that prophane bitter malicious persons led with the spirit of the Devill charged us to be Let us take no scandall at the present afflictions of the Church Christ will justifie his mysticall Body by his glorious power in good time Antichrist shall not alway ruffle in the World Christ will be justified to be the King and Ruler of the World All power is committed to him But we see it now Antichrist rages in the World and the Church seemes to be under Hatches So it is with particular Christians those that belong to God and indeed are truly such as they professe themselves to be though with much weaknesse we see in what respect and esteeme they are had Let us comfort our selves beloved Christ justified himselfe by his Spirit and will he not justifie his poore Church and free it from the tyrannie of Antichrist Will he not advance those that are troden on now and made as the dirt in the street that they shall shine as the Sunne Therefore when you heare of the dejected state of the Churches abroade be not dismayed Consider there is a glorious King that rules the World and he will make it appeare ere long he will justifie himselfe and his Church for he suffers in his Church He is wise he sees cause to doe this he is working his owne worke he corrects and rules and purgeth his Church in the furnace of affliction but be sure the time will come that he will bring the cause of Religion to light and he will shew what side hee ownes he will justifie his Truth and tread Satan and all his members under feet this frame of things will not hold long As verily as Christ is in Heaven as verily as he is justified in his owne person by his Spirit by his