thought it expedient to join them both together in his Difcourfe, as they will be in the Event; and to pronounce them Blessed here, whom he intends to pronounce fo hereafter, when he fhall fay, Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World, Mat.25.

And the better to win us over to the PraEtice of his Divine Sermon, our Lord, like a wife Master-builder, lays the Foundation of his Difcourfe where we muft lay that of our Obedience; and affigns the first Place among his Beatitudes to Humility, and Poverty of Spirit; for Humility is the Foundation of Obedience: We must be firft poor in Spirit, before we can be rich in Good Works; firft humble, before we can obey; and firft obey, before we can reign. And therefore with good Reafon does our Lord lay down this as the firft Principle and Ground-Work of his Inftitution, Bleffed are the poor in fpirit, for theirs is the kingdom of

heaven..

In my Difcourfe upon thefe Words I fhall,

I. Refolve what we are to understand by Poor in Spirit

II. Shew that this Poverty of Spirit is a Christian Duty; and the Reasonablnefs of it. III. Shew the Happiness of those who are fo difpofed.

As

;

As to the Refolution of the First, I confider, that this Poverty of Spirit here recommended by our Saviour, is not a State of Life, but a State of Mind; and we may take it either in Oppofition to Covetousness, or in Oppofition to Pride and High-mindedness. If in Oppofition to Covetousness, then to be poor in Spirit, is, to have our Souls fo difpofed, as, First, Not to be eagerly carried out in our Defires after any created Good particularly, the good Things of this lower World, whether Honors, Pleafures or Profit; especially, not to be greedy and craving in our Defire of Riches. But Secondly, To be fo moderately and indifferently affected towards all these, as to be well contented without them; and alfo ready to refign and part with them,when either God fhall think fit to deprive us of them, or when we can no longer retain them with a good Confcience. This is to be poor in Spirit, confidered in Oppofition to Covetcufness.

But it may also be confidered, as opposed to Pride or High-mindedness; and then,to be poor in Spirit will denote, Firft, A just, that is, a low and mean Senfe and Apprehenfion of our own felves, of our Souls, and

of our Bodies; of our Intellectuals, and of our Morals; of our Acquirements, and of our Performances. And Secondly, As a Con

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fequent

fequent of this, a Contentedness, when-ever. any or all of these are difesteemed or difparaged, either tacitly and interpretatively, by Affronts, and difhonourable Treatments; or elfe directly, by exprefs Undervaluations; a Readiness to prefer others before our felves, and a Willingness that the fame Preference fhould be given them by others; an utter Captivation of our Understandings to the Obedience of Faith; and a modest Submiffion of them, in all doubtful Cafes, to the Dictates of our Superiors; a declining of Fame and Popularity, and a ftudious Concealment of our own Praises and Excellencies; but when either the Glory of God, or the Good of our Brother, is concerned in the Publication. In fhort, (to use the Defcription of the Pfalmift) he is truly poor in Spirit, who from his Heart can fay to the Searcher of Hearts, Lord, I am not highminded, I have no proud looks; I do not exercife my felf in great Matters, which are too high for me; but I refrain my foul, and keep it low, like as a child that is weaned from his mother: yea, my foul is even as a weaned child, Pfal. 131.

Having thus briefly fhewn,what it is to be poor in Spirit, both with refpect to Covetousness, and with refpect to Pride and High-mindednefs; I come now, in the second Place, to fhew, that this Poverty of Spirit is a Chriftian Duty; and withal the great Reafona

Reasonableness of it. And, First, That Poverty of Spirit, according to the firft Acceptation of it, is a Chriftian Duty; 'twould be Conviction enough,to confider how of ten we are called upon in Scripture, to withdraw our Affections from the Creature, Colof.3.1. to feek those things which are above; to fet our affection on things above, not on things of the earth; to mortifie our members which are upon earth, among which is reckoned inordinate affection, evil concupifcence, and covetoufness, which is idolatry. Again, We are bid to beware of Covetoufnefs, Luk. 12.15. and to have both our Treafure and our Hearts in Heaven; Luk. 12. 33. to be as indifferent in the very Enjoyment of any Worldly Good, as if we enjoyed it not, 1 Cor. 7. 29. and if in the Enjoyment, then certainly much more in the Defire. Lastly, to add no more, We are cautioned by St. John not to love the World, neither the things that are in the World. And left we should take this only as a Matter of Advice and Counsel, not exprefs Command, he farther adds, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 1 John 2. 15.

But that 'tis a Chriftian Duty to be thus poor in Spirit, will be farther evident from the very Nature and Defign of the Chriftian Inftitution. The grand thing intended in the Chriftian Religion was, to reduce strayB 4

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ing Man to his true Good and Happiness; to fublimate, refine and fpiritualize his Nature; to loose him from the Cords of Vanity, and from his faft Adhesions to created Good; to purge him from all Earthly Concretions and Alloys; to dif-engage and feparate him, not only from the World about him, but even from one part of himself: In one Word, to raife him from Earth to Heaven, not only by a Local, but by a Moral and Mental Ele

vation.

Indeed, 'twas much otherwise under the Jewish Difpenfation: There was then great Indulgence afforded to the Animal Inclinations and Worldly Affections of Men; and their very Religion was indeared to them by Temporal Promises and Bleffings. Not that God intended hereby to exprefs any Liking or Approbation of Covetoufnefs and Earthly-mindedness; but only to comply with the Infirmity of that grofs, ftupid People, which render d them incapable of being won upon by more noble Propofals. And befides,it being a received Notion among the Idolatrous Inhabitants of the Land, (as is observed by a late learned Author) that the Worship of their Idols, and falle Gods, did procure them fruitful Seafons, and Increase of all manner of Store; it was in proportion requifite, that God alfo fhould promife his

Dr. Spencer de Legibus Hebræorum Ritualibus.

Votaries