but there is a more hardnefs in thefe temptations to a mans nature, then the fins that riches tempts to, which is to fatisfie our lufts, and be proud,and haughty,and fcornefull, and there's more danger in that.

4'v, You that are poore, you have not fo great an account to give as the rich men of the world have.

sly, The Lord hath revealed in the Scriptures that he hath chofen the poore of the world; Though he hath chofen fonre rich, yet of both, the Lord hath pitcht his thoughts to all eretnity upon the poore of the world, to choose them. In the 2 Fam.6. Hearken my Brethren; (It's a matter to be hearkened after,) The Lord hath chofen the poore of the world to be rich in Faith o hearken to this you poore ones, that you may be incouraged to hearken after true bleffednefs.bas.

6y, As God hath put his choife upon the poore of the world, fo he hath appointed his Gofpel, especially to be preacht to them. In the 14 Luke 21. Chrift fends forth his fervants to Call in the poore, the naimed, the halt, and the blind; Chrift Invites them and in the IT Maths. To the poore is the Gospel preached. Now if the Gofpel be appointed to be preached to the poore, then furely it's appointed to be preached to this Congregation, and ô that God would but give thofe that are fuch miferable poore people in regard of ourwards, but hearts to come to heare the preaching of the Gofpel, and not to make any excufes for want of Cloaths, or this or the other thing, but to come to heare the preaching of the Gofpel; For you are Invited, you almes-people, and poore people that have not bread to fatisfie your hunger withall, you are Invited to come to partake of the bread of life: you that are not Invited to rich mens Tables, yet God hath Invited you to his Table, to the fupper of the Lamb, he hath Invited even you poore to come.

7ly, We find in Scripture, for an Inward call, there are ve ry few but poore people have it. 1 Cor. 1. 26. You fee your alling Brethren, how that not many wife men after the fleft, not many mighty, not many noble are called; But God hath cho fen the foolish things of the world to confound the wife, and God

hath

people that lives upon the earth, ô thefe are dreadfull objects to look upon, like to be miferable here, and to be miferable to all eternity hereafter; fuch poore as thefe, you must not thinke that because you are miserable here, therefore you have your hell here, and fhall not be miferable hereafter; ô no; If you can read, you may read in the Epiftle of Jude, where the Apoftle speaks of fome that were Confumed with fire from heaven, and yet were fent downe to eternall fire afterwards; fo there are fome that the Lord hath forfaken in this world, and are like to be forfaken to all eternity in the world to come.

But you will fay, This is little Comfort to the poore :Little Comfort, Are there any here that would have Comfort? Is it the word that you doe expect Comfort from? If there be any poore that doth but defire to have Comfort from the word: I would be loath to let this pafs without adding fomething; Therefore that you may not be discouraged in your poverty.

You may have this Comfort from the word, (Bleffed are the poore,) For, firft,you poore ones have as precious foules as the greateft Monarks of the earth; your foules are as much worth, and capable of as much glory, as the great Emperours, Kings, and Queens of the world; and that's fomewhat.

2ly, You poore, may have as free access to God, and hea→ ven is as open to you as to any of the greatest Potentates of the world: There is as great a pobility, (if you have hearts to looke after it,) for you to have a Crown of Glory in the highest heavens, as for the greateft Monarch that lives upon the earth, and that's fomewhat to you.

3y, Let me fay, That not only you are as neere, but in fome refpects neerer to eternall bleffedness (If you be not wicked and ungodly, and have but hearts to looke after blesfedness, you may more likely attaine to bleffedness) then the Great ones of the world; For your temptations are not fo great as theirs; Indeed the temptations of poverty are grear, but the evills that other temptations would draw the heart too, are things more pleafing to nature, then the temptations of poverty; poverty tempts to difpaire, and to fhifting courfes,

but:

but there is a more hardnefs in thefe temptations to a mans nature, then the fins that riches tempts to, which is to fatisfie our lufts, and be proud,and haughty,and fcornefull, and there's. more danger in that.

4y, You that are poore, you have not fo great an 'account to give as the rich men of the world have.

sly, The Lord hath revealed in the Scriptures that he hath chofen the poore of the world; Though he hath chofen fonre rich, yet of both, the Lord hath pitcht his thoughts to all eretnity upon the poore of the world, to choose them.. In the 2 Fam. 6. Hearken my Brethren; (It's a matter to be hearkened after,) The Lord hath chofen the poore of the world to be rich in Faith o hearken to this you poore ones, that you may be incouraged to hearken after true bleffednefs. 13.

:

6y, As God hath put his choife upon the poore of the world, fo he hath appointed his Gospel, efpecially to be preacht to them. In the 14 Luke 21. Chrift fends forth his fervants to Call in the poore, the naimed, the halt, and the blind; Chrift Invites them and in the IT Maths. To the poore is the Gospel preached. Now if the Gofpel be appointed to be preached to the poore, then furely it's appointed to be preached to this Congregation, and ô that God would but give thofe that are fuch miserable poore people in regard of ourwards, but hearts to come to heare the preaching of the Go fpel, and not to make any excufes for want of Cloaths, or this or the other thing, but to come to heare the preaching of the Gofpel; For you are Invited, you almes-people, and poore people that have not bread to fatisfie your hunger withall, you are Invited to come to partake of the bread of life: you that are not Invited to rich mens Tables, yer God hath Invited you to his Table, to the fupper of the Lamb, he hath Invited even you poore to come.

7ły, We find in Scripture, for an Inward call, there hte ver ry few but poore people have it. 1 Cor. 1. 26. You fee your Calling Brethren, how that not many wife men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called; But God hath cho fen the foolish things of the world to confound the wife, and God

hath

hath chofen the weake things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty, and bafe things of the world, and things which are difpifel, hath God chofen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are. And the poore, they have the Colpel preached to them.

-You

gly, if fo be that you doe come in upon the call of the Gofpel, the Lord will not difregard you ever a whit the lefs becaufe you are poore,but the Lord will have as high thoughts of you, and tender you, as much as his foule thall cleave to you, and you fhall injoy Communion with him, and as much as the greatest Emperors hall doe though they be godly:will fay,as much as great Emperors and Kings that are wicked, that's true: pray although they be godly: Suppofe there be a Godly King, and a poore Godly Almes-body: this poore Almes-body may have as much Communion with God, and God may accept as much of the fervices of this poore creature, as of a Prince, though he be Godly; For God doth not fo much regard the greatness of the work that is done, as the faithfulness and the uprightness of our hearts in doing of our worke. Oh that God now would fanctifie your poverty to you, fo as to bethinke your felves after this manner; Why, I am in this world, a poore miferable creature,and there is little hopes that ever I should come to any great matters in this world, ô let me looke after fpirituall riches then : I am like ever to be miferable here, as to outwards, ô but why may not my foule, yea and body to, be blefled at the laft ? why may not I be bleffed with God and his Chrift for ever? If I could be able to preach to this Congregation, and to all the poore in this Congregation, if it might be but proclaimed, that fuch a day there fhould be a Sermon to fhew how all the poore in this parish fhould come to be made rich men and women,and fo as to live richly all their dayes; I make no Question there would be an Auditory full enough then of poore people : But we can fay, as in the name of God, and we can pawne our foules upon it, that if you would come and heare, or get that you know to come and heare; we can fhew you wayes how it is poffible for you to be bleffed to all eternity, for you to

thofe

have greater riches then if God fhould make you Kings and Queenes. So that it might be faid, not only for the Generall, Blessed are the poore, But bleffed is this poore man that dwells in this ftreete, or in fuch a poor fmoakie hole. The very Angells of God may looke upon you as a bleffed creature, if you have but a heart to attend upon the Gospel, that reveales the way of bleffednets to you: Bleffed are the poore.

Í but bleffed are the poore in fpirit; what every poore, no. nor every poverty of fpirit is not bleffed neither: There is a and an accurfed poverty of poverty of spirit that is an evill, fpirit; A man may be a man of a poore fpirit, and of a curfed fpirit, because indeed he is a poore fpirit, By that therefore I meane this, fuch a man as is of a low, bafe, fordid fpirit, that hath his fpirit funke downe to low earthly fenfuall things, as his higheft and chiefeft good; he minds no higher good then to eate and drinke, and satisfie his flesh, here's a man of a poore fpirit, he is of a low spirit indeed: But this poore low fpirit is fordid, is bafe and accurfed. You fee many times Foore people, they minde thofe meane things that they are exercifed in, as their adequate object; You thall fee fometimes a poore woman be fcraping in a duft-heape or dunghit! for an houre together, now the is not miferable because of that, but when that is her adequate object, that if the can but get fix pence or a fhilling a day, the thinkes her felfe bleffed, and minds no higher things then this; You will fay, this is a poore fpirit indeed: why truely fuch kind of poore fpirits have the men of this world, yea the Princes and Great ones of the world; For many of them they mind only the fatisfying of their flesh, to eat and drink,and be unclean, as that that is the moft futable thing to their fpirits;why there are men of poore, low, bale fpirits. The Lord would have his Saints to be of low fpirits in a godly fence, that is, to be humble; But the Lord would have his fervants againe in another fence, to be of high and lofty fpirits, that is, that nothing in the world thould faciffie their fpirits for their rortion but God himfelfe. Here's a man of a high fpirit indeed; that though indeed he knowes he is unworthy of the leaft crum of bread, yet faith fuch an one,

though