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but to the poor in fpirit, they funk like a refreshing oil into their bones.-From these words I take the following

DOCTRINE, That as the tidings of the gospel will indeed be good and welcome tidings to thofe who are meek, and poor in fpirit, fo Jefus is, by his heavenly Father, employed on the great work of preaching the good tidings of the gospel to finners, especially to fuch who are meek, and fpiritually poor in their own eyes.—In handling this doctrine we propose,

I. To confider this meeknefs and poverty, and fhew who are thefe meek poor ones,

II. To explain the good tidings of the gospel, and, as we go along, fhew that they are good and welcome tidings to fuch perfons.

III. Shew how this great work of preaching is, and hath been performed by Christ.

IV. Give the reafons of the doctrine.

V. Make fome practical improvement of the whole.--We are then,

I. To confider this meeknefs and poverty, and fhew who are these meek poor ones. As to this, we obferve, that this meeknefs comprehends in it,

1. A preting fcene of utter emptiness in one's felf: Rom. viii. 18. "For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." A poor man going abroad, fees this and the other thing, in the houtes of the rich; but when he comes home, he fees none of them there. Thus, the meek poor foul looks through himself, and there, as in himself, he fees nothing but emptiness of all goodness, no holiness, wifdom, nor ftrength. The heart, which fhould be the garden of the Lord, E 2

appears

appears as a bare muir, a wild, a waste. He is ready to cry out, O barren, dry, faplefs heart and nature of mine! Agur looks for knowledge, and he fays, Prov. xxx. 2. 3. "Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the underftanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy." The prodigal looks to his provifions, and fays, "How many hired fervants of my father have bread enough, and to fpare, and I perish with hunger ?". Paul reckons up his whole felf, and the fum total is nought: 2 Cor. xii. 11. "For in nothing am I behind the very chiefeft apoftles, though I be nothing."-This meeknefs comprehends,

2. A preffing fenfe of finfulness: Rom. vii. 14. "We know that the law is fpiritual, but I am carnal, fold under fin." He looks to the whole of himself, and he fees nothing on him but rags; a finful nature, a corrupt heart, unclean lufts, and an unholy life. He muft rank his righteousness with his unrightoufnefs, his duties with his fins, for he is defiled with them all : Isa. lxiv. 6. “ But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." These meek poor ones fee themselves the very picture of rank poverty, having only filthy rags, death painted on their face by want, and overgrown with the vermin of filthy lufts. They fee themselves not only nothing, but worfe than nothing, while they look over thefe frightful accounts of the debt of fin, which stand against them, and for which they have nothing to pay.-This meeknefs comprehends,

3. A preffing fense of mifery by fin. Like the prodigal, they fee themselves ready to perifh with hunger. Debt is a heavy burden to an honeft

heart,

heart, and filthinefs to one that defires to be clean: Rom. vii. 24. " O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death?” They look about them, and fee themfelves in a cloud of miferies, arifing from their fins. Their poverty preffeth them down. They are obliged to do many things which otherwife they would not, and cannot attain to other things which they defire to arrive at Rom. vii. 19. " For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do." It feparates them from that communion with God which they would otherwife enjoy, makes them fit within, mourning without the fun, when otherwise they might walk abroad in the light of the Lord's countenance. This preffeth their fouls to the duft.-It comprehends,

4. A fense of utter inability to help one's felf: 2 Cor. iii. 5. "Not that we are fufficient of ourfelves to think any thing as of ourselves." They fee themselves in the mire, but unable to help themselves out; therefore these poor men cry unto the Lord, Pfal. xxxiv. 6. They fee an emptinefs and weakness in all their external privileges, their gifts, duties, yea, their graces, to fave and help them. They count all things but lofs for Chrift, and with to be found in Chrift, not having on their own righteousness, which is of the law. They find the fting in their confcience, but cannot draw it out; guilt is a burden, but they cannot throw it off; luits are strong and uneafy, but they are not able to mafter them; and this prefles them fore.-- . This meekness comprehends,

5. A fenfe of the abfolute need of a Saviour, and of help from heaven: 2 Cor. iii. 5. " But our fufficiency is of God." The pride of the fpirit is beat down, they lie down at the Lord's feet, faying, Jer. xxxi. 18. "Thou hast chastised me, and I was chaftifed,

E. 3.

chaftifed, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I fhall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God." They fee they will be ruined if their help come not from above. Their cafe appears defperate to all remedies, but thofe which are under the management of an eternal omnipotent hand. They fay to their fouls, as the king of Ifrael faid to the woman in the time of famine, "If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee?" --It comprehends,

6. A fenfe as to utter unworthiness of the Lord's help; they fee nothing which they have to recommend them to the Lord's help. They dare not ftand upon worth, like thofe proud beggars, who would have others to value them, and who value themselves, on what they have been or done. Like the centurion, they fay, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof." Hence there is a word put in for them, Ifa. lv. 1. "Ho! every one that thirfteth, come ye to the water, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price." They own the Lord would be juft, if he fhould never vouchfafe his mercy and grace to them, but exclude them for ever from his prefence: Jer. iii. 22. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not confumed, because his compaffions fail not." They fee a lothsomeness in the beft things about them, in their reformation, mourning, their defires of Chrift, wrestling, and prayers for mercy; fo that they conclude, if ever he notice them, it must be altogether for his own name's fake.-This meeknefs comprehends,

7. An earnest defire as to the fupply of foul- wants: Mat. v. 6. "Bleffed are they which do hunger and thirft

thirst after righteoufnefs, for they fhall be filled." A greedy man, we fay, is always poor, because natural poverty confifts rather in the defire of what we want, than in the want itself. There are many who want fpiritual good things, yet are not poor in spirit, because they are not pained with the want of them. But the poor in fpirit are pained with the want of fpiritual good things. They pant for them, Pfal. xlii. 1.; long for them, thirst for them, Pfal. lxiii. 1. Hence we read of the expectation of the poor, which shall not perish for ever, Pfal. ix. 18.-It comprehends,

Laftly, A hearty contentment in fubmitting to any method of help which the Lord will prescribe : Acts, ix. 7. “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Beggars must not be chufers; these meek poor ones are content with Christ on any terms, while others ftand contending about them. Neceffity has no law, and hunger will break through stone-walls. Whofo are thus fituated, will be for a Saviour, a righteoufnefs, and holinefs, at any rate. They are content to be taught, content to be managed: Pfal. xxv. 9. " The meek will he guide in judgement; and the meek will he teach his way." They are content to part with all, for the enriching pearl of great price.-We are now,

II. To explain the good tidings of the gospel, and, as we go along, fhew that they are good and welcome tidings to fuch perfons.

The poor in fpirit are wounded by the law; the gospel brings a healing medicine to these wounds. It suits their cafe fully, and declares to them the good news of a falve for all their fores. Solomon tells us, Prov. xxv. V.25. "As cold waters to a thirsty foul, fo is good news from a far country." Appli

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