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THe Poore, remembring the creatures make, that the best was of nothing; and hath more of darkenesse and of nothing, then of light and of something; for it is infinite that it hath not, that which it hath is finite, and the light thereof is not without a shadow, as
mutable of it selfe if not sustain'd: this the poore remembring abhorres the thought of being in∣dependant, and a rule to himselfe to doe his own will (Ioh. 6.38) and not seeke the good of others, as the Devill would have bin in his pride a law to himselfe and in no kind subject to others;* 1.1 whereas every reasonable Creature put in supe∣riotie is tyed to serve unto the profit of inferi∣ours, that proud Spirit by ambition to exempt himselfe out of Gods government, fell out of his protection and ruined himselfe.
The Angels that stood were thus farre poore, as not to presume on themselves, but Gods free grace and concourse, they using the abilities wherewith God had graced their nature. Now a lapsed creature is not poore so onely, but fur∣ther in absolute inabilitie to doe any thing of himselfe pleasing to God, so all the power which wee have, to cooperate with God and worke our salvation, is from the sufficiency of that grace which for CHRIST'S sake is offered unto all, to whom the Gospell is vouchsafed.
The good in order to salvation is not educed out of our nature, but infused of Gods grace, (Rom. 7.18.)a 1.2 Wee are so directly poore as not to have the least Spirituall and good thought of our owne (2. Cor. 3.5) Therefore the propriety of this vertue is in the acknowledgement of Gods grace, that thereb 1.3 is no act, nor moment wherein it would not be ill with vs, if, the Holy Ghost should leave us to our selves.
Wee are to confesse.
1 That the grace which pleaseth God in ri∣gour of justice is not in us, but in CHRIST,* 1.4 ours onely, as we are made one with him. Phil. 3.9.
2 That our workes are not acceptable and rewardable for themselves, and as proceeding of naturall forces, but because of Gods cove∣nant and the promises whith for CHRISTS me∣rits, be made to them, and as they flow from, and be actuated by CHRISTS grace.
3. That it is not we that worke, but CHRIST and his grace in us and by us, we being but in∣feriour agents, or rather instruments under him, (but voluntary & obedient instruments) 1. Cor. 15.10. Hereupon (as it is in the relation of the slaugh∣ter of the Fathers in Sina) He that excels in ver∣tue, ascribing all,c 1.5 not to his owne labours, but Gods vertue, may beare himselfe humbly, as who perswades himselfe, that he is not of himselfe the worker of good and honest things; but the Instru∣ment of grace which worketh in him.
4. That the good workes, whereby we please God and grow in his favour, have their efficacie from the grace of the Gospell,* 1.6 and our Lord CHRIST, as receiving tincture from him; and being preferred in his dignity and desert by E∣vangelicall contract, applyable to them.
The Humble thus confessing all good recei∣ved, and that of grace, (which prevents and as∣sists and followes and crownes our indeavours) glory not in their gifts, but the giver and his grace (1. Cor. 4.8) assume nothing to them∣selves, as infinitely wanting to divine concourse and
helpes, confide not in their owne deeds many wayes imperfect and short of Gods goonesse, but in the mercies of God, who (notwithstan∣ding all their unworthinesse) vouchsafes his grace to them, and in the merits of CHRIST, which supply all their defects, and be equall to the whole will of God.
The poore consider, that if they should pride themselves in the eff••cts of Gods grace, he might justly withdraw his liberall hand, and permit them to their owne nothing, and that in true e∣steeme, seeing that it is God that work••s all, as St. Bernard concludes;d 1.7 so much the humbler should they be, by how much the more they are ad∣vanced: because the more they receive grace to doe, the more they are indebted to the donor that inricht their poverty.
True humility retaines its owne propriety in the greatest fulnesse of grace, as agnizing that it is still nothing of it selfe, but all is of grace, and in God that gives and continues. Therefore our Lord that would not have us lye for humility,e 1.8 wils us, when we have done all, to say, wee are unprofitable. (Luk 17.10) In the flowre of our best deeds, to be mindfull in whose vertue wee worke, and how nothing is of our selves, with∣out CHRIST, but imperfection and deficiency, and how farre in our utmost wee are lesse then Gods mercies to us, how remisse concurrers we were, and users of Gods grace and gifts that our all is nothing, to that we ought, nothing to that we might, were it not for our sinfull negligence and
unproficiency. Away then with all vaine-pleasing our selves, and resting in what we have done:* 1.9 such cōsiderations beget solid humility.f 1.10 Which is to do like Saints, and yet tremble & deject our selves more then sinners: because our best is not correspon∣dent to our receipts, but unworthy of God and his loving kindnesse to us: the poore of Sion in the faithfull use of their talents be much in jud∣ging themselves for their unfruitfulnesse and pe∣nutie in good, and that is their glory to humble themselves more in their good deeds, then ordi∣nary people doe for theirg 1.11 sinnes.
The Poore as in despaire to acts of grace, without attracture from above, carry all their vertue in God, not in themselves. For as the ship attaines the Haven more by the benefit of the winde then the sayle: so wee prosper more by actuall influences from God, then our owne ha∣bits andh 1.12 Labours.
A man may bee himselfe in the very habits and use of grace, if he goe upon his own strength therein, and not the grace of CHRIST, to bee sufficient for him to begin and finish each Chri∣stian duty, according as it is; not he that lives, but CHRIST that lives in him and breathes up∣on him, by fresh and continuall inspirations. St. PETER, in confidence of graces received and habits in him, put himselfe before his Bre∣thren, and thought to doe something of himselfe, by vertue of those graces, and Gods generall con∣course; who presuming of himselfe, fell into a presumptuous sinne, and came behinde those
before whom he preferred himselfe,* 1.13 and is an in∣stance, that except the LORD build a house, the labourers labour in vaine, and that our best way to have present and effectuall aid, is to lie low in our selves, and hang entirely upon GOD, as our duty is to know our selves but poore men, or rather wormes, and therefore as comming out of the earth to* 1.14 creepe by the ground to fol∣low our Saviour, and be of his company, minding not high things, but the least of the little ones: for of our selves we are nothing; yea, as much worse then nothing, as grace is better then sinne.
G••rson. com. 4. Serm ••. de Angelis.
R•••• 7.18. In my 〈◊〉〈◊〉 divels nothing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 good, Signi∣••••••rs ••uoniam non à ••ob••••, sed à Deo e bonam ••alatis nostrae S Ir••n••••s, l. 3 c 23.
S Pr••per ••e voca∣tion•• ge 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Lib 1. ••••. Epi••t. ad Deme∣triadem.
CHAP. 2.
De interemptione patrum Sinae, cap. 15. 19. Iun, 14. in Mera∣phrast.
Adrian de Sacra∣mento Eucharistiae, fol. 20.
De donis Sancti spi∣rit••s, c 2. Tanto quisque humilior esse debet, quanto est supe∣rior.
B Aug de verbis A∣p••st. fol, 28.
S Chrys. in Phil hom. 2. Zaver in vita e∣jus. l. c. 16.
S. Chrys. de com∣punctione.
Ʋtinam fratres mei, utinam nos illam haberemus humilita∣tem in peccatis no∣stris quam Sancti ha∣baerunt in virtutibus suis: Guarricus in purificatione S. Ma∣riae, serm. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. S Basil. de hu∣militate.
CHAP. 3.
S. Greg. Naz. ep. 119 inter Basilianas 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.