A treatise of the Beatitudes. Or Christs happy men. By James Buck Bachelor of Divinitie, and vicar of Stradbrooke in Suffolke

CHAP. III. The demeanure of the poore in externals.

SAint Gregorya shewes that to make one of Gods poore, is in contemplation of goods that never faile to raise the minde unto contempt of those that must needs perish: Therefore he cannot be poore in Spirit that hath not learnt to love everlasting riches: for till then he is not driven out of the creature, whence, Luk. 6.24. our Lord pronoun∣ces a woe to the rich, because they have their con∣solation, declaring their condition miserable that can satiate their joy with any worldly good, which is no proofe of Gods speciall love, which cannot remoove the guilt of sinne, nor fill up the def••ct, nor cure the maladie of the Spirit, no

more then fine apparell can heale an inner sore, albeit the carnall heart dwels in flesh, and rests in the contents thereof, and attends not this in∣sufficiency, unlesse God pursue it, and suffer not the creature to yeeld its common satisfaction. Hos. 2.7.5.13. Luk. 15, 16.17.

Saint Iames chap. 1.9. aptly enjoynes the brother of low degree to rejoyce in his exaltation, that in Christs fraternitie hee was participant of true riches, the rich in his humillation, vers, 10. as made low in spirituall poverty and apprehension of want in abundance, and having outward things, as if hee had them not, without any repose in them; wheras generally high degree keepes away sense of what is needfull to blisse, and staies the soule in sensuall pleasures, the portion of unreasona∣ble creatures, Psal. 49.20. Iob was rightly called a perfect man, when he was able in his hard triall with a noble imprecation, to curse himselfe if he had rested his joy in transitory riches, Cha. 31.25. If hee rejoyced because his wealth was great, and his hand had gotten much.

Humilitie is a meere dependance on God, and therefore stands alike affected to povertie, riches, ignominy, honour, sicknesse, health, as God bewils them and orders them for his glory and our soules good: and nothing should so joy the lover of God as his will, and the good plea∣sure of his eternall counsell, in which hee ought to satisfie himselfe, and bee as glad at the least as another would be the greatest. Perfect humility inclines other things equall to that which hath

most congruitie with the state of Christ in this world, and which he hath sanctified; adde the apter way of perfection and familiaritie with him, and therefore to be as the LORD IESUS was: rather abased in poverty and contemned, as simple to the world, then magnified for poli∣cy, riches, honours.b No marvell if poverty was refused before Christ: but since Christ chose it, Et in suam accepit partem, it is to bee savorie unto Christians, and embraced by them. Seneca reasons against them; who when some point after them as they walk in the street and say, O virū doctum! see a learned man, are more delighted, then if it were said, O virum probum! there goes a vertuous man. And yet the Christians bee rare, that are not gladder of the gifts that make admirable with men, then of the graces that make accepta∣ble with God, Luk. 10.18.20. When the se∣venty exulted; that even the Divels were sub∣ject unto them: our M••ster insinuates, that Satan for his pride fell as lightning from heaven, and represses the rising of the Spirit for such privi∣ledges, and forbids staying in our joyes in the gift of miracles, or any endowments or operati∣ons that men may perish with, and propounds as a due object of our rejoycing, they having our names written in the booke of life, which is the rowle of them that be in the state of true grace.

All which is not against high places in Church or Common wealth, for degrees are of God; but ambitious seeking of them, and loftie beha∣viour in them. An Emperour may be humble,

a beggar proud, it is the low minde Christ re∣quires, not the low estate, that men should not affect inordinate eminency, nor thinke them∣selves worthy honour, which God casts not up∣pon them, but lay themselves downe to Gods providence, and the order of his word, for reputation and advancement, and get a good report by Faith, Heb. 11.39. It is against the faith of GODS kingdome and wise government to de∣sire of accept glory of men out of his wayes. Iohn 5.43.

And without doubt it is culpable for a man to climbe up into a state (moribus suis et meritis im∣proportionatū that suits not with his manners and merits, and so makes not of necessitie a vertue,c but of vice necessitie.d Otherwise promotion is of GOD, and many in their ignoble ranke are as e∣mulating and conceited of their worth, as who is most, and given to aspire, if they had any pos∣sibilitie, and because of their forlorne hopes, fu∣ming against men of qualitie and desert, and cry∣ing downe prelacie.

The Poore seekes not great things for him∣selfe, and if God allot them, lookes farther then himselfe in them: It is a passage worthy St. CYPRIANS preferment, As it ise pernitious if it bee sought, so offered it is very perillous: not that the power which is of God is condemnable, nor that the ordinance of God is the midwife of sinnes; but that bumblenesse ought so to embrace highnesse, whose Author is the Holy Ghost, that hee which is called higher may not know himselfe aloft, and the

creature in all things agnize the Creator, and grace the giver.

Notes

• a

  i. Reg. l. 2. c. 1. pau∣per spirita esse non p••terit, qui amare ad∣huc aeternos the sau∣ros noscit ibid. l 5. c. 4.
• Homo cum in honore esset non intellexit, ac si diceretur, bon••r ab∣sorbuit intellectum. S. Bern. ep. 237.
• De Kemp. de imita∣tione Christi. l. 3. 12.
• CHAP. 4.
• b

  Bonaventura. ser. ••, de omnibus sanctis.
• Of gratiae gratis da∣gae, then of gratiae gratum facientis.
• Tertul. adversus Marcion. l. 2.
• c

  Vid. S. S. Hilar. de Trinitate l. 9.
• d

  Gers••••, ••••••plici∣tudine 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••sti∣corum. fol. 26. v. mo∣ribus suis et meritis inproportionatum.
• e

  De jejunio et ten∣tatione. Sicut perepto∣ria est altitudo qu••∣sita, et periculo fissima est oblata, non quod potestas quae ex Deo est, sit damnabilis, aut ordinatio divina pec∣catorum sit obsterrix, sed quod excellentiā, cujus spiritus sanctus author, ita debet com∣plecti humilitas, ut qui vocatus est supe∣rior nesciat se subli∣mem, & per omnia agroscat conditio cō∣ditorem, gratia largi∣torem.