Chapter 4

Matthew 5:[illegible]: Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Having spoken of the general notion of blessedness, I come next to consider the subjects of this blessedness, and these our Savior has described to be the poor in spirit, the mourners, etc. But before I touch upon these, I shall briefly preface or paraphrase upon this sermon of the Beatitudes.

1. Observe the divinity in this sermon, which goes beyond all philosophy; The philosophers use to say one contrary expels another; but here one contrary begets another; poverty usually expels riches; but here poverty begets riches; for how rich are they that have a kingdom? Mourning usually expels joy; but behold here mourning begets joy. They shall be comforted. Water usually quenches the flame, but the water of tears kindles the flame of joy. Persecution usually expels happiness, but here it makes happy. Blessed are they that are persecuted. These are the sacred paradoxes in our Savior's sermon.

2. Observe how Christ's doctrine and the opinion of carnal men differ. They think, blessed are the rich; The world would count him blessed who could have Midas' wish, that all he touched might be turned into gold. But Christ says, Blessed are the poor in spirit. The world thinks, Blessed are they on the pinnacle; but Christ pronounces them blessed who are in the valley; Christ's reckonings and the world's do not agree.

3. Observe the nature of true religion; poverty leads the van, and persecution brings up the rear. Every true saint (says Luther) is heir to the cross! Some there are who would be thought religious, displaying Christ's colors by a glorious profession; but to be poor in spirit, and persecuted, they cannot take down this bitter pill; they would wear Christ's jewels, but wave his cross; these are strangers to religion.

4. Observe the certain connection between grace and its reward; they who are poor in spirit, shall have the kingdom of God; They are as sure to go to heaven, as if they were in heaven already. Our Savior would encourage men to religion, by sweetening commands with promises; he ties duty and reward together. As in the body, the veins carry the blood, and the arteries the spirits; so one part of these verses carries duty, and the other part carries reward. So our Lord Christ having set down several qualifications of a Christian, poor in spirit, pure in heart, etc., draws these heavenly virtues in their fair colors of blessedness, and sets the magnificent crown of reward upon them, that by this beauty, he might the more set forth their unparalleled beauty, and entice holy love.

5. Observe hence the concatenation of the graces, poor in spirit, meek, merciful, etc. Where there is one grace, there is all. As they say of the cardinal virtues, the virtues are chained together; so we may say of the graces of the Spirit, they are linked and chained together; he that has poverty of spirit, is a mourner; he that is a mourner, is meek; he that is meek, is merciful, etc. The Spirit of God plants in the heart a habit of all the graces; the new creature has all the parts and lineaments; as in the body there is a composition of all the elements, and a mixture of all the humors. The graces of the Spirit are like a row of pearl, which hang together upon the string of religion, and serve to adorn Christ's bride: This I note, to show you a difference between a hypocrite, and a true child of God: The hypocrite flatters himself with a pretense of grace; but in the mean time he has not a habit of all the graces; he has not poverty of spirit, nor purity of heart; whereas a child of God has all the graces in his heart, at least radically, though not in full measure. These things being premised, I come in particular to those heavenly dispositions of soul to which Christ has affixed blessedness: And the first is, poverty of spirit.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Chrysostom and Theophylact are of opinion that this was the first sermon that ever Christ made, therefore it may challenge our best attention. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Our Lord Christ being to raise a high and stately building of blessedness, lays the foundation of it low, in poverty of spirit; but all poverty is not blessed. I shall use a fourfold distinction.

1. I distinguish between poor in estate, and poor in spirit; there are the devil's poor, poor and wicked; whose clothes are not more torn than their conscience. There are some whose poverty is their sin; who through improvidence or excess, have brought themselves to want; these may be poor in estate, but not poor in spirit.

2. I distinguish between spiritually poor, and poor in spirit; he who is without grace, is spiritually poor; but he is not poor in spirit; he knows not his own beggary. Revelation 3:17: You know not that you are poor: He is in the worst sense poor, who has no sense of his poverty.

3. I distinguish between poor-spirited, and poor in spirit. They are said to be poor-spirited, who have mean, base spirits, who act below themselves. 1. As they are men; such are those misers, which having great estates, yet can hardly afford themselves bread; who live sneakingly, and are ready to wish their own throats cut, because they are forced to spend something in satisfying nature's demands: This Solomon calls an evil under the sun. Ecclesiastes 6:2: There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, a man to whom God has given riches, so that he wants nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him not power to eat of it. Religion makes no man a miser; though it teaches prudence, yet not sordidness. 2. Who act below themselves as they are Christians, while they sinfully comply and prostitute themselves to the humors of others; a base kind of character that will take any stamp; they will for a piece of silver part with the jewel of a good conscience, they will be of the state religion; they will dance to the devil's pipe, if their superior commands them; These are poor-spirited, but not poor in spirit.

4. I distinguish between poor in an evangelical sense, and in a popish sense; the papists give a wrong gloss upon the text; by poor in spirit, they understand those who renouncing their estates, vow a voluntary poverty, living retiredly in their monasteries; but Christ never meant these; he does not pronounce them blessed who make themselves poor, leaving their estates, and their callings, but such as are evangelically poor.

Well then, what are we to understand by poor in spirit? The Greek word for poor, [in non-Latin alphabet], is not only taken in a strict sense for those who live upon alms; those who have nothing left; but in a more broad sense, for those who are destitute as well of inward as outward comfort: Poor in spirit then signifies those who are brought to the sense of their sins, and seeing no goodness in themselves, despair in themselves, and sue wholly to the mercy of God in Christ. Poverty of spirit is a kind of self-annihilation; such an expression I find in Calvin; The poor in spirit (says he) are they who see nothing in themselves, but flee to mercy for sanctuary; such a one was the publican (Luke 18:13): God be merciful to me a sinner. Of this temper was Saint Paul (Philippians 3:9): That I may be found in Christ, not having my own righteousness; these are the poor which are invited as guests to wisdom's banquet (Proverbs 7:3-4). Here several questions may be proposed.

1. Why does Christ here begin with poverty of spirit? Quest. 1. Why is this put in the forefront? I answer, Christ does it, to show that poverty of spirit is the very basis and foundation of all the other graces that follow: You may as well expect fruit to grow without a root, as the other graces without this; till a man be poor in spirit, he cannot mourn: Poverty of spirit is like the fire under the still, which makes the water drop from the eyes; when a man sees his own defects and deformities, and looks upon himself as undone, then he mourns after Christ; the springs run in the valleys (Psalm 104:10). When the heart becomes a valley, and lies low by poverty of spirit, now the springs of holy mourning run there. Till a man be poor in spirit, he cannot hunger and thirst after righteousness; he must first be sensible of want, before he can hunger; therefore Christ begins with poverty of spirit, because this ushers in all the rest.

Quest. 2. The second question is, What is the difference between poverty of spirit and humility? Answer. These are so alike, that they have been taken one for the other. Chrysostom by poverty of spirit, understands humility; yet I think there is some difference; they differ as the cause and the effect. Tertullian says, none are poor in spirit, but the humble; he seems to make humility the cause of poverty of spirit; I rather think poverty of spirit is the cause of humility; for when a man sees his want of Christ, and how he lives on the alms of free grace, this makes him humble; he that is sensible of his own emptiness and indigence, with the violet, hangs down his head in humility; humility is the sweet spice that grows from poverty of spirit.

Quest. 3. What is the difference between poverty of spirit and self-denial? I answer, in some things they agree, in some things they differ. In some things they agree; for the poor in spirit is an absolute self-denier; he renounces all opinion of himself; he acknowledges his dependence on Christ and free grace; but in some things they differ; the self-denier parts with the world for Christ, the poor in spirit parts with himself for Christ; that is, his own righteousness; the poor in spirit sees himself nothing without Christ, the self-denier will leave himself nothing for Christ: And thus I have shown what poverty of spirit is. The words thus opened, present us with this truth.

Doctrine. That Christians must be poor in spirit; or thus, poverty of spirit is the jewel which Christians must wear. As the best creature was made out of nothing, namely, light; so when a man sees himself nothing, out of this nothing God makes a most beautiful creature; it is God's usual method to make a man poor in spirit, and then fill him with the graces of the Spirit; as we deal with a watch, we take it first in pieces, and then set all the wheels and pins in order: So the Lord does first take a man all in pieces, shows him his undone condition, and then sets him in frame.

The reasons are:

1. Till we are poor in spirit, we are not capable of receiving grace; he who is swelled with an opinion of self-excellency and self-sufficiency, is not fit for Christ; he is full already; what is within prevents what is without; if the hand be full of pebbles, it cannot receive gold; the glass is first emptied before you pour in wine; God does first empty a man of himself, before he pours in the precious wine of his grace; none but the poor in spirit are within Christ's commission. Isaiah 61:1: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted; that is, such as are broken in the sense of their unworthiness.

2. Till we are poor in spirit, Christ is never precious; before we see our own wants, we never see Christ's worth; poverty of spirit, is the salt and seasoning, the sauce which makes Christ relish sweet to the soul; mercy is most welcome to the poor in spirit; he who sees himself clad in filthy rags (Zechariah 3:4-5), what will he give for change of raiment, the righteousness of Christ? What will he give to have the fair crown of salvation set upon his head? When a man sees himself almost wounded to death, how precious will the balm of Christ's blood be to him? When he sees himself deep in arrears with God, and is so far from paying the debt, that he cannot even sum up the debt, how glad would he be of a surety? The pearl of price is only precious to the poor in spirit; he that wants bread, and is ready to starve, will have it whatever it costs; he will lay his garment to pledge; bread he must have, or he is undone: So to him that is poor in spirit, that sees his want of Christ, how precious is a Savior! Christ is Christ, and grace is grace to him; he will do anything for the bread of life; therefore will God have the soul thus qualified, to raise the price of his market, to enhance the value and estimate of the Lord Jesus.

3. Till we are poor in spirit, we cannot go to heaven: Theirs is the kingdom of heaven; this does tune and prepare us for heaven: By nature a man is big with self-confidence, and the gate of heaven is so strait that he cannot enter; now poverty of spirit does lessen the soul, it pares off its superfluity, and now he is fit to enter in at the strait gate. The great cable cannot go through the eye of the needle; but let it be untwisted, and made into small threads, and then it may: Poverty of spirit untwists the great cable, it makes a man little in his own eyes, and now an entrance shall be made unto him, richly into the everlasting kingdom (2 Peter 1:11). Through this temple of poverty we must go into the temple of glory.

Use 1. It shows wherein a Christian's riches do consist; namely, in poverty of spirit. Some think if they can fill their bags with gold, then they are rich; but they who are poor in spirit are the rich men, they are rich in poverty. This poverty entitles them to a kingdom. How poor are they that think themselves rich! How rich are they that see themselves poor! I call it the jewel of poverty. There are some paradoxes in religion that the world cannot understand; for a man to become a fool that he may be wise (1 Corinthians 3:18), to save his life by losing it (Matthew 16:25), and by being poor, to be rich; reason laughs at it; but, blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom; Then this poverty is to be striven for more than all riches; under these rags is hid cloth of gold; out of this carcass comes honey.

Use 2. If blessed are the poor in spirit, then by the rule of contraries, cursed are the proud in spirit (Proverbs 16:5). There is a generation of men who do commit idolatry with themselves; (no such idol as self.) They admire their own parts, moralities, self-righteousness; and upon this stock graft the hope of their salvation. There are many are too good to go to heaven; they have commodities enough of their own growth, and they scorn to live upon the borrow, or be beholden to Christ. These bladders the devil has blown up with pride, and they are swelled in their own conceit; but it is like the swelling of a dropsied man whose bigness is his disease; thus it was with that proud self-righteous man (Luke 18:11). The Pharisee stood and prayed, God I thank you that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican; I fast twice in the week, I give tithes, etc. Here was a man setting up the top-sail of pride; but the publican who was poor in spirit, he stood afar off, and would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, God be merciful to me a sinner; This man carried away the garland; I tell you (says Christ) this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; Saint Paul before his conversion thought himself in a very good condition, Touching the law blameless (Philippians 3:6). He thought to have built a tower of his own righteousness, the top of which should have reached to heaven; but at last God showed him there was a crack in the foundation, and then he gets into the Rock of Ages (Philippians 3:9): That I may be found in him; There is not a more dangerous precipice than self-righteousness; this was Laodicea's temper (Revelation 3:17): because you say I am rich, and have need of nothing, and know not that you are wretched and miserable, etc. She thought she wanted nothing, when indeed she had nothing. How many does this damn! We see some ships that have escaped the rocks, yet are cast away upon the sands: so some who have escaped the rocks of gross sins, yet are cast away upon the sands of self-righteousness; and how hard is it to convince such men of their danger! They will not believe but they may be helped out of the dungeon with these rotten rags; they cannot be persuaded their case is so bad as others would make it. Christ tells them they are blind, but they are like Seneca's maid who was born blind, but she would not believe it; she said the house is dark, not I. Christ tells them they are naked, and offers his white robes to cover them, but they are of a different persuasion; and because they are blind, they cannot see themselves naked; how many have perished by being their own saviors! O that this might drive the proud sinner out of himself; a man never comes to himself till he comes out of himself; and no man can come out, till first Christ come in.

Use 3. If poverty of spirit be so necessary, How shall I know that I am poor in spirit? Answer. By the blessed effects of this poverty: which are;

1. He that is poor in spirit is weaned from himself (Psalm 131:2). My soul is even as a weaned child; it is hard for a man to be weaned from himself. The vine catches hold of every thing that is near, to stay itself upon. There is some bough or other a man would be catching hold of to rest upon; how hard is it to be brought quite off himself! The poor in spirit are divorced from themselves; they see they must go to hell without Christ; My soul is even as a weaned child.

2. He that is poor in spirit, is a Christ-admirer; he has high thoughts of Christ; he sees himself naked, and flies to Christ, that in his garments he may obtain the blessing. He sees himself wounded; and as the wounded deer runs to the water, so he thirsts for Christ's blood, the water of life. Lord, says he, give me Christ or I die; conscience is turned into a fiery serpent, and has stung him; now all the world for a brazen serpent; he sees himself in a state of death; and how precious is one leaf of the tree of life, which is both for food and medicine! The poor in spirit sees all his riches lie in Christ, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, etc. In every need he flies to this magazine and storehouse; he adores the all-fullness in Christ. They say of the oil in Rheims, though they are continually almost spending it, yet it never wastes. And such is Christ's blood; it can never be emptied; he that is poor in spirit has recourse still to this fountain; he sets a high value and appreciation upon Christ; he hides himself in Christ's wounds; he bathes himself in his blood, he wraps himself in his robe; he sees a spiritual dearth and famine at home, but he makes out to Christ; Show me the Lord (says he) and it suffices.

3. He that is poor in spirit, is ever complaining of his spiritual estate; that look as it is with a poor man, he is ever telling you of his wants, he has nothing to help himself with, he is ready to be starved; so it is with him that is poor in spirit; he is ever complaining of his wants; I want a broken heart, a thankful heart; he makes himself the most indigent creature; though he dares not deny the work of grace (which were a bearing false witness against the Spirit) yet he mourns he has no more grace: This is the difference between a hypocrite and a child of God; the hypocrite is ever telling what he has; a child of God complains of what he wants; the one is glad he is so good; the other grieves he is so bad; the poor in spirit goes from ordinance to ordinance for a supply of his wants, he would fain have his stock increased. Try by this if you are poor in spirit; while others complain they want children, they want estates, do you complain you want grace? This is a good sign; there is that makes himself poor, yet has great riches (Proverbs 13:7). Some beggars have died rich; the poor in spirit, who have lain all their lives at the gate of mercy, and have lived upon the alms of free grace, have died rich in faith, heirs to a kingdom.

4. He that is poor in spirit, is lowly in heart: Rich men are commonly proud and scornful, but the poor are submissive; the poor in spirit roll themselves in the dust, in the sense of their unworthiness: I abhor myself in dust (Job 42:6). He who is poor in spirit, looks at another's excellencies, and his own infirmities; he denies not only his sins, but his duties; the more grace he has, the more humble he is, because he now sees himself a greater debtor to God; if he can do any duty, he acknowledges it is Christ's strength more than his own (Philippians 4:13); as the ship gets to the haven more by the benefit of the wind, than the sail: So when a Christian makes any swift progress, it is more by the wind of God's Spirit, than the sail of his own endeavor; the poor in spirit, when he acts most like a saint, he confesses himself the chief of sinners; he blushes more at the defect of his graces, than others do at the excess of their sins; he dares not say he has prayed or wept; he lives, yet not he, but Christ lives in him (Galatians 2:20). He labors, yet not he, but the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10).

5. He who is poor in spirit, is much in prayer; he sees how short he is of the standard of holiness, therefore begs for more grace, Lord, more faith, more conformity to Christ: A poor man is ever begging; you may by this know one that is poor in spirit, he is ever begging for a spiritual alms; he knocks at heaven's gate; he sends up sighs; he pours out tears; he will not away from the gate, till he has his portion; God loves a modest boldness in prayer, such shall not be turned away.

6. The poor in spirit is content to take Christ upon his own terms; the proud sinner will bargain and deal with Christ; he will have Christ and his pleasure; Christ and his covetousness; but he that is poor in spirit, sees himself lost without Christ, and he is willing to have him upon his own terms, a Prince as well as a Savior. Philippians 3:8: Jesus my Lord. A castle that has been long besieged, and is ready to be taken, will deliver up on any terms to save their lives; he whose heart has been a garrison for the devil, and has held out long in opposition against Christ, when once God has brought him to poverty of spirit, and he sees himself damned without Christ, let God propose what articles he will, he will readily subscribe to them. Acts 9:6: Lord, what will you have me do? He that is poor in spirit, will do anything that he may have Christ; he will behead his beloved sin; he will with Peter, cast himself upon the water to come to Christ.

7. He that is poor in spirit, is an exalter of free grace; none so magnify mercy, as the poor in spirit; the poor are very thankful: When Paul had tasted mercy, how thankfully does he adore free grace! 1 Timothy 1:14: The grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant; [in non-Latin alphabet], it was super-exuberant; he sets the crown of his salvation upon the head of free grace; as a man that is condemned, and has a pardon sent him, how does he proclaim the goodness and clemency of his prince! So Saint Paul displays free grace in its rich colors; he interlines all his epistles with free grace; as a vessel that has been perfumed, makes the wine taste of it: so Paul, who was a vessel perfumed with mercy, makes all his epistles to taste of this perfume of free grace; they who are poor in spirit, bless God for the least crumb that falls from the table of free grace.

Use 4. Labor for poverty of spirit: Christ begins with this, and we must begin here if ever we be saved; poverty of spirit is the foundation stone on which God lays the superstructure of glory. There are four things that may persuade Christians to be poor in spirit. 1. This poverty is your riches; you may have the world's riches and yet be poor; you cannot have this poverty but you must be rich; poverty of spirit entitles you to all Christ's riches. 2. This poverty is your nobility; God looks upon you as persons of honor; he that is vile in his own eyes is precious in God's eyes; the way to rise is to fall; God esteems the valley highest. 3. Poverty of spirit does sweetly quiet the soul; when a man is brought off himself to rest on Christ, what a blessed calm is in the heart! I am poor, but my God shall supply all my need (Philippians 4:19); I am unworthy, but Christ is worthy; I am indigent, Christ is infinite. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2); a man is safe upon a rock; when the soul goes out of itself and centers upon the Rock Christ, now it is firmly settled upon its basis. 4. Poverty of spirit paves a causeway for blessedness; blessed are the poor in spirit. Are you poor in spirit? You are blessed persons, happy for you that ever you were born! If you ask wherein does this blessedness appear — read the next words: Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit."

Having discussed the general concept of blessedness, I now turn to the subjects of this blessedness — those our Savior describes as the poor in spirit, the mourners, and so on. But before I take up each of these, I will briefly introduce and frame this sermon of the Beatitudes.

1. Notice the divine wisdom in this sermon, which goes beyond all human philosophy. Philosophers teach that one opposite drives out another. But here, one opposite produces another. Poverty ordinarily drives out wealth — but here, poverty produces wealth. How rich are those who have a kingdom? Mourning ordinarily drives out joy — but here, mourning produces joy. "They shall be comforted." Water ordinarily quenches fire — but the water of tears kindles the flame of joy. Persecution ordinarily destroys happiness — but here it creates happiness. "Blessed are those who are persecuted." These are the sacred paradoxes of our Savior's sermon.

2. Notice how Christ's teaching and the opinion of worldly people are worlds apart. Worldly people think the rich are blessed. The world would call a person blessed who had the wish of Midas — that everything he touched would turn to gold. But Christ says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit." The world thinks those at the top are blessed. Christ declares blessed those who are in the valley. Christ's way of counting and the world's way of counting do not agree.

3. Notice the nature of true religion: poverty of spirit leads the way, and persecution brings up the rear. "Every true saint," said Luther, "is heir to the cross!" Some people want to appear religious, displaying Christ's colors through a glowing profession of faith — but to be poor in spirit and persecuted is too bitter a pill for them to swallow. They want to wear Christ's jewels but avoid His cross. These people are strangers to true religion.

4. Notice the sure connection between grace and its reward. Those who are poor in spirit will have the kingdom of God. They are as certain to reach heaven as if they were already there. Our Savior draws people toward true religion by pairing commands with promises and tying duty to reward. In the body, veins carry blood and arteries carry oxygen. In the same way, one part of each of these verses carries duty, and the other part carries reward. Our Lord Christ, having set out the marks of a true Christian — poor in spirit, pure in heart, and so on — paints these heavenly qualities in the beautiful colors of blessedness and places the magnificent crown of reward upon them. By this beauty He invites the heart to love what is most lovely.

5. Notice the connected chain of graces: poor in spirit, meek, merciful, and so on. Where one grace is present, all are present. Just as philosophers say the moral virtues are linked together, we can say the same of the graces of the Spirit — they are chained together. Whoever is poor in spirit is also a mourner; whoever mourns is also meek; whoever is meek is also merciful; and so on. The Spirit of God plants in the heart a disposition toward all the graces together. The new creation has all its parts and features, just as the human body contains all its elements in proper mixture. The graces of the Spirit are like a strand of pearls strung together on the thread of true religion, adorning Christ's bride. I point this out to show the difference between a hypocrite and a genuine child of God. The hypocrite flatters himself with a claim to grace, yet he does not have all the graces. He lacks poverty of spirit and purity of heart. But a child of God has all the graces in his heart — at least in seed form, even if not in full measure. With these things in view, I come now to examine those specific qualities of soul to which Christ attaches blessedness. The first is poverty of spirit.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit."

Chrysostom and Theophylact believed this was the first sermon Christ ever preached, which means it deserves our best attention. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Our Lord Christ, setting out to build a high and magnificent structure of blessedness, lays the foundation low — in poverty of spirit. But not all poverty is blessed. I will use four distinctions to clarify this.

1. I distinguish between being poor in possessions and being poor in spirit. Some are what we might call the devil's poor — poor and wicked, their conscience just as torn as their clothes. Some people's poverty is their own doing — brought on by carelessness or excess. These may be poor in possessions but not poor in spirit.

2. I distinguish between being spiritually poor and being poor in spirit. Someone without grace is spiritually poor, but that does not make him poor in spirit — he has no awareness of his own spiritual poverty. Revelation 3:17: "You do not know that you are poor." The worst kind of poverty is having no sense of one's poverty.

3. I distinguish between being small-spirited and being poor in spirit. Small-spirited people are those with petty, base characters who live beneath their dignity. 1. As human beings, they are like misers who own large estates yet can barely bring themselves to provide for their own basic needs. They live miserably and almost begrudge having to spend anything on the necessities of life. Solomon calls this an evil under the sun. Ecclesiastes 6:2: "There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches were hoarded by their owner to his hurt." God gives a man wealth so that he lacks nothing his soul desires, yet God does not give him the ability to enjoy it. True religion makes no one a miser. It teaches wisdom with money, but not meanness. 2. Others act beneath their dignity as Christians by sinfully compromising and surrendering themselves to whatever others demand. These are people with no backbone — they will take any shape required of them. They will sell the jewel of a good conscience for a piece of silver. They will adopt the religion of whoever holds power. They will dance to the devil's tune if their superior commands it. These are small-spirited, but they are not poor in spirit.

4. I distinguish between poverty of spirit in the biblical sense and poverty in the Roman Catholic sense. The Roman Catholics give a wrong interpretation of this text. By "poor in spirit" they understand those who renounce their property and take a vow of voluntary poverty, withdrawing into monasteries to live in seclusion. But Christ never meant any such thing. He does not pronounce blessed those who make themselves materially poor by abandoning their property and their occupations — but those who are poor in spirit in the biblical sense.

So then, what do we mean by "poor in spirit"? The Greek word for poor is not limited to those who live on charity or have nothing left. In a broader sense, it describes those who are destitute of both inward and outward resources. To be poor in spirit means to be brought to a deep awareness of one's sins, to see no goodness in oneself, to abandon all hope in oneself, and to appeal entirely to the mercy of God in Christ. Poverty of spirit is a kind of self-emptying. Calvin expressed it this way: "The poor in spirit are those who see nothing in themselves and flee to mercy as their refuge." The tax collector in Luke 18:13 was just such a person: "God, be merciful to me, the sinner." Paul had this same disposition (Philippians 3:9): "That I may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own." These are the poor who are invited as guests to wisdom's feast (Proverbs 9:3-4). Several questions naturally arise at this point.

1. Why does Christ begin with poverty of spirit? Question 1: Why is this placed first? Christ places it first to show that poverty of spirit is the very foundation and root of all the other graces that follow. You might as well expect fruit without a root as expect the other graces without this one. Until a person is poor in spirit, he cannot mourn. Poverty of spirit is like the heat under a distilling vessel — it draws the water of tears from the eyes. When a person sees his own faults and failures, and looks on himself as lost, he then mourns and reaches out for Christ. Springs run in the valleys (Psalm 104:10). When the heart becomes a valley — lowered by poverty of spirit — the springs of holy mourning begin to flow. Until a person is poor in spirit, he cannot hunger and thirst for righteousness. He must first feel his need before he can be hungry. This is why Christ begins with poverty of spirit: it opens the door to everything else.

Question 2: What is the difference between poverty of spirit and humility? Answer: These two are so similar that they are often treated as the same thing. Chrysostom takes poverty of spirit to mean humility. Yet I think there is a real difference between them — the difference between a cause and its effect. Tertullian says none are poor in spirit except the humble, which seems to make humility the cause of poverty of spirit. I tend to think it is the other way around: poverty of spirit is the cause of humility. When a person sees his need for Christ and realizes he is living on the charity of free grace, it humbles him. The person who is aware of his own emptiness and poverty bows his head in humility, like a violet. Humility is the sweet fruit that grows from the root of poverty of spirit.

Question 3: What is the difference between poverty of spirit and self-denial? Answer: In some ways they are alike; in other ways they differ. They are alike in this: the person who is poor in spirit is also a thorough self-denier. He gives up any opinion of his own worth and acknowledges his complete dependence on Christ and free grace. But they differ in this: the self-denier gives up the world for Christ, while the person who is poor in spirit gives up himself for Christ — that is, his own righteousness. The poor in spirit sees himself as nothing without Christ; the self-denier will leave himself with nothing for Christ's sake. Having explained what poverty of spirit is, the words open up this truth for us.

Doctrine: Christians must be poor in spirit. Or stated another way: poverty of spirit is the jewel every Christian must wear. Just as the most remarkable of created things — light — came from nothing, so when a person sees himself as nothing, God makes something beautiful out of that nothing. God's usual way is to first make a person poor in spirit, and then fill him with the graces of the Spirit. It is like taking apart a watch — first you separate all the pieces, then you carefully set all the wheels and pins back in their proper place. God first takes a person completely apart, shows him his ruined condition, and then puts him back together rightly.

The reasons are these:

1. Until we are poor in spirit, we are not ready to receive grace. Someone who is swollen with a high opinion of his own worth and self-sufficiency has no room for Christ — he is already full. What is inside blocks out what is being offered from outside. If the hand is full of pebbles, it cannot receive gold. A glass must first be emptied before wine can be poured into it. God first empties a person of himself before pouring in the precious wine of His grace. Christ's commission covers only the poor in spirit. Isaiah 61:1: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me... He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted" — that is, those who are broken by a sense of their own unworthiness.

2. Until we are poor in spirit, Christ is never truly precious to us. Before we see our own need, we cannot see Christ's worth. Poverty of spirit is the salt and seasoning — the sauce that makes Christ taste sweet to the soul. Mercy is most welcome to the poor in spirit. The person who sees himself clothed in filthy rags (Zechariah 3:4-5) — what would he give for a change of clothing, for the righteousness of Christ? What would he give to have the bright crown of salvation placed on his head? When a person sees himself nearly mortally wounded, how precious will the healing balm of Christ's blood be to him? When he sees himself deep in debt to God — so deep he cannot even calculate the total — how desperately he will long for someone to stand as his surety! The pearl of great price is only precious to the poor in spirit. The person who is starving and desperate for bread will have it at any price. He will pawn his coat; he must have bread or he is finished. In the same way, to the person who is poor in spirit — who sees his desperate need for Christ — how precious is a Savior! Christ is truly Christ to him, and grace is truly grace. He will do anything for the bread of life. This is why God works to bring the soul to this condition: to raise the value of Christ in the market of the soul, and to make the Lord Jesus truly precious.

3. Until we are poor in spirit, we cannot enter heaven. "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Poverty of spirit tunes and prepares us for heaven. By nature, a person is puffed up with self-confidence, and the gate of heaven is so narrow that he cannot pass through. Poverty of spirit cuts down the soul's excess, trimming away the pride and self-reliance, so that he becomes fit to enter through the narrow gate. A thick rope cannot pass through the eye of a needle. But unravel it into individual threads, and it can. Poverty of spirit unravels the pride of a person's heart, making him small in his own eyes — and then "an entrance will be abundantly supplied" to him into the eternal kingdom (2 Peter 1:11). We must pass through the gate of poverty of spirit on the way to the temple of glory.

Use 1: This shows where a Christian's true wealth lies — in poverty of spirit. Some think that if they can fill their accounts with gold, they are wealthy. But the truly wealthy are those who are poor in spirit, for they are rich in poverty. This poverty gives them title to a kingdom. How poor are those who think themselves rich! How rich are those who see themselves as poor! I call it the jewel of poverty. There are paradoxes in the Christian life that the world cannot grasp: becoming a fool in order to become wise (1 Corinthians 3:18), saving your life by losing it (Matthew 16:25), and becoming rich by being poor. Reason laughs at all this. But "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom." This poverty is worth striving for more than any earthly riches. Beneath these rags lies cloth of gold; from this carcass comes honey.

Use 2: If the poor in spirit are blessed, then by the opposite principle, the proud in spirit are cursed (Proverbs 16:5). There is a kind of person who commits idolatry with himself — and there is no idol like the self. Such people admire their own abilities, their morality, their self-righteousness, and on this foundation they build their hope of salvation. Many are too good, in their own estimation, to go to heaven. They think they have enough resources of their own and are too proud to live on the charity of grace or to be indebted to Christ. The devil has blown these people up like balloons with pride, and they are swollen with self-conceit. But it is like the swelling of a person with dropsy — the bigness is the disease. This was the case with that proud, self-righteous man in Luke 18:11. "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: God, I thank You that I am not like other people — swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get." Here was a man hoisting the full sail of pride. But the tax collector, who was poor in spirit, stood far off and would not even lift his eyes toward heaven. He beat his breast and said: "God, be merciful to me, the sinner." This man carried away the prize. "I tell you," says Christ, "this man went to his house justified rather than the other." Paul before his conversion thought he was in fine standing: "As to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless" (Philippians 3:6). He intended to build a tower of his own righteousness tall enough to reach heaven. But God showed him there was a crack in the foundation, and then Paul ran to the Rock of Ages (Philippians 3:9): "That I may be found in Him." There is no more dangerous cliff than self-righteousness. This was the condition of Laodicea (Revelation 3:17): "Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor." She thought she lacked nothing when in truth she had nothing. How many does this destroy! We see ships that escape the rocks only to be wrecked on the sandbars. In the same way, some escape the rocks of open sin only to be wrecked on the sandbars of self-righteousness. And how hard it is to convince such people of their danger! They will not accept that they cannot be saved by their own tattered rags of merit. They cannot be persuaded that their case is as bad as others make it out to be. Christ tells them they are blind, but they are like Seneca's servant girl who had been blind from birth yet refused to believe it. She said: "The house is dark, not I." Christ tells them they are naked and offers His white robes to cover them, but they think otherwise. And because they are blind, they cannot see that they are naked. How many have been lost by trying to save themselves! Oh, let this drive the proud sinner out of himself. A person never truly comes to himself until he comes out of himself — and no one can come out of himself until Christ first comes in.

Use 3: Since poverty of spirit is so necessary, how can I know whether I have it? Answer: By its blessed effects, which are these:

1. The person who is poor in spirit is weaned from self-reliance (Psalm 131:2). "My soul is like a weaned child." It is a hard thing to be weaned from oneself. A vine grabs hold of whatever is nearby to support itself. There is always some branch or other that a person wants to grab onto for support. How difficult it is to be pulled entirely away from oneself! But the poor in spirit are separated from self-trust. They see that without Christ they are on the road to hell. "My soul is like a weaned child."

2. The person who is poor in spirit is someone who holds Christ in highest admiration. He has a towering view of Christ. He sees himself naked and flies to Christ, that wrapped in His clothing he may receive the blessing. He sees himself wounded, and as a wounded deer runs to water, so he thirsts for Christ's blood — the water of life. "Lord," he says, "give me Christ or I die." His conscience has turned into a fiery serpent and has stung him — now he would give the whole world for the bronze serpent to look upon. He sees himself in a state of death and knows how precious even one leaf from the tree of life would be — a tree that is both food and medicine. The poor in spirit sees all his wealth as lying in Christ — wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and everything else. In every need he runs to this storehouse. He is captivated by the infinite fullness that is in Christ. They say of the holy oil at Rheims that though it is constantly being used, it never runs out. Christ's blood is like that — it can never be exhausted. The person who is poor in spirit returns again and again to this fountain. He places the highest value on Christ. He hides himself in Christ's wounds; he bathes in His blood; he wraps himself in His robe. He sees spiritual famine at home, but he makes his way to Christ and says: "Show me the Lord, and that is enough."

3. The person who is poor in spirit is always speaking of his spiritual needs. Just as a poor person is always describing his wants — how he has nothing to help himself, how he is barely surviving — so the person who is poor in spirit is always lamenting what he lacks. "I lack a broken heart; I lack a grateful heart." He sees himself as the most needy creature alive. Though he would not deny the work of grace in him — to do so would be bearing false witness against the Spirit — he still mourns that he has no more grace. This is the difference between a hypocrite and a child of God: the hypocrite is always telling you what he has; a child of God complains of what he lacks. One is glad he is so good; the other grieves that he is so bad. The poor in spirit goes from one means of grace to another seeking supply for his needs — he longs to have his spiritual stock increased. Test yourself by this: while others complain that they lack children or wealth, do you complain that you lack grace? This is a good sign. "There is one who pretends to be poor, but has great wealth" (Proverbs 13:7). Some beggars have died rich. In the same way, the poor in spirit — who have spent their lives at the gate of mercy and lived on the charity of free grace — have died rich in faith, as heirs to a kingdom.

4. The person who is poor in spirit is humble in heart. Wealthy people are commonly proud and dismissive, but the poor are submissive. The poor in spirit lower themselves in the dust, aware of their own unworthiness: "I abhor myself, and I repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). The person who is poor in spirit notices the strengths of others and his own weaknesses. He denies not only his sins but also his accomplishments in duty. The more grace he has, the more humble he becomes — because now he sees himself as an even greater debtor to God. When he performs any act of duty, he acknowledges it is Christ's strength more than his own (Philippians 4:13). Just as a ship reaches its destination more through the wind than through the effort of the sail, so when a Christian makes genuine progress, it is more through the wind of God's Spirit than the sail of his own effort. The person who is poor in spirit, even when acting most like a true saint, still confesses himself the chief of sinners. He blushes more at the deficiencies of his graces than others blush at the excess of their sins. He hardly dares claim that he has prayed or wept. He lives — yet not he, but Christ lives in him (Galatians 2:20). He labors — yet not he, but the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10).

5. The person who is poor in spirit is constant in prayer. He sees how far short he falls of the standard of holiness, so he begs for more grace: "Lord, more faith, more likeness to Christ." A poor person is always begging. You can recognize one who is poor in spirit by this — he is always begging for spiritual provision. He knocks at heaven's gate; he sends up sighs; he pours out tears. He will not leave the gate until he has received his portion. God loves a reverent boldness in prayer, and such a person will never be turned away.

6. The person who is poor in spirit is willing to accept Christ on Christ's own terms. The proud sinner tries to negotiate with Christ — he wants Christ and his pleasures, Christ and his greed. But the person who is poor in spirit sees himself as lost without Christ and is willing to have Him on His own terms — as King as well as Savior. Philippians 3:8: "Jesus my Lord." A fortress that has been under siege for a long time and is about to fall will surrender on any terms to save the lives of those inside. In the same way, the heart that has long been a stronghold for the devil — holding out in resistance against Christ — when God finally brings it to poverty of spirit and it sees it is lost without Christ, will readily agree to whatever terms God proposes. Acts 9:6: "Lord, what do You want me to do?" The person who is poor in spirit will do anything to have Christ. He will put his cherished sin to death. He will, like Peter, throw himself into the water to get to Christ.

7. The person who is poor in spirit is a celebrator of free grace. No one magnifies mercy more than the poor in spirit, because the poor are very grateful. When Paul had experienced mercy, how gratefully he worships free grace! 1 Timothy 1:14: "The grace of our Lord was more than abundant." The Greek is even stronger — it was overflowing, beyond measure. He places the crown of his salvation on the head of free grace. Like a man who has been condemned and receives a pardon, how he proclaims the goodness and generosity of his king! Paul in the same way puts free grace on full display in all its richness. He weaves free grace into every one of his letters. Just as a vessel that has been perfumed with a fragrance makes the wine stored in it taste of that fragrance, so Paul — a vessel saturated with mercy — makes all his letters taste of the perfume of free grace. Those who are poor in spirit bless God for the smallest crumb that falls from the table of free grace.

Use 4: Labor to be poor in spirit. Christ begins here, and we must begin here if we are ever to be saved. Poverty of spirit is the foundation stone on which God builds the superstructure of glory. There are four things that should persuade Christians to pursue poverty of spirit. 1. This poverty is your wealth. You may have the world's riches and still be spiritually poor. But if you have this poverty, you cannot fail to be rich. Poverty of spirit gives you title to all of Christ's riches. 2. This poverty is your nobility. God regards you as a person of honor. The one who is lowly in his own eyes is precious in God's eyes. The way to rise is to fall. God considers the valley the highest place. 3. Poverty of spirit sweetly settles the soul. When a person is drawn off himself to rest on Christ, what a blessed calm fills the heart! "I am poor, but my God will supply all my needs" (Philippians 4:19). "I am unworthy, but Christ is worthy. I am empty; Christ is infinite." "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2). A person is safe on a rock. When the soul leaves itself and rests on the Rock, Christ, it is firmly settled on its foundation. 4. Poverty of spirit opens the road to blessedness. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Are you poor in spirit? Then you are blessed — how wonderful it is that you were ever born! If you ask where this blessedness appears — read the next words: "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."