The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich
Which is true in a natural sense of the same persons, as might be
exemplified in the case of Job; and of different persons, as in
the parable of the rich man and Lazarus; for both poverty and
riches are of God, see ( Proverbs
22:2 ) ( 30:8 ) .
Poverty is of God; for though it is sometimes owing to a man's
own conduct, yet that there is such a difference among men in
general, that some should be poor, and others rich, is owing to
the wise providence of God, that men may be dependent on one
another. Riches are of God, and are the gifts of his bountiful
providence; for though they are oftentimes the fruits of industry
and diligence, as means, yet not always; and whenever they are,
they are to be ascribed to the blessing of God attending the
diligent hand. This is also true in a spiritual sense; for though
spiritual poverty is owing to the fall of Adam, and to the actual
sins and transgressions of men, whereby they become poor and
miserable, yet all this is not without the knowledge and will of
God: and it is he that makes men sensible of their poverty, and
then makes them rich in spiritual things, with his own grace, and
the blessings of it, with the riches of grace here, and of glory
hereafter; all which flow from the good will of God, who has laid
up much for his people, bestowed much on them, and entitles them
to more; and which come to them through the poverty of Christ,
who, though he was rich, became poor, that they through his
poverty might be made rich, ( 2
Corinthians 8:9 ) he bringeth low, and lifteth up; which has
been verified in the same persons, as in Job, Nebuchadnezzar and
in different persons, for he puts down one, and raises up
another; so he rejected Saul from being king, and took David from
the sheepfold, debased Haman, and raised Mordecai to great
dignity: and, in a spiritual sense, the Lord shows men the low
estate and condition they are brought into by sin, humbles them
under a sense of it, brings down their proud spirits to sit at
the feet of Jesus, and to submit to him, and to his
righteousness; and he lifts them up by his son out of their
fallen, captive, and miserable estate, and by his Spirit and
grace brings them out of the horrible pit of nature into the
state of grace; sets them upon the rock Christ, and makes their
mountain to stand strong by the discoveries of his love, and will
at last lift them up to glory, and place them on the same throne
with Christ.