THE GODLY MERCHANT OR The great gaine A Sermon preached at Paules-Crosse Octob. 17. 1613. By WILLIAM PEMBERTON Bachelour of Diuinity and Minister of Gods Word at high Onger in Essex 1. TIM 4.7.8 Exercise thy selfe vnto godlinesse For bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things hauing the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come LONDON Printed by Edw. Griffin for Samuel Macham and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Bul-head 1613. TO THE RIGHT Honourable and truely religious Lord Robert Lord Rich Baron of Leeze c. my singular good Lord and Patrone all happie increase in the great gaine of Godlinesse and godly contentment OVr blessed day of Grace Right honourable Lord in this bright sun-shine of the Gospell in this Land as it affordeth vnto vs happie opportunitie so it exacteth of vs studious endeauour for prudent foresight and timely prouision of things most behoouefull for our future vse Luc. 19.42 And oh that we would know euen we at least in this our long and faire Summers day the things which belong to our eternall peace We fairely beare our selues and others in hand that our Couenant with God of life and peace Mal. 2.5 is firme and sure euen euerlasting because the word of this couenant is still remaining with vs and that God will not turne away from vs to doe vs good Iere. 32.40 because the Lords goodnes is yet magnified toward vs. And surely the Lord will not be vnmindfull of his Couenant with vs nor vnfaithfull in performance of his promise to vs Psal 103.17.18 if we start not backe and prooue vnfaithfull but keepe couenant and promise with the Lord our God 2. Chro. 15.2 The Lord is with vs while wee are with him if wee seeke him he will be found of vs but if wee forsake him he will forsake vs. Are our hearts then vpright toward the Lord and is the feare of God euen godlinesse within our hearts Esa 55.3 If this be so O happie wee and euer blessed for then shal our soule liue and the Lord will make his Couenant euerlasting with vs euen the sure mercies of Dauid True indeede Gods name be praysed Christs true religion the Doctrine of Godlinesse is by wholsome lawes of our most gracious Soueraigne constant Defender of the true Faith most firmely established by a good part of his Maiesties most loyall subiects sincerely embraced and generally approued or formally professed of all vnlesse of those vnhappie Romish Nurselings who haue more deepely drunke of the golden cup of that Babilonish strumpet Reuel 17.4.5 whose soule-killing poison doth secretly spread to more dangerous infection within the wombe of our complaining Mother complaining I say because her life is in daily hazard by them and yet she can neither cure and heale them as her heart desireth nor yet be cured and eased of thē as her safetie would require God graunt her mildnes toward them create not new dangers against herselfe Did the power and practise of Godlinesse in the rest attend the forme and shew thereof then had she not cause of so great complaint but matter of ioy and good contentment to see her children grow and prosper in Godlinesse though this viperous broode lie still crawling and gnawing within her bowels But alas alas our times are perilous our estate dangerous 2. Tim. 3.1 the world is a gainer God a looser And howsoeuer God hath graciously giuen all things that belong to life and godlinesse 2. Pet. 1.3 yet is there but little increase or embrace of Godlinesse either in heart or life Many through blindnes are sottishly ignorant of it and cannot be brought to sight of their miserie without it Many through securitie are carelesse of it and will not be affected with any liking to it Some through weakenes grow ashamed of it and are affraid to vndergoe any hardship for it Many through lewdnesse are a shame vnto it and by their inordinate liuing bemire and deface it And it is well if some through profanesse would not out-face and shame it and by their gracelesse impietie oppose against it Many by an art of seeming haue painted their faces but want the trueth and substance of being in the heart Many through sacietie grow weary of this Manna and their full stomacks begin to loath this honie-comb Numb 11.6 Prou. 27.7 And many hauing walked with God on earth are daily taken hence to liue with Christ in heauen Now while so many are seduced by the errour of the deuill so many are enthralled by the lusts of the flesh so many are insnared with the allurements of the world and many of the best are remoued from earth to heauen where doeth the sound Christian and true godly man appeare or if he be seene as God be thanked he is yet his life and courage is not such it may be feared as once it was or now ought to be Oh what shall become of Religion in this land if our first loue to religion shal languish in vs Reu. 2. v. 4. or what shall become of vs in this land verse 5. if our Candlesticke be once remoued from vs Iere. 9.1 Psal 119.136 Fountaines riuers of heart-bleeding teares suffice not to bewaile our sinnes which threaten our miserie nor to preuent our miserie deserued by our sinnes The Lord in his great mercie graunt vs grace to know the time of our gracious visitation Luc. 19.44 and to bethinke our selues of the things that belong to our peace last hereafter they he hidden from our eyes Oh that we could in time grow wise in heart and rich in grace and nourish the feare of God euen godlinesse within our hearts Then would the Lord surely reioyce ouer vs to doe vs good Iere. 32.40 and still plant vs in this land with his whole heart and with his whole soule No power nor plot of wicked enemies shall preuaile against vs if the God of power and wisedome be loued and embraced of vs. The Lord will soone subdue our enemies Psal 81.14 and turne his hand against our aduersaries No want of good or sense of euill shall discontent vs if this gaine of godlinesse be fully possessed of vs. Wherefore it behooueth all from the highest to the lowest to giue care to that godly exhortatiō of that religious Ruler Iosua Feare the Lord Iosh 24.14.15 and serue him in sinceritie and in truth Or if the foolish and vnhappie multitude will not embrace such blessed counsell but it seeme euill to them to serue the Lord yet must euery wise and couragious Iosua put on this constant resolution as for me and my house we will serue the Lord. What is that seruice of God in that holie resolution of that courageous Captaine but the exercise of that Godlinesse which ruled in the heart of that religious Ruler What was the groūd of
earthly things 1. It teacheth to moderate the desire of earthly things to accustome himselfe to liue of a little and to bee content and as for superfluities not to affect it in heaping together these earthly things as vnworthy for themselues to bee desired or loued the inordinate desire whereof either depriueth of possession of them or dispossesseth of contentment in them So that hee that desireth them more then hee should doth either loose them sooner then he would or not finde that contentment in them which hee expecteth while he makes a God of them and God an Idol and more then this godlinesse teacheth moderation in care for them which followes vpon and draweth after it desire of them by calling to minde those heauenly exhortations In nothing bee careful Phil. 4.6 cast all your care on God 1. Pet. 5.7 for hee careth for all and cast thy burden vpon the Lord he shall nourish thee Psal 55.22 Delight thy selfe in the Lord Psal 37.4 5. and hee shall giue thee thine hearts desire c. And applying to the heart such experiments of Gods gracious supply of great necessities of his Church in the wildernesse Exod. 16. and 17. 1. King 17. Psal 147.9 Luk. 12.24 Elijah in the dearth and drought c. That God that feedes the very Rauens can cause the Rauens to feed the godly 2. Godlinesse prouides for satisfaction of the desires by directing them to things aboue 2. Derect on of the desire to heauenly things Col. 3.2 3. Phil 3.7 8. laied vp in Christ Iesus the godly mans gaine and sufficiently able to giue contentment He is aboundantly rich Affatim Diues est qui cum Christo pauperest Hieron Ep ad Hâ—liodord e vita solitaria that is poore with Christ a replenished treasury of grace and glory beyond whom a godly mans desire can neuer extend or enlarge it selfe but must needs contentendly rest in him as in the vttermost period of all desired and al-sufficient good Now Vse to draw to an end of this branch of my discourse which intreateth of Contentment the attendant of godlinesse If this bee true indeed as it is most true that godlinesse is attended of true contentment Why so many men liue discontent what then is the cause of so many mens mislike of their owne estates of such priuate murmurs such publike clamors and common complaints which fill the eares both of God and men especially of those who haue sufficient to doe iustice to others and to pay their debts to refresh themselues and to maintaine their families to fit them for Gods seruice in their lawfull callings Discontentment groweth through want of godlinesse and how Surely the want of contentment argueth the want of godlinesse and men therefore complaine of their owne estate as vnpleasing and comfortlesse because they haue not obtained the true-contenting gaine of piety and godlinesse 1. Some through vngodlinesse haue plunged themselues into comfortlesse and heart-breaking miseries and for want of godlinesse can finde no meanes of remedie and reliefe 2. Others haue great wealth but little contentment because they haue much goods but little goodnesse great returne of earthly riches but little increase of heauenly graces great store of pelfe but little piety For certaine it is that according to the measure of godlinesse is the measure of godly contentment Little godlinesse little contentment no godlinesse no true contentment great godlinesse great contentment Many complaine as well when they haue as when they want because they want it while they haue it as wanting godlinesse which teacheth 1. How to esteeme it 2. How to enioy it 3. How to bestow it Yea the more they haue the lesse they are satisfied because the further they are from godlinesse the further from contentment They greedily gape for more gaine without because they want due measure of godlinesse within For were they wel-stored of godlinesse inwardly they would not feele such want of riches outwardly Why some men liue contented In the heart of euery godly man which is Deo plenum filled with the grace of God there is little roome left for these fraile and earthly things but it is contented with a smaller portion of them The godly man can find content in pouerty the vngodly finds discontent in pleÌ„ty The godly man finds content in disgrace The vngodly discontent in honour The godly content in paine the vngodly discontent in pleasure And to omit the vngodly man who neuer enioyes any true any sound any durable contentment the godly man findes plenty in pouertie honour in disgrace pleasure in paine health in sicknesse solace in sadnesse life in death and hope of future felicitie in sense of present miserie Godlinesse made Saint Paul and Silas in prison in the inner prison in the stockes Act. 16.24 25 to sing for ioy while the vngodly Iewes were at liberty either sleeping or sorrowing or senselesse of their present sinne and future miserie And the vnconuerted Iaylor was ready for feare of their escape to make away himselfe Obiections answered 2 Cor. 6.9.10 And suppose a godly man bee in sorrow yet is he sorrowfull as alway reioycing as chastened yet not killed as dying yet behold he liueth as hauing nothing yet possesseth all things 2 Cor. 4.8 Bee hee troubled on euery side yet is he not distressed perplexed yet not in despaire persesecuted yet not forsaken cast downe yet not destroyed dying for Iesus yet receiuing life from Iesus And though hee fall yet the Lord shall raise him vp Though he sit in darkenesse Mic. 7.7 yet the Lord shall bee a light vnto him Weeping may endure for a night Psal 30.5 but ioy commeth in the morning And the more his former affliction increased the more his after-ioy aboundeth Godlinesse can mitigate and asswage the grieuousnesse of present afflictions and make patient of change from better to worse in the fluent vncertainty of this outward estate and the power of godlinesse is a soueraigne cordiall to cheere vp the spirits and to make able to counteruaile all assailing dangers and sinister or crosse euents So that it is the priuiledge of a truely godly and sound hearted Christian to reioyce in tribulation Rom. 5.3 Rom. 8.31.32 c. 1 Cor. 15.55.56.57 and to triumph ouer death and spirituall enemies so that he alone hath sufficient cause to liue comfortably and to applaud himselfe in his happie condition when all the world doth threaten or is threatned miserie Godly contentment giueth good direction in the life of man Worthy were it to consider for the commendation of godlinesse but too long to relate for want of time how safely and comfortably This godly contentment will cause men to walk in the golden mean between those two fowle extremes of carelesse neglect of that which they ought to take and greedy grasping after that which they ought not to desire 1. A godly man dare neither liue out of a
to a godly man to make vp his bulwarke of godly contentment Vnlesse it bee the consideration of his portion Which yet is not wanting vnto him because God hath in part already bestowed it on him And what is this portion Surely such as may well vphold and support his soule with godly contentment Hee is already possessed df some part of godlinesse it selfe which of it selfe is a goodly portion as beeing a rich treasure of all precious pearles of grace and goodnesse Yea Psal 119 57. Psal 16.5 6 Thou art my portion O Lord saith holy Dauid The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot The lines are fallen vnto mee in pleasant places I haue a goodly heritage My flesh and my heart faileth Psal 73.26 but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer The Lord is my portion Lam. 3.24 saith the soule of mourneful Ieremie Ier. 10.16 51.19 in his dolefull lamentations The Lord of hostes is the portion of Iacob and Israel is the rodde of his inheritance If the Lord himselfe bee Aarons portion and his inheritance Num. 18.20 why should not Aaron content himselfe though hee haue no other inheritance among the people And if the Lord bee the portion of Iacob of Israel of euery godly man Gal. 6.16 who is of the Israel of God why should hee not rest well contented although hee want an inheritance in the things of this world Oh happy man that in that his want enioyeth more then the world can either performe or promise Vse The meditation of a godly mans portion The serious view of this goodly portion of a godly man may afford vnto him this holy meditation God himselfe is my portion if I bee godly and God al-sufficient in himselfe is al-sufficient vnto mee Psal 100.3 Hos 2.20 Ioh. 3.16 God gaue mee to my selfe God gaue himselfe to me God the Father gaue his Sonne to mee God the Sonne gaue himselfe to mee God the Holy ghost gaue his seale Ephes 1.11 to assure this gift vnto me and shall I not be content God the Father hath sent the spirit of his Sonne into my heart Gal. 4.6 to make mee call God my Father and Christ my Redeemer and shall I not bee content That which I was Quod homo est esse Christus voluit vt homo possit esse quod Christus est Cypr. de idol vanitate Christ would bee that I might bee that which Christ is The Sonne of God by grace as hee by nature and fellow-heire with him of all things in glory and shall I not bee content What shall I say more God the Sonne receiued all things from the Father for mee that in him and through him and with him I might receiue all things from the Father 1. Cor. 3.21.22 And why should I not content my selfe with him without whom all things are as nothing and with whom no-can bee in stead of all things Surely the man that is indeed godly is infinitly aboue all measure wealthy and therefore I will be content Tell mee now beloued in the Lord can that true godly soule shrink downe through discontentment that is so strongly propt with these so many pillars or can it euer languish and waxe faint while it doth seriously recount and call to minde Gods powerfull prouidence disposing all things for him Gods prudent loue intending all good vnto him Gods gracious promise assuring him of his loue and his plentifull portion as a pawne of Gods gracious promise While hee hath receiued godlinesse as a treasure of goodnesse and holinesse as a pledge of his happinesse and some measure of grace as a forerunner of vnmeasurable glory The raine of afflictions may fall indeed Mat. 7.25 floods of persecution may come the windes of temptations may blow and beate vpon the house of a godly mans contentment and shake and batter it but it shall not fall for it is builded on the foundations of God Euen vpon the rocke Christ Iesus and chiefe corner stone 1. Pet. 2.6 vers 5. vpon whom all godly men as liuing stones are built and whereupon also they build and found their impregnable fortresse of godly contentment On these grounds and foundations doth a godly man when hee is himselfe build a sanctuary to his soule of godly contentment wherein hee doth shelter and solace himselfe in all the changes of this present mortality in this manner The vse of the foure grounds of contentment If God in goodnesse giue aboundantly hee is ioyfull and receiues it thankefully if a competency hee is cheerefull and enioyes it comfortably if but a little he is quieted and accepts it willingly if not any thing at all yet hee is patient and waiteth hopefully For hee wisely considereth that God giues aboundantly that man might bee an instrument of Gods bounty God giues moderately that hee might not bee cumbred with superfluity God giues sparingly that hee might aske both these and better things more earnestlie Yea God somtimes with-holds these outward things and sendeth crosses in stead of them for tryall of some grace exercise of some vertue preuention of some daunger cure of some disease To weane him from the world to direct him toward heauen to draw him to himselfe or some way or other for Gods glory others example and his owne true good He knowes that Gods prouidence disposeth of all Gods loue to him is firme in all Rom. 8.23 Gods promise is passed that all shall turne to his good and his present portion is not only good but a pawne of a greater If more were now behoouefull hee should not want it and seeing more is not giuen he feeles no want without it But finds a supply in his store-house of godlinesse which is euer attended of wel-pleasing Contentment What now is there in al the world that can threaten and cause discontentment vnto a godly man Surely many things threaten it 4. Causes of discontentment as namely these foure First conscience and remembrance of euill committed Secondly strength and violence of temptation enforced Thirdly sense or feare of euill suffered Fourthly want and defect of good desired And these indeed are of great force to worke or threaten discontentment For where guilt of sinne is not remooued where assaults and temptations are not repelled where the bitternesse of crosses is not sweetened and where desire of good is not competently supplied peace and contentment cannot lodge in the heart of any mortall man Here is a large field opened but I may not walke therein at length In one word therefore God be thanked These causes remoued 1. Christ hath suffered and the guilt of sinne is remoued 2. Christ hath conquered and temptation shall bee vanquished 3. The comforter is sent and crosses are sweetned 4. Heauen is prepared and all wants shall bee supplied vnto a godly man and therefore a godly man
oft-times not onely most vniustly to defraud both himselfe and others of the vse of it but impiously and superstitiously to honour it as a God to place his affiance confidence therein to turne base-slaue to Mammon his Lord and his God The ambitious worldling is in the same case for al-beit the people serue him yet his ambitious desire to dominere ouer others doth most imperiously dominere ouer him Hee adores honour and authority as his Prince and God so his glory is turned into shame The voluptuous worldling Phil. 3. who drownes himselfe in pleasures yeelds himselfe captiue to his imperious Dames turnes slaue to his luste Phil. 3.19 and makes his belly his God and purchaseth to himselfe damnation in the end and such is often the worldlings gaine in keeping 3 In spending Thirdly the worldlings gaine exposeth him to daunger in spending while it draweth from humility to pride from sobriety to riot from moderation to excesse from labour to voluptuousnesse from chastity to vncleannesse from loue and practise of vertue and piety to liking and following of iniquity and vice Oh how many and great are the daungers and difficulties which attend this gaine of the world in getting and in keeping and in spending the same Cum itsis opibus lascâ—uire coepit Ecclesia Platina in Bened. IIII. The Church of God had experience hereof which when it waxed wealthy beganne to waxe wanton and it was not causelesly obserued by one of the Auncient That Religto pepâ—â— it diuitiaâ— filia denorauit matrem Aug. religion brought forth wealth and the daughter deuoured the mother many in the Church of God God knoweth who haue stood in aduersitie haue fallen in prosperity haue increased in goodnesse while the world frowned but decreased in grace when the world fawned The world by fawning deceiueth and by embracing killeth and blessed is hee that hath both worldly wealth and heauenly wisdome And so euery way dangerous is this gaine of the world while it insnareth with desire of getting oppresseth with care of keeping corrupteth with voluptuousnesse in spending Who therefore can easily account these goods which are gotten so badly or this wealth which is kept so woefully or this gaine which is spent so hurtfully and what great gaine is this of the world that brings in daunger of the losse of heauen The gaine of godlinesse is free from daunger 1. In getting There is no such danger in the gaine of godlinesse It is not got but by good and godly means through the ordinances of God and worke of Gods spirit No ill meanes can be an immediate cause of any spirituall good but if any euill be occasion of any such good it 's by the skilfull hand of Gods omnipotent goodnes that turnes poison into potions and euill to good 2. In Keeping This gaine is not kept but in good and godly manner not layd vp in a napkin but put out to Gods vse It is not bestowed but to good and godly purposes 3. In bestowing And it doth not only make the owner therof good through getting better through keeping and best of all by vsing it well but it doth teach and direct to vse the worlds gaine well which without this wee could not but vse very ill Godlinesse teacheth how to vse worldly gaine well and that while it wel aduiseth not to place our happinesse in it but to further our happinesse by wise employment of it by making friends of this vnrighteous Mammon that wee may bee receiued into that euerlasting habitation Luc. 16.9 And when this gaine of godlines hath brought vs to our best condition heere it will put vs into possession of perfection elsewhere and that not in this earth below where this worldly gaine is got and vsed and left behinde vs but in heauen aboue whence this is receiued where it is reserued where it shall be most happily enioyed 7. The worldlings gaine cannot make happy this of godlines can Lastly that I may not bee infinite in this discourse but may come to a conclusion of this comparison That gaine of the world makes many miserable none happy this of godlines all happy none miserable Those goods Aug. de ciuit Deâ— lib. 5. c. 1. such men may haue as are not good and therefore not happy These none but such as are good and therfore not miserable That worldly wealth makes neither vs nor our children happy for either while we liue wee loose it or when wee die wee leaue it to whom wee know not or to whom we would not But this is such as neither leaues vs nor we it but remayneth euer with vs euer to enrich vs. And whereas happinesse is not enioyed but in fruition of God who is the onely felicity of the soule of man This gaine of godlinesse vniteth vs to God and worketh our blessednesse Psal 144.15 while the Lord is our God And that not onely in this couenant of grace but specially in that communion of glory Eph. 1.2 3. with God in Christ which is the fulnesse and vp-shot of all felicitie Eph. 3.19 where God filleth all in all and where wee shall be filled with all fulnesse of God Now to apply all this vnto our selues The Merchants of whom I speak are among the rest you Right Honourable and beloued vnto whom I speake The gaine at which I would aduise you to aime is the purchase of Godlinesse That true that great that al-sufficient gaine Your talents and meanes of purchase are your abilities of body minde estate ioyned with the holy and diuine ordinances of God Your traficke and trading is your manner of cariage in your purposes desires delights studies and endeauours both of heart and life The Mart-day is at hand the day of grace is come the the Sunne is vp the Gospell is preached These precious wares of godlinesse are readily exposed to the open view of all willing beholders all wise and prouident merchants all prudent professours are busie at their worke and redeeme fore-flowed time by double diligence in their painefull endeauour The owner of all this wealth doth cal vnto you by the ministery of his seruants in the preaching of his word saying What lacke you what buy you Come see buy gaine be happy be blessed Come purchase the hidden treasure this goodly pearle Mat. 13.44.76.45 The prizelesse wealth this wel-contenting gaine of pietie and Godlinesse Come now while the day lasteth God knoweth how soone our sunne may set Come all young ould rich poore learned vnlearned meane great None t is too good too great too meane too miserable to trade in this merchandise Let the King himselfe account it the crowne of his glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee first of this company as it is his deserued honour to bee chiefe of all the rest And let him more feelingly reioyce with good Theodosius to bee a member of the Church Se esse membrum