Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	bless_v	lord_n	praise_n	6,339	5	9.8316	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15576	The best merchandise or, A cleare discovery of the evident difference, and admirable advantage, betweene our traffike with God, for the true treasure; and with men, for temporall commodity VVherein is shevved that our spirituall trading is both free from all the evill, & full of all the good, which is incident to civill commerce; yea, that it overfloweth with divers excellent prerogatives, which the affayres of the earth cannot yeelde. Preached at Middleburgh in Zeelandt, immediately before the remoovall, of the famous fellowship of Merchant Adventurers of England, from thence, vnto Delft, in Hollandt. And now published, and dedicated, to the honour and vse, of that whole society, there, or other where, residing. By Iohn VVing, a true harted wellwiller, to their temporall, and eternall good, with God and men.	Wing, John, of Flushing, Zealand.	1622 (1622)	STC 25843; ESTC S120117	86,198	146

THE BEST MERCHANDISE OR A CLEARE DISCOVERY OF The evident difference and admirable advantage betweene our traffike with God for the true treasure and with men for temporall commodity VVHEREIN IS SHEVVED That our spirituall trading is both free from all the evill full of all the good which is incident to civill commerce yea that it overfloweth with divers excellent prerogatives which the affayres of the earth cannot yeelde Preached at Middleburgh in Zeelandt immediately before the remoovall of the famous fellowship of Merchant Adventurers of England from thence vnto Delft in Hollandt And now published and dedicated to the honour and vse of that whole society there or other where residing By IOHN VVING a true harted well willer to their temporall and eternall good with God and men Pro. 23.23 Buy the truth but sell it not AT FLVSHING Printed by Martin Abraham vander Nolck dwelling at the signe of the Printing house 1622. SOCIETAS ADVENTVRARIA Ana-gramma RE-RATA VIVIS DEO SANCTA What er'e can be concluded from a NAME Yours doth include all happines and fame Thus spel'd thus anagram'd it boade's your Fate Then which there cannot be a happier State With MEN t' enjoy your reconfirmed GLORIE And with your GOD to be reputed HOLIE What can I wish but THESE withall increase And after THESE those joyes that never cease TO THE Right Worshipfull my worthy freinds Master EDVVARD BENNET Deputy the Assistance and Generality of the famous Fellowship of Merchant Adventurers of England resident at Delft in Hollandt IOHN WING wisheth all Temporall Spirituall and Eternall happines here and in heaven I Am bolde beloved and much respected in the Lord to send this demonstration of my dearest affection after you not that that I account it any competent recompence but that you will as I hope receive it as some greatfull remembrance of those your greater favours which you have soe kindely communicated vnto me Some taste hereof you had while I was soe happy as to speake now and then in your hearing and because that was but a taste yet well savoured of such as heard the same I could not deny or discourage the Christian desire of any who were affected to feede more fully therevpon It was the last message that I delivered among you from God and therefore inasmuch as you were vpon your jmmediate remoovall to attayne a more happy course of commerce with men I thought it my part and duty therein to doe my best for the furtherance of your most happy traffike with the Lord that you might if by 〈◊〉 possibility I might helpe be prosperous both in heaven and earth at once and grow abundantly rich in body temporally and in soule and body eternally together And God who is Lord over all and rich vnto all grant that you may enjoy this double blessednes to the greatest prayse of his most glorious name and the everlasting peace and welfare of your owne harts and states for ever before him To his grace and loue I commend you all for ever and to you all and to your loue I commend this my poore endeavour nothing doubting yet earnestly desiring your kinde acceptance of the same from him who resolveth ever to remayne Yours in all vnfayned affection for good IOHN WING From my house in Flushing March 26. 1622. The summe of the Sermons God who compare 's his kingdome to your trade VVould have you Merchants like his kingdome made VVhereto sincerely if you doe endeavour Both rich and blessed shall you be for ever For why all things most sweetely doe combyne To rayse rare proffit by Commerce divine Jt standeth wholy of advantages There is no feare of losse or damages Adventures Sales Exchanges Bartars Debts All are secure all gainfull nothing lett 's Th' Adventure 's nothing it 's by th' almighty borne Who for your safety by himself hath sworne That maugre sin and all the devills in hell Your soules estate for ever shal be well Your Sales are happy of your sin that 's naught And that 〈◊〉 Bartar for the grace Christ bought And soe you make most rich Returnes and To giue the best for worst God doth 〈◊〉 place The Exchange is gainfull 〈…〉 Lesse bringeth more 〈…〉 The more 〈…〉 occasion we deliver The more we doe receive from this free giver Noe desperate Debts or Bankrupts in this trade God is the Credditour Christ Surety made And both have bound themselues to pay to us The principall with gracious over plus Nor neede you doubt Bad Servants should deceive You lay out all your self and all receive There is no trusting other agents here Each man his owne eternall state shall beare And if to th' reckoning day we wisely looke When our great Master will peruse his booke Th' account will rise most happy to our share That sweetest voyce with gladsome harts we heare Come faithfull servant take your masters ioy Posesse eternall blisse without anoy Lo● here is heaven for earth for trash true tr●●sure For some few cares and paynes ioy without measure Glory for greife eternity for ages For litle worke immortall endles wages My soule doth wish you were such Merchants all That he who to himself his owne will call May take you all vnto that blisse aboue you Next unto Him and his Vice-roy J loue you The methode of the whole matter The Excellency of the best merchandise doth appeare in the consideration of 3. things FIRST that it is free from all the evills of civill trade there being in it No Adventure No Bad Debts No Bad Servant SECONDLY that it is 〈…〉 of all the good that civill trade hath for therin we haue ever Good Sales Best Bartars Exellent Exchange THIRDLY that it overfloweth with much more good then is to be found in mans commerce because All our busines is in one place with one party for one commodity All is given vs which we deale for All we deale for is exceeding good without any evill Our greatest good commeth when we have done tradeing The best Merchandise OR Tradeing for the true Treasure WHEREIN The excellent difference and admirable advantage that is betweene spirituall and temporall traffique is clearely layd open and discovered In ceartaine Sermons on Pro. 3.14.15 14. For the merchandise therof is better then the merchandise of silver and the gayne therof it better then fine golde 15. She is more precious then rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her IT readily appeareth to every vnderstanding reader that these words doe contayne an evident reason of that which is avouched in those that goe next before them in the 13. verse In which verse we heare the spirit of God magnifying and that with his owne mouth that cannot lye the most happy blessednes and welbeing of that man who hath attayned true wisdome and vnderstanding Happy or blessed is the man that findeth wisdome and the man that getteth vnderstanding Now what is propounded in those words is proued in these

as also that all kindes of nations peoples tongues and languages as well Pagan as Christian as well Savage as civill are dealt withall touching the trading that their territoryes doth yeelde the places the partyes the commodityes are jnnumerable which merchants among men doe hunt after to attayne temporall wealth And what puzle perplexity perill paines expence this is all experienced men doe know But now on the other side in this celestiall busines the benefit is not only soe abundant as we have sayd but it hath this one advantage more which make's it even superabundant that it is most easy to him that is a trader to manage the same without any such molestation and turmoyle as he must be put into in the ordering of this temporall pelfe For why you may easily apprehend the facility hereof whenas it appeareth that all that deale in it have nothing to doe with any but only with one party which is God only with one commodity that is Grace only in one place that is heaven With whome have we to doe but God for what but Grace from whence but heaven It were not only vanity and folly but foule jmpiety to goe other-where but to to that place or to any other person or for any other benefit for noe place but heaven no person but God can affoord this one merchandise wherby all are made men that deale with it Oh what ease is it to a man to have all his busines in one place and with one party and in one commodity who could desire a more comfortable course of commerce or a more excellent manner of managing of his busines then this This merchandise doth not more exceede mens in all the excellencyes before-spoken off then it doth in the easynes of the same which being addded to all the incomparable qualityes it hath already doth make it much more admirable in excellency then it was before The busines of this world the Mammon of the earth how tedions and difficult is it to manage in all respects what running ryding sayling poasting by sea and land doth it require how much time doth it devoure and swallow vp to get hither and thither no day nor scarce the night noe nor Gods day but is too often taken vp in this busines we eate not sometimes sometimes we sleepe not we serve not our selves nay which is the misery and mischeife of all we scarce serve our God having soe much to doe such multiplicity of busines and diversity of commodityes partyes as we deale withall doth even confound vs that we are not our owne men Some one man is free of many fellowships and hath trade in moct parts of the world deales in soe many particulers that he hath agents and factors in most mart-townes and is like Martha so encumbred with many things that he knowe's not which way to turne him here arive's a ship from the East Indies there 's another outward bound for the VVest some are expected from the North-seas others from the South he hath to doe beyond the straight of Magellan and in those neerer straights of the Mediterranean the gulfe of Persia and of Venice the Grand-Canaryes and Molluccoes all have some what of his no winde blowe's but he hopes for some good from our place or other here he is merchant there owner and every where an ensurer and thus man wraps himself into a labarynth maze of fadeing merchandise and become's a kinde of Vbiquitarie as it were in his busines But beholde and see and consider well here is one thing which is absolutely needefull and infinitely gainfull and you neede none of this trouble to partake of the true treasure of the same neither travaile over any sea or over much land to compasse this commerce and all the comfort of it it is but to goe from our owne house to Gods from our selves to heaven in affection from our sin to grace by sanctification the kingdome of God all true eternall comfort is neere if it be not in thy hart and mouth it is thyne owne fault who hast soe block't vp both with the baser busines of the world that these best things cannot enter into thee It is no wonder that the scriptures doe still lye at vs as they doe to beate vs from many things to one even from all other things whatsoever to this one of whose excellency we have heard so many things already and of whose ease to compasse it we cannot doubt with any reason seing it is but one thing that we have to looke after At what time the Lord meant to make his people fully happy in tying himself to them in mercy and them to himself in duty that he and they might mutually enjoy each other in that peace which passeth all vnderstanding and in that joy which is vnspeakable glorious he tell 's them by his Prophet that they shall have One Hart and One way When the Apostle Paul was once resolved to set vpon the best way to most happines he tell 's the Philippians what he himself did and what he would have both them and all Christians to doe For my owne part saith he this one thing I doe I forget that which is behinde follow hard toward c. And for your parts saith he againe I would have you all mynde one thing and walke after one rule that you may with one mynde one mouth praise God When David desired that wherby if he might obtayne it he accounted himself in most comfortable condition he saith One thing have I desired of the Lord not that he desired nothing els but because this one thing comprehended all thing els which might concurre to his harts content And to speake as the truth is all vnity is excellent it flowing from the very nature of God who is indivisibly infinitely and inconceiably ONE in himself that is to say in his most pure and perfect essence and being and as this vnity or one-nes is a thing most glorious in him soe from him it is a most gracious favour singuler fruit of his loue to vs that he hath pleased to free vs from that confused multiplicity in spirituall things wherin men are so miserably en wrapped entangled and toyl'd in the persuit of those present things they doe or desire to enjoy in this earth they are drowned in many snares c saith the Apostle But they who have to deale with this one God are that one communion of saints that one body of Christ that one spouse of his into whome whosoever is truly interressed is vnspeakeably blessed incorporation into him even into this one Lord brings eternall blessednes to all who are incorporated into him inasmuch as all such have but one God to serve but one heaven to seek but one glory to gayne And this consideration as it doth marvelously advance and magnify this trade aboue all trades in the earth soe doth it in like mannet most justly shame all such as are soe

from being puffed vp in the height of our earthly happines and soe temper vs betweene the two extreames whervpon millions of men are wrac●kt that we shall ride safely without any danger on either hand For it will not suffer vs either to fall from the highest and steepest top of abundance and prosperity nor yet suffer the deepest gulfe of want and penury to finke and drowne vs. So that this one good it hath that it make's all other things good to vs. And in it there is no evill either in getting or in keeping all we can attaine we may most lawfully covet the most of it that can be gotten and as lawfully may we care how to kepe all we can get there is no sin or evill in either of these In the former there was and is as we spake even now and woe to him saith the Lord that cove●eth an evill covetousnes but to covet spirituall things is not only not for bidden but expresly againe and againe commanded as he may see that peruseth what the Apostle saith to the Corinthians both in the twelfth 1. Cor. 12.31 cap 14.1 and fourteeneth chapter of his first epistle In the former wealth there may be an excesse a man may have too much of the world and surfett assoone on riches as on any thing and therefore to avoyd the perill of this plurisey we are commanded to be content with what we have and to satisfy our selves with such a measure of outward things as the wisdome of God shall please to put vpon vs be they more or lesse but he that can enlarge his desires and endeavours te craue and to have the greatest quantity of this wealth that is attaynable he is the happiest man no man neede once to feare a superfluity because it is out of all humane possibility to have enough that is to say soe much as we should have of every grace which we once had in perfection when we were created and now at the best can have but in jmperfection since we were corrupted the most sanctifyed man is he who hath the most vnsatiable desire most vnweariable endeavour after these advantages Againe the most and best that can come by all the confluence and abundance of temporall wealth is only some reputation and place among men to be a man of creddit and estimation whose word or hill will passe currantly for great summes vpon the exchange to be accounted square dealers good men sore paymasters this is the vtmost honour the earths abundance can yeelde And what great good thing is this when it is apparant to be as common among Pagans as Christians and alwayes as much yea many times more their honour then ours All the riches vnder heaven cannot make God to give a man one good word or to entertaine a kinde thought of him that hath most Is it any mans commendation in all the bible that he was rich and had much divers good men who are commended are reported to be soe but noe jot nor tittle of their prayse doth or can consistin this particuler And that is most plaine to every mans eye and observation who will take knowledge how the Lord speaketh of th●se that had nothing but wealth to grace them before men and of wealth it selfe considered as severed from saving grace before God wealth hath scarce one good word in all Gods booke but I am sure it hath many bad the odious epithites that are given it of God are such as should worke vs to better consideration of the danger of it Is it not called mammon of jniquity treasure of wickednes vnceartayne riches Doth not Christ compare them to thornes the apostle to snares are they not sayd to be deceitfull and vnrighteous may not the same man be wealthy and wofull too is it not sayd w●e be to you that are rich The Lord Iesus doth not speake of many rich men but of th●se of whome he doth speake either historically or parabolically what heavy things are concluded Of one to wit he in the 12 of Luke in what danger of hell his soule body were when his barnes were to litle to inne his corne Thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule Of another to wit the glutton in the 15 of the same gospell that not a few great ones are in the belly of that gulfe already and laden with the heaviest damnation Of a third namely the young man that was so fayre for heaven what extreame difficulty of getting to heaven doth wealth draw vpon a man nay an absolute jmpossibility where riches and regeneration are severed But now on the other side the divine commodities of this celestiall commerce doth get vs a glorious name and state with the Lord and he is glorifyed by them in vs both we are honoured by him and soe is he by us through these things Who are magnifyed or esteemed by the Lord but such as in whome Grace did abound and who were rich in the endowments of the holy Ghost as Abraham for faith Moses for meeknes Iob for patience Samuell for integrity David for faithfullnes and many others for many Graces they that were rich in these evcellencyes are the only renowned persons the Lord hath left them a name that shall never dye fame that cannot rott all generations to come shall call them blessed and well they may because now they are in infinite blessednes with the Lord. This our merchandise is that only thing which makes a man both truly blessed on earth and. fully blessed in heaven The Lord doth esteeme soe preciously of these things and of those that have them that the best words that can be given are not too good the things are called Gods owne My grace is sufficient for thee c that we might be partakers of his holynes yea of the divine or Godly nature not in the incommunicable essence but in the communicable effects therof And they that are endued with these things are entituled as most naturall neerest and dearest to him they are not only his freinds as Abraham was both by the Prophet and by the Apostle sayd to be but more his childien yea more then that his spouse yea and more then that too and that which is most of all his very members and to be the least of these is no meane honor but to be all these as every one is that is any of these is glory and happines vnspeakable And this our honour and renowne accrewing to vs is peculiar to vs also and not as the former common to the swyne of the world whether carnall christians or cursed Pagans all that are without as the holy Ghoste vses the phrase are without this honour to be any thing in Gods esteeme whether they be such as are without the christian world and have not soe much as the name of a christian or such as are without Christ being within it have no more but a Christian name Neither of the two can communicate

cup of her fornications But of these merchants of God it shal be sayd yea it is already sayd jrrevocably recorded too that they shal be kings in heaven every merchant of wisdome shall be called GREAT in the kingdome of heaven and have glory there with the king of kings for ever and ever The Lord Iesus hath made it sure already by his blood it is not more ceartayne that he is dead shamefully for vs then that we shall liue gloriously with his father through him for by his infamy our honour was purchased he dyed miserably to the end we might live blessedly and was content to come much beneath himself that we might be marveilousy exalted by his extreame abasement It is he that hath of his owne goodnes made vs of naturall men gracious merchants and he it is that will make vs Princes of glory after we have beene merchants in grace proclayming vs both to our selves and others by the proper and peculyar prerogatives of his spirit to be heires apparant vnto that kingdome while we are in this body here below and afterward putting vs into the actuall and eternall possession of the same And what a rare royall and surpassing prerogative this is every man may apprehend it is rare for the world cannot match it royall for it dignifyes a man aboue the worlde surpassing for none els can come neere it We were as was sayd happy while we were getting this merchandise by Prayer and Endeavour and such other good meanes as we have specifyed but all this was but the first fruits the beginning and earnest pennyes of our comforts now to come which are full infinite everlasting and incomprehensible for greatnes for goodnes for durablenes and whatsoever els may any way conduce to make a thing inconceivably comfortable both in it self and vnto vs. While we were here we were but driving this trade and during the time wherin we were either selling our corruption or buying sanctification we now and then mett with some adverse and opposite things our graces could not evermore worke kindely because they were many times encumbred and interrupted Satan the world and our owne corruption were often in our way all or some of these did ever annoy vs doing daily their worst to make the streame muddy to embase these excellencyes and to embitter our sweete proceedings in these happy passages But now we shal be out of the divells the world and our owne sins reach all their gunshot shall not come neere vs but we shall for ever enjoy most quietly the fruit of that which we have gotten Christianly Now shall we be enriched and honoured by him by whome we were employed and set on worke now shall we sit with our fellow Merchants in grace and posessors of glory Abraham Isaac and Iacob all the rest of the most blessed Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and whatsoever other Saints doe concure to make vp that numberlesse number of those who are sayd to be an jnnumerable multitude of just and perfect men and with them all and all the residue of the mysticall members of the most sacred body of Christ shall we see the face and enjoy the presence of our lining God our loving father the king of kings and Lord of Lords and we shall beholde him as he is in the perefection of his essence in the glory of all his excellencyes in the mystery of his persons Then and there shall we be in such a state as we cannot now discover it appeareth not what we shal be saith John that is in particuler perfection of that estate of the boundles and vnlimited extent wherof nature and mortality is no way capable There shall we be as kings to raigne with the Lord the king of saints sitting vpon thrones of glory wearing crownes of jmmortality with Iesus the purchaser of these perfections for vs who hath given and granted to all saints to fit vpon his throne as he sitteth vpon his fathers throne What we have gott here shal be wholy taken vp there I meane of those remayning graces that shall abide for faith hope patience zeale and such like graces as had their proper excercise and principall jmployment either vpon present evill or good to come and not yet posessed shall cease but all those graces that goe into glory with vs shal be jmployed in a most glorious manner vpon the most glorious things that are there as our wisdome and knowledg and loue vpon himself his son and spirit those three blessed and distinct persons every of which is God to be blessed for ever not thrice nor a thousand thousand times blessed but infinitly beyond all millions of blessings and blessednes that the created and finite hart of man comprehend in the vttmost jmaginations therof That one moe glorious essence of those three most glorious persons and that Trinall and most sacred subsistence shall then be the only objects of our wisdome to know them fully loue to affect them perfectly joy to delight in them everlastingly These while we were here among mysts of ignorance were mysteries vnto vs and such secrets vnto our clouded vnderstādings as we could not clearely discerne but we had some glymmering light or weake guesse at them such as the man had whose eyes were in part opened that saw men walking like trees which was a seing very grosse and confused New we see saith the apostle through a glasse darkely and know but in part But when we shal be translated from hence to that celestiall state and station then shall we see face to face and know vs we are knowne yea saith another apostle we shall see him the Lord as he is both in the incomprehensible vnity of his nature and inconceivable trinity of the persons the severall excellencyes of the former and their infinite acts the distinct acts of the latter and their divine effects the FATHERS eternall generation of the SON the SONS eternall sonship or filiation of the father and the proceeding of the holy GHOST eternally from the Father and the Son shall the shyne openly vnto vs and soe shall the power the wisdome the merey the justice all that infinite variety of ineffable goodnes whic hath his residence in the glorious nature of that Being of Beings these shall we see with open face yea as we sayd even now face to face the Lord will no more turne his backe-parts to vs but we shall have full sight of all his glory vnto the brightnes wherof the clearest lustre of the sun is but as fogg and darknes our eyes and vnderstanding shal be free from feeble jmpotency and both made absolute in perfect jmmutable jmmortality to beholde him who hath blessed vs with these heavenly things in heaven The shaddowes of these things which we now reade with astonishment in the booke of God we shall then and there receive and feele with vnvtterable ravishment where the Lord is and where we shall for ever be with him in the highest happines

that the heaven of heavens hath reserved for all the holy and elect Our Lord Christ had a transfiguration on earth vpō mount Tabor wherin his glory was such compared to his ordinary estate which was very meane among mē as that Peter vpon sight of the same so affected with it that he could not contayne the manifestation of his apprehension but must reveale his over-joyed mynde in desiring to make his abode and dwelling there yet Peter was no partaker at all in it but a meere spectator of it he was graced chosen to be one of those that might stand by to beholde it as a witnes but neither he nor any of the rest who had the favour to be admitted thither were more then standers by Now if the sight of such momentany glory as may be seene vpon a mountayne here on earth and wherin one hath hath no part himself but only beholdeth it in another who doth wholy enjoy the same may soe take vp a man beyond himself to make him soe quickly forget and soe willingly forgoe all other things what shall we conceive that heavenly glory and happines will be vnto vs and how shall we apprehend it whenas it is greather then can be manifested on the earth and more glorious vpon our whose soule and body then it was threre vpon Christs humanity we our selves not only beholding his glory which infinitely surpasseth that which was seene here but the glory of the Father and of the holy Ghost also and made glorious partakers of the same glory not which Christ had here in the world but of a farre better even of that which he as himself saith had with his father before the world was Our corruption that darken's vs now will not only not suffer vs to see but doth disable vs vtterly to discerne the lease thought of that honour and happines which jndeede is more then can be thought So that we who are true Christians shall have a more glorious trensfignration in heaven then Christ himself had on earth to be raysed from merchandising in grace to be jnvested into matchles glory with the Lord king of glory Such honour have all his faints even al who doe their best endeavours to honour him sincerely in their bodyes and soules harts and lives This endles joy and the full fruition of all those pleasures which are in fullnes at his right hand for evermore shal be the end of our faith such other graces as wee have gotten Here shall wese not Hench Elias talking with Iesus but Iesus himself talking with vs that is manifesting such gracious familiarity to vs as a father would doe to his dearest childe or a bridegroome to his delightfull and beloved bride there shall we heare those most melodious voyces which mort all tongnes cannot speake nor mortall eares heare vnlesse they be as it were jmmortalized for a feason as were the apostle Pauls who heard things not to be vttered here on the earth when he was wrap't vp into the third heaven and had some taste and appearance of that glory which he doth now posesse in infinite fullnes And this is the last and best thing of this third and last ranke wherein we see that this heavenly trade bring 's vs that blessednes which cannot be brought vnto vs by the most gainefull busines of the whole worlde Thus we have now at length made good that which we promised in the beginning to wit the mayne point we propounded that GODS MERCHANDISE is better then MANS ⸪ which I hope hath abundātly appeared in every of those particulers which we have at large discovered to prove the same Soe that now we stande perswaded convinced therof as of a divine and vndeniable truth The mayne evidence as you may remember did consist of three most noble branches every branch spreading it self into divers admirable advantages which it cannot be amisse for vs breifely and in few words to recall to our memory We have heard that the excellency of this trade aboue yours doth consist as in many soe especially in three things First that it hath NONE of the EVILS which are vsuall in your affayres and therein we have shewed that thereis No Adventure No Bad Debts No Bad Wares No Bad Servants Secondly that it hath all the GOOD THINGS that yours hath with the advantage of a better measure of them then can be had in yours and here we have shewed that there are evermore Good Sales Excellent Exchanges and The Best Barters Thirdly that it hath some GOOD THINGS PROPER to it self which are beyond all possibility for your trade to partake in and here we have shewed that All our busines is in one place with one party about one commodity All we trade with and all we trade for is freely given vs. All is absolutely good without any evill The best benefit of this trade come's when we have one trading Every of these passages one by one in their due order have beene playnely discovered and handled in our hearing to the end we might well throughly know the odds betweene a heavenly and an earthly commerce betweene a civill and a celestiall course of traffike And now my Christian beloved and deare bretheren after whose eternall enriching my soule doth long from the very hart roote in Christ Iesus seing foe it is as we have seene that there is A TRADE soe surpassing this of yours A trade that hath Noe evill in it wheras yours hath much All good in it that yours hath and more Yea some Good things that yours cannot have What say your soules now to these things which we have sayd bethinke your selves throughly and call in all your jnmost thoughts to the most serious harty consideration of what you have now heard that you may make such an answer as suits with Christanity and may both have approbation with God and bring consolation to you I say what say your soules consciences myndes willes affections harts here vnto summon them all joyntly and severally to give answer to that God who will either presently appose you in merey to make you soe more then ever you have done or let you alone till heareafter at his day of appearance in justice to condemne you for ever and ever for that which you should have done If there be a better trade then that which you are bufied in if a more and much more yea and a soe much more beneficiall busines may be founde will you not be affected toward it and fall to it were there but some odds of advantage betweene our present temporall employment we follow and some other that a freind had given vs notice off it would be censured for egregious sillynes yea for grosse folly in vs if we did not forthwith betake our selves vnto it and lay by that we have to get better And shall others condemne vs in this latter and not we condemne our selves in that former case wherin we may be more happy then

litle kil'd experienced in the same seing that by this admirable vnity it becomes soe exceeding easy What hath the Lord made it but one in all respects and reduced all those infinite and innumerable dutyes into so narrow a roome and compasse and made it soe compleat in excellency and advantage and shall we be ignorant and vnseene in it and noe-body at it Is this one thing our only good by which we are blessed for ever and ever and shall we be such sotts and jdiots as not to vnderstand our owne good therin Shall either Satan foe sednee vs or the world soe be witch vs as that we should neglect this one God from whome we have all good and soe give him cause at his great and dreadfull day to vpbrayd vs before his owne face to our confusion that in a world of variety and multiplicity of base earthy corruptible and temporary trash whole worldes whereof could never bring vs any true good we were soe wel instructed and experienced that we could both say and doe much and that to this our best and most blessed busines wherein the Lord gayne's infinite glory by vs we gayne infinite comfort by him we should be such strangers as to have no skill in it or accquaintaince with it which might either enable our selves or by vs encourage others to bend their best endeavours toward the same What flesh can stand vnder this accusation in the fearfull presence of the living God who can answer it vnto him surely none and if we let it alone till that day there is but one way for vs and that is this that those who are then convinced of it must be sure to be eternally condemned for it Let vs then deare Christians confider seasonably and seriously of it even while it is day and we may worke before that blacknes of darknes come wherin none can worke that we may while we have time honour him who el's if we overpasse our opportunity will honour himself in our woe beyond all time Let vs not thinke it a small kindnes that all our comforts are soe closely folded together in this one particuler What may we jmagine thinke yee was David reason to chuse the last of the three miserable and heavy punishments that were propounded vnto him It was indeede a wonderfull and a wofull straight he was put vnto the choyse was hard betweene famine sword and pestilence the three lashes of Gods whip with one of those he must smart and seing all three cannot be avoyded but one must be endured he resolves vpon the pestilence to vndergoe that that one of the three he chuses why soe note his reason because in this he should fall into the hands of God not of men this was it in either of the other two he was to have to doe with to wit with God and men too we may jmagine in case of famine how the people of the land would have flowed about him for bread in the sword the enemy would have swarmed about him the people for blood he should have had his hands full had he had to doe with either of these but now in the Pestilence which he did chose doe with none but the Lord alone all his busines lay in one place with one party and in one particuler he had nothing to doe with any man but with the Lord of heaven and none but he in this point and was not this good husbandry to cast and contrive his busines soe neere together Is not this written for our instruction and practise that we should goe and learne to doe likewise and if he did it as the best in case of such calamity and bitternes how much better would it become vs in this particuler of our comfort and advantage to endeavour the same Set we our selves then towards this employment seing it is soe couched to our hands let vs shame and blame ourselves that we are soe weakely seene into it It would be most grosse in our eye and that which we would not put vp or endure at our inferiours hāds that if we should tendering their weaknes and inability vse all our vnderstanding to contract their busines as neerely and narrowly as were possible for their better and easier dispatch of the same and soe summe it vp and abridge it that all they had doe were to goe but to one place to speake with one man and about one thing and if herein they should be soe exceeding carelesse as that we should vpon our enquiry finde this our one and only busines so neglected that it is either ill done or not done how righteously might we repreove yea and punish such insufferable negligence By themselves in this ease may all mē measure the Lord in the other how he will deale with those whose delinquence were so egregious that his wisdome and love should be soe monstrously abused that he entrusting vs but in this one matter we should be found guilty of soe foule neglect before him Either this will breede more diligence in vs Note or bring more damnation to vs. And this is the first peculiar and singuler benefit of this last ranke which this our heavenly merchandise hath and yours hath not that whereas yours requires many things to be done with many persons in many places and cannot be brought into closer bounds this is thus happily abstracted into one place with one party and all that is to be done is to gayne one commodity Now we are to set forward toward a second favour of the same kinde and it is nothing inferiour but much about the former and that is this That he with whome we trade doth GIVE vs ALL we TRADE FOR yea and ALL wee TRADE WITH The Stock we trade with the Merchandise we trade for yea and the Knowledg and vnderstanding that any man hath to vse this stock to attaine that merchandise is all freely given vs of the Lord. He findes vs as it were money to trade with and commodity to trade for and give 's vs vnderstanding to compasse the one with the other that we may prosper in both It is most true yea it is too true that of our selves we have nothing the more shame is it for vs to say it considering how we were once enriched with all fullnes and fittnes vnto this busines and are now miserable naked having no wit to order our trade no stock to drive it no advantage to live by it none of all this growe's in our nature now we are bereft and become barren of every of these and cannot furnish ourselves with one myte of money or one farthings worth of commodity to begin with-all And as true is it also that the Lord who is Lord over all and rich vnto all that he hath endowed vs once againe with all these necessaryes whereby we may recover our selves in Iesus Christ to be once more enriched and evermore more and more encreased in our best estate ooke what is any way