like the sweeping out of dust and rags out of an house when it is to be inhabited Christ will not take possession of the soul till vile lusts and worthless affections are purged out not by way of purchase of him but by way of preparation for him And this is one of the easiest purchases in the world to let go dirt {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and to receive gold 3. A wise merchant though he will make his purchase as easie as he can will yet in a rare commodity bid home and not stick at a finall difference and so doth a wise Christian knowing the unsearchable riches of Christ never sticks at any abatement Many men bid much proceed far Herod doth many things Agrippa is almost a Christian hypocrites will part with thousands of rams rivers of oil there first borne Mic. 6.7 but when the child comes to the very birth they stay in the place of the breaking forth of children Hos. 13.13 when it comes to this issue they must shake hands for ever with their darling and beloved lust Herod with Herodias the young man with his worldly love the Iew with his legal righteousness the Greek with his carnal wisdome nay saith the hypocrite be the Iewel never so rich I resolve to keep this green glasse or this wooden platter something of mine own here Christ and the soul part and they who came running unto him go sorrowing from him whereas wise Christians consult not with flesh and blood but go through with the bargain Let me haue Christ though I have nothing but him 4. A wise Merchant doth husband time and opportunity for his best advantage takes the right season for his voyage and commodity that he may returne with the more speed and profit As t is observed of the Philosopher that foreseeing a plentiful yeare of Olives he rented many Olive-yards and by that demonstrated that a learned man if he would aime at worldly gain could easily be a rich man too It is noted as an excellent part of wisdom to know and to manage time Cujus unius avaritia honesta est as Seneca speaks Esther 1.13 1 Chro. 12.32 Eph. 5.15 17. The Rabbi said Nemo est cui non sit horasua every man hath his hour he who overslips that season may never meet with the like again If thou hadest known in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace Luke 19.42 The Scripture insists much upon a day of grace and calls upon us to work before the night come 2 Cor. 6.2 Hebr. 3.15 Ioh. 12.35 The Lord reckons the times which pass over us and puts them upon our account These three yeares I come seeking fruit and I finde none Luk. 13.7 I gave her space to repent and she repented not Rev. 2.21 22. from the 13. yeare to the 25. year I have spoken unto you saith the Prophet Ier. 25.3 therefore we should learne to improve them and with the impotent persons at the pool of Bethesda to step in when the Angel stirs the water Now the Church is afflicted it is a season of prayer and learning heare the rod learn righteousness Mic. 6.9 Isai 26.8 9. Psal. 94.12 Now the Church is enlarged it is a season of praise This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad therein Psal. 118.24 I am now at an Ordinance I will hear what God will say now in the company of a learned and wise man I will draw some knowledge and councel from him I am under temptation now is a fit time to lean on the Name of the Lord Isai. 50.10 I am in place of dignity and power Let me consider what it is that God requireth of me in such a time as this Esth. 4.14 As the tree of life bringeth fruit every moneth Rev. 22.2 so a wise Christian as a wise husbandman hath his distinct imployments for every moneth bringing forth his fruit in its season Psa. 1.3 5. In a great City one merchant having one commodity and another another they do mutually interchange them for the inriching of one another So in the City of God one hath the spirit of wisdom another of knowledge one excelent at opening scripture another at stating questions another at resolving cases another at exhortation and Christian conference and wise Christians should improve all advantages of this kinde unto their mutual enrichment 6. A wise merchant hath constant intelligence and returns to and from the Country where his trade lies is not without a factor there to manage his affairs so should the christian marchant his trade is in heaven phil. 3.20 thither should he continually send and return the commodities of that kingdome The Lord Iesus is the Agent of his Church there to transact their affairs for them we should keep constant intelligence with him pour out our desires into his bosome and wait for the answer which he will send Prayer and praises are the Vessels in which we send to heaven faith meditation study of the Scriptures attendance of the Ministry vessels by which we hear from heaven He shall receive of mine saith our Saviour of the holy Spirit and shall shew it unto you Joh. 16 14. This intercourse we must keep continually open and unobstructed that Christ may daily hear from us and we daily receive from him that so we may be filled with all the fulness of God and may have all the storehouses of the soul replenished from heaven with all abundance of necessary graces comforts 7 A wise merchant doth provide for losses and yet though he venture much will assure the main so should we resolve before hand upon many troubles in the way to heaven sit down and consider the cost of our holy profession Luke 14.26 28. the ship wherein Christ is is not secured from a storm His crown of thorns went before his crown of glory and so must ours there is a sea and a wilderness between Egypt and Canaan through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But this is our comfort That there is an assurance-office wherein all our losses will be repaired an hundred fold and that upon Gods own security whereof we have a record Marck 10.29 30. Verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this life house and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecution as comforts supports incouragements in the midst of his persecutions and in the world to come eternal life There is no aged Christian but will love us in such a case with the love of a father no young Christian but will reverence us with the love of a son no fellow Christian but will tender us with the love of a brother every good mans house and heart shall be open unto
can prefer you unto greater happines if he have an immarcescible crown an eternall kingdome to bestow vpon you if he have shed any blood laid down any life to purchase blessedness for you I am willing where your gain is greatest there your trade and service be directed But if my wages be much better then his and my love much greater then his and my right in you and authority over you much more then his not onely for love and duty to me but for your own sakes limit and confine your negotiations there where your own advantages will be more abundant and your own comforts more durable and glorious We see Christ allows us to eye our own profit in his service In what sense we may or may not this do may be briefly thus resolved 1. We may not respect profit or advantage as the ultimate end of our obedience Gods glory being simply the supream of Ends in it self should accordingly be so unto us Our greatest aim in bringing forth fruit should be that God may be honoured Joh 15.8 that whether we live we may live to him or whether we die we may die to him Rom. 14.7 8.9 All things are of him and for him therefore all things must be to him likewise Rom. 11.36 2. We must not respect profit and reward as the onely reason of our obedience without which we would not do God any service at all for this would be a meer mercenary and servile consideration The chief reasons of obedience are our subjection to Gods authority over us because he is the Lord our faith love and thankfulness for his Covenant of grace because he is our God These two are joyned in the Preface to the Decalogue I am the Lord thy God 3. We may not respect profit and reward as the fruit of any merit in our services when we have done all we can we are but unprofitable servants unto God and therefore he might justly make our services unprofitable to our selves It is matter of comfort it is not matter of boasting we may rejoyce that there is profit in serving of God but we may not glory of it as any naturall or necessary consequent of our services for Grace doth exclude boasting Eph. 2.8 and the reward is of grace and mercy not of debt Rom 4.4 5. and 11.6 Psal. 26. 12. Exod. 20.6 But then we may look on the reward and profit of obedience 1. As a secondary end under the glory of God so the Apostle calleth salvation the end of our faith 1 Pet. 1.9 Our love to God though it be above our love to our selves yet doth not exclude it so our seeking of Gods glory though it be above all other ends yet it doth not exclude the seeking of our own happiness yet God hath been pleased so graciously to twist and as it were interweave and concorporate these together that no man can truly aim at the glory of God but he doth eo ipsâ— promote his own salvation neither doth any man sincerely seek his own salvation but the Lord esteemeth himself therein glorified by him 2. As a manifestation of Gods bounty who when he might require homage of us as our Lord by the tie of our natural subjecton unto him is pleased out of free grace to propose further rewards making our services as well matter of profit to our selves as of praise and glory unto him faith looketh upon God as a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 as a God that not onely is good but doth good Psal. 1â—9 68 as a God whose power and mercy is herein declared in that he rendreth unto every man according to his work Psa. 62.11 12 3. As matter of encouragement to run with patience the race that is set before us to animate us against all the difficulties dangers temptations and variety of disheartnings which through the subtlety and malice of Satan we are sure to meet with in Gods service The Hope of ensuing glory doth work resolutions in God servants to purifie themselves that so being like unto Christ in holiness they may thereby be Prepared to be like unto him in glory 1 Ioh. 3.3 The crowne of righteousenss kept up the resolution of the Apostle himself to fight the good fight of faith to run his race to finish his course to keep the faith 2 Tim 4.7 8. Thus a Christian is allowed by his Lord to do his masters work with some eye and intuition of his own gain But then as the Apostle saith If a man strive for masteries he is not crowned except he strive lawfully So If a man contend for gain he shall never overtake it except he contend lawfully Our Saviour here hath excluded one way and that a broad one where in multitudes weary themselves for this Prize What shall it profit a man if he win the whole world And secondly intimateth the true though a more narrow and private way viz. to prosecuâ—e the interest of our precious souls Let us consider them both First worldly love is inconsistent with true â—hristian gain upon many accounts 1. It is vast and insatiable like the horseleech which cries Gâ—ve give like fire and the grave which never sayes it is enough Prov 30.15.16 Lust is infinite there is no end of its labour Eccles. 4.8 It reacheth at all therefore the Apostle calleth it not onely love of the things of the world but love of the world Love not the world neither the things that are in the world 1 John 2 15. A covetous heart grasps at the whole world would fain be master of all and dwell alone like a Wen in the body which draws all to it self let it have never so much it will still reach after more adds house to house and field to field Isai. 5.8 keeps not at home cannot be satisfied inlargeth gathereth heapeth increaseth loadeth it self with thick clay Habac. 2.5 6. The very Heathen have complained of this endless and unbounded reach of corupt desires {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ex libidine orta sine termino sunt Lust hath no bound no measure like a bladder it swells wider and wider the more of this empty world is put into it Like a breach of the sea which hath no internal bounds to contain it self in sternit agros sternit sata laeta boumque labores The Countryman in the Fable would needs stay till the River was run all away and then go over dry but the River did run on still Such are inordinate worldly desires the deceitful heart promiseth to see them run over and gone when they are attained unto such a measure and then they are stronger and wider more impotent and unruly then before modus modus non habet modum for as natural so sinful motions the further they proceed are usually the stronger Now God having so odered the world as that no man can have it all to him self it is divided and bounded to several
shall finde it The way to attain life eternal is to lay down a mortal life when the glory of Christ and his service calleth us thereunto 2. Another great scandall of the Cross is that it strips us of the world and the comforts and delights thereof this is removed v. 26. Admit a man could not onely escape the Cross by forsaking Christ but exchange him away for all the world and make himself master of all the comforts which a confluence of all worldy dominions could pour into his bosome yet if after all this he must die and lose his soul and that for ever without possibility of recovery he would in the issue finde it but an unprofitable bargain 3 The last scandal of the Cross is the Ignominy and shame of it In which respect Christ is said to have taken unto him the form of a servant Phil. 2.7 because the death of the Cross was servile supplicium as the Historian calleth it and to have despised the shame Heb. 12.2 and this is reomoved v. 27. The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shal reward every man according to his works As he though he were put to shame on the Crosse was yet after exalted unto glory and sat downe on a throne Hebr. 12.2 so with the same glory he will reward those that suffer shame for him and their reward shall be according to their works the measure of there glory answerable to the greatness of their shame and sufferings Of which having according to his promise v. 28. given a short but most ravishing tast unto some of them in his transfiguration they afterwards esteemed it a great honour that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Act. 5.41 The words of the Text contain the removal of the second great scandal which the Disciples might be apt to take at this doctrine of selfe denial They hoped as it may seem to be great men in the world and to enjoy the liberties and honours thereof and now they are told that they must leave all to follow Christ And least they should be offended he assures them that if they should do otherwise and for love of the world should forsake him 1. They would lose their souls which is better to them then all the rest of the world 2. Having lost them they would finde nothing in all the world able to redeem and recover them again The words are set down by way of Interrogation intimating a more vehement Negation What shall it profit That is It shall not at all profit It carrieth a kinde of universal concession and unquestionable truth in it which no man can deny Even they themselves who cast away their souls to gaine the world cannot themselves being Judges but confess that it is an absurd thing to expect profit from any thing when the soul is lost or to prefer all the world above a mans own eternal happiness When a thing is exceeding manifest the Scripture useth io make men themselves whom it would thereby reprove the Iudges of it Iudge in your selves saith the Apostle is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered 1 Cor. 11.13 and the Lord in the Prophet Isa. 5.3.4 O inhabitants of Judah Judge I pray you between me and my vineyard And elsewhere Is it not even thus O ye children of Israel saith the Lord Amos 2.11 So the force of the Interrogation is such a deniall as the heart of him to whom it is made most needs subscribe unto as having nothing to alledge against it And in a plain Position it is this That man who to gain the world doth cast away his soul shall finde no profit in such a gain it will prove like the gain which the Apostle speaks of Acts 27.21 a gaining of nothing but losse and that an irreparable losse which can never be recovered It is dangerous venturing on such an Error in quo non licet bis peccare in which being once involved a man can never get out again Such is the loss of a soule lose it once and it is lost for ever there can no ransome no change be made for it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} nothing can be put in the other scale to weigh with it The Civil Law saies Ingenui hominis nulla est estimatio How much more truly maye we say of the soul Immortalis animae nulla est aestimatio No valuable consideration for a soul but the blood of Christ If we forsake him to gain the world we shall never finde any thing in the world precious enough by the exchange whereof to regaine our souls The words have many particulars couched in them by way both of Supposition and of Position I shal reduce all unto this one Proposition As Christ doth allow his servants to be moved by Considerations of gain in his service so he doth withall assure us That this gaine doth not stand in winning of the world but in saving of the soule That the soul being infinitly more precious then â—ll the world therefore the gaining of the world is nothing but losse where the loss of the soul is the purchase of that gain in asmuch as the world being gained cannot be kept and the soul being lost can never be recovered All men have a merchandise and trade to drive in this world whereon doth depend the issue of their profit or damage therein their principal wisdome is to ballance and poise their gains and losses so as that they may thrive and prosper in this their trade wordly love is a great obstruction unto the true gain which a wise Christian should pursue They who for preserving that do take offence at the crosse of Christ will suffer damage in their souls the love of the world and the love of the soul being inconsistent Since therefore both will not stand together and of the two the soul is much more precious and excellent then the world therefore a wise Christian should have his trade heavenward for the inriching of his soul rather then downward for the possession of the world The branches then to be touched are three 1 The lawfulness of a Christians looking after true gain 2. The inordinateness of worldly love and inconsistency thereof with true Christian gain 3. The preciousness of the soul of man in saving advancing and inriching whereof this true gain doth consist 1. Then Christians may be moved in matters of Religion with arguments drawn ab utili from considerations of profit or disprofit of such good things as are really beneficial and advantagious unto us It is the voice of nature in every man who will shew us any good Psal. 4.6 There is a naturall indigency in us whereby we are constrained to look abroad for foraign supplies of that good which we are wholly insufficient to furnish our selves withall This wicked men look for in ways of sin there are few men that are wicked
gratis but do promise themselves Some benefit by their wickedness If Esau sell his birthright if Balaam curse Gods people if Ieroboam set up Calves if Ahab sell himself to work wickedness If Iudas betray his Master it is all upon a contract and bargain under the intuition of the wages of unrighteousness Si violandum jus regnandi causâ violandum Therefore God is pleased 1 To Dehort men from the wayes of sin by undeceiving them and discovering the unprofitableness and perniciousness of those wayes My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit Jer. 2.11 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Isai. 55 2. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof you are now ashamed Rom. 6.21 The voluptuous sinner promiseth himselfe abundance of delight in his stollen waters let us take our fill of loves let us solace our selves with loves Prov. 7.18 but at last when he hath destroyed his name and gotten a wound and dishonour when he hath destroyed his estate and strangers are filled with his wealth when he hath destroyed his body and given his years to the cruel when he hath destroyed his soul and is gone down to the chambers of death then tell me whether his perfumes of Mirrh Aloes and Cinnamon be not all turned into gall and wormwood The worldling promiseth himself much content in his dishonest gain in fraud oppression circumvention and violence Populus me sibilat at mihi plaudo ipse domi I shall have a brave vineyard saies Ahab I shall have sheep and oxen saies Gehazi I shall never want friends nor contents money answers to All O nummi vos estis fratres But what saies God Thou fool this night shall they take thy soul from thee Thy vineyard O Ahab shall bring forth grapes of gall Thy talents O Gehazi shall purchase thee and thine heirs a leprosie Thy wedge of gold O Achan shall cleave thy soul from thy body Thy thirty pieces of silver O Judas shall be the price of thine own bowels as well as of thy masters blood Treasures of wickedness shall not profit in the day of wrath Prov. 10.2 They that will be rich drown themselves in destruction and perdition and peirce themselves through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6.9 10. The ambitious man promiseth him self much honour and power when he hath arrived at that greatness whereunto he aspireth I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God Isai. 14.15 When I have by plausible compliances gotten the glories of the world I will then please my self as Nebuchadezner did with the view and fruition of so gallant a purchase But what saith the Lord Though thou set thy nest amongst the starâ— thence will I Bring thee down Obad. v. 4. Isai. 26.5 Thou art a man and no God though thou set thine heart as the heart of God Ezek. 28.2 O Nebuchâ—dnezzar in stead of the majesty of a Prince thou shalt have the misery of a beast Thy feasting O Belshazzar shall be turned into mourning thy pride into terrors thou shalt be drunk not with wine but with astonishment and thy joynts shall stagger one against another Thus do men sell themselves to sin for hopes of gain and thus miserably are they cheated in the bargain the Devil dealing with them as some say he doth with Witches giving them leaves of trees in the shape of gold and silver so that in the conclusion it appears that they did indeed sell themselves for just nothing Isai. 52.3 2. By the same argument God is pleased to vindicate the ways of godliness from the prejudice which wicked men have against them as if they were unprofitable What is the Almighty that we should serve him what profit should we have if we pray unto him Job 21.15 Ye have said It is vaine to serve God what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances Mal. 3.14.5 To take off this Objection God assures his people That his wayes do good to those that walk uprightly Mic. 2.7 That his people do not seek his face in vain Isai. 45.19 That he is not a wilderness unto them Jer. 2.31 That godliness is great gain and Profitable unto all things 1 Tim. 4.8 and 6.6 That he who soweth righteousness shall have a sure reward Prov. 11.18 That in keeping of his commandments there is great reward Psal. 19.11 And he is pleased to animate his servants against the hardship of their Christian warfare against externall difficulties and internal faintings by setting before them exceeding great and precious promises Having these promises let us cleanse our selves and perfect holiness 2 Cor. 7.1 Ye have need of patience that when ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise Heb. 10.36 Be not weary of wel-doing in due time ye shall reape if ye faint not Gal. 6.9 When ye are reviled and persecuted rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward Mat. 5.11 By this consideration not only Moses and Paul Heb. 11.25.26 Phil. 3.4 but the Lord Jesus himself for the joy which was set before him endured the Cross and dispised the shame Heb. 12.2 Now here in is the mercy of God greatly commended unto us that when he might use no other argument to enforce obedience then his own soveraign authority over us is pleased to incourage us by our own benefit The chief reason of obedience saith Tertullian is the authority of the Lord not the utility of the servant He made all things for himself and might have looked no farther then his own glory we do so with the creatures which serve us we labour our Oxen and then we destroy them first we make them drudge and then we make them die But God is pleased to encourage us unto duties by our self-self-love commands us to fear him for our own good Deut 6.24 sets the blessing of obedience and the curse of disobedience before our eyes Deut. 11.26 28. The work of Christianity is a difficult work there are many enemies many temptations Satan and and the world resist us without corruption wrestles and rebels within But here is the comfort Gods servants work for a Master that remembers all who looks to their profit as well as to his own honour who keeps a book for our prayers a bottle for our tears a register for them that fear him Mal. 3.16 a memorial of but a cup of cold water given to a Prophet as a Prophet This is encouragement indeed unto Gods service Christ is willing to put it to this issue Though I have a right and power over you which Satan hath not I made you I bought you he never had title unto you either by dominion or purchase as I have But I shall wish you to look to your own interest see which service is most advantagious to your selves mine or his If he can make you more precious promises if he
men and nations Deut. 32.8 and man may not remove the landmarks which God hath set nor affect a Monopoly where the Lord hath made a community this insatiable desire of wordly gain can never be replenished and so being unattainable the labour which is spent about it must needs be ungaineful and disappoint the expectations which were built thereupon 2. It is exceeding disproportionable to the spiritual and immortal condition of the heart of man whatever is in the world is material carnal mortal It can benefit the outward and the natural man But to look for peace of Conscience joy in the holy Ghost inward and durable comfort in any thing which the world affords is to seek a treasure in a cole pit If you go to the creature to make you happy the earth will tell you that Blessedness grows not in the furrows of the field the sea that it is not in the treasures of the deep cattel will say it is not on our backs Crowns will say it is too precious a gem to be found with us we can adorne the head but we cannot satisfie the heart Solomon who made a critical inquiry after this point gives this in as the ultimate extraction from the creatures vanity of vanities all is vanity We have all great experience how loose the world hangs about us Life it self is a bubble and is sudenly gone but besides that finall separation God hath a thousand ways to part us from this darling fire burnes it water drowns it a sword cuts it off sickness takes away the savour of it A prodigall son an un faithfull servant an ill debtor a suit of law a world of the like accidents may deprive us of it Now no man will dote on a false friend or care for a false title or set his affection on any thing that is false Why then should we love a false world Or set our eyes on that which is not as the Wise-man speaks Prov. 23.5 Why should we with Martha so much trouble our selves about the world and leave Maries unum necessarium wholly neglected Like the man in Plutarch who went to the Physitians to cure a sore finger when in the mean time his lungs were putrified and he took no care of them 3. It is exceeding injurious both to God and our selves 1. To God It sets up the world in his room is enmity against him Jam. 4.4 is inconsistent with the love of him 1 Joh. 2.15 16. Estrangeth the soul wholly from him steals away the love of the heart and ingrosseth it unto it self As the shadow of the earth makes night in the air so doth the love of it in the heart when as Solomon speaks the world is in it Eccles. 3.11 It goes along with a man sleeps with him wakes with him goes to meat goes to Church with him When it flows not in O how he carks and cares murmurs and repines whines and distrusts God If it abound how doth he hug and graspe it and fill his soul with no other comfort Talk of spiritual things faith hope love repentance new obedience judgement to come he is sick of such discourse puts you off as Felix did Paul to another time but speak of a rich bargain of a goodly purchase of a stately manner of a gallant prize you leade him in to a paradise such a one as it is he saies with Peter It is good being here let us build tabernacles It choaks the seed of the word in the soul turns the house of God into a place of merchandise yea it will cause men to erre from the faith to know no godliness but gain to take up religion as it is more or lesse in fashion and advantagious as the Samaritans would be Jewes when the Jews prospered and when they were down would help to persecute them It will warp the Conscience and corrupt the judgment and make Religion it self to serve turns and to be subordinate to secular interests 2. To a mans self 1. It is unnatural for nature hath set a commensurateness between objects end faculties It is a miserable degrading of a reasonable soul to grope for happiness on the backs of sheep on the furrows of the field to fish for it in ponds or to hunt for it in parks or to trade for it in ships or to think to bring it home on the bunches of Camels It cost more to redeem a soul and it must cost more to attain that redemption Christ the heir of all things who could have commanded the attendance of all the creatures in the world was pleased to live in a low condition that he might make it appear that eternal life hath not the least cognation or dependance on worldly wealth either in his procuring it for us or in our deriving it from him What an unnatural and incongruous thing would it be for Angels to turn worldlings and reasonable souls have the self-same blessedness to look after as Angels have 2. It is unnecessary for had one man all the world he could have no more out of it himself then one back and one belly and the exigences of one person did require whatever is more he doth but behold with his eyes Ecles. 5.11 God is said to give us all things richly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6.8 17. He that hath sufficient to answer the necessity and decency of his estate is therefore said to have all because he hath as full a supply as unto those purposes all the world could make him A little which the righteous hath is better then the riches of many wicked Psal. 37.16 Iacob was not so wealthy a man as Esau yet Iacob said I have all Esau said I have much Jacobs little was all Esaus more was but much Gen. 33.9.11 3. It is a disquieting thing Disquiets in the possessing Riches are compared to thorns Mat. 13.21 a man cannot hug them without being pierced by them 1 Tim 6.10 Disquiets in the parting there is sorrow and wrath in his sickness Eccles. 5.17 What a torment is it to flay off the skin of a man alive Now the soul by inordinate love doth cleave closer to the world then the skin to the flesh and therfore is not torn from it without great paine It is the saddest summons in the world to a rich fool Thou hast heaped up for many years but within a few houres the cold armes of death shall graspe thee and carry thee to Gods tribunal O what can riches or multitudes of riches do a man good in that day of wrath If a Prince had a stone in his bladder too big to be removed all the Jewels of his crown could not purchase him a recovery What then can treasures avail against worm gnawing in the Conscience I shall conclude this Point with these limitatitions 1. We may use the world and with diligent labour procure the things which we need 1 Cor. 7.31 2. We may imploy our heads as well as our hands for labour
us Who so ever doth the will of God will be our brother and sister and mother as our Saviour speaks Mat. 12.50 8. The wisest Merchants must live by faith and deale much in credit waiting long for a good return out of remote Countries as the Husbandman ploweth in hope and soweth in teares 1 Cor. 9. 10. Psal. 126.5 having Gods promise that there shall be harvest Gen. 8.22 So the Merchant trafficketh in hope to enjoy that which the Prophet calles the Harvest of the River Isai. 23.3 Such is the life of a true Christian he doth not estimate his wealth by the things in his own possession but lives by faith reckons upon a great stock going in another country is richer in obligations and promises then he is in present graces There is a mutuall trust between God and him 1. He takes upon trust receives from God many talents of time health wealth power wisdome learning grace precepts and improves them to his Masters service Matth. 25.16 17. 1 Tim. 6.20.2 He gives upon Trust lends to the Lord Prov. 19.17 dedicates his merchandise to the Lord Isai. 23.18 Trusts God with his Name and Innocency as Ioseph did as Christ did 1. Pet. 2.23 with his life and interests as David did Psal. 31.3 15. 1 Sam. 30.6 with his children as Iacob did Gen. 43.13 14. with his soul as Paul did 2 Tim. 1.12 He is not anxiously solicitous how to escape this danger how to repaire this losse how to advance this gain how to recover the hundred Talents he knowes that God is a Father full of love an heavenly Father full of power an omniscient Father full of providence if his eye see our wants and his heart pitty them and his treasures abound towards them how can his hand forbear to supply them Lastly a wise Merchant is very exact in his Books of account Preserving a distinct knowledge of his gains and losses his improvements or decayes Such is the care of a wise Christian to acquaint himself with his spiritual estate to make his calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 to prove whether he be in the faith 1 Cor. 1â— 5 to examine how hissoul prospers to preserve his peace of Conscience and interest in the love of God He shall never have overmuch work to do who is daily doing something There is something in it that the Laver of Brass is said to have been made of looking glasses Exod. 38.8 seeing of our faces and acquaintance with our estates is a good preparation to the cleansing of our selves I thought in my wayes and turned saith David Psal. 119.59 Let us search and try our wayes and turn to the Lord our God saith the Church Law 40. To conclude all The life of a merchant in order unto gain stands in these four things In wisdome and forecast to contrive in labour to transact business in patience to wait and in thriftiness to preserve what his labours gain So our Christian Merchant labours 1. For that wisdome which is unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 which is the foundation of all duties Col. 1.9 10 considers the field wherein the treasure is and buyes it Prov 31.16.2 He prosecutes the dictates of spiritual wisdom with a work of faith and labour of love It is not empty wishings and velleities yawning drowsie desires that can make a merchant or a christian rich much pains must be taken with an evill heart with a sluggish spirit with a stubborn will with impotent passions with strong lusts with active enemies 3. He endures with patince gives not over the trade of Piety if his expectations be not presently answered but by patient continuance in well doing comes to glory and honour at the last Rom. 2.7 Heb. 10.37.4 He hides the word in his heart stores up precepts promises examples experiments what with wisdome labor and patience he hath gotten he doth with all care and diligence preserve that he may go forward and not backward in his holy Profession FINIS a 2 John v. 8. b Psal. 19.11 c Prov. 11.18 d Heb. 13.14 e Heb. 11.10 f Prov. 23.5 g Prov. 8.18 h 1 Cor. 7.31 i 2 Cor. 4.17 1 Pet. 1.4 k Psal. 49.17 l John 14.16 m Rev. 14.13 n Eph. 2.19 o Phil. 3.20 p Eccles. 1.4 Pluribus persuasio inerat antiquis sacerdotum literis contineri eo ipso tempore fore ut valesceret orient profectique Iudea rerum potirentur Quae ambages Vespasianum Titum praedixerant Annal. l. 5. Liv. Tacit. vid. Casaub. ad Sucton Aug. c. 67. in Baron Exercit. 16. c. 77. Lips de cruce Appian de Bell. Civ. l. 3 Sucton in Galba c. 9. Homer Iliad l. 10. Digest l. 9. tit. 1. leg. 3. de Reg. juris l. 106. Nec quisquam tantum à naturali lege descivit hominem exuit ut animi causâ malus fit Senec. de Beneâ— l. 4 c. 17. Omnia serviliter pro dominatione Tacit. hist. 1. Prior est Auteritas imperantis quam utilitas servientis Tertul. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Marc. Antotonin l. 4. se 23 Vita bâ—uâ— nostra nibil aliud est quam Dâ—i gratitia vita aterna quae bonae vita redditur Dei gratia est ipsa graiis datur quia gratis daeâ—a est illa cui datur c. Aug. de Grat. lib. Arb. c. 8. Provinciarum nominibus agros colit sub singulis villicis latiores habet fines quam quos consules fortiebantur Sen. de ira l. 1. c. ult. Aristot. Seneca Rusticus expect at dum de fluat amnis at ille labitur labetur Plutarch {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ioseph Antiq. l. 12. c. 3. 7. Alexis apud Athenaeum l. 10. Diog. Laert. in Thaletâ— Arist. Ethic. lib. 6. â— 7. Diogen Laert. in Socrat. Plin. Epist. Diogen Laert. in Thalete Pirk Aboth