therefore Peter said unto him They money perish with thee because thou hast thought the gift of God may be purchased with mony c. Act. 8. 18 21 22 23. But now this is the promise that Wisdome hath promised the simple ones who love their simplicity and scorners that delight in scorning and fooles that hate knowledge that in turning at her reproofs she will poure out her Spirit unto them and saith Behold consider and mark this for this is a wonderfull inriching gift of God Prov. 1. 20 23. This Spirit is given by Wisdome it is upon and resteth upon Christ Jesus even the spirit of wisdome and understanding and it is given as a spirit of Wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of Christ Isay 11. 2 3. with Ephes 1. 17 18. and by this spirit wisdome doth make knowne her words Prov. 1. 23. and therethorow glorify herselfe for it is the work of his spirit to beare witness of Christ to glorify him and take of his things and shew unto us that we might run unto him and that our hearts might be enamoured on him and united unto him and reioyce in him Joh. 15. 26. and 16. 14. and thorow his glorifying Christ and shewing unto men the excellency and preciousness of the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus this holy spirit doth quicken them to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead who by the grace of God tasted death for every man it is the spirit that quickneth 1 Petr. 1. 3. with Joh. 6. 35 63. and this hope in Christ makes not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit for while we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungoodly Rom. 5. 5 6. But thereby we are saved from being weary and fainting in our mindes by reason of any afflictions or adversity we meet withall and from our sins and idolls Rom. 8. 24 25. 1 Joh. 3. 3. and this hope is an anckor of the soule both sure that which will not break and stedfast standing fast in Christ the rock and therefore will not slip or deceive us and which entreth into that within the vail whither the fore-runner is for us entred Jesus made an highpriest after the order of Melchisedec Hebr. 6. 18 20. this spirit of Wisdome is an excellent gift of God it is the spirit of truth to guide into all truth it is the comforter to comfort us in all our tribulations it is the spirit of life to inliven and quicken us it is the spirit of Wisdome to open our blind eyes and still and continually to give Wisdome to the wise It is the spirit of adoption and freedome whereby we cry Abba Father it is the spirit of the feare of the Lord to teach and help us to reverence and stand in awe of God and to depart from iniquity It is the spirit where by we may abound in hope of the mercy of Christ and God in him unto eternall life and therefore it is set downe as that in which all good things are contained compare Matt. 7. 11. with Luk. 11. 13. And it is so excellent in its gifts influences and operations in bearing witness of the blood of Christ and what he is become therethorow and of the water or free love of God commended everlastingly therein 1 Joh. 5. 6. Well may it be said the gain of Wisdome is better then fine gold 3. It gives unto us the favour of God in which is life Psal 30. 5. Yea whose loving kindness is better then life Psal 63. 3. They are loved with peculiar manner of love that love Wisdome Prov. 8. 17. Christs Father will love them and Christ will love them and will manifest himselfe unto them Joh. 14. 21. 23. Prov. 3. 1 4. This is a motive set downe by Wisdome to ingage us to seeke her and an evidence of the blessedness of him that findes her Whoso findeth her Shall obtain favour of the Lord. Prov. 8. 32 35. The Kings favour is toward a wise servant but his wrath is upon him that causeth shame that despiseth Wisdome and is a foole Prov. 14. 35. The favour of God is a wonderfully gainfull profitable and desirable thing and therefore the servants of God have prayed that they might be favoured with the favour he beares unto his people because of the blessed advantage thereof Psalm 106. 4 5. And have intreated that with their whole heart Psal 119. 58. this is infinitely better and more to be desired then the favour of great men and princes for that is deceitfull and it is better and rather to be chosen then silver and gold Prov. 22. 1. In the light of the Kings countenance is life and his favour is as a cloud of the latter raine to refresh and revive and fructify the soule and to make it like a watered garden But how may we be made partakers of it Money will not procure or give it If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned Cant. 8. 7. But this good understanding giveth favour Prov. 13. 15 and it may be had in getting Wisdome and hereby the Holy Ghost evidenceth intimately that the gaine of Wisdome is better then fine gold when he saith How much better is it to get Wisdome then gold and to get understanding rather to be chosen then silver Prov. 16 15 16. O! blessed are the people that know the joyfull sound They shall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance In thy name shall they rejoyce all the day and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted For thou art the glory of their strength and in thy favour our horne shall be exalted Psal 89. 15 17. Many there are that intreat the favour of the prince and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts But he that getteth Wisdome loveth his owne soule he that keepeth understanding shall finde good he shall finde the favour of and fellow ship with God which is as farre above the favour and friendship of the kings and princes of the earth as himselfe is above them unto whom none of the princes or kings of the earth may be likened or compared and before whom all nations are as nothing and they are counted to him less then nothing and vanity Prov. 19. 6 8. and 3. 3 4. Isay 40 15 18. 2. The gaine of Wisdome is better then fine gold because as it gives all things that pertain to life so also it gives all things that pertain to godliness 2 Petr. 1. 3. it is profitable to direct us thereto that we may worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Eccles 10. 10. and that we may be imitators and followers of God as deare children The feare of the Lord is the instruction of Wisdome that which Wisdome instructs us to Prov. 15. 33. it teacheth us to reverence him to
admonisheth us elsewhere to cease from our owne Wisdome Prov. 23. 4. and not to leane to our owne understanding Prov. 3. 5. and to beware of Philosophy and vaine deceit c. Colos 2. 8. and telleth some that their Wisdome and knowledge had perverted them Isay 47. 10. and it is his purpose to destroy the Wisdome of the wise and to bring to nought the understanding of the prudent and them that leane to and rely on it 1 Corinth 1. 19 21. and 2. 6. and those led of God came not with excellency of speech or of Wisdome declaring the testimony of God for the Wisdome of words maketh the cross of Christ of none effect 1 Corinth 2. 1. and 1. 17. this Wisdome is foolishness with God and it is so farre from helping us to understand and know Gods name or his sons name as that it is an hindrance thereto and therefore that we may be wise it is needfull that we become fools and lay aside and cease from our Wisdome and understanding But the Wisdome and understanding here commended to us and that which will render us happy in the injoyment of it is the Wisdome that is from a bove which is first pure then peace able c. Jam. 3. 17. even the Wisdome of God and not that of our owne according to that my son attend unto my Wisdome and bow thine eare unto my understanding Prov. 5. 1. and so hereby is meant and signified to us 1. Jesus Christ the Son of God in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily in whom dwelleth the father and on whom rests the holy Spirit And he is so called 1. As he is the Son of God by divine and eternall generation so where as in one place it is said the Lord by Wisdome founded the earth by understanding hath he establisht the heavens in another it is said he created all things by Jesus Christ Compare Prov. 3. 19. with Ephes 3. 11. Hebr. 1. 2. and of this Wisdome even of Christ in this consideration of him it is said by himselfe the Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his workes of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was when there were no depths I was brought forth when there were no fontaines abounding with water c. Prov. 8. 23 32. 2. And he is so called and may be comfortably viewed by us as Wisdome as he was abased for us and tooke our nature upon him when we had sinned and departed from God and as he was crucified for us and by the grace of God tasted death for every man and is raised againe according to the scriptures so Christ is the Wisdome of God and power of God 1 Corinth 1. 22 24. so when the Apostle saith that he came not with excellency of speech or of Wisdome declaring the testimony of God that the beleivers faith might not stand in the Wisdome of men but in the power of God He addeth howbeit we speak Wisdome among them that are perfect yet not the Wisdome of this world nor of the princes of this world that come to nought But we speak the Wisdome of God in a mystery even the hidden Wisdome which God ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the princes of this world knew for had they knowne they would not have crucified the Lord of glory Where it appeareth that Jesus Christ the Lord of glory is the Wisdome which they preached 1 Corinth 2. 1 8. with 2 Corinth 4. 5. and so this excellent one calls himselfe Wisdome and understanding Prov. 8. 12 14. compare Matth. 23. 34. with Luc. 11. 49. and he is called Wisdome and understanding 1. Because he is the great cleare and comfortable evidence and manifestation of the Wisdome of God here it is brightly discovered and may chearfully be viewed in the cross of Christ Jesus He did by Wisdome make the heavens and give a being to all things and in his workes of creation it may be seen by us but this invention of his is a greater and clearer discovery of his infinite Wisdome and unsearchable understanding For in his first creating us there was nothing contrary to his worke But unto his shewing mercy to us where we were fallen there was somwhat in the way stood cross and contrary his justice which was provoked by us must be satisfied his truth fulfilled his law which we had transgressed must be answered and his wrath appeased our sin must be purged away our death died overcome and abolished and all creatures were insufficient for these things no man could redeeme his brother by any meanes nor give to God a ransome for his owne soule Psal 49. 6 7. righteousness could not come by the law Galat. 2. 21. not could any creature in heaven or earth divise a meanes for the helpfullness of us this Wisdome was hid from the eyes of all living Job 28. 12 22. this passed the understanding of men and Angells Philip. 4. 7. but herein appeared the manifold and unsearchable Wisdome of God who in the exercise thereof hath devised a meanes that his banished should not be utterly expelled from him 2 Sam. 14. 14. Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit 1 Timot. 3. 16. there is hidden and wonderfull Wisdome contained therein that the creatour should become a creature that the word that was God should be made flesh that the everlasting father should thus become a son and the mighty God a child yea that he who was the holy one of God yea holiness it selfe should be made sin for us that God should lay downe his life for us and all this to so gracions an end not to condemne the world but that thorow him the world might besaved here in was admirable and unsearchable Wisdome and here in we may clearely and comfortably see that the creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not nor is weary there is no searching of his understanding that so when we walk in darkness and see no light we might trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon our God Isay 40. 27 29. hence he as our saviour is said to be the onely wise God Jude 25. hence also the Apostle when he had said this is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners persently addes Now unto the king eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour c. 1 Tim. 1. 15 17. Hee hath herein evidenced himselfe to be the alone and onely wise God in finding out such a way for the delivering us from so great a death and curse and from the hand of all our enemies and for the treasuring up all the fullness of forgiveness grace and spirit in Christ that we sinfull creatures of mankind might be brought back to God 2. Christ Jesus is also said to be Wisdome and
understanding because he is become the treasury fountaine and store-house of it he is the beginning the first borne from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence for it hath pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily Colos 1. 18 19. and 2. 9. In him are hid all the treasures of Wisdome and knowledge Colos 2. 3. so he who calleth himselfe Wisdome saith counsell is mine and sound Wisdome I am or have understanding c. Prov. 8. 12 14. Salomon who set in order these Proverbs was a wise man yea in his time Wiser then all men God gave him wisdome and understanding exceeding much and largeness or wideness of heart even as the sand that is on the sea shore 1 King 4. 29 31. but behold a greater then Salomon is here Matth. 12. 42. for he was taught and directed to seek out and set in order these Proverbs by Christ Jesus that one shepherd Eccles 12. 9 11. God hath not given unto him the spirit by measure but hath given all things and so all Wisdome into his hand Joh. 3. 34 35. On him resteth the spirit of the Lord the spirit of Wisdome and understanding the spirit of counsell and might the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord and he is quicke of understanding Isay 11. 1 2 3. and 42. 1. and 61. 1. He knoweth the father and the mind and counsells of the father as is signified in that when John wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the booke of Gods counsells and purposes one of the elders said unto him weep not behold the lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David even the lamb who was slaine and who hath seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God hath prevailed to open the booke and to loose the seven seales thereof and the foure beasts and twenty and foure elders in the new song they sang confess that the lamb which was slaine was worthy to take the book and to open the seales thereof jea and an innumerable company of Angells confirme it and say worthy is the lamb that was slaine to receive Wisdome Revel 5. 1. 5. 9 12 and he is quick of understanding and knowes us and what our needs and wants are and how to supply them he knowes how to teach us sinners to make wise us simple ones to speake a word in due season to the weary to open the eyes of the blind to bring forth the prisoners out of the pit to heale the broken hearted to forgive the guilty wash the polluted and perfect what soever concerneth us And he knowes the plots and designes of our enemies and adversaries and how to disappoint and defeat them that their hands may not performe their enterprizes yea he knowes all things all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe Joh. 21. 17. Hebr. 4. 13 14. and this unsearchable Wisdome and understandidg he hath to improve for our good as the saviour of all men especially of them that beleive and to dispense to us according to our needs and capacities and his willingness to improve it for us and communicate it to us is abundantly evidenced in the great abasement where to he so willingly humbled himselfe for mankind that he might obtaine all things pertaining to life and godliness into himselfe for us Oh! let us rejoice in him and not glory in our owne Wisdome for he is made of God for us Wisdome that according as it is written he that glorieth may glory in the Lord 1 Corinth 1. 29 31. 3. He also in the Object of Wisdome and understanding in knowing whom we may be made truly wise and furnished with sound Wisdome and see and know things for our good so Wisdome many times signifieth the Object of Wisdome or that which is to be knowne and in the understanding where of we shall be rendred wise indeed Prov. 1. 2. and 5. 1. In coming unto and knowing Jesus Christ we may know the father so as to beleive and hope in and love him no man knoweth the father but the son and he to whomsoever the son will reveale him come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy loden ye that run to the wise and prudent and read many bookes and tire your selves herewith and yet meet not with what you seeke for I will give you rest saith our saviour Matth. 11. 25 28. He is the image of the invisible God in seing whom we may see the father also and whosoever cometh unto and followeth him shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life he will shew them the father and give them the knowledge of him and this is life eternall that they know him the onely true God Joh. 8. 12. and 12. 44 46. and 14. 6 10. and 17. 3. Colos 1. 15. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ even the glory of his Wisdome power truth holiness and justice 2 Corinth 4. 4 6. yea and he gives such a gracious and amiable discovery of the father to us that there thorow we might be incouraged to come unto and beleive in him and put our trust under the shadow of his Wings For here in we may see that he is the God of love the God of all grace we may in the cross of Christ see Gods secret will even what his will towards man was when secret this Christ hath revealed God is love charity it selfe he is so essentially and was so towards mankind when they had sinned against and departed from him And in this he hath manifested himselfe to be love and manifested his love to us which was hid in himselfe because he sent his onely begotten son into the World to be the saviour of it 1 Joh. 4. 8 9 10 14 16. Joh. 3. 16. in Christ our saviour appeareth that his will which was secret was good will and not evill will toward mankind Luc. 2. 10 14. Christ hath revealed the father who was hidden from us and reavealed his thoughts and heart and in him we may see that God is light and in him is no darkness at all that God will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 4 6. And in him we may know our selves so as to be humbled and abased in fight of our owne vileness and wretchedness and to loath our selves and have pride hidden from us for saith the Apostle we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and he died for all 2 Corint 5. 14 15. In that Christ died for all by the grace of God herein it appeareth that we were all dead condemned to die and deserved to have died that death which he tasted for every man and
our harvest time I meane to those choice and advantageous opportunites which yet in mercy he is cotinuing to us if we continue in hating knowledge and for such wickedness and then it will be more difficult to seeke Wisdome He may send a famine not of bread or a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord And men may wander from sea to sea and from the north even unto the east and run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and not finde it and in that day the faire virgins and young men who may have too much neglected the present opportunites shall faint for thirst Amos 8. 11 13. Goe then to the Ant thou sluggard consider herways and be wise which having no guide overseer or ruler provides her meat in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest how long wilt thou sleep ô sluggard when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep Yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man Prov. 6. 6 11. and 10. 5. O! if God should send such a famine upon us as we have by our iniquities deserved that we may not then have cause to bewaile it with the Prophet and say the harvest is past the summer ended and we are not saved Jerem. 8. 18 20. 4. Yea God may deprive us of all meanes and leave striving with us or deprive us of capacity that no man can be an instrument of good to us for our manifold and long continued in provocations of him if we should deferre seeking Wisdome till the evill dayes come He is not tied or ingaged to us to wait our leisure or pleasure and though he is rich in mercy and abundant in goodness yet it is dangerous to despise the riches of his goodness forbearance and long suffering Rom. 2. 4 5. his spirit shall not alwayes strive with men Genes 6. 3. and if we should provoke him to leave striving wo will be unto us No man can come to Christ except the father who hath sent Christ draw him Joh. 6. 44. doe we then provoke the Lord to anger are we stronger then he Who ever hardned his heart against him and prospered oh that we may then be admonished to walk while we have the light lest darkness come upon us and while we have the light to believe in the light that we may be the children of the light Joh. 12. 35 36. Nay 2. Suppose thou shouldst live to old age and that then thorow the grace of God that brings salvation to all men thine heart should be turned to the Lord yet it is much better now and the present time is the most excellent opportunity for getting Wisdome because 1. The sooner we apply our hearth to finde and get walk in Wisdome the more truly joyous and comfortable will be our life here in the flesh to be spiritually minded in life and peace Rom. 8. 6. Wisdome is sweet to the soule life to the soule and health to all the flesh it doth good like a medicine Prov. 24. 14. and 3. 21 24. and 4. 20. 21. and whatever afflictions such meet withall as are found in this exercise Whatever troubles they have in the flesh and as to the outward man yet they have a mercy heart and thereby a continuall feast Prov. 19 8. and 15. 13 15. When they have tribulation in the World they have peace in Christ who hath overcome the World and such peace guards their hearts as passeth all understanding Joh. 16. 33. in beleiving God fills them with joy and peace and such joy as astranger intermedleth not with Rom. 15. 13. Prov. 14. 8 10. Yea when they are in heaviness thorow manifold temptations yet beleiving what Christ hath done and the hope set before them and so in Christ They reioyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Petr. 1. 6 8. Whereas the laughter of those fooles that despice Wisdome is but like the crackling of thornes under a pot it makes a great shew but is gone presently it is but for a moment it vanisheth away in an instant All the things men reioyce and trust in besides the name of the Lord and our God Whither they be the more gross lusts of the flesh such as surfetting drunkness uncleaness ease and pleasure or the desires of the mind as covetousness pride the honour of this World the friendships and praise of men Wisdome or our owne workes of righteousness c. they are all but sparkes of our owne kindling they are assoone out as in There is no abiding comfort in them And even in the laughter thereby occasioned the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heaviness Eccles 5. 6. Isay 50. 10. 11. Prov. 14. 13. A dreadfull sound is in their eares many times trouble and anguish takes hold of them in Gods awakenings of them and when they are recovered out of the snare of Satan oh what shame is then upon them for their former evill wayes They were unfruitfull to them while they walked in them and now appeare exceeding shame full to them when they reflect upon them according to that what fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 21. Oh how are they then filled with grife and sorrow both for their owne personall evills and for the injury they have done to others They will then mourne at the last and say how have I hated instruction And mine heart despised reproofe And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor inclined mine eare to them that instructed me I was almost in all evill in the midst of the congregation the great congregation to which the Scriptures in the records of them are vouch safed and amongst which continued read every Sabbath and upon which the name of Christ is called and in the midst of the assembly of the upright that have been taught of God as the truth is in Jesus and love him and without hidden things of dishonesty hold forth the word of life and speak often thereof one to another in their frequent assemblings of themselves together Which aggravates the evill of any that have such advantages to despise Wisdome Prov. 5. 11 13. with Psal 111. 1. but contrariwise the sooner we search for Wisdome and seek for understanding the more comfortable will our lives be here hence that come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the feare of the Lord which is the beginning and instruction of Wisdome What man is he that will love life and see good dayes keep thy tongue from evill and thy lips from speaking guile depart from evill and doe good seek peace and pursue it for the eyes of the Lord are upon the richteous c. Psal 34. 11 15. with 1 Petr. 3. 9 14. 2. And the earlier we seek Wisdome it will probably tend to more happiness or
and 8. 33. and 19. 2. 2. There is diligence and industry especially of the soule to be used and exercised that we may get and be made partakers of it to wit an exercising our selves in the law of the Lord day and night as is said of the vertuous and wise Woman she girdeth her loines with strength and strengthneth her armes when she perceiveth her Merchandise is good her candle goeth not out by night Prov. 31. 17 18. so there is requisite hereto and contained herein a diligent seeking and serious searching for and earnest drawing out this sound Wisdome and a safe laying it up and keeping it when we have found it and thereto reading and searching the Scriptures of truth meditating therein praying unto God to open our eyes and give us Wisdome and as we finde his words to eat them that they may be the joy and reioycing of our hearts Matth. 13. 45. Joh. 6. 27. Matth. 6. 33. Prov. 8. 17 18. 2. Now this spirituall exercise may be called and compared to Merchandise 1. To signify to us that this excellent commodity of Wisdome and understanding is not in our selves as is before noted we must seeke it elsewhere even without us in Christ Jesus as declared to us in the gospell As those things that merchants seek after they have them not of their owne but the merchants ships bring their commodites from a farre Prov. 31. 14. so this Wisdome is above and farre of from us and the tidings of it is good newes from a farre countrey Prov. 25. 25. in us that is in our flesh dwelleth no good thing we have no sound wisdome or understanding in us there is none that understandeth Rom. 3. 10 11. and 7. 18. but these treasures are hid in Christ and yet they are brought nigh to us in the word of faith and in the preaching of it they are in our mouthes and in our hearts that we might receive them they are brought to us in the Scriptures and in the opportunities we have to heare the gospell as commodities are brought nigh to men in a mart or market But we are without this Wisdome naturally and from our first by th Those are ungodly and antichristian spirits who say the true light Christ is in every man for Christ is in heaven and no otherwise had but in receiving him even in beleiving on his name Joh. 1. 12. and he that heareth and learneth of the Father cometh unto him and therefore he is naturally at a distance from him John 6. 45. 2. It is called and compared to Merchandise to instruct us that we must part with somewhat that we may have this excellent pearle as also before is said Commodities are sold to and therefore must be bought by the Merchants before they have them or somewhat must be parted with by the Merchant for them Prov. 31. 24. The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a Merchant man seeking goodly pearles a good heart good frames and qualifications who when he had found one pearle of great price Christ in the gospell in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and in whom is all good he went and sold all that he had all his former riches righteousness confidences hopes for Heaven markes signes c. and bought it Matth. 13. 45 46. Indeed herein also is a difference between the earthly and heavenly Merchandise The Merchants of this World part with somewhat usually that is in some measure worthy or judged worthy of the commodity But we have no worth nor worthiness and therefore can parth with nothing which may in the least be of like value with Wisdome And therefore he that hath no mony is invited to buy and to buy without money and price Isay 55. 1. Yet we must buy Wisdome and understanding Prov. 23. 23 and to that end we must forsake all that we have Luk. 14. 33. 3. This spirituall exercise is likened to Merchandise also because as in the earthly Merchandise a man meets with many troubles and stormes Their trading being much upon the sea and they being placed neare the sea Ezek. 27. 3. They meet with many boisterous windes and troublesome seas which many times doe affright them and threaten danger to them So also in seeking after this sound Wisdome Many are the afflictions of the righteous Psal 34. 17 19. They have many contrary windes of evill doctrines annoying them and hindering them in this pursuit and indeavouring to corrupt them and draw them off from listening to Wisdome and seeking and getting understanding Prov. 9. 1 6. 13 17. They are indeavouring to toss them to and fro Ephes 4. 14. that they might drive them back or cause them to come into their pretended harbour which will not indeed secure them Gal. 5. 7. Prov. 7. 1 18. and many stormes they meet with from violent dealars and profane ones many frownes and flatteries many scoffs reproaches and derisions many threats and actuall troubles and bodily persecutions also imprisonments spoilings of their goods loss of liberty name yea and life also when their enemies have permissive commission given to them Matth. 10. 38 39. So that as it is needfull for us in coming unto and following Christ Jesus to deny our selves and sell all that we have So also it is needfull to take up our cross daily and follow him Luk. 14. 26 27. Matth. 16. 24. Such as use this Merchandise must exspect to meet with manifold stormes and tempests The flouds of the ungodly lift up they lift up their voice they lift up their Waves Psal 18. 4 5. and 93. 3 4. They shall be hated of all men and suffer Persecution who will live godly in Christ Jesus Matth. 10. 22. 2 Tim. 3. 12 13. Yea and their Lord and Master will be more abundantly trying correcting and chastening them not to discourage them in their way but to purify them and try them and make them white to the time of the end The raine will descend upon them and the floods beat and the windes blow and it is good and needfull for them to know this who resolve to exercise themselves in this Merchandise that when persecutions afflictions arise for the gospell sake they may not be offended or count it strange concerning the fiery triall as if some stronge thing happened unto them Luk. 14. 25 26-33 1 Peter 4. 12. Matth. 7. 24 25. 4. This is Merchandise because gaine is aimed at and may lawfully be proposed by us Those that use Merchandise in this World doe it to this end that they may inrich themselves by their traffique and trading Ezek. 27. 12. and 28. 5. in all labour there is profit aimed at and sought after Prov. 14. 23. and indeed this is the great thing the Merchants of the earth propose to themselves that they may inrich themselves and therefore they willingly adventure and indure many stormes and goe thorow much foule weather Revelat. 18. 11 17. 23. So also those that trade for and