such a poore and humble spirit as Agur was surely I am more brutish then any man so the translation but as ye see the word any is in a smaller Character not being in the originall neither doe I think it ought to be supplied but we are to read it thus I am more brutish then man according to that of the Psalmist man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish Man being honoured with the image of God in wisdome and Holinesse his spirit shining with the Beauty and glory of Divine truth did not abide in this condition but lost the truth yeelding himselfe to be seduced by the father of lies and so no longer had the wisedom of man in him but degraded himselfe from his created Dignity debased himselfe to the ranke of brute creatures enthralled his immortall Soul and intellectuall nature to his brutish senses and affections and the next words of Agur confirm this sense And have not the understanding of Adam in me that understanding and knowledge of Holy truth which was in Adam and was properly belonging to the nature of man He that knoweth not thus much of himselfe knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know and is no fit Merchant to Trade for truth Christ first informeth the Laodicean of his wants Thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked and then counselleth him to buy vers. 18. Secondly He that buyeth giveth a considerable value But alas what have we to give that is considerable If we offer gold or silver what can we expect but such an answer as Simon Magus had Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money And Solomon telleth us This wisdom of Divine truth is better then rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it which maketh good what I said before we cannot buy truth too dear all outward things that can be desired are not to be compared to it And therefore we may conclude This buying is not of the nature of common contracts in which there is a just proportion between the price and the purchase but rather such as hath some remote Analogy or resemblance to it such as that where the Lord by solemn Proclamation offereth a free and open market Hâ— every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money Come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and milk without money and without price And indeed whosoever getteth possession of saving Truth he hath it by a free gift of meere grace yet so that we must give up whatsoever is necessary for the obtaining of Truth and cast away whatever may hinder us in the receiving or retaining of Truth or is inconsistent with it 1. We must give up our selves our hearts spirits souls bodies to the God of Truth We must bee content to part with any outward things for the procuring and promoting of Truth for the supporting and maintaining of Truth we must account our selves gainers by every losse which we can possibly suffer for Truth 2. On the other side we must renounce and cast away our lusts our own corrupt reason blind carnall notions and prejudices in a word we must out our selves of our selves and yeeld up our selves into the entire possession of the Truth and in all this we give nothing unto God for whatsoever we give up to him for Truth is his own already and cannot bee withheld from him without wrong and robbery what wee cast away is worse then nothing and if we leave it not we keep it to our losse and utter undoing It remaineth then that though we are said in some sort to buy yet Truth is a most free gift of God and conveyed to man by a meere Act of grace Thirdly If we will buy Truth we must get the propriety of it we must make it our own get it into our possession have a sure interest in it and title to it For the Truthes sake which dwelleth in us and shall be with us for ever Then hath a man bought the Truth when he hath so owned it and given it such possession of his heart that it is in him as in an everlasting Mansion so as to dwell in him and be in him for ever when he is so possessed of the Truth and the Truth hath such possession of him as to denominate and Characterize him according to that Hereby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our hearts before him As great Persons are denominated from their Seates Mannor-houses c. Such a Lord of such a place So he that will buy Truth must get such possession of it and propriety in it as that he may by good right take a title of honour from the truth his own conscience bearing him witnesse in the Holy Ghost that he is of the Truth Thirdly Of whom must we buy Truth This hath been intimated before even of him who is the God of Truth who is the first the Highest Truth the Fountain of all Truth who calleth himselfe I Am because he is in and of himselfe the onely infinite perfection of being and so the infinite perfection of Truth He seeth and knoweth his own essence infinitely perfect and glorious with a most exact knowledge of infinite perfection and some have conceived that this contemplation of God the Father reflecting upon His owne Majesty and glory is the eternall and unspeakable generation of the Son But we are to speak soberly of these mysteries so farre above us Howsoever when we use Scripture-language we are warranted by the highest Authority which calleth Christ the brightnes of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his Person and the Son of God saith of himselfe I am the Truth And the Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son is called the Spirit of Truth To this fountain wee must bring our empty pitchers if we would be filled with these living waters and take in these pure streames of Truth John being in the Spirit saw before the throne of God in heaven a Sea of glasse like unto Crystall The Saints may have their Vials filled with Truth but here is veritatis plenitudo An Ocean and full Sea of Truth and that without mud or mixture cleere as crystall wherein the faithfull Soule may see the glory of God shining in the Face of Christ Here is the Springhead of Truth and they which come not to God and are not inwardly acquainted with him in Christ are strangers to the Truth they never looked into this Sea of crystall which is before the throne of God And so I come to the fourth and last particular to shew the necessity of making this purchase ye see it is absolutely commanded in the Text and because a threefold cord is not easily broken observe how Solomon strongly twisteth together a threefold
charge in a quick and pressing stile 1. Take fast hold of instruction 2. Let her not go 3. Keep her and fasteneth all with this knot for she is thy life If thou lose her it is more than thy life is worth it were better to part with thy dearest heart-blood if thou get and keep the Truth it will keep thee alive in the very jawes of death if thou lose it thou art dead whilest thou livest and in the road-way to everlasting death What need we any farther witnesse yet if ye please to hear an argument or two take these briefly Reason 1 1. Whilest we are travailing here in this world toward our long home our way lieth through a wildernesse wherein are many by-pathes multitude of passengers wandring out of the right way abundance of snares and dangers and above all we are wofully benighted with the naturall darknesse and blindnesse of our mindes now Truth is that Pillar of fire which should guide us in the way wherein we must walk and direct us to the promised rest And though this Truth be never so cleerly held forth unto us in the ministry of the gospel yet unlesse we buy it and get possession of it so as to make it our own and to have it dwelling in us we are not able to follow it It is not enough to have the light of the Sun except withall there be a light in the eye to meet with that light without and take it in so that lumen externum that externall light of Truth which shineth forth in the word will never lead us to that rest which remaineth for the people of God except there be also lumen internum an inward light of Truth and principle of saving knowledge set up in the heart The Apostle having notably magnified his office as in other respects so in regard of that lustre and brightnesse of Divine Truth which shined in his Ministry 2 Cor. 3. proceedeth in the next chapter and saith that he had not handled the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth c. It must be objected What is the cause then that your Gospel is hidden to many thousands his answer is ready If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them They want inward light Satan the prince of darknes hath filled them with darknesse within they will not buy the Truth and so the Gospel of Christ though it shineth out never so gloriously in it selfe yet it shineth not at all to them as the Sun when it giveth the greatest light shineth not to the blind 2. If we do not buy Truth the Truth will witnesse against us and condemne us A necessity lyeth upon us either wee must make the Truth our owne or else we shall be sure to have it our Enemy Consider that weighty speech of Christ He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day Who is he that rejecteth Christ he that doth not receive his words he that doth not buy Truth but shutteth his eyes or heart against that light of Truth which shineth from the face of this Sun of Righteousnesse These men perhaps may think in their hearts We will have nothing to do with this which they call Truth for which there is so much contention nor with the way wherein it leadeth those that receive it we will neither embrace nor oppose it Nay but saith Christ this will not serve thy turne either thou must receive it or be judged by it if thou doest not buy this Truth and embrace it with thine whole heart it will condemn thee at the last day If men could apprehend with what Majesty and authority that Truth of God which now they cast behinde their backs will appear against them in the day of Christ how would their Souls tremble to despise it How would they yeeld themselves convinced that the purchase of Truth is of absolute necessity whatsoever it may cost them The proudest spirits which now may think to out-face the Truth of God shall then not be able to hold up their faces before it So much for the proofe and opening of this point Let us see the Use of it and that may be 1. For Reproofe 2. For Exhortation Use 1 1. For Reproofe 1. of those who are so farre from buying truth that they labour to stop the trade Such were those Expounders of the Law to whom the Lord Christ saith ye have taken away the key of knowledge ye entred not in your selves and them that were entring in ye hindred they kept the store-house of truth locked up and carried away the key How many have we had of late in this land led by such a spirit who when the truth had many buyers beheld it with an evill eye like the Pharisees complaining of the multitudes that followed Christ the world is gon after him It was a vexation to their false hearts to see the streame of trade bend towards the Coasts of truth and especially when any upon whose habitations was a famine of the word travailed abroad to buy themselves a little food But how are we bound to blesse God who hath stirred up your spirits like so many Josephs already to open many to indeavour to open all the store-houses of truth in the Land that none may complaine of want who have hearts to buy No wonder if the enemies of truth oppose you in this worke It crosseth their maine designe He that doth evill hateth the light and cometh not to the light lest his deedes should be reproved Can the Blackmore change his skinne or the Leopard his spots Doe we expect a reconcilement betweene light and darkenesse Let all tremble to give them the right hand of fellowship in stopping the course of the word of truth and hindring the worke of reformation 2. Of those that are ashamed of the truth what hope is there that such will buy it He that will buy it must looke upon it as his crowne The Church was presented to John in a vision cloathed with the Sun and the Moone under her foote and upon her head a Crowne of twelve Stars The Churches cloathing and her Crown is Light and Truth Can any true-borne Childe of the Church account that his shame which is his Mothers glorie Let such weigh those words of him who is not ashamed to call himselfe the Truth Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Sonne of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angells 3. Of those who will not take so much paines as to resort to
the market though it be neere their owne doores who grossely neglect precious opportunities of hearing the word upon slight pretences Did they know the worth of truth and looke upon it as their life they would not think every petty inconvenience a just excuse A little change of weather or distemper of body will not keepe those within doores who are necessitated to seek out for that without which they cannot live Those that followed Christ sometimes three dayes together having nothing to eat might have had a fair plea in appearance to shift off their attendance Such as will suffer nothing in this case but make the hearing of the word a meere recreation when they can doe it with ease and at pleasure are not likely to go to the price of truth 4. Of those that come onely as meere spectatours rather than buyers who view many glorious Gospel-truthes openly proposed and freely tendred to all but are content to looke on whilst others buy Such are our common sort of ignorant hearers compared to the way side who hear the word and understand it not The seed lieth above ground then commeth the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowne in his heart The father of lies easily robbeth such a one of the word of truth 5. Of such as seem to cheapen but doe not buy those who are somewhat affected with the truth and think it worth the carrying home if they might have it at their own price they hear it perhaps talk of it repeat it c. And of these there are two sorts the one compared to the stony the other to the thorny ground the former would own the truth were it not accompanied with the crosse but when persecution ariseth because of the word by and by they are offended They never gave the truth rooting in their hearts and so when the Sun ariseth it is scorched and withered The latter suffer it to be overgrown and choaked with thornes there may be some stirrings in their spirits some springings of their affections upon the receiving of the seed of truth but then their unmortified lusts the care of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches and pleasures of this life draw away the strength of their hearts from the truth and it becometh unfruitfull they will not renounce their earthly-mindednesse or their voluptuous ambitious corrupt affections to make a full purchase of truth Herod did many things and heard John gladly but would not yeeld so far to the commands of truth as to forsake his Herodias there was a thorny lust which choaked all The yong man also seemed willing to buy What good thing shall I doe that I may have eternall life what shall I give to buy truth again All these have I kept from my youth what lack I yet Thus much I have offered if this be not enough I am willing to give more I beleeve he thought hee offered like a chapman But when he heard Christ raise his demands so high Goe and sell all that thou hast and give to the poore he brake off went away sorrowfull as if the price had been unreasonable I feare many who countenance the cause of truth some who are great actours in it yea some who may venture their lives in the prosecution of it may deceive themselves There may be some thornes not rooted up some root of bitternesse not killed some corrupt principle which may carry men far this way some by-end which may poison all If I give my body to be burned and have not love it profiteth me nothing A man may seem to die for the truth and yet never buy it Use 2 2. This is for for exhortation 1. In generall to us all 2. In speciall to those whom the Lord hath honoured above others for the patronage and promoting of the great cause of his truth And 1. let me stir up you and my selfe by all meanes to make this purchase 2. Not to think any cost too much for that purpose concerning the former 1. Get a cleer and solid understanding of all the main and most necessary truthes Learn to be throughly acquainted with the Fundamentalls of Faith Great is the mystery of godlinesse And the knowledge of it is of great concernment it is a great mystery and requireth a deep search An overly slight and superficiall view of those great secrets which the Angels desired to looke into must not satisfie them who will indeed buy truth Labour for a right understanding of the Alsufficiency and infinite excellency of God in all his attributes as hee hath revealed himselfe in his word of the person natures offices of Christ of the covenant of grace of the fountain of all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ the eternall love and good purpose of God toward his and those glorious wayes and meanes whereby the Lord is pleased to bring poore lost soules to glory reconciling them to himselfe by the death of his Sonne calling them by his Word and Spirit uniting them to Christ adopting them for his children and heires justifying them freely by his grace sanctifying quickning and keeping them by his mighty power through Faith unto salvation These and the like are especially to bee studied and wee are to take heed lest Satan intangling us in doubtfull disputes about things of an inferiour nature should cunningly divert our thoughts from searching into these hid treasures I confesse the rents and divisions which follow upon contrariety of opinions are sad and such as we have cause to lament but I am perswaded this is not the onely nor the greatest mischiefe I feare Satan gaineth much advantage by engaging young beginners and wanton wits in the agitation of controversies ere they have laid the foundation much more before themselves have taken root in Christ or so much as proved themselves to be in Christ and Christ to be in them 2. Let us labour to make those Truths which we understand our owne 1. By mixing them with faith The word preached did not profit the unbeleeving Israelites not being mixed with faith in them that heard it they did but view not buy the truth we cannot make the truth our owne nor truly say we have bought it unlesse we so mixe and temper it with faith as that it becometh one with our soules or rather our soules become one with it faith strongly closing with the word digesting it and so leavening all the powers of the soule with the truth and causing them to relish of it 2. By receiving the truth in sincere love No man buyeth truth who doth not truly love it So much truth as thou lovest is thine owne Some may hastily conclude from hence Then all the promises of pardon are mine for these I love from my heart though not those precepts of obedience and qualifications of repentance morification and holinesse But know this It is easie to mistake lies of our owne coyning for God his
thee to buy the truth let not their differences about few and lesse materiall things discourage thee 4. Cast off that prejudice which Satan may suggest unto thee in regard of the meanenesse of those persons who hold forth the truth either as the Lord his Agents whom he maketh use of to invite buyers the Ministers of the Gospell or as purchasers who having bought the truth desire to commend their penny-worths to others as Philip did to Nathanael We have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth Come and see If any such be contemptible in the eye of the world as those were who followed Christ whom the proud Pharisees overlooked with so much scorne This people who knoweth not the Law are cursed Let not this seeme any disparagement to the Truth of God which needeth not borrow any thing from man it s owne soveraigne Authority is enough to command all its native beauty and proper worth is sufficient to commend it to all When King Amaziah had set up and worshipped the Idolls of the same people whom himselfe had lately overcome in battle the Lord sent him this Message by a Prophet Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people which could not deliver their owne people out of thine hand This was a Truth which carried so much strength and evidence of Reason in it that it seemeth to preclude all contradiction yet see how pride and prejudice against the person that held it forth prevailed saith the King Art thou made of the Kings Councell forbeare why shouldest thou be smitten Art thou a fit person to reprove a King thou art none of the Privie Councell marke how the Prophet replyeth and twice descanteth upon the Kings words I know that God hath Counselled to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened to my Counsell Doest thou despise my Message because I am not made of thy Councell Know this that in this particular the King of Kings hath made me of his Councell and the word which I brought is the very Truth and Counsell of the great God as thou shalt find to thy ruine inasmuch as thou hast despised it The Truth of God needeth not receive any reputation from rotchets or scarlets if thou despisest it for the meannesse of those that bring it thou despisest Him that sendeth it 2. Let us consider what we must give up or lay out for Truth when the Lord calleth for it And here observe that although truth be alwaies alike precious in it selfe yet at some time the purchase of it is more costly then at other Bread-Corne it is as good in it selfe and as necessary for the life of man at one time as at another yet ye know in some time of scarcity one bushell may cost as much as three or foure in times of plenty but whatever it cost it must be had Men must live so Truth hath its deare yeares when those that will buy it must give greater rates than ordinary but whatsoever it cost it must be had we must buy it or else we perish Now we must alwayes give up our selves to God that we may buy truth our understandings wills affections our soules and bodies to his guidance soveraigne command and disposing And as it is said concerning God He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things so on our part he that sincerely giveth up himselfe to the Lord to be wholly his how can he thinke any thing too dear when the Lord requireth it why did not the young man give up his possessions upon Christs demand because he had not given up himselfe When the Lord told Peter what he should suffer for the truth and by what death he should glorifie God he questioneth about his Fellow-Disciple whether out of curiosity or some spice of envie I know not And what shall this man doe Jesus saith unto him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee If I will that he live till I come and call him in an ordinary way of visitation and that the Truth of the Gospell shall prove more costly to thee than to him what doeth that concerne thee If both of yee give up your hearts to mee and my truth it is no great matter whether it cost you more or lesse in other regards 2. Then yee must buy truth though it cost yee never so much of your treasures either to procure the meanes or to maintaine the cause or to retaine the profession and practice of Truth All these things must be looked upon as losse and dung in comparison of the excellency of Christs truth What is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world and lose his soule and if he leave the truth he loseth his soule It may seeme the times are come upon us wherein the Lord will make discoveries who they are that prize this earthly drosse above those rich treasures of his Kingdome Let us not say in our hearts we could willingly purchase truth if it might be had at such easie rates as our Fathers bought it No if we will not buy it now at such a price as it may be had whatsoever it be neither would we have bought it then though at a lower rate And those who lived and died in those times and purchased truth indeed would have bought it at a farre higher rate had it beene exacted of them He that giveth up his heart to God for truth will never breake off for the price he that doth not yeeld up his heart doth never truly buy though he liveth in the cheapest times 3. Be content to lay out your strength for truth to take any paines to undergoe any labour What if any of you be forced to travell more miles than others such a reason doth not keepe people from Faires and Markets although the English Merchant hath a longer voyage to the East Indies than the Portugals by many leagues this doth not make them give over trading Though it cost thee more paines in reading studying meditation by reason of the slownes of thy apprehension weakenes of judgment or memory more striving in prayers more fears more labouring with thine own heart to bring it in subjection unto truth than it doth some other let nothing beat thee off buy it whatsoever it may cost thee 4. Be content to engage all the credit which thou hast with the world for the purchase of truth Buy it with the hazard and if need be the losse of thy reputation Among the chiefe rulers many believed â—n Christ but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God They valued their credit with men above the truth of God miserable folly though the way of truth should be
in it if any through their own weaknesse shall be discouraged from buying when they hear those whom the Lord imployeth as his trustees and factours to be cried downe and stigmatized for Baals priests limmes of the beast Ministers of Antichrist The way to bring a shop out of custome is first to bring it out of credit 5. Procced in that worke wherein ye have already made so good a progresse in removing those who are either unskilfull or unfaithfull dispensers of the truth or whose fingers are so foul that they fully the truth by handling it causing the word and way of truth to be evill spoken of and discouraging men from buying The very heathens may shame those who censure you in this who seem to have been very tender of the honour of their idol-gods in this kinde Livy as I remember hath a story to this purpose A Vestall virgine was suspected of incontinency because of her neatnesse in apparell courtly deportment or some such thing but being called in question no such crime appeared upon examination yet was she sent away with a check or admonition willed to remember Sancte magis quam scite colendas esse religiones That the services of their gods required rather sanctity in those that were actours in them than any such curious dresse as might carry an appearance of evill And Sozomen inserteth the Copie of a letter written by Julian the Apostate to Arsacius Arch-Priest of Galatia requiring him to charge those heathenish priests under his superintendency neither to haunt Theaters or according to our times stage-playes nor to frequent Tavernes and that upon paine of deprivation Seneca in his Controversies hath such a case as this A Virgine being taken captive by Pyrates was sold to a Pandour prostituted in a Stewes yet preserved her virginity and at last slew a man in defence of her chastity whereupon she was arraigned and upon hearing of her cause acquitted after this she sueth to be admitted as a Priest to attend on one of their goddesses this barre was put in against her plea by way of supposition Tres petunt Sacerdotium capta prestituta rea Suppose three severall Virgins should come in competition for the Priesthood whereof one had beene captivated the second prostituted the third arraigned Omnibus nego I reject them all much more when all these meete in one and yet in all these three was nothing criminall but rather something of disparagement How much more when the question is concerning the admission of men to the Ministry of the Gospell or retayning those that were formerly admitted suppose one of them a drunkard another a swearer a third superstitious a fourth an ignorant person a fift idle c. Omnibus nego none of them shall have my voyce and what shall we say of them in whom many of these meete It was further pressed in behalfe of that virgine that her suite should be regarded out of compassion to her sufferings it was answered Non facimus miserandos Sacerdoteâ— In choosing Priests we must respect the honour of our gods not the miseries of those who desire the office the wants and necessities of persons and families in this case are not to be looked at but the glory of Christ and the wants and miseries of poore soules yet I desire from my heart that mercie may be shewed them in other kinds that they may have meanes of subsistance and those who are knowne to be learned and studious may not be deprived of their Libraries Lastly I beseech you shew your selves tender of the honour of Truth it selfe in bridling those who cast foule aspersions upon it rich wares troden under feele and spoiled may lie by neglected buyers are nice and will hardly come off unlesse that which is tendered to them be sightly This the Devill knoweth and therefore stirreth up his Instruments to throw dirt upon the beautifull face of truth not onely in blinde corners but also in pulpits and printed pamphlets And if it belong to a Court Martiall to do right to a man of quality in poynt of honour surely it well becometh the supreame Court of Parliament to vindicate the Honour of God his everlasting Truth Many motives might bee used to set on the Exhortation both generall and speciall exciting us to this great purchase of Truth and to the promoting of the cause of Truth Much might bee said of the glory riches majesty beauty and divine excellencie of truth and heavenly wisedome for which I referre you as to other Scriptures so in particularly to the eighth chapter of this booke of Proverbs Give me leave for the present in few words to touch upon these three things and so conclude 1. The power of truth 2. The speciall engagements obligeing us of this Age and Nation to purchase and promote it 3. A serious consideration of what value the truth will be at the last Admirable is the power and strength of truth for all that buy and possesse it against all that either oppose or neglect it All the most unlikely Prophesies of Scripture have beene or shall be accomplished by the power of divine Truth all the exceeding great and precious promises of the Gospell have beene or shall be performed by it all the dreadfull threats verifyed The Power of truth raysed a Seede of the vanquished woman to bruise the head of the Serpent and god of the world It brought the Son of God to descend from His Throne of Supreame Majesty to cloath himselfe with flesh subject himselfe to the guilt of sinne and curse of the Law to the death and shame of the Crosse to drinke the bitter Cup of his Fathers Wrath and for that end to suspend the excrcise of His Authority in calling downe Legions of Angels from Heaven to rescue him out of the hands of his enemies The Power of Truth which is the Power of Christ Himselfe raysed Him from the dead and advanced Him to the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty on High c. Yea this Power of truth what wonderfull alterations hath it wrought in the world how hath it dissolved the severall Mineralls whereof that Image was composed the gold silver brasse and iron broken in pieces famous Monarchies and Empires of the world blasted and in great part already consumed the power of that man of sin enfeebled the strength of that Beast whom the world worshipped and wondred at It is admirable to consider how the strength of divine Truth breaketh thorough all opposition beareth downe all resistance Pulleth downe the mighty from their Seates Exalteth the humble and meeke witnes a late and notable example in this Land The Ruine of the Prelacy Truth had long since spoken it I will spew thee out of my mouth yea such is the power of truth that it maketh its very enemies serve its ends and in the midst of the most perplexed concurrence of second causes crosse interferings and overthwart interposings of inferiour Agents holdeth
Christ must reign there in righteousnesse and thou must have a soul subdued to his Scepter The Peace of God must rule in thy heart and that is peace in truth when sin reigneth the soul hath no peace with God it may be in a dead sleep Then hast thou this truth of peace with God when the Peace of God ruleth within thee suppresseth mutinous affections subdueth rebellious lusts when the winds and sea obey it and it hath power to calme all the turbulencies and disorders of thy spirit So concerning joy in the Holy Ghost Thou must have thy heart possest with this joy if thou wilt purchase this truth How many read and hear of joy in the Holy Ghost unspeakable full of glory but yet content themselves with such joyes and delights as are full of shame at least full of vanity and end in mourning and misery these are false joyes as one saith Voluptates animi febres earthly joyes are soul-feavers carnall sensuall sinfull delights are even the agues of the inner man For what is the condition of a soul given up to pleasures of this nature but to be in a continuall agitation between hot paroxysmes or burning fits of lust and cold shaking fits of shame and horrour Now as there is a great difference between that unnaturall inflammation of a feaverish body drinking up the radicall moisture wasting the spirits and that kindly wel-tempered heat of an healthy body so there is a vast distance between those vaine and earthly or impure and sinfull delights which waste the conscience and those soul-ravishing sweet serene and heavenly joyes which flow from the bosome of Christ into the breasts of beleevers I might adde many other instances but I forbear Lastly if ye will buy truth ye must improve it It is none of those commodities which a man may buy and then suffer it to lie dead by him no man buyeth the truth but he that buyeth it for use I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth as we have received a commandment from the Father It is no arbitrary thing or matter of indifferency but one of the great commandments of God that we should walk in truth and Paul having told the Ephesians Ye are light in the Lord he inferreth walk as children of light Then a man hath bought the truth when he walketh in the light and power of Divine truth when he prayeth humbleth his soul heareth the word and performeth every act of Divine worship in spirit and truth out of such true principles in such a manner with such a frame of heart and such aimes as the truth of God his word requireth when in his place and calling he improveth the truth of God to all purposes Those things which men buy at high rates they desire to make the most of The truth of God being so exceeding precious and costly those that buy it should labour to improve it to the uttermost It is none of those things which are the worse for wearing 2. Let us be perswaded not to thinke any cost too much that we may buy truth And first consider I beseech you what we must cast away which otherwise might hinder us either in getting or keeping truth 2. What we must be content to resigne and yeeld up into the Lord his hands that wee may buy truth The former are such things as are better cast away then kept the very losse of them will be our gain 1. In generall our lusts and sinnes Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God an heart cleansed from the filthinesse of flesh and spirit is like a cleer glasse fittest to give a reflection of those beams of truth which shine from the face of God in Christ The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant They that will see cleerly must do away these scales from the eyes of the inner man 2. In speciall let us renounce our carnall and naturall wisdom 1. If any man among you seemeth to be wise let him become a fool that he may be wise for the wisdom of this world is foolishnesse with God A spirit emptied of all self-sufficiency and selfe-conceitednesse is best fitted to receive the wisdom of God and to purchase His truth 2. Lay aside all prejudices against the truth and first quit all prejudices against the dignitie of Truth Take heede of thinking any Truth of God to be below thee too meane for thee to stoope to Do not thinke thy selfe thy place or parts too high for the least of God his holy Truthes Preach the word be instant in season out of season is a Truth of God which once was given in Charge to Timothy but some I beleeve who pretended to be of Timothy his Ranke looked upon this truth as a thing below their places On the other side when a cause of Religion was brought before Galliâ— he cared for none of these things he had no leisure to spend time about words and names his place ingaged him in Realities State-matters such as were worthy of a Proconsuls Cognizance 2. Take heede of prejudices against the necessity of truth looke not upon it as a matter of indifferency Regard it as that one thing necessary 3. Renounce all prejudicate opinions of dangers or inconveniences which seeme to attend or follow truth such as divisions and commotions these though accidentall to truth doe ordinarily throng in after it Suppose yee that I am come to send peace on Earth I tell you Nay but rather division and that betweene those of neere relations as it followeth there Hereupon some seeme to be as much afraid of the truth as of a ball of wilde-fire they dare not buy it they would rather banish it out of their Coasts whereas truth is no way the cause though the corruptions of some men and their malignity against it and the weakenes and mistakes of others often make it an occasion of those ruptures That there are oppositions betweene the friends and enemies of truth is not strange but that there are dissentions among some of those who unfainedly love and seek truth and agree in the most and principall parts of it is sad yet let not this prejudice hinder us from buying and imbracing truth Amongst those who in the Apostles daies received the Gospell and with joynt consent acknowledged the Lord Jesus to be the Christ there were differences about the observation of Mosaicall Rites and Ceremonies this prejudice did not keepe the faithfull from imbracing and holding fast the truth of the Gospell In Luthers time there were controversies betweene those who were newly come out of Babylon this prejudice did not so far prevaile with the Godly as to make them preferre their slaverie under Anti-Christ above the sweete yoake of Christ Let the unanimous and full consent of the Godly in many and those the most substantiall parts of truth encourage
a steady course towards its full accomplishment and moveth on in a streight line to its finall period where it arriveth most exactly in its owne proper poynt of time The Power of God his truth brought Israel out of Egypt at the end of the four hundred and thirty years even the self-same day it came to passe All Pharaohs oppositions all his tergiversations could not prorogue the terme of Israels bondage one day beyond that terme which truth had prefixed nay these served rather to spinne out that interim to fill up that voyde space of time that the truth might take place in its owne time Woe to them who stand up against the Power of truth at such a time when any of its great workes are to be accomplished for the Israel of God Those persons or what degree soever Meane men Nobles Peeres Princes who happen to stand up as Adversaries against the truth at such a time seeme to have beene borne in an evill houre Pharaoh I am perswaded might have gone to his grave with a great deale lesse guilt upon his conscience had he lived and reigned in another Age and not at that time when the Power of truth was to be put forth in Israels deliverance some of his Ancestours perhaps had hearts as bad but had no such occasion in so high a degree to treasure up wrath against their owne soules the like may be said of his Courtiers and People that joyned with him in that designe When the Lord by visible and glorious signes of the times and extraordinary dispensations of providence owneth the cause of his People in bondage and saith againe and againe Let my People goe let my People goe that they may serve mee according to mine owne minde and direction then let men tremble to hearden their hearts and oppose God lest in the issue it appeare that for this cause they were set up that the Lord might make his Power knowne upon them On the other side the Power of truth is strong for all that embrace it and labour to promote it It will carrie them through all dangers and difficulties and in the end crowne them with Glory In a word this Power of truth is sufficient to deliver poore slaves and captives out of the power of Satan and to make them free Then said Jesus to those Jewes which beleeved on him If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make ye free In a Sea-fight betweene the Spanyards and Hollanders it is sayd that a poore captive in one of the Spanish Galleyes had his chayne wherewith he was fastned broken asunder by a Cannon shot himselfe not hurt and perceiving that he was loose leapt into the Sea with a Peice of his chayne and escaped to the other ship by this strange providence regaining his liberty many seeme afraid of the truth especially when it commeth thundring like a Cannon shot from the mouth of some Boanerges but if thou receive it yeeld and subject thy self to it it will never hurt thee no it will breake thy chayne those chaines of death and darkenesse whereby Satan holdeth thee captive and make thee free and though thou mayest carry a piece of thy chaine with thee to thy dying day yet it will wholly free thee in the end Buy Truth and walk in the power of the spirit of Truth and ye shall be mighty in the strength of Christ to overcome and shall sit downe with Him in his Throne even as he overcame and is set downe with His Father in his Throne 2. Many and great ingagements lie upon us of this Nation and in particular upon us of this generation to make us buy truth and stand for Truth to the uttermost Wonderfully hath the Lord wrought for the bringing in the restoring preserving and propagating of the Truth among us To say nothing of the first introduction of the light in or neere the Apostles times How graciously did the Lord visit this Nation about 200. yeers before Luthers dayes by the ministery of Wickliffe and others raising up a succession of faithfull witnesses to seal the Truth with their blood in the severall Reignes of our Kings who according to the blindnesse of those times gave their power to the Beast Then followed that strange act of Henry the eighth in abolishing the Popes Supremacy next the wonderfull workings of our God upon the heart and by the hands of our English Iosias King Ewâ—râ— 6. In whose Reigne it is very observable that by an admirable conjuncture of providence the Churches of Germany should be under persecution and the Churches in this Land should enjoy a short breathing time of Peace that so England which had need to borrow light from forreigne parts might be supplyed from Germany Divines were called both such as were Orthodox and such it seemeth who were tainted with the Lutheran errour one at least viz Brentius a man noted to bee much infected aswell with that great errour of ubiquity as that of the Corporall presence in the Sacrament a person of eminent authority for his Learning and manifold accomplishments and one who had he accepted of the call might have sowed such seed in one or other of our Universities as might have overspread the Land perhaps those weeds which might have sprang from it would not have been rooted out unto this day especially if that be considered that our leading men Cramner Ridley c. were supposed not to be wel informed in that point at that time I conceive there was a gracious overruling providence of God in it diverting him and moving him to decline so faire an offer though it seemeth hee was troubled to finde a place wherein to hide his head with safety On the other side the Lord was pleased to incline the hearts of Martyr Bucer and Phagius three pious and Orthodox Divines to accept the call What were all our multiplied deliverances in the Reigne of Queen Elizabeth among the rest that of 88. And since her time from the Powder-treason and now of late a wonderfull series or large Catalogue of extraordinary events brought about by the mighty hand of God what are all these I say but the glorious workings of our God for the procuring and continuing unto us these precious opportunities of buying truth and therefore they ought to be mighty provocations to our spirits not to neglect such a price put into our hands unlesse we will shew our selves of all people upon the earth most unthankfull and so most unexcusable Let me name one of the last sort that as in the dayes of Josh. The Lord hearkened to the voice of a man saying Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon and the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hasted not to go down about an whole day so whereas our Parliaments have formerly been made like fleeting meteors or