Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	line_n	page_n	read_v	3,449	5	9.8327	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73885	Divers select sermons on severall texts Viz. 1. Of quenchiug [sic] the spirit. I Thessalon. 5.16. 2. Of the sinners suite for pardon. 2 Sam. 24.10. 3. Of eating and digesting the Word. Ier. 15.16. 4. Of buying and keeping the truth. Prov. 23.23. Preached by that reverend and faithfull minister of the word, Ier. Dyke, late preacher of Epping in Essex. Finished by his owne pen in his life time, and now published by his sonne Dan. Dyke Master of Arts.	Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.; Dyke, Daniel, 1617-1688.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Heart-smitten sinner's suite for pardon.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Of quenching, and not quenching of the spirit.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Purchase and possession of the truth.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Right eating and digesting of the Word.	1640 (1640)	STC 7414; ESTC S124520	150,541	441

heavie judgement upon a Nation when they sell God and they that sell truth sell God See how God threaens Tyre and Zidon Joel 3.6 7 8. The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians that ye might remove them far from their border Behold I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them and will returne your recompence upon your owne head And I will sell your sonnes and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah and they shall sell them to the Sabeans to a people farre off for the Lord hath spoken it It was an hainous sinne to sell the children of Jerusalem to the Grecians God would be quit with them for it And how heinous is it then to sell truth which is the Daughter of God Surely when men doe sell truth and a Nation doth apostatize from God God will be quit with them hee will sell them into the hands of their enemies they and their children Thirdly such as sell the truth sell their owne soules Get what yee can by selling the truth yet what shall a man give in exchange for his owne soule What if by selling the truth a man could gaine the whole world yet what shall it advantage a man to gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule It is ill selling when a man shall sell to losse but specially it is ill selling when a man shall lose his owne soule by the bargaine Hee loses his soule that sells it hee sells it that sells the truth See Prov. 19.8 He that getteth wisdome that buyes the truth loves his owne soule I but a man may buy truth and sell it away againe may get wisdome and lose it And what then is his soule the better for it Therefore marke what followes He that keepes understanding shall finde good As if he had said Hee that gets wisdome and keepes it hee that buyes truth and sells it not hee loves his owne soule hee saves his owne soule therefore hee that gets it and keepes it not that buyes it and sells it againe hee hates his owne soule hee loses hee damnes his owne soule Iudas hee sold Christ for thirty peeces it was the deerest bargaine that ever man made in selling of Christ hee sold his owne soule hee damned his owne soule by that sale It is the case of every man that sells truth hee that sells truth Iudas-like hee sells Christ and Iudas-like hee loses his owne soule It was death by Law to sell some things as to steal a man and sell him Exod. 21.16 Deut. 24.7 And it is death eternal death to sell the truth They that sell the truth sel God sell Christ and so sell their souls They sell Heaven and buy Hell Quest How may a man keepe himselfe from selling the truth Answ First get the love of the truth into thine heart That man that loves the truth wil never sell the truth and the truth is never sold but it is sold for something that is loved better than the truth A man that sells it for preferment and gaine loves gaine and preferment better then the truth that sells it for life or liberty loves these better then truth Now let a man learne to love the truth better than all worldly things and hee will never sell it for them Psal 119.127 I love thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold Therefore to be sure hee would rather sell gold for truth then truth for gold Therefore they sold the truth and beleeved lyes 2 Thess 2. Because they received not the truth in love A man that is in love with his house with his land no price will tempt him to sell it If a man have but an horse that hee loves though hee be offered more then hee can be worth yet because hee loves him hee will not part with him Prov. 7.4 Say unto wisdome Thou art my sister and call understanding thy kinswoman A man will not sell his sister because hee loves her Say in in this case as Nehem. 5.8 Wee after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Iewes which were sold unto the Heathen and will you even sell your brethren Our fore-fathers the Martyrs after their ability bought the truth and gave their lives to buy and redeem the truth and we wil even sell the truth which should be as deere to us as our brethren as our sisters Secondly take heed and make conscience of selling Truthes of lesser moment that are not so fundamentall and so necessary Be not over easie to part with them Hee that will over easily part with smaller truthes is in a dangerous preparation to sell maine and substantiall Truthes Hee that will not be brought to sell some small field that lyeth far off from his house hee will never be brought to sell all his whole inheritance But when men begin once to sell here a peice and there a piece it comes to passe at last that the whole followes after the inheritance and mansion house goes and is sold at last Hee that will sell and part with little truthes and not sticke close to them hee will if neede be sit as loose from maine fundamentall Truthes FINIS ERRATA PAge 3. line 22. for this read that p. 11. l. 26. r. the joy of thy salvation p. 18. l. 20. f. both r. holy p. 21. l. 9. f. prayer r. Christ p. ibid. l 24. f. of r. by p 25. l. 25 f. the r. your p. 26 l. 25. f. our r. the. p. 31.22 f. these r. this p. ibid. l. 25. f. where r. when p. 36. l. 2● dele for p. 38. l. 9. r. to do some good p. ibid. l. 10. f. know r. leave p. 52 l. 8. f. desire r. degree p. 53. 14. 16. f. great r. greater p. 57. l. 18. f. certainely r. contrarily p. 65. l. 14. f. Heb. r. Isay p. 74. l. 14. f. danger r. dampe p. 86. l. 23. f. he made it r. as the word is p. 91. l. 11. f. brazen r. barren p. 117. l. 8. f. their r. these p. ibid. l. 9. f. these r. their times p. ibid. l. 16. f. God r. Gods p. 119. l. 14. f. that r. then p. 147. l. 20. f. fire r. five p. 148. l. 2. f. urged r. grieved p. 157. l. 18. f prickes r. pinches p. 165. l. 26. r. is in debt p. 168. l. 7. f. so r. goe p ibid. l. 8 f. see r. goe p. 169. l. 1. f. that r. all p. 185. l. 14. f Oh. r. Object p 188. l. 19. f. with that of Haman r. in that with Haman p. 203. l. 22. f. the r. his p. 208. l. 1. r. to lay hold p. 215. l. 9. f. learne r. know p. 242. l. 8. f. vers 39. r. 35. p. 250. l. 26. f. loose r. base p. 251. l. 11. r. raigne over them p ibid. l. 12. f. bed r. body p. 261. l. 18. f. disperse r. dispense p. 273. l. 17. f. was r. or as p. ibid. l. 18. f. rules r. reades p. 276. l. 7. f. as r. that is p. 279. l. 5. r. so a signe of spirituall life p. 282 24. f. wasted r. marred p. 284. l. 11. f. cherish r. nourish p. 287. l. 10. r. men say as they Mal. 1.12 p. 291. r. a deceived heart p. 296. l. 2. f. fitted r. filled p. 297. l. 17. r. long coopt p. 306. l. 9. f. time r. two p. 307. l. 26. r. the knowledge of the truth the love of the truth p. 313. l. 13. f. dispersing r. dispensing p. ibid. l. ibid. f. many r. Mary p. 343. l. 14. f. pinne r. piece p. 347. f. good r. goods p. 348. l. 20. f. elleemisynary r. eleemosynary p. 50. l. 2. f. goe r. goes Imprimatur Tho. Wykes September 12. 1639.

truth at his mouth So then they that would get the truth must seeke it at the mouthes of Gods Ministers and that is the way to get this commodity This is part of the price to come to the publike meanes and to attend upon them Come and buy Isa 55.1 Even comming is a part of buying If Jacobs sonnes would buy Corne they must not onely give money but they must goe into Egypt and their going into Egypt was one part of the price of it They could not buy unlesse they went into Egypt where it was to be bought They that will buy a commodity they must goe to the Market and the shops where the commodity is to be bought Matth. 25.9 Goe to them that sell and buy for your selves So if men would buy the truth they must goe to them that sell and there buy Now Gods Ministers are they that in a good sense sell and therefore to them men must goe and buy The Sabbaths are the Market dayes the publike assemblies are the Market places and the shoppes where this commodity is to bee bought And if men would buy thither they must goe there they must waite And this going to and attending upon the ordinance of preaching is a part of the price that must be given to buy this pearle Buy the truth then that is goe to the Word and attend upon the preaching of the Word goe to the Market and waite upon that Ordinance Thirdly reading the Scripture and other Bookes that may helpe us to the knowledge of the truth and build us up in grace mutuall conference and meditation This is a price that must be given for truth It is not enough to use publike helpes but wee must use private helpes also wee must trade and traffique in private as well as in publike Thus in the use of the meanes that God hath appointed wee must buy this pearle of Truth and Grace God can infuse grace and knowledge into us without our endeavours in the use of the meanes but God will not doe it His way is that the meanes shall be used and the use of the meanes is the price hee will have for this commodity God gives grace and the knowledge of the truth as Boaz gave Ruth corne Ruth 2.15 16 17. Could not Boaz have given her at once as much corne as would have yeelded her an Ephah of Barley and so have sent her home without any more adoe Yes surely hee could have done it and it had beene no more charge for him to have done so But yet hee would have her use her endeavours to gather and to gleane it and beat it out to when she had gleaned it and that labour of hers should bee the price shee should pay for it So God can give us knowledge by immediate revelation and grace by immediate infusion but yet hee will have us use the meanes in praying hearing reading and conference and our labour and endeveavour in the use of those meanes shall be the price with which the truth must be bought Secondly in giving and paying the full price for it A man that will buy a commodity must not onely give a a price for it but hee must give the full price that is asked for it When Abraham was to buy the field of Ephron I will give thee money for it and Ephron tells him it is worth foure hundred sheckels Now if Abraham will buy it hee must give him his price And so hee did Gen. 23.16 Hee weighed unto him the silver which hee had named hee gave him the price which hee asked and so bought the field If Abraham had offered him three hundred and fifty or three hundred and ninty sheckels hee had offered him a price but not Ephrons price hee had offered him silver but not the silver hee named hee had offered a price but not the full price and so the bargaine had not beene strucke thorow the field had not beene bought Gen. 23.9 for as much money as it is worth for full money that is as in the Hebrew for the full price So it is here in the buying of the truth Not onely must a price bee given but a full price Gods price that hee askes and sets I may allude to that speech of Christs Zech. 11.12 If yee thinke good give me my price and if not forbeare So the Lord in this case saies to us If yee thinke good of my commodity that I offer to you yee shall have it but then you must not thinke to have it at your owne price but you must give me my price the price that I aske and set you The seller sets one price and the buyer offers another but if the buyer offer too low a price hee must rise and come to the sellers price if hee will have his commodity It is not enough then if wee will buy the truth to offer a price and give a price but wee must give Gods price that is the full price Now Gods price the full price is this it stands in these two things First in an industrious painefull serious use of meanes The use of meanes is a price but the full price is the serious industrious use of the means the using of the meanes with all our might Hos 6.3 Then shall wee know if wee follow on to know the Lord. Many pray heare reade c. and yet buy not the truth nor get knowledge nor grace they indeed give a price but it is not Gods price not the full price and therefore they have not the commodity The Apostle sayes of those women 2 Tim. 3.7 They were ever learning and came not to the knowledge of the truth They were cheapning and offering for it but they never bought the truth and all because they came not to Gods price There be some that are ever praying ever hearing ever reading and yet never come to the knowledge of the truth never get true grace Heere indeede is a price given meanes are used but the full price is not given meanes are not used in good earnest seriously industriously with all their might It is not enough to pray for grace and the truth but men must pray so as God would have them pray Jam. 1.5 If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske of God which giveth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be given him Well may one say if that be all I will soone aske it I will give that price willingly for it I but marke verse 6. But let him aske in faith That teaches thus much That asking is not enough unlesse men aske in that manner for faith and so for all other qualifications as God requires It must be faithfull and fervent earnest prayer which is Gods price See Prov. 2.3 5. If thou cryest and liftest up thy voyce then c. Hee sayes not If thou prayest that is to be done that 's part of the price but if thou cryest That 's Gods price to have fervent prayer full

of earnestnesse and contention of spirit Cold formall dead-hearted prayer is not Gods price it is too low a price to fetch so rich a commodity What must I give you say wee when wee come to buy a commodity So if wee would know here My sonne give mee thine heart In prayer for grace give God thine heart The tongue the lippes the voyce is too low a price God must bee prayed to seriously with the heart Is that all No there is more yet that same Psal 119.145 I cryed with my whole heart That 's the whole price and full price in the point of prayer Not some of the heart but the whole heart must bee given to God in this duty It is not enough to heare the Word to get grace and the truth but men must so heare as God requires with such preparation with such affection with such attention with such after endeavours as God commands Ezek. 40.4 Sonne of man behold with thine eyes and heare with thine eares and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee Eyes and eares and heart must all be set on worke in the duty Those Ezek. 33. heard the Word but they gave not the full price the price that God asked Their hearts were running after their covetousnesse It is not enough to reade but it must be such reading as God requires that will helpe a man to the truth and to grace It must be reading with industry diligence heedfulnesse and much paines-taking Therefore Christ bids us not barely Reade the Scriptures but to search the Scriptures A man must set his head and his heart on worke both in reading the Word Prov. 2.4 5. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for treasures Then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God There is the full price What paines doe men take to seeke and search for treasures hid in the earth for silver in the Mynes They dig thorow rockes dig wonderfull deepe follow every veyne and search every cranny where the silver lyes It costs a great deale of paines and labour in searching and digging for silver and so it must cost a great deale of paines and industry in the reading of the Word and searching of the Scriptures that 's Gods full price in this particular if we will buy the truth Slight and overly formall use of these meanes are not price enough to buy the truth If a man aske ten pounds for a commodity and one bid him but tenne pence hee cannot buy that commodity The buyer and seller will never meete at such a distance God hee askes diligence painfulnesse industry and labour of spirit in the use of meanes Now if wee come with our dead and cold formalities and make prayer but a lip-labour hearing but an eare-labour reading but an eye-labor this is to offer God but ten pence nay but ten tokens when hee sets the price ten pounds And they that come so short of Gods price are never like to buy God must have his full price his whole price and they are never like to buy that doe not give him his whole price that offer him not halfe his price Here is that which keepes men off from buying because they are loth to goe to the full price to bee at all that paines that must be taken in the use of the meanes If prayer hearing reading would doe it they would not stick at that but if so much paines and labour must bee taken in these they thinke it too deare at such prices rates they will forbeare See Prov. 24.7 Wisedome is too high for a foole It is too high prizd in a fooles conceit and therefore he buyes it not The Wise-man speakes in the fooles language Wisedomes in the plurall are too high As if he had said fooles when they look upon this commodity of wisedome Oh say they it is Wisedomes oh what a multitude is there of these truthes what a deale of paines will it require to know all these things and besides They be high points deepe matters what a deale of study what beating of a mans braines will they aske what a deale of striving in prayer before wee shall attain to them there is no medling with them as good goe without them as take them at such a deare price And thus fooles lose a good bargaine because they thinke it too deare upon those tearmes because they will not give the full price It is otherwise with an understanding man that understands the worth of Truth Prov. 15.14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge Hee seekes or pursues it There bee many difficulties to be overcome ere he can have it it will cost much paines but he yet for all that seekes and pursues after it hee stickes not at that price And againe The heart of him c. seekes Hee doth not onely speake of it or heare others speake of it but his heart and his minde is upon it And though a commodity be deare yet if a man have a minde to it he will have it though he pay the price A man that hath an heart and a minde seeking Truth thogh the price of it be so much pains labour and industry in the use of means yet he will buy it at that price he will give the full price of it So that when he bids us Buy the truth hee bids us not onely pray but pray hard pray earnestly with thy whole heart not onely heare but heare with all diligence attention and intention of spirit not onely reade but reade searchingly diligently This is Gods price this is to give the full price Give that and then wee buy Secondly in a cheerefull parting with and giving for the Truth such things as are deare to us or of price and worth to us These may be referred to three heads First our lusts and corruptions which are deare to us which we count so dearely of as our right hands and our right eyes And yet as deare as they be to us these must bee given and parted with for the getting and buying of the truth Gods full price is that these must bee given and bee all sold and made off to buy this purchase So the merchant that findes the pearle of great price Matth. 13.46 hee goes and sells all that he had and bought it All that hee had was the full price of the pearle and he came to the full price parts with all that hee had and so bought Hee sold not some of that he had that was but a pinne of the price not halfe that hee had that was but halfe the price but hee comes to the full price All that hee had and bought it A man that will have Christ and buy his Truth must part with all his lusts and give them all for this bargaine Some man likes Christ and the Truth so well that hee could bee content to part with this and that lust hee could as Herod

fore-fathers godly christians before Luthers time here in England when there was some glimpse of the light of the Gospel they bought the truth though at an high price It is memorable which Mr. Foxe speakes of them They did sit up whole nights in reading and hearing good Bookes read That was one part of the price they gave But they did not onely buy with their paines but with their purses with their goods being at great cost and expences in buying Bookes in English They gave sometimes five markes and more for a good Booke they gave a loade of hay for a few chapters of Saint James or Saint Paul in English It was more money five markes then then ten pound is now What a deale of cost was it to buy such bookes I but it was to buy the truth and good men they thought truth deare at no price nor the meanes of truth too high at any rate It was Gods price then and they shukt not at it Thus is truth to be bought Buy the truth lay out money and stick not at it to maintaine preaching to buy a Bible c. Alas I want money I have so many occasions and the world so hard I cannot be at the charge of maintaining preaching buying Bibles c. Those be the shuckings of earthly hearts that are of Judas minde that the oyntment was wasted that was bestowed upon Christ But suppose there be truth in it yet I say buy the truth and rather then not buy it doe as our Saviour advises Luc. 22.36 He that hath no sword let him sell his coat and buy one So sell thy coate and purchase a Preacher sell thy coate and buy a Bible Thou must come to Gods price if buy Thirdly Our comforts of this life as peace liberty houses lands husbands wives children life it selfe Sometimes truth is at dearer rates then at other times God sometimes raises the price that truth cannot be bought nor had but at these high rates That if a man will have it it may cost him his deerest comforts his very blood and life it selfe Truth was very deare at very high prices in Queene Maries dayes It pleased God that by the raising up Queene Elizabeth a nursing mother in Israel that the prices fell and truth was had at easier and lower rates But yet when truth was at these deare prices in Queene Maries dayes we see the servants of Christ did not sticke to give the price of their blood for it And though it were as much as their lives were worth to be medling with the Truth and the Gospel yet they were content to come to Gods full price to the very highest price of all to part with all the comforts of this life and life it selfe for the truth when God pitched that price And though it be sometimes at lower prices yet that is a price that must be pitcht upon and wee must be willing to give it if God call for it Joh. 8.31 32. Yee shall be my Disciples and yee shall know the truth The knowledge then of the Truth and being a Disciple are both of a price Looke what it will cost to be a Disciple that it may cost to get the truth At what price then is it to be a Disciple Matth. 16. If any man will be my Disciple let him take up his crosse and follow mee So that hee that will bee a Disciple must reckon upon the price of the Crosse and so must hee that will buy the truth for a man must bee a Disciple that will have the truth I confesse this is a sharp price when God calls for it and yet this price must then be given Wee saw before that it is a commodity royally worth what ever God askes for it This men count too high a price and so start at it that they let the bargaine goe They deale just in this case as Boaz his kinsman did in the buying of Naomies land Ruth 4.3 4. Hee said I will redeeme or buy it I but vers 5. Boaz tells him of a condition that goes with the bargaine What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi thou must also buy it of Ruth c. thou must take her to wife c. The man had a good minde to buy the field but when hee heares of that condition hee starts at it vers 6. by no meanes can I buy it lest I marre mine inheritance So when truth is offered unto men to buy it God offers to sell truth to you say his Ministers Buy it therefore and let not such a commodity goe Oh say men wee will buy it with all our hearts I but what day you buy the truth you must make account to take up the crosse make account of losse of liberty c. when men heare that and see the price so high oh say they wee cannot buy it lest wee marre our credit our liberty our houses and lands and our very lives This price is thought too high and thereupon men breake off Those in the parable the stony ground seemed to be very forward to buy the truth but when persecution and tribulation arises because of the Word they are offended they cease trading any longer they like not the buying truth at such smart rates as those If men might have the truth and their credit the truth and their peace ease liberties they could be well content to buy it but if it cannot be bought but upon such hard termes they will none they will stay till it may bee had better cheape And this is the second thing in which is the full price of Truth a willingnesse for truths sake to part with any thing that is deere and pretious The third thing in which this buying stands is in paying current money for it Hee that buyes a commodity and comes with false coyne hee doth not buy but hee cheats Hee is a cheater not a chapman When Abraham bought the field of Ephron the Hittite Gen. 23.16 Hee weighed him foure hundred shekels of silver current money with the Merchant So must God be dealt with all men that will buy his commodity and trade with him must pay him current money Now money that is current must first bee good mettall secondly it must bee weight If a man pay gold the mettall is currant but if gold want weight and be light it will not passe and proves not currant for want of weight If money be weight yet if it be not good mettall be false and counterfeit coyne be brasse and copper be gilded or silver'd brasse that 's not currant But when money is good for the materiall is true silver and true gold and when it is good for the weight then it is currant money And such money must they buy withall that will buy truth and will trade with God for this commodity Now this currant money is not onely to use the meanes and to use them with industry but to use the meanes with industry in sincerity out

bullockes rammes c. So when wee see it to be market time and the good penny worths of the Gospel are stirring then all the time all the paines all the labour you can finde in all your course offer it willingly as a price that you may buy speedily with your paines and diligence in the use of the meanes knowledge of the truth grace and godlinesse When Christ bid Judas That which thou doest doe quickly the Disciples thought hee had meant That those things were necessary to be bought hee should buy quickly Joh. 13.29 Surely so it must be in this case with all that will buy the Truth That which yee doe doe quickly that which yee buy buy quickly So long as the Gospel is preacht to us so long it is market day buying time Therefore if yee will buy the Truth now now is the time put it not off I will buy to morrow or next weeke or next yeere or at my lives end but buy speedily and buy presently If yee lose the market day and market time yee shall not then buy though yee would The market may be done to morrow the market may be past in another yeere and it will be too late to buy when the market is done See Matth. 25.9 10. c. The foolish Virgins had their oyle to buy when they should have had greatest use of it It was no time to goe to buy oyle when the Bridegroome was come it was too late then whilest they goe to buy then and furnish themselves then the Bridegroome comes and they are shut out of doores Had they bought their oyle when the time of buying was then they had entred Presse men to get grace the knowledge of the truth to be trading now whilest the market time of the Gospel and their life lasts and their answer is all in good time hereafter may serve at the hardest at their death I but then it is no buying time Alas it is an ill time to be catechised in and to be learning the knowledge of the Truth when a man is upon his death bed That 's the time to spend oyle not to buy oyle It is then dying time not buying time it is ill buying when a man is dying If a man be to buy then the doore of heaven will be shut upon him before hee can returne from the shops In vaine shall men seeke the truth and grace and to be taught when the day of grace is past that would not take and buy it whilest the market of the preaching of the Gospel was on foot See Joh 8.21 When the market is done and over then yee shall seeke to buy and all the world if yee had it yee would give to buy the Truth and ye shall not buy but yee shall dye and dye in your sinnes It is not in the markets of the Gospel as it is with other markets Wee see many will put off buying in other markets till toward the end of the market till men have some commodity lye upon their hands and there be but few left to buy and then they make account at the latter end of the market to buy at lower prices to get better penny-worths And so it oft proves But it will not prove so here the best penny-worths here are to be had at the beginning of the market At the end of the market it is a great venture if any thing will be to bee bought at all or if it be to be bought it cannot be had but at farre dearer prices then it might before If thou doe get any thing it will cost thee double and trebble the price it might have beene had for in the prime of the market If thou get any grace and mercy at thy death that hast neglected it in thy life time and in the time of grace it must be had with farre more struggling sorrowing weeping lamenting repenting then it might have beene had for before God is ever deerer and his prices higher at the latter end of the market then at beginning Vse To condemne men for the neglect of this duty their grosse neglect of buying the Truth God offers men in the Ministery this pretious commodity of the Truth and wooes men to buy it and yet men will scarce looke upon it It is strange to see how dead the markets are growne and how this commodity hangs in our hands that God hath betrusted us with the sale of That shall be a good time when it comes Apoc. 18.11 that no man shall buy Romish merchandise any more when Romes markets shall goe downe and the Whores trading shall decay when men shall buy Pardons Reliques Masses Dirges Agnus Deis hallowed Graynes and such trumpery no more When men shall buy lyes no more An happy thing when the Popes Merchandise shall no more be bought but a sad and wofull thing when men will not buy Gods Merchandise any more As 1 Cor. 7.3 Let them that buy be as though they possessed not as though they bought not That 's commendable in worldly mercature To be sure so men deale here Buy as if they bought not as if they cared not whether they bought or no that 's a miserable thing in trading with God It was made a cause of publike fasting and humiliation amongst the Jewes when trading decayed and grew dead And what is it then when this trading growes dead Prov. 17.16 Wherefore is there a commodity of Truth and Grace in Gods hand and a price a meanes in a fooles hand to get wisdome and truth and he hath not an heart Here is a rich commodity men see the price and have the meanes in their hand and yet have no heart to buy no minde to trade slight the commodity as if not worth looking after When God offers this commodity to buy they shuffle it off they have farmes to buy yoakes of Oxen to buy Luc. 14. they have so many things to buy that they will not buy the Truth I pray thee have mee excused I must lay out my time and paines for other things I have not wherewith to buy this Truth It is miserable to see how cold mens desires are after the Truth Just as Pilate Joh. 18.38 What is Truth A good question but asked with a base oscitancy of spirit hee cares not to know what Truth is but before an answer can be given hee goes his way out and turnes his backe upon Christ Just such respect give me not the Truth Presse them to buy the Truth Why what say they is truth but they care not so much as to heare what the Truth is they ought to buy Some it may be could be content to buy it so it might be at their owne price if now and then a Sermon a Chapter reading a good Booke in a good fit would helpe them to it they would not greatly sticke at it But as Zech. 11.12 13. They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver And the Lord said cast it to the Potter a goodly