any thinge neither vncircumcision but faith vvhich vvorketh by loue It is the victorie vvherby vve ouercome the vvorld 1. Ioh. 5.4 It is the renovation of the nevve birth in the children of god It is that alone vvhich iustifieth vs Eph. 3.17 yea vvithout faith Charity is sinne But in the meane vvhile let vs not spoile Charity of her priuiledges as doe the SolifidiaÌ„s Rom. 14.23 NullifidiaÌ„s For charity is the end of the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t 1. Tim. 1.5 The bond of perfection Col. 3.14 Rom. 13.10 Ioh. 13. Gal. 5.6 The complement of the lavve The supplement of the gospel vvithout vvhich Faith doth nothing Practice 2 The second vse is of Estimation For by Charity vve doe surprise god God vvill doe nothing till Lot come to Zoar. Hereby vve honor angels CHARITATE NON SERVITUTE saith S. Augustine Hereby vve participate vvith the blessed in the communion of Saincts in the church militant in the church triuÌ„phant hereby vve liue comfortably vvith men in the common vvealth in the church in our houses in the streets euery vvhere Practice 3 The third vse is of resistance For it vvithstandeth all imperfections infirmities of our minds all vveakenesses of our vvretched vvicked natures is like a pretious antidote or rare ievvell or pearle to cure the maladies of our minds For in case of emnity It saith I vvill loue mine enimie by the example of Christ Rom. 5.8 In case of iniury It sayth I vvill pray for mine enimies by the example of Stephen In case of necessity It supplieth vvants Act. 7.60 Prov. 25. Pro. 24.17 Luc. 17.4 In case of misery It condoleth and in case of penetencie It doth vvillingly forgiue that full oft Practice 4 The fourth vse is of consideration Hovve vve shall enter into heauen Matt. 22.12 For vvithout this garment to that holy mariage vve cannot be admitted Our Sauiour vvonders hovve a fellovve came to a vvedding not hauing a vvedding garment Novve euery garment hath the commendations from the matter vvhereof it is made from the colour from the svveetnes The matter of this garment is the tender bovvells of Iesus Christ The colour is the tincture of CHRISTS bloud And the svveetnes is of Mirh Aloes Cassia Psal 45. Noe man came into the court of Ahasuerosh vvith sackcloth Act. 9. noe man can come into the court of heauen vnless as Dorcas frends at her death shevved the garments that shee had vvrought before shee vvas restored to life by Peter So in the last day vve must shevve our garments made of this Charity before vve shal be possessed of life euerlasting Matth. 25 Practice 5 The Fift vse is of Expostulation Tell me vvho can implead god Rom. 13.10 Ioh. 13.34 He hath commanded you to doe ten things This commandement doth them Seauen things are to be desired in a sort this desireth them â—ay absolutly doth them Tvvelue things are to be beleeued To vvhich of these doth this not extend it selfe either of nature grace or glory Practice 6 The last vse is to examine the language that this deuine vertue speaketh in First in case of iniury I vvill not hurt neither in vvord nor deed saith â—hee In case of rashnes I vvill not iudge saith shee Psal 39.2 1. Thes 5. Mat. 7. In case of casualty I vvill not reioyce saith she if it be euill I vvill not grudg saith shee if it be good In a vvord she saith of all I vvill despise noe brother I vvill contemne noe sister for vvhere I find one fault in them I can find ten in my self if I looke vpon my selfe vvith the fame prying curious eie wherevvith I looke vpon them Marke her reasonings to maintaine this You thinke it a burthen saith she but I knovve the yoke is easie If Iacob could serue seauen yeares for Rachell say that it seemed fevve dayes vnto him for the loue that he bare vnto Rachel if naturall loue can vvorke this vvhat shall not deuine Charity effecte Secondly her reason tells her that if shee endureth any thing for the loue of god God himselfe vvill beare a part that shee shal be deliuered from the greeuous yoke of malice from the deuil the father thereof from hell the den thereof FroÌ„ which miserable diabolicall mischeefe of malice and sinne of Sathan good lord deliuer vs. Noe soner hath this reall Marchant found this pearle but â—e straightvvaies is become another man For the text sayth He went sold all that he had bought it Resolution therefore is the remarkable note of a true Christian vvhich consisteth in fovver things couched in these last vvords of my text The first is readines He vvent Secondly contempte of the vvorld And sold Thirdly a full persvvasion He sold all And Lastly The enioyement He bought it His readines is couched is these vvordes He went That is as the originall vvord signifies He vvent from himselfe in denying himselfe all his ovvne strength For as the prodigall sonne is sayd to returne to himselfe vvhen he bethought himselfe to returne to his father hauing not bine vvith himselfe all the vvhile of his prodigallity So this marchant is sayd to goe from himselfe vvhen he endeuoreth to purchase that vvithout himselfe vvhich he in himselfe could neuer find So that the learning then is this The tvvelfth lesson Suos Sua se negare Our Christian readines is to deny our ovvne frends our ovvne goods our ovvne selues as strangers and pilgrims vve must continue constantly to hold on our course tovvards this kingdome of heauen The light of this appeares That as Abraham the grandfather must forsake his ovvne country Gen. 12.1 goe to a land that god should shevve him And as Jacob the grandchild must trauell to Padan Aram from his fathers house to liue vvith his vncle Laban in Mesopotamia there to be enriched So must euery Christian soule forsake his ovvne frends here as doth the kings daughter vvhich is a figure of he church of euery true soule in the church Forsake her ovvne people Psal 45.10 her ovvne father house so shall the king of heauen haue great delight in her beauty he vvill become her lord In the second place vve see James Mat. 4 2â— Iohn left the ship their father to follovve Christ Mat. 19.27 The apostles disciples left forsooke all to follovve him in the regeneration Act. 4.34 And the primitiue church in the tyme of the apostles cast dovvne their goodes at the apostles feete In the third place vve see Paule denies himselfe for albeit Agabus had foretold his death yet he was resolute to goe on told the Elders of Ephesus others at Miletum that they should not vexe trouble him vvith vveeping for him For he vvas resolued that albeit he knevve that in euery city euill did abide him yet he vvould not only suffer but
Christs breasts good vvorkes like S. Peter that followed after Christ Faith the bride good vvorkes the handmaids Faith the bride goeth into the chamber yea into the bed of her beloued vvhere the handmaids come not Faith the roote good vvorkes the fruite Faith only necessary to justification goodvvorkes to saluation Practice 2 The second vse is of thankfulnes For all our good is of god vvhether it be the good of prouidence all sayth Iob is of the lord he giueth it The bread vve daylie eate is called ours but vve beg it of him The goods of the body as Sampsons strength Absolons beauty Sauls tallnes all of god The goods of the mind are of god he giues vvisdome to Solomon taketh it avvay frō Georgius Trapezuntius vvho being somtimes a great scholler at the last by accident forgat his ovvne name The diuersity of good gifts is of god Paull is profound Apollos eloquēt Cephas Zealous Augustine an excellent disputāt Ierome textuall Gregorij morall Ambrose iuditious Origen allegoricall Chrysostome excellent to moue passion all diuersified The goodnes of our vvill is of god My goods of mind are thy gifts Bona mea Dona tua August Conf. 10. lib. 4. cap. If any man think othervvise if he vvere as good as an angell his meate that he eateth as good as Māna his garmēt as good as the Ephod of Aarō let that mā knowe that he must attribute all to god be thankfull for all gods goodnes tovvards him either naturall or ciuill or spirituall or externall internall eternall for all our good is either god himselfe or from god himselfe it is his goodnes that hath follovved vs all our life Practice 3 The third vse is of Enquirie amongst you Marchants Are you traders for these goodly pearles If you be you vvill not abuse the good things of god to euill purposes Neither the goodnes of gods prouidence to excesse royott vanity vilenes nor the goods of your body to vvickednes you vvill not abuse your eares to become a sepulcher to burie the good name of your frend nor your tongues to be organs of despite nor your eies fireballs of enuy nor your hands engines of mischeefe nor your vvhole body a stie and stinck of sinne Nor the goods of your mind vvill you abuse either to your imagination to imagine mischeefe vpon your beds nor in your vvills to desire to doe euill like miscreants vvhen you cannot Nor to be as hammers to knocke out on anothers braines nor as svvords in each others bovvells nor as arrovves to on anothers harts But rather vvhich is the fourth vse here of to directe on another Practice 4 For negatiue justification auailes not It is Pharasaicall For euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruite is hevven dovvne cast into the fire Be therefore directed to recompence noe man euill for euill as Joab did Abner for that 's a poore spirit much lesse euill for good as Iudas did to Christ for that 's a diuells spirit Nay if you doe recompence good vvith good as Ahasuerosh did Mordicai it is but common justice but to ouercome euill vvith goodnes is more then to preach Rom. 12. vlt. or to doe a miracle or to cast out a diuell Practice 5 For if I should expostulate vvith you vvhy vve doe vsurpe these glorious titles as to be called the sonnes of god if vve haue noe good bloud of our heauenly father but are like the fig tree vvhich had only leaues so vve like Nepthalie haue goodlie vvords but doe neuer a good vvorke What doth it profitt vs to be stiled Citizens vvith the saincts Domestickes seruants saincts baptized illuminats Christians haue noe goodnes ansvverable to those goodly titles There may a Zozomen arise obserue that vve Christians like Turckes vvhich call themselues Sarazens vvhen they are but Hagarens soe vve call our selues Christians vvhen vve haue noe goodnes of Christ in vs but are indeed Cretians vvho as Paule citeth out of Epimenides vvere alvvaies Liars Tit. 1. ill beasts slovve bellies For tell me vvhat doe they meane that lay vvaste their consciences by doing euill trading for counterfeits coralls paultry ieat or for euill Doth any hard harted Pharoh imperious Nebuchanezer cruell Adonibezek prophane Passhur false harted Zidkiah foolish Ahab incestuous Ammon mispersvvaded Magus sorcerous Elymas vnmercifull Gluton Prodigall Prodigious vvicked miscreant thinke vvho here doth runne out his tyme vvith euill of sinne that there vvill not come a tyme vvhen the euill of punishment shall be avvarded seauen fold into his bosome Nothing more sure For he that had not soe much goodnes as extended to a crumme of bread had not afforded him a drop of the vvater of mercie Luc. 16. Look to it therefore Masters mortalls For the apostasie of faith vvas in the later tymes 1. Tim. 4.1 but novve for ought that I can see there is an apostasie of goodnes in the vvorld of both vvhich Paule prophecieth 2. Tim. 3.1 Looke therfore to euery case of your conscience Doe you feare the vvrath of god for the guilt of your sinne fall to doing of goodnes 2. Chro. 19.3 god vvill turne avvay his vvrath from you for Christ sake as he did from Iehosophat Is thy soule almost dead in sinne Incline to goodnes Act. 9.36 god vvill raise thee frō death as he did Tabitha that is from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnes Wilt thou be certified of thine election make it sure by good vvorkes 2. Pet. 1.10 Wilt thou be secured from the diuell god vvill check him if thou be doing of good vvill say vnto all the povvers of darknes as Christ sayd vnto those that hindered Mary Magdalen vvhy trouble ye the vvoman Matth. 26. Wilt thou spend thy tyme vvell Gal. 6.10 Doe good vvhile thou hast tyme. Wilt thou be crovvned continue in doing good thou shalt haue honor glory Roman 2. immortallity euerlasting life In a vvord good vvorkes doe not goe before one that is to be justified but they follovve him that is already justified Conceaue not therefore that thou art justified by faith vnlesse thou see good vvorkes follovve thy faith If thou dost imagine othervvise Christ vvas not conceaued in thee by faith nor borne by loue nor suffered nor arose from the dead nor ascended for thee And remember this that in the end of the vvorld in the day of iudgment as the forme is sett dovvne in Mathevves gospell there is noe question made of faith Matth. 25. but of facte vvhat vve haue done or not done For he that beleueth not Ioh. 3. is condemned already saith Christ Be therefore aduised doe the good here you shall see the goodnes of god in the land of the liuing The seuenth lesson The gratious endovvmēts of this reall Marchant to vvhom the kingdome of heauen is resembled are rare For first he is noe Lythersbye or
of our lord Iesus Christ Of vvhom is named the vvhole familie in heauen in earth That he might graÌ„t you according to the riches of his glory that ye may be strengthned in the inner man by his spirit That Christ may dvvell in your harts by faith that ye being rooted grounded by loue may be able to comprehend vvithall saincts what is the bredth length depth height And to knovve the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled with all fulnesse of god Vnto him therefore that is able to doe exceeding abundantly aboue all that vve aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs be praise in the church by Christ Iesus throvvout all generatioÌ„ for euer Amen The eleuenth lesson Thus you haue hard vvhat is meant by that One pearle of great price in heauen Novve see vvhat is that One pearle of great price on earth which this reall marchant findeth here The former interpreters haue expounded it to our hand shevving that it is Charity The learning then is That Christian Charity is that one only pearle in earth both peareles priceles vvhich is found only among the children of god The light of this appeares most euidently from S. Paules vvords 1. Cor. 12.31 1. Cor. 13. per tout Wherin first S. Paule sayth That he vvould shevve a more excellent vvay in the chapter follovving doth make it demonstrable The Analysis vvhereof is thus breefly First it callengeth the best things Secondly it combateth vvith the vvorst things and Thirdly it conquereth the last things Christian Charity callengeth the best things For angellical euangellicall eloquence vvithout Charity is as sounding brasse or as a tinckling cymball The gift of prophecie all knovvledge all faith yea miraculous faith in comparison of this is nothing Almes deeds martyrdome vvithout Charity profitteth nothing In the second place it combateth vvith the vvorst things In vvrath it suffereth long base couteousnes it caÌ„not endure for it is bountifull it is voyd of spight for it enuies not it is not frovvard for it doth not beast it selfe it is noe sovvlen bladder of pride for it is not puffed vp it is farre from reproach that it vvill doe noe vncomly thing it is so farre from iniury that it seeketh not its ovvne in it is noe bitternes at all for it cannot be provoked to wrath noe surmises of euill for it thinketh none noe vniustice for it reioyceth not in inquity but reioyceth in the truth beleeueth the good hopeth the best endureth all In the third place it conquereth the last things For vvhen the vvorld hath done it shall endure vvhen faith vvhich beleeueth all things of god hope vvhich expecteth all doe cease yet shall Charity vvhervvith vve loue god man endure for all eterinty It is also one Io. 13.34 for it is that one commandement from mount Sion vvhich is the complement of the other ten from mount Sinai vvhich Christ calls the nevve commandement affirmes that it is the marke of his chosen It is also a pearle of perfection for the Christians house vvhich he builds to god hath faith for its foundation vvhere vpon it is grounded hope the vvalls vvhereby it is erected but Charity is the roofe vvhich perfecteth couereth all It is of all price vvhether vve respecte the nearenes of it vnto vs It is not in heauen that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe vp for vs bring it vnto vs that vve may beare it doe it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe ouer the sea bring it vs that vve may heare it doe it But the vvord is very nigh vnto thee in thy mouth in thy hart that thou mayest doe it Or the breefnes The commandement is shortened that euery man might be vnexcusable that noe maÌ„ in the day of iudgmeÌ„t as saith S. Augustine might implead god or complaine that he could not retayne this lesson in his memory Therefore saith that father the vvord is this If yee loue me you vvill loue one another Matâ— 11.30 Or if vve respect the easines of this lesson It is an easie yoke For both old young rich poore vveake and vvhole may performe this duty Or if vve respecte the preâ—iousnes of it It is the bond of perfectioÌ„ yea pretious it is in all dimensions In lenght it endureth euer In breath it is dilated to all to the good of duty to the bad of pitty In deepenes it fayleth neuer it vvill not forsake a frend in misery noe nor in extremity noe not in death it selfe Cant. 8.6.7 For loue is as strong as death ielousie is as cruel as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales a vehement flame Much vvater cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drovvne it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they vvould greatly contemne it Or in height it is of a noble disposition it loues our frends in the lord our enimies for the lord In a vvord it is pretious in extension In this vvorld universall it doth good to all In the other vvorld it is eternall Pretious in this vvorld for vse for a mans faith is his ovvne proper good but Charity is profitable and vsefull to others In the other vvorld it is pretious for continuance for it endureth to the end in the end after the end vvithout end Ignatius Christs martyr shall conclude vvho saith that faith is the beginning of our Christianity Charity the end best pillovve vvhereon to repose our head at the last gaspe The right of this appeares in the subject of Charity for it svvimmes not in the braine vvith fancifull imaginary opinions but setleth in the hart by deuine and Christian affections It is not conceitfull but truly cordiall In the obiect it is pretious for god is the obiect thereof vvhatsoeuer god vvill haue beloued as men all men yea our enimies for that 's the exaltatioÌ„ thereof Angels saincts Christ himself according to his humane nature vvhereby he doth not disdaine to call vs brethren Lastly in the effects pretious for it bringeth vnto vs the ioy of the spirit peace of our conscience patience mercie bounty the like Practice 1 The vse of this is first of Confutation of the Papists vvho make Charity the forme of faith they argue thus If Charity be greater then Faith hope more pretious for vse continuance as Paule affirmeth Then are vve not iustified by faith only I ansvvere that these conclusions vvill as vvell follovve A king is better then a boore therefore he can till the earth better A man is better then a beast therefore he can runne svvifter then a horse he can carry more then an Elephant Who sees not the absurdities Let Faith haue her prerogatiues It is the cause of gods loue Galat. 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision aueileth
of Merchants and Merchandizing be not so curiously hādled as the fulnes of the subiecte requireth yet let my endeered affections vnto you all make amends for the manifold defectes hereof It is that my vveakenes could afford It is the issue of noe curious brayne but I hope the symptome of an honest hart If from hence you vvould be pleased to dravve a Paralel of the cares trauailes perills aduentures you make here not for an earthly kingdome but for to attayne some modell of moderate liuely hoode And compare those labours vvith these you take for heauē you vvould easily see vvhat defecte there is I leaue that to your ovvne practice purpose shall euer pray to almighty god to make you all most happie in your selues by being reall Merchants for your ovvne soules happie in your seruants factors that may be reall in your trades trusts god make you prosperous in all your legall aduentures both by sea land To vvhose blessed guydance and sauing mercies I recommend you all resting Yours all in all respectfull duty observance VV. LOE Matth. 13. verse 45.46 Againe the Kingdome of heauen is like vnto a marchant man seeking goodly pearles who when he had found one pearle of great price he went sold all that he had bought it The Proëme BLessed beloued in the Lord JESUS Mine enterance into this text I made at London before those of your most vvorthy companie that are your carefull masters Creditors of your trusts your louing brethren Masters to seruants creditors of trusts to factors brethren both of companie of communion Of companie as you are all marchants Adventurers of communion as you are all orthodoxe Christians Mine enterance vnto you here is vvas both ciuill honest First by free election of your ovvne fellovvshipe Secondly by approbation of the state vvhence I came Thirdly by recommendation of his sacred majestie vnder his ovvne hand vvho pleased to grace me his vnvvorthy seruāt vvith his Royall letters of the most reuerēd Archebishope of Cāterbury who patriarchally tendered your peace Fourthly vvith attestatiō from the famous Vniversitie of Oxford vnder their seale from the Cathedrall Church vvhere I haue bene a mēber tvvo tvventy yeares one of the masters seuenteene yeares Thus from others had I enterance of vvhose recommēdations I acknovvledge my selfe most vnvvorthy Concerning my selfe I demurred after mine election a vvhole yeare halfe begged of god to resolue me touching my coming vnto you novve being come I doe protest in the sight of god his holy angells that I come not vnto you vvith any Italionated hart of implacabillity that cannot be appeased nor vvith any Hispaniolized hart of Iesuited nouelty nor vvith a Frenchified hart of singularitie nor yet vvith a Dutchified hart of neutrality all vvhich I speake not as of any nationall disgrace for the finest cambrick may haue many fretts frayes but I am come vvith a good an honest Englishe hart of Orrthodoxe Catholike syncerity Of the professors vvhereof there are tvvo mayne sorts vvhich I haue obserued in the Christian vvorld both of them striuing strugling for purity but in a differēt dissonant māner The one are seeming Puritans altogether led by faction Puritans in Actiō Puritans in Factiō The other are reall Puritans to vvhom all things are pure altogether busie in honest Actiō Puritans in factiō are all Papists Anabaptists Brovvnists Separatists all singularists vvhatsoeuer Tit. 1.15 sectaries vvhosoeuer that are merely nominalls Puritans in Action are all the pure in hart Matth. 5.8 vvho see god in his vvord in his vvorkes vvhile they are in this vvorld shall see him in the other vvorld in his displayed glory in the beatificall vision of Iesus Christ our blessed sauiour Into this blessed vision doe I desire to bring you Masters mortalls my louing countrymen blessed beloued in the lord Iesus And this text doth seeme punctually praecisely to point you Marchants out Wherein you may First see the Object of your pure faith Diuision vvhich S. Peter Calls the end of faith the end of euery thinge vvise men doe respect in all things this maine Obiect or end is the Kingdome of heauen euen euerlasting life the Catastrophe of your Apostolike Creede Secondly the resemblance specified in the text is the Word of your pure faith or the manner hovv you may be vvorded vnto this blessed end of your faith the Kingdome of heauen It only remayneth both for you me to beg of our god the spirit of faith vvhich vvill lead vs to this end guid vs into all truth by this meanes to the atchiuement of our blessed end If therefore there be here amongst you any one present of a regall royall disposition 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is a kingdome for him or if there be any of a celestiall cōceipte here is the kingdome of heauen for him vvhich is more If any be curious to knovve vvhat this kingdome is like I vvill tell him It is like saith my text to a Mā 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indeed for mā it vvas prepared by the merritts of the life death of a true man although not a meere man Iesus Christ both god man And it is like to a marchant mā vvhich vvord you ought to listē vnto for albeit euery Marchant is a mā yet euery mā is not a Marchāt Hovvbeit reall Marchāts principally in all their negotiations affaires doe not only attend but intēd this that so by any meanes they may attayne vnto it 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And not only to a Marchant man is this kingdome resembled but to a Marchant man that is a Ievveller For it is the most pretious Marchant-dizing in the vvorld to trade for this kingdome Moreouer it is not resembled only to a Marchant-man that is a Ievveller but to such a Marchant Ievveller that hath endovvments of grace As first dilligence to seeke 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secondly Iudgment to chose thirdly Constancie to perseuere seeking vntill he find fouerthly skil to knovve vvhen he hath founde Lastly resolution both of readines to prosecute then contempt of the vvorld to abandon thirdly of full persvvasion to settle his hart Lastly of purchase to enioy that one only Ievvell of peareles priceles vvorth to vvit Christ in heauen Charity on earth the one apprehended by the acte of pure faith the other comprehended by the pure effecte of the same In comparison vvhereof ten thousand millions of vvorlds all the pearls that might be therein are not of any
iudge the vvorld yea the euill angells at the last to fitt together in heauenly places vvith Christ Iesus The vvord of it incomparable For no lesse then all Christ is our purchase that also according to both natures It is a fearefull thing vve knovve to fall into the hands of the liuing god but novve to fall into the hand of a god that died for vs. It is comfort vnspeakeble Behold nowe theÌ„ vvith the eies of your pretious faith your Christ in his humilitatioÌ„ redeeming you froÌ„ hell the povvers of darknes by his exaltatioÌ„ hath put you in possessioÌ„ of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ by liuery seisen in our owne nature Io. 14.2 For he is goÌ„e to prepare you a place Practice 2 The second vse is of direction If you shall aske me by vvhat vvay you may obtayne this purchase I ansvvere There is noe other way but to coÌ„fesse that we are poore miserable blind naked then vve shall seeke to supplie our vvants from this purchase Secondly to knovve that all good is in this purchase for vvithout Christ neither heauen nor earth is any thing nor men nor angells nor god himselfe is availeable to vs without Christ Thirdly vve must detest that foolish fullnes vvhich the papists dreame of to be in the chest of the church vvhere in not only they conceaue to be an ouer plus of Christ meritts but also of Martyrs saincts from vvhich treasure of the church the pope deriueth his plenary indulgences selleth those goodly purchases to the bevvitched slaues of his Romish captiuity But vve knovve in Christ dvvelleth all the fullnes of the godhead bodily that noe Romish miscreant hath any povver to dispose of any of this fullnes but only the spirit of our god vvho is Christs viceroy disposeth of this purchase a plentifull portion to saue our soules Lastly there must be an heauenly desire in vs to be svvallovved vp of the loue of god in Christ this is the meanes to obtaine this purchase Practice 3 The third vse is of Expostulation Tell you me all you great purchasers of the vvorld that ioyne house to house lay feild to feild till there be noe place that you may dvvell alone in the midst of the earth doth not a vvoe follovve you at your heeles Esay 50.8 Tell me ye that spoyle others Esay 33. are not spoyled your selues the vvhile shall not others spoyle you or yours that the broken titles you haue entered into the morgages you haue receaued the forfeitures that you haue taken may bring vvoe vnto you that are at ease in Sion rich in the mount of Samaria That your depopulations of countries improuements of lands rackings of rents grindings of the faces of the poore other such like Iesuiticall practices vvhich you blanch vvith this saying It is lavvfull for vs to make the most of our ovvne though thereby you make the least of all men els that deale vvith you That these things I say may be as bane bitternes vvrath vvormevvood to you yours that the old vvorld of the Ievves both in their tabernacle temple may vtterly condemne you in their zeale earnestnes for god Practice 4 The fourth vse is of entreaty Wherein I desire euery man that hath faith to examine it tell me if that man be not a starke foole vvhich beleeueth an idle dreame to be true Yet such is all the purchase of this vvorld Aske the Prophet Esay he vvill tell you chapter 29.8 Is not he a starke foole that doth giue credit to a traytor Seph 1.8 yet such is the vvorld that betrays vs vvith a kiss as did Judas or that serueth such a master that cannot helpe him For noe purchase but this of heauen can deliuer vs. Is not he a madman that prouideth snares to entangle himself and goeth to drovvne himself endeuoreth to quench fire not by casting on vvater but oyle So doe all the mad men of the vvorld that couet to be rich vvith vvorldly purchases not vvith this So Paule teacheth his scholer Timothy 1. Tim. 6.9 Yea is not a man possessed as it vvere vvith a lunaticke deuill vvhich doth oft cast him into the vvaters of affliction Matth. 17. vvhen he meets vvith many troubles in the vvorld by reason of his purchases many vnnecessary tedious suits in lavve vvhich doe miserably distract drovvne him ploung him into many manifold manifest garboyles turmoyles both of mind body goods good name Is he not as it vvere possessed vvith a spirit of infirmity that bovves him dovvne still to the earth as the poore vvoman in the gosple Luc. â—8 Yea doubtles the spirit of blindnes darkenes doomenes haue possessed all such vvorldlings that mind only earth earthly things neuer thinke of this heauenly purchase Practice 5 The last practice is of Motion tending to resolution I mention only tvvo purchases at this tyme. The one made by Abraham the other by Iudas Abrahams purchase vvas a sepucherir to bury in Gen. 23. It vvas the caue in Machpelah it cost him fovver hundred sycles vvhich is 33. h 6. s 8. d sterling This vvas a blessed purchase It vvas the dormitory for the bodys of his tribe to sleepe in vntill the last trumpet should call them to heauen Judas purchast to for thirty peeces of siluer but it vvas a miserable purchase euen an Acheldema a feild of bloud Mat. 27. But you masters mortalls I hope novve after all this that hath bine sayd vvill resolue euen all of you like reall Marchants to remember that vvhereas god hath purchased you from the earth to be heires of heauen Apoc. 14.3.4 1. Cor. 6.20 haue purchased you from among men to be a choise people vnto himself in a vvord hath purchased bought you vvith a price priceles peareles as you haue hard See that you glorifie god both in your bodies in your soules thinke noe price to deare to obtayne so rich a purchase as this euen the pearle of blisse euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our lord vvhich god grant vnto you for his mercies sake the merritts of his sonne into vvhose sauing mercies I recommend you committ you to the giudance of the holy ghost vvho may build further To vvhom vvith the father the sonne be ascribed all praise all povver all glory of vs here of the vniuersall church for euer Amen FINIS