carelesnes 3. Ioh. 1.9 Lucae 16. or giue it avvay as Diotrephes did for preheminence as the Glutton for delight as the vvanton for pleasure as the envious for nothing but for vexatiō of mind as the desperate only for horror of conscience vvho destroy their bodies that the deuill may haue their soules Practice 3 Thirdly this teacheth vs not to be rebells in this kingdome not to partake vvith the beast vvho disposeth of kingdomes at his pleasure nor vvith the deuill vvho seekes to ruinate the states of kingdoms Rom. 6.12 but that finally vve resolue that sinne may not raigne in our mortal bodies as in a kingdome that vve should obey it in the lust thereof Rom. 5.21 but that as sinne hath raigned vnto death euen soe grace might raigne through righteousnes vnto eternall life by IESUS CHRIST our lord The third lesson The former was a kingdome but novve a kingdome of heauē is sett before vs wherein we may learne That God hath prepared a kingdome of heauen for those that in hope thereof purge themselues in the kingdome of grace By heauen vve vnderstand not that place betvvixt the earth Gen. 1.28 the Moone for that 's the heauen of fovvles for they are called the foules heauen Genes 1. nor yet the firmament vvherein are placed the sunne the moone 2. Cor. 12.2 starres but that third heauen into vvhich Paule vvas taken vp vvhere Christ sitteth at the right hand of god the father vvhere the soules departed are in rest vvhere all the elect in the end of the vvorld shal be as the angels shal shine as the sunne in brightnes glorie of god the father Of vvhich kingdome of heauen if you aske me vvhat it is I ansvvere it is a creature made of god in the begining vvhē he created the earth Gen. 1.1 If you aske me vvhere it is I ansvvere it is aboue these visible heauens If you aske me vvhy god made it I ansvvere for to shevve his glorie vnto his saincts therefore it is called a paradise of all delectable desireable things in the presence of god The house of god vvherein all the elect are gathered A kingdome vvherein god is king Christ is the prince the church the queene the subjects all the angells saincts Luc. 6.38 And it is called the kingdome of glorie vvherein not only vve receaue glory in good measure but pressed dovvne heaped vp running ouer In hope vvhereof all gods children purge prune themselues that they may bring forth much fruite 1. Ioh. 2.3 For vvhat vvill not a Christian soule doe labour striue struggle vvhile he is here that here after he may sitt in heauenly places vvith Christ Iesus Eph. 2.6 The right of this learning the reason of scripture shevves Apoc. 21.8 For noe vncleane thing entereth into this holy city nor any abhomination The meanes is therefore offered 1. Ioh. 1.7 euen the bloud of Iesus Christ vvhereby vve may be purged frō all our sinnes that vve may be cleane And gratious is the conversation of all gods children for their conuersation is in heauen allbeit they be in earth Phil. 1.20 First by liuing in christian charity For he that liueth in charity liueth in god Matt. 6.21 Secondly in affection for their hart is in heauen vvhere their treasure is Thirdly by right of inheritance for vvhere the head is there must the members be Christ our head is in heauen christians the members clayme their interest in him Gorranus in locum Or as our contryman sayth the conuersation of Christians on earth is in heauen 1. By meditation in the strength vvhereof they fly daily into heauen 2. By daily conference for they speake continually of those things that belong to the kingdome of heauen 3. By holy admiration for vvho knovveth the order of the visible heauens therefore much lesse can vve vnderstand the glory of the invisible 4. By speaking to our soules in holy soliloquies saying Who is or vvhat is there in heauen or in earth that vve desire but thee o lord god Lastly by attending gods leasure as the Patriarches did Gen. 49.18 soe doe they daily vvaite for their saluation The life of this learning consists in practise Practice 1 First of greuance for it is a thousand greeuances to see the madnes of the vvorld that vvhen as god hath prepared vs a kingdome this kingdome is preached daiely vnto vs yet it is sleigthed neglected as if vve told thē tales of Virginia Iob. 4.19 2. Pet. 1.14 1. Pet. 2.11 or of the Bermuthaes vvhere they neuer meane to goe And for asmuch as vve knovve that vve dvvel here in houses of clay in tabernacles of earth are but strangers pilgrimes yet that vve should haue noe more desire to goe to our mansions to repaire to our tabernacle made vvithout hands to reside in our ovvne country is a straine of extreame madnes Practice 2 Secondly of contentation in vvhat estate or condition soeuer vve are either vvith Abraham dvvelling in tents Heb. 9.10 yet still to haue an eie to the land of promise or vvith Paule not to looke on the things that are seene 2. Co. 5.1.2 but to knovve that if this earthly tabernacle be destroyed vve shal be sure of a better made vvithout hands Practice 3 Thirdly of confutation of those hellish spirits that make hast vnto the kingdome of darknes For say preach vvhat the lord Iesus vvill in his holy Testamēt that they should purge and purifie themselues for the hope of this kingdome Hosh. 5.4 yea if Hoshea preach neuer soe earnestly yet the Spirit of vvhordome vvilbe in the middest of some Exod. 16.5 If Moses Aarō preach of this kingdome shevve Signes vvonders 2. Ti. 4.10 yet the spirit of gluttony vvill desire the flesh potts of Egipte if Paule preach neuer soe povverfully yet the spirit of coueteousnes vvill cause Demas to forsake him Matt. 5.22 imbrace this present vvorld the spirit of vvrath vvill call his brother Racha though he be in dainger of a counsell Eph. 4.29.30 the spirit of enuie vvill sell innocent Ioseph the spirit of lying of peruersnes peeuishnes vvill greeue the spirit of god vvith rebellion vvhat soeuer can be sayd to the cōtrary Practise 4 The fourth is of purgation vvhich directeth vs hovve vve may be cleansed laying dovvne this first as a ground that noe man shall see god vvithout a purgatory but this is noe popish foolish cōceite of purging after this life vvithout ground or vvarrant of the vvord but our invvard effectuall purging by baptisme the lavacre of regēeratiō the vvashing of the nevve birth by Christs passiō where in he hath vvashed vs in his bloud by the vvord vvhich maketh vs cleane Aquinas by grace vvhich purgeth vs from all our sinne by
an Onix a Jasper And all this to shevve hovve pretious his children are both in life death in his sight Right deare in the sight of the lord is the death of his saincts saith the Psalmist Psal 116. If their death be pretious their life much more The things prepared for his are resembled to pretious stones For in the description of the heauenly Jerusalem in the Reuelation by the Devine Apoc. 21.21 it is sayd that the foundation of the vvall vvas of all manner of pretious stones as of Jasper Saphir Calcedon of the Emeraude Sardoinx Sardius of the Chrisolite Beryl Topas of the Chrisoprasus Iacinth Amathyst The right of reason shevves this For god hath put more povver and beautie in stones that haue only being then in other Creatures that haue being sence reason Whereby he shevveth to vs his povver to snib controule our pride For vvhat beauty is so bright as the diamōd vvhat roseall hevve so amiable as the Corall vvhat skill haue any phisitiā so povverfull in medicine to cure as are many pretious stones Secondly god confirmeth herein the doctrine of election reprobation for as of stones so of mankind some are vile some are pretious And on the other side the rarest ievvells haue not that vertue as the loadstōe vvhich for lustre in respecte of other stones is but vile despicable Wherein vve may see that vvhen the most vile meanest things are taken into the hand of god vvhat rare vvonderfull effects he can bring to passe by them In a vvord all pretious stones procede from one and the selfesame matter vvhich is the earth yet see vvhat great difference there it betvveene the vile the pretious betvveene the currant counterfaite Euen so among the sonnes of men all are made of the one the same matter Yett vvhat difference there is betvvixt man man of the same mould betvveene brother brother of the same bloud euen asmuch as betvveene Simon Magus Simon Peter Cephas Caiphas Judas the traytor Jude the apostle yea vvhat differēce is in one mā vvhē god takes him into his hand as of a persecuting Saule to make him a preaching Paull Practice 1 The vse of this is first of Demonstration vvhat manner of persons they are that truly build tovvards heauen Paull telleth vs that if vve build not vpon the foundation that is Christ pretious stones vve shall suffer losse 1. Cor. 3.12 Those therefore that are true builders are reall Marchant ievvellers For the grace of god doth so much prevaile vvith them Psal 1. 1. Ioh. 3.3 that they become Jaspers greene florishing in good vvorkes Saphires purging themselues of Epidemicall diseases for the hope of heauē Calcedons curing fantasticall delusions all Enthusiasmes Anabaptismes the like fancies Carbūcles healing the falling sicknes of falling into the vvaters of coueteousnes Zanch. de oper Dei fires of contention Sardonixes as composed of two natures mortall spirituall by the one humbled by the other lifted vp Sardiusses in reioycing the hart for vvho can be more merry thē he that serues god Chrisolits driuing avvay agues both hott cold for the feare of god is the bath of sinners curing them of chilling cold of base idelnes the flaming heat of intemperat Zeale Beryls by kindling fire against the sunne the Zeale of the sonne of god euen eating them vp Apoc. 12.1 Topasses curing Lunacies trampling all sublunary things vnder their feete Chrysoprases shyning more in the night then in the light holding out the light of the truth against all the darknes of this vvorld Hyacinths hauing armore of profe against lightning for they are as innocent as doues therefore god vvill not hurt them Lastly Amatysts enioying quiet sleepe For god giueth his beloued sleepe in this life their death is as a very svveet repose rest in sleepe Practice 2 The second practice is of Information from the name generation production of pretious stones The name of them pretious for god knovves all his by their names The generation of pretious stones is rare euen from the devve of heauen in the mother of pearle the regeneration of gods children rare euen of the symle of heauen the grace of god in the bosome of their mother the church The production of pretious stones vvonderfull from the veines of the earth from the deapth of the sea from the bodies of vncleane creatures The renovation of gods children wonderfull from the dusty durty thoughts of the earth from the sleepenes of Sathan from the bodies of vvicked parents come eftimes good children Practice 3 The third of Detection for there are certaine pretious stones vvhich are transparent only soe are gods children like Nathaniell vvho vvas so translucēt that Christ pronunceth of him that in him there vvas noe guile Some are duske not transparent such a countefaite vvas Demas vvho shyned for a tyme but in the tyme of tentation fell avvay some are mixt vvhich are partly duske partly transparent Such are they that vveare Linsy vvoolsy in their garments plough vvith an oxe an asse changing their religion vvith William Rufus according to their profittable reason But all these may easily be knovven the true from the counterfait euen as pretious stones are by three manner of vvaies By the touch by the sight by the file If they be counterfaite touch them deale vvith them their dealing vvilbe as rough as Esaues hands albeit their voice be as oylie as Iacobs Looke vpon them not a good vvorke shall you see but their good vvorkes are as invisible as the holy ghost Try them vvith the file they vvill not abide the tryall but in the tyme of temptation fley avvay as the svvallous doe in vvinter Practice 4 Lastly of motion all pretious stones come of the earth their common parent but by the devve of heauen influence of coelestiall bodies doe become pure pretious Soe all gods children are all by nature from the earth earthly but by the loue of the god of heauen their father by the vnspeakable benefitt of the sonnes sufferings by the all powerfull operatiō of the holy ghost they are not by the will of mā but according to the purpose of the will of god rēewed becōe pure pretious from out all their contagion euill in the end shall suffer noe losse in their tryall For they as pretious stones are built vpon the euerlasting foundation Iesus Christ by vvhom they are conveyed to the heauenly building shall remayne in the heauenly Ierusalem vvith god for euer The sixt lesson Moreouer the Marchant to vvhom this kingdome is resēbled is not a Ievveller of ordinary Ievvells but one that seeketh goodly pearles so that hence vve learne That the high vvay to this kingdome of heauē is goodnes the studie of Goodnes is the Christian reall Marchants practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
shall I still say MODO Mâ—DO QUAE NON HABENT â—ODUM But the lord at last hard him shevved him a scripture Rom. 13.14 Not in chambering vvantonnesse not in striffe enuying but put on the lord Iesus vvhich scripture converted him and made him an orthodxe christian Practice 3 The third is of Caution to bevvare least vve goe not the rightvvay For Ierusalem vvent but it vvas backward Ier. 15.6 That is noe vvay for vs. The euill seruant vvent also Mat. 25.18 but he vvent diggd in the earth hid his talent that vvas noe good marchant The young man vvhom Christ bid goe Mat. 27.5 sell all vvent to but he vvent his vvay sorrovving for he had great revennevves Iudas vvent also but it vvas to hang himselfe Thus vve must haue a care vvhither vve goe 2. Corint 5 For vvhiles vve are in the flesh vve are pilgrimes from the lord Practice 4 The Fourth vse is of Expostulation Can any man implead god that he hath not shevved him vvhich way he should goe Hath not your eies seene it in greater lesser characters in his vvorkes in his vvord Hath not your eares hard it by profound Paules eloquent Apolloses Zealous Cephases Hath not your harts bine often touched vvith holy motions of gods spirit your consciences quieted therby Nay haue not your hands handled of the vvord of life Will you then still resist the spirit of god as your forefathers did before Practice 5 Let me move you in the last place seing vve are going on must goe on Let vs doe as trauelers doe goe forvvards still not looking backvvards to Sodom as Lotts vvife did but keepe our faces tovvards Ierusalem as Christ did Genes 19. Luc. 24. Secondly let vs goe on the right vvay seeking Christ in heauen Charity on earth Thirdly let vs be sparing as trauelers are not to ruÌ„ne to excesse of riott in spending our masters creditors goods â—uinating our ovvne creditts Lastly let vs not be detayned by trifles gevvgavves but let vs so runne on the race that vve may obtayne the goale shevve our readines to come to Christ he vvilbe most ready to receaue vs to immortallity glory for euer The thirteenth lesson It follovveth that this reall Marchant is so ready to purchase this pearle that he makes avvay all that he hath to haue it The text sayth HE SOLD There is an euill sale as buying selling in the church of god Matth. 21.12 vvhich Christ vvhips out There is an vnnaturall sale vvhen brother selleth brother as the patriarches did Ioseph Gen. 37.28 And there is a prophane sale vvhen a man sells diuinity for vanity as Esau sold his birthright for pottage But there is a good Gen. 25.33 godly sale vvhen vve sell earth for heauen the vvorld for god the cursed corban for Christ so did the apostollicall church vvhen they sold their possessions brought the price laid it dovvne at the apostles feete The collection Act. 4.45 or learning from this interpretation is this They that once haue tasted of god of Christ of the blessings of the other life doe easily renounce contemne despise all things which hinder them that they may not obtaine heauen make away with all such things that helpe theÌ„ on thither to procure purchase this pearle This is made cleare by reuelation and by reason By reuelation out of euidence of the vvord First by precept vve must first seeke the kingdome of god Matth. 6.33 Secondly by parable Luc. 8.7 The seed that fell among thornes vvas choaked Thirdly by mystery Luc. 10.22 2. Tim. 2.4 Mary made the best choise Fourthly by reseÌ„blance Noe man marcheth vvell on in the spirituall vvarfare vvhich entangleth himselfe vvith the things of this vvorld In the second place it is cleare First by the condition 1. Ioh. 2.13 If any man loue the vvorld the loue of the father is not in him Secondly it is cleare by an impossibillity Matt. 6.24 For noe man can serue tvvo masters God Mammon Apoc. â— Thirdly from the iudgment For the luke vvarme god vvill speve out of his mouth Lastly they that svvere by god Zeph. 1.5 Mâ—lchom are abhomination to the lord In the third place it is cleare from a distinction For all the things in the vvorld are of a threefold condition Some things are so good that god giues them to none but to his ovvne children as Faith repentance and so forth Secondly some are so bad that they are giuen to none but to the damned as impenitency hardnes of hart the like And some are of a mixt nature as are riches vvhich are neither good nor bad in themselues August ad Bonâ—faciuÌ„ Epist 70. but as they are vsed or abused these are giuen to good bad To the good least these things should be thought to be euill and so they vvere giuen to Abraham they are giuen to the bad least these things should be thought to be the cheefest good things Luc. 16. so they vvere giuen to the rich glutton Rom. 12.1 This is also cleare by reason For if vve must offer our bodies sacrifices to god much more our goods For the bodie is better them rayment Matt. 6.25 Iob 2.4 And a man vvould giue his skinne for his life Besides the godly knovve Heb. 12. 2. Cor. 7. Psal 102. 1. Ioh. 5. that by the contempt of the vvorld they are deliuered from the vvorlds holdfast From the vvorlds nothing From the vvorlds vncertaintie and from the vvorld iniquity Practice 1 The practice of this is first of lamentation Is it not a thovvsand pitties that there are many marchants so desperate that sett to sale their ovvne soules The coueteous Marchant for mony as did Demas Ecce 10.9 Hebr. 1â— The vvanton for pleasure as did Esau The imperious for ambition as Alexander the sixt sold his soule for the popedome Absolon for a kingdome And the vvicked man for is ovvne harts lust as did Ahab that sold himselfe to doe euill in the sight of the lord Is it not lamentable to behold other daingerous Marchant Aduenturers vvho paune their soules as did Noah Dauid Peter But let these take heed that they be as good husbands as they vvere by repentance or els they may paune them so that they may neuer redeeme them Againe is it not also lamentable that some carelesse marchants vvill lose their soules as carnall gospellers doe the like Oh vvhat a foolish thing is it to be carefull to keepe the chickin from the kite the lambe from the vvolfe the doue from the vermine to be carelesse to keepe our soules from the deuill O vvretched condition of the sonnes of men Practice 2 The second Practice is of difference Indeed there are some that are the children of this vvorld Luc. 16.9
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
often to say vve haue seized vpon heauen let vs fly hence let vs fly hence Practice 6 Sixtly of Confidence against the terrors of iudgment for blessed is that seruant vvhom the lord shall find vvhensoeuer or hovvsoeuer he commeth thus trading For if god loued vs vvhen vve vvere his enimies did beare vpon vs the image of the diuell hovve much more shall he loue vs novve being reconciled bearing the image of sanctification in Christ Practice Last Lastly of Expostulation together vvith motion Can any one amongst you implead this Learning Is there a vvise man amongst you I hope he is not vviser then Solomon yet he accounted all things in the vvorld vexation vanitie vvhen he had once learned this lesson Is there any amongst you that makes an high accompt of himselfe his let not this stout hart of his stoope to vile vaine things of the vvorld Is there a frugall thrifty man amongst you that vvould enrich himselfe let him trad for this true gold of Ophir not vvith the shippers of king Ochasias trade for peacockes parrats parachitoes popiniayes for soe they may chance to haue their ships broken at Esiongeber all their proud peacokes be they vviues or vvātons all their paultrie popiniays be they giules or practises may suffer a fearfull vvrack vvith them In a vvord all of you are men ciuill men Marchant men that vvhich is more then all Christian men Will you knovve the best of all the only good for you yours then knovve that guiles are noe gaines for you to liue by in a godly conscience Nor noe good ground-worke for your posterity to liue on whē you are gone for the goodnes of god is extended to the thousand generatiō of thē that loue him endevoure to keepe his commandements Thus much of the vvhole text in generall The secōd lesson From the particular passages arise diverse lessons The first is dravven from the Object vvhich is a kingdome For frō hence vve learne That it is the mind of Christ Iesus that all his should be of a Royall mind therefore a kingdome is sett before them as a reward of mercie for their seruice The light of this appeareth forasmuch as gods kingdome is three fold to vvitt of Povver of Grace of Glorie Of Povver for god is not a brasen vvall but a vvall of fire to his chosen to surround encircle them What euer pleaseth him that doth he in heauen Psal 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in earth in the seas in all deepe places And of him Rom. 11.36 through him to him are all things For the Lord is the Greatnes The Povver The Glory the victorie the maiestie for all are his in heauen in earth his is the Kingdome he is exalted as head ouer all soe preacheth Dauid in the booke of the Chronicles 1. Ch. 29.11 Dan. 6.26 and Darius the king of Babilō proclaymeth in his kingdome that all men should tremble feare before the god of Daniell for he is the liuing god steadfast foreuer his kingdome That vvhich shall not be destroyed And his dominion shal be euē to the end All his vvorkes shevve this for they all speake of his glory of his kingdome talke of his povver Thus you see here is a kingdome of Povver that the vveake may flie vnto it as vnto a city of refuge Secondly a kingdome of Grace soe CHRISTS forerunner saith Repent for the kingdome of god is at hand Matth. 3.2 Christ him selfe tells his Apostles that it is giuen vnto them to knovve the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen Luc. 8.10 Christs follovver sayth the kingdome of heauen Rom. 14.17 is not meat drinke but righteousnes peace ioy in the holy ghost Lastly he hath a kingdome of Glory For it is his pleasure to giue his children a kingdome it vvas prepared for them before the vvorld vvas Luc. 12.32 Mat. 25.34 Mat. 13.43 they shal shine therein as the sunne in the firmament The right of this appeares in reason that Christ vvould haue Christians regally minded because there is an opposition of kingdomes against this kingdome of Christ to vvit that of the kingdome of the beast of the vvhore the kingdome of Sathan the kingdome of this vvorld Apo. 16.20 The kingdome of the beast the Reuelation mentioneth Matth. 26. against both by vvay of disclayme Christ saith directly My kingdome is not of this vvorld The might of this kingdome of Christ appeareth that he should rule ouer the house of Iacob for euer Luc. 1.33 he should raigne till his enemies are put vnder his feete yea his very members by his grace shall raigne 1. Co. 15.23 For if by one mans offence death raigned by one man much more they vvhich receaue abundance of grace Rom. 5.17 of the gifte of righteousnes shall raigne in life by one Iesus Christ he it is that hath made vs vnto our god kings Preests vve shal reigne on the earth by santificatiō Apoc. 5.10 Yea vve shal iudge the collapsed angels Thus much for the probat of the learning hereof 1. Cor. 6.3 Practice 1 The life of this appeares First in the practise of the exaltation of our ovvne Christian spirits for euery one hath euer naturally vvithin himselfe a kingdome vvherein reason is the prince the sences the gard the vpper faculties of the soule the Peares the invvard sēces the commons the passions the rebbells Novve faith by grace ruleth ouer all these obtayneth the kingdome For passion must subiect it self to sence Sence to reason reason to faith faith to the spirit of god Thus is a kingdome sett vp in vs that vvill neuer be cast dovvne either by the plotte of Machiauell vvho imagined that religion did effeminate debase deiect the courages of Christians But the magnanimity of George Castriott prince of Epyrus of Iohannes Zisca Mirmidons of vvarre of Martin Luther of Huldricus Zinglius of such like both Laiques Cleriques vvortheis of the vvord doth vtterly confute that poore conceit of the secretary of Florence Machiauell This exaltation also vvil guide vs that vve be not deceaued by Sathan vvho offereth vs kingdomes to serue him Nor yet to dreame of an earthly kingdome vvith the flattering Herodians Matth. 4.8 misled Chyliasts Origenists or Millinaries for all these last three are one Practice 2 Secondly the life of this learning confuteth those that are of a base abjecte condition that either with the proud man sells their clayme for ayre as did Absolon for honor or vvith the couetous man for earth as did Demas for this present vvorld or vvith the Letcher for puddle as did Ammon for Thamar or else pavvne it as did Dauid Noah Peter or lose their clayme to this kingdome by neglecte contempt or
First by vvay of Demonstration For an vnregenerate man hath sought out many inventions First the vvay of invention of disobedience he had rather be at his ovvne direction then at gods and so is become a monstrous rebbel like Chore Dathan and Abyram vnvvorthey to breath vpon the earth Secondly the invention of doubting by putting in Paraduentures into the vvord as Euah did Genes 3. vvhich god neuer spoke Thirdly the invention of Presumption in plovving vpon gods backe and making long furrovves saying let him that made me saue me Fouerthly the invention of sleighting god euen in discourse of reason as the Ievves did in chosing Barrabas and refusing Christ Fiftly the invention of Dissimulation resembling the generation of those that are pure in their ovvne conceipte and are not cleansed from their vvickednes Sixtly the invention of Persvvasion of euill to others as if they had not sinne enough of their ovvne to ansvvere for but they must entice others also Lastly by the invention of shutting their eares and hardening their harts against vvhat soeuer they should heare from god or be persvvaded by good mē for their good resoluing desperatly to liue in the vvorld vvith an iorn arme to doe any violence for aduantage vvith an ants belly to liue neuer so basely for their profitt and vvith a dogs souls to doe any exployt neuer soe deuelishly soe they may haue their ovvne vvill Practice 2 The second passage is of Lamentation For is it not a thousand pitties to see him that vvas a man of god should become a man of bloud to invent gunns and torments to destroy his Species as did Bertholdus Schuuartz the Franciscan Frier Genes 4.8 To become a man of death to cause his ovvne hands to murther his ovvne brother as did Cain to become a sonne of Belial to sel himselfe to doe euill as did Ahab and to become a man of sinne as that great Archimandrites the Pope of Rome is Practice 3 The third passage is of Deiection Psal 49.12 Psal 59.20 For tvvice in one Psalme it is sayd Man being in honor vnderstood it not is compared vnto the beasts that perish To beasts in generall Paule fought vvith beasts at Ephesus Iere. 51.17 and Ieremy saith that euery man in his ovvne knovvledge is a veary beast To beasts in particular as to vipers Maith 3.7 Matt. 10.16 Luc. 13.32 Marc. 7.27 Matt. 16.12 Act. 13.10 1. Tim. 4.1 vvolues foxes hogs doggs Yea compared to devills Haue not I chosen you tvvelue one of you is a deuill sayth Christ And Paule tells Elimas the sorcerer that he vvas the child of the deuill yea vve read of doctrines of deuills deepenes of Sathan The fathers haue resembled men to beasts A man of goodlie parts vvithout discretion to the Estridge that hath goodlie feathers and canot flie as Job speaketh a man of enuy and despight studying reueng to a camell that forgetteth all things sauing a shrevvd turne a man that is apte for euill to a Dromedary that is svvift to batell Oh hovve lamentable a thing it is to consider that a man that vvas made in the image of god should novve be vvorse then the men vvith vvhom he liueth running to that excesse of royot vvhich other men doe not Worse then bird vvhich praise their creator in their kind vvorse then beasts vvhich vvil drinke no more but vvhat sufficeth vvorse then deuills that beleeue and tremble Practice 4 Lastly of Erection For my desire is that this sunneshine should not sett in so darke a cloud seing god hath sayd to man vvhich he sayd not to the angells that fell Shall man fall and shall not he rise shall man turne avvay shall nothe returne againe Lett vs therefore as the Apostell sayth quitt our selues like men vve are all of vs Ishbosheths sonns of shame When vve come into the vvorld our frends couer our shame vvith raggs and in the end vvhen vve goe out of the vvorld they doe the like All of vs are Mephibosheths lame on both leggs both in our loue to god and in our charity one to another We are all Lazarusses full of sores and lie begging at the gate of gods rich mercie Lett vs therefore remember our creator that as vve are men soe by gods grace vve may become ciuill men Christian men and the men of god by the mediation of the man IESUS CHRIST our lord god blessed for euer and by his merritts may obtaine this kingdome vvhich is resembled to man prepared for mā merited by that man vvhich kingdome he shal render vp in the end of all vvhen there shal be noe man lyving on the earth to god the father that god may be all in all Euen so lord Iesus The fift lesson But this kingdome is not resembled to euery man but vnto a marchant man The lesson then is That Marchants and Marchādizing are of god Marchāts not only in their creatiō but also in their vocation In their creation as they are men in their christiā vocatiō as they are Marchant mē It is noe smalle cōfort for a man to be assured and assertayned that his calling is of god It remaines therefore that you marchants vse this calling legally that god may blesse you it that you may be traders for this heauenly kingdome vvhich is resembled vnto you as you are marchant men The light of this appeares that marchants dizing is pretions vvith god First because it is for the magnificence of a kingdome that god vvould advance Secondly it is for the good of a people that god vvould blesse Thirdly it appeareth from the heauenly distribution of commodities in seuerall countries and places And lastly from the dispensation of deuine prouidence in all things For the first the kingdome of Solomon is recommended vpon record in gods booke as for other things so also for the magnificence of marchantdizing 2. Chron. 8.17.18 1. Reg. 10.22 Es 23.18 That he sent ships to Esion geber to Elod ioyned him selfe vvith Hiram king of Tyre vvith his marchants vvho brought gold from Ophir once in three yeare Againe it is a blessing pronoūced of Tyre that her marchantdizing vvages should be holy vnto the lord It shall not be laid vp nor kepte in store but her marchantdize shal be for them that dvvel before the lord to eate sufficiently and to haue durable clothing Thirdly god hath distributed his commodies seuerally one country hath not all commodities But the sea the earth those tvvo great caskets of gods treasuries are in seuerall places diuersly furinshed So that one country seemeth as it vvere the granary of the vvorld So Sicilie vvas called the granary of the Romane state Another the celler of the vvorld as the Canarie Ilands Another the orchard of the vvorld as Lombardy in Ittaly so acompted Another the Arcenall of the vvorlde as Russia Norvvay are esteemed espetially for cordage materialls of shipping In all vvhich the