on high when we shal be preferred to those heavenly places promotions wherin we shal be happy as long as the Lord himself doth inhabite in the heaven of heavens This traffike ever brings riches these riches ever bring honour and glory partly on earth perfectly in heaven Now all men love wealth most men love honour why then come â—ither all you that love either and feede on both to your fill for here you may be nay you shal be both rich and honorable these two are never parted in our heavealy trade but doe ever goe together though in the worlds affayres they are often founde a sunder Let vs then for conclusion of all collect all these things we have spoken and heard and vpon consent given vnto them be it our care to addresse our selves with all spirituall jndustrey and diligence herevnto It were a foule yea a wofull shame to vs to know there were such a beneficiall trade and to be no-body in it and soe much the rather because if we be any-body we shal be rich and if we be rich we shal be honourable both in Gods account while we live and in Gods kingdome when we dye They alone shal be able to stand before the Lord at the last day who have gotten some of this wealth all others whether infidells without the church or vnfaithfull Christians within it shall hang downe their heads and be banished from all hope of blessednes and abandoned vnto eternall malediction Among men he that hath litle money may have much honest but with the Lord it cannot be soe he who hath not this riches is a wretched and forlorne creature for ever and as Princes that are honorable and mighty doe not nor will receive either base vagabonds who have noe calling noe busines or place of abode or villanous and wilfull bankrupts who might have beene more honesty vpright into their dominions make them the Peeres and principall officers of their kingdome but disdayne and drive them away with contempt and scorne soe neither will or can the Lord admit any spirituall beggers or bankrupts into his king-dome to make them any-body there but with infinite jndignation he will send them from himself into the kingdome of darknes there to be dammed for ever In the world it is at the worst but a CROSSE not be rich bu to be voyd of these riches is noe lesse then a CVRSE the other cannot be attayned by many doe what they can but these are never wanted but only in them by whome they are neglected which neglect is insufferable in the sight of the living God who will not endure to let the abuse of his kindnes patience long suffring goodnes whereby they might have beene enriched to goe vnavenged but will reward them to their face who are foule in this fearfull offence As ever then we hope to holde vp our heads for ever and ever before the God of Gods and to be happy in his heavenly glory soe let vs settle our selves and that in our soules herevnto that we may appeare before him comfortably at that day and live from that time in glory with him beyond all time Let not this world totally take vp our harts to rob and bereave vs of a better Loue not the world nor the things of the world that is predominantly it is Gods owne counsell and backt with no small reason for if any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him and it is also Christs counsell that we labour not for the things that perish that is soe instantly as we should doe for those that perish not for if we doe soe loue the world and soe labour for it as we should doe for these better things we cannot soe looke after these as we ought neither will the Lord looke after vs as we would But if the best loue and labour of our harts be after these best things we shall surely attaine them yea we shall attayne him and he will also entertayne vs with that most worthy welcome well done good and faithfull servaÌ„t enter into thy masters joy which joy because it is endles I will end in the mention of it desiring that all that hath beene spokeÌ„ may affect vs aright towards it Glory be to God on high ERRATA Pag. Lin. Error Correction 19. 29. incenes nicenes 22. 28. or our 24. 19. dronond drowned 34. 30. it if 35. 24. by not be be not by  25. challeagne challenge 37. 28. them then 40. 12. bebts debts 41. 17. the is those 49. 14. in it 69. 26. proydie provide 75. 7. to ever ever to 79. 1. sherply sharply 94. 5. of any of my 97. 8. our place one place 105. 16. admisse amisse 111. 20. vpon where wherevpon words to be put in 47. 6 tend to their  63. 16. either to buy  101. 7 chose he had to doe  words to be put out 110. 31. in haue Â
from being puffed vp in the height of our earthly happines and soe temper vs betweene the two extreames whervpon millions of men are wracâ—kt that we shall ride safely without any danger on either hand For it will not suffer vs either to fall from the highest and steepest top of abundance and prosperity nor yet suffer the deepest gulfe of want and penury to finke and drowne vs. So that this one good it hath that it make's all other things good to vs. And in it there is no evill either in getting or in keeping all we can attaine we may most lawfully covet the most of it that can be gotten and as lawfully may we care how to kepe all we can get there is no sin or evill in either of these In the former there was and is as we spake even now and woe to him saith the Lord that coveâ—eth an evill covetousnes but to covet spirituall things is not only not for bidden but expresly againe and againe commanded as he may see that peruseth what the Apostle saith to the Corinthians both in the twelfth 1. Cor. 12.31 cap 14.1 and fourteeneth chapter of his first epistle In the former wealth there may be an excesse a man may have too much of the world and surfett assoone on riches as on any thing and therefore to avoyd the perill of this plurisey we are commanded to be content with what we have and to satisfy our selves with such a measure of outward things as the wisdome of God shall please to put vpon vs be they more or lesse but he that can enlarge his desires and endeavours te craue and to have the greatest quantity of this wealth that is attaynable he is the happiest man no man neede once to feare a superfluity because it is out of all humane possibility to have enough that is to say soe much as we should have of every grace which we once had in perfection when we were created and now at the best can have but in jmperfection since we were corrupted the most sanctifyed man is he who hath the most vnsatiable desire most vnweariable endeavour after these advantages Againe the most and best that can come by all the confluence and abundance of temporall wealth is only some reputation and place among men to be a man of creddit and estimation whose word or hill will passe currantly for great summes vpon the exchange to be accounted square dealers good men sore paymasters this is the vtmost honour the earths abundance can yeelde And what great good thing is this when it is apparant to be as common among Pagans as Christians and alwayes as much yea many times more their honour then ours All the riches vnder heaven cannot make God to give a man one good word or to entertaine a kinde thought of him that hath most Is it any mans commendation in all the bible that he was rich and had much divers good men who are commended are reported to be soe but noe jot nor tittle of their prayse doth or can consistin this particuler And that is most plaine to every mans eye and observation who will take knowledge how the Lord speaketh of thâ—se that had nothing but wealth to grace them before men and of wealth it selfe considered as severed from saving grace before God wealth hath scarce one good word in all Gods booke but I am sure it hath many bad the odious epithites that are given it of God are such as should worke vs to better consideration of the danger of it Is it not called mammon of jniquity treasure of wickednes vnceartayne riches Doth not Christ compare them to thornes the apostle to snares are they not sayd to be deceitfull and vnrighteous may not the same man be wealthy and wofull too is it not sayd wâ—e be to you that are rich The Lord Iesus doth not speake of many rich men but of thâ—se of whome he doth speake either historically or parabolically what heavy things are concluded Of one to wit he in the 12 of Luke in what danger of hell his soule body were when his barnes were to litle to inne his corne Thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule Of another to wit the glutton in the 15 of the same gospell that not a few great ones are in the belly of that gulfe already and laden with the heaviest damnation Of a third namely the young man that was so fayre for heaven what extreame difficulty of getting to heaven doth wealth draw vpon a man nay an absolute jmpossibility where riches and regeneration are severed But now on the other side the divine commodities of this celestiall commerce doth get vs a glorious name and state with the Lord and he is glorifyed by them in vs both we are honoured by him and soe is he by us through these things Who are magnifyed or esteemed by the Lord but such as in whome Grace did abound and who were rich in the endowments of the holy Ghost as Abraham for faith Moses for meeknes Iob for patience Samuell for integrity David for faithfullnes and many others for many Graces they that were rich in these evcellencyes are the only renowned persons the Lord hath left them a name that shall never dye fame that cannot rott all generations to come shall call them blessed and well they may because now they are in infinite blessednes with the Lord. This our merchandise is that only thing which makes a man both truly blessed on earth and. fully blessed in heaven The Lord doth esteeme soe preciously of these things and of those that have them that the best words that can be given are not too good the things are called Gods owne My grace is sufficient for thee c that we might be partakers of his holynes yea of the divine or Godly nature not in the incommunicable essence but in the communicable effects therof And they that are endued with these things are entituled as most naturall neerest and dearest to him they are not only his freinds as Abraham was both by the Prophet and by the Apostle sayd to be but more his childien yea more then that his spouse yea and more then that too and that which is most of all his very members and to be the least of these is no meane honor but to be all these as every one is that is any of these is glory and happines vnspeakable And this our honour and renowne accrewing to vs is peculiar to vs also and not as the former common to the swyne of the world whether carnall christians or cursed Pagans all that are without as the holy Ghoste vses the phrase are without this honour to be any thing in Gods esteeme whether they be such as are without the christian world and have not soe much as the name of a christian or such as are without Christ being within it have no more but a Christian name Neither of the two can communicate
cup of her fornications But of these merchants of God it shal be sayd yea it is already sayd jrrevocably recorded too that they shal be kings in heaven every merchant of wisdome shall be called GREAT in the kingdome of heaven and have glory there with the king of kings for ever and ever The Lord Iesus hath made it sure already by his blood it is not more ceartayne that he is dead shamefully for vs then that we shall liue gloriously with his father through him for by his infamy our honour was purchased he dyed miserably to the end we might live blessedly and was content to come much beneath himself that we might be marveilousy exalted by his extreame abasement It is he that hath of his owne goodnes made vs of naturall men gracious merchants and he it is that will make vs Princes of glory after we have beene merchants in grace proclayming vs both to our selves and others by the proper and peculyar prerogatives of his spirit to be heires apparant vnto that kingdome while we are in this body here below and afterward putting vs into the actuall and eternall possession of the same And what a rare royall and surpassing prerogative this is every man may apprehend it is rare for the world cannot match it royall for it dignifyes a man aboue the worlde surpassing for none els can come neere it We were as was sayd happy while we were getting this merchandise by Prayer and Endeavour and such other good meanes as we have specifyed but all this was but the first fruits the beginning and earnest pennyes of our comforts now to come which are full infinite everlasting and incomprehensible for greatnes for goodnes for durablenes and whatsoever els may any way conduce to make a thing inconceivably comfortable both in it self and vnto vs. While we were here we were but driving this trade and during the time wherin we were either selling our corruption or buying sanctification we now and then mett with some adverse and opposite things our graces could not evermore worke kindely because they were many times encumbred and interrupted Satan the world and our owne corruption were often in our way all or some of these did ever annoy vs doing daily their worst to make the streame muddy to embase these excellencyes and to embitter our sweete proceedings in these happy passages But now we shal be out of the divells the world and our owne sins reach all their gunshot shall not come neere vs but we shall for ever enjoy most quietly the fruit of that which we have gotten Christianly Now shall we be enriched and honoured by him by whome we were employed and set on worke now shall we sit with our fellow Merchants in grace and posessors of glory Abraham Isaac and Iacob all the rest of the most blessed Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and whatsoever other Saints doe concure to make vp that numberlesse number of those who are sayd to be an jnnumerable multitude of just and perfect men and with them all and all the residue of the mysticall members of the most sacred body of Christ shall we see the face and enjoy the presence of our lining God our loving father the king of kings and Lord of Lords and we shall beholde him as he is in the perefection of his essence in the glory of all his excellencyes in the mystery of his persons Then and there shall we be in such a state as we cannot now discover it appeareth not what we shal be saith John that is in particuler perfection of that estate of the boundles and vnlimited extent wherof nature and mortality is no way capable There shall we be as kings to raigne with the Lord the king of saints sitting vpon thrones of glory wearing crownes of jmmortality with Iesus the purchaser of these perfections for vs who hath given and granted to all saints to fit vpon his throne as he sitteth vpon his fathers throne What we have gott here shal be wholy taken vp there I meane of those remayning graces that shall abide for faith hope patience zeale and such like graces as had their proper excercise and principall jmployment either vpon present evill or good to come and not yet posessed shall cease but all those graces that goe into glory with vs shal be jmployed in a most glorious manner vpon the most glorious things that are there as our wisdome and knowledg and loue vpon himself his son and spirit those three blessed and distinct persons every of which is God to be blessed for ever not thrice nor a thousand thousand times blessed but infinitly beyond all millions of blessings and blessednes that the created and finite hart of man comprehend in the vttmost jmaginations therof That one moe glorious essence of those three most glorious persons and that Trinall and most sacred subsistence shall then be the only objects of our wisdome to know them fully loue to affect them perfectly joy to delight in them everlastingly These while we were here among mysts of ignorance were mysteries vnto vs and such secrets vnto our clouded vnderstādings as we could not clearely discerne but we had some glymmering light or weake guesse at them such as the man had whose eyes were in part opened that saw men walking like trees which was a seing very grosse and confused New we see saith the apostle through a glasse darkely and know but in part But when we shal be translated from hence to that celestiall state and station then shall we see face to face and know vs we are knowne yea saith another apostle we shall see him the Lord as he is both in the incomprehensible vnity of his nature and inconceivable trinity of the persons the severall excellencyes of the former and their infinite acts the distinct acts of the latter and their divine effects the FATHERS eternall generation of the SON the SONS eternall sonship or filiation of the father and the proceeding of the holy GHOST eternally from the Father and the Son shall the shyne openly vnto vs and soe shall the power the wisdome the merey the justice all that infinite variety of ineffable goodnes whic hath his residence in the glorious nature of that Being of Beings these shall we see with open face yea as we sayd even now face to face the Lord will no more turne his backe-parts to vs but we shall have full sight of all his glory vnto the brightnes wherof the clearest lustre of the sun is but as fogg and darknes our eyes and vnderstanding shal be free from feeble jmpotency and both made absolute in perfect jmmutable jmmortality to beholde him who hath blessed vs with these heavenly things in heaven The shaddowes of these things which we now reade with astonishment in the booke of God we shall then and there receive and feele with vnvtterable ravishment where the Lord is and where we shall for ever be with him in the highest happines
that the heaven of heavens hath reserved for all the holy and elect Our Lord Christ had a transfiguration on earth vpō mount Tabor wherin his glory was such compared to his ordinary estate which was very meane among mē as that Peter vpon sight of the same so affected with it that he could not contayne the manifestation of his apprehension but must reveale his over-joyed mynde in desiring to make his abode and dwelling there yet Peter was no partaker at all in it but a meere spectator of it he was graced chosen to be one of those that might stand by to beholde it as a witnes but neither he nor any of the rest who had the favour to be admitted thither were more then standers by Now if the sight of such momentany glory as may be seene vpon a mountayne here on earth and wherin one hath hath no part himself but only beholdeth it in another who doth wholy enjoy the same may soe take vp a man beyond himself to make him soe quickly forget and soe willingly forgoe all other things what shall we conceive that heavenly glory and happines will be vnto vs and how shall we apprehend it whenas it is greather then can be manifested on the earth and more glorious vpon our whose soule and body then it was threre vpon Christs humanity we our selves not only beholding his glory which infinitely surpasseth that which was seene here but the glory of the Father and of the holy Ghost also and made glorious partakers of the same glory not which Christ had here in the world but of a farre better even of that which he as himself saith had with his father before the world was Our corruption that darken's vs now will not only not suffer vs to see but doth disable vs vtterly to discerne the lease thought of that honour and happines which jndeede is more then can be thought So that we who are true Christians shall have a more glorious trensfignration in heaven then Christ himself had on earth to be raysed from merchandising in grace to be jnvested into matchles glory with the Lord king of glory Such honour have all his faints even al who doe their best endeavours to honour him sincerely in their bodyes and soules harts and lives This endles joy and the full fruition of all those pleasures which are in fullnes at his right hand for evermore shal be the end of our faith such other graces as wee have gotten Here shall wese not Hench Elias talking with Iesus but Iesus himself talking with vs that is manifesting such gracious familiarity to vs as a father would doe to his dearest childe or a bridegroome to his delightfull and beloved bride there shall we heare those most melodious voyces which mort all tongnes cannot speake nor mortall eares heare vnlesse they be as it were jmmortalized for a feason as were the apostle Pauls who heard things not to be vttered here on the earth when he was wrap't vp into the third heaven and had some taste and appearance of that glory which he doth now posesse in infinite fullnes And this is the last and best thing of this third and last ranke wherein we see that this heavenly trade bring 's vs that blessednes which cannot be brought vnto vs by the most gainefull busines of the whole worlde Thus we have now at length made good that which we promised in the beginning to wit the mayne point we propounded that GODS MERCHANDISE is better then MANS ⸪ which I hope hath abundātly appeared in every of those particulers which we have at large discovered to prove the same Soe that now we stande perswaded convinced therof as of a divine and vndeniable truth The mayne evidence as you may remember did consist of three most noble branches every branch spreading it self into divers admirable advantages which it cannot be amisse for vs breifely and in few words to recall to our memory We have heard that the excellency of this trade aboue yours doth consist as in many soe especially in three things First that it hath NONE of the EVILS which are vsuall in your affayres and therein we have shewed that thereis No Adventure No Bad Debts No Bad Wares No Bad Servants Secondly that it hath all the GOOD THINGS that yours hath with the advantage of a better measure of them then can be had in yours and here we have shewed that there are evermore Good Sales Excellent Exchanges and The Best Barters Thirdly that it hath some GOOD THINGS PROPER to it self which are beyond all possibility for your trade to partake in and here we have shewed that All our busines is in one place with one party about one commodity All we trade with and all we trade for is freely given vs. All is absolutely good without any evill The best benefit of this trade come's when we have one trading Every of these passages one by one in their due order have beene playnely discovered and handled in our hearing to the end we might well throughly know the odds betweene a heavenly and an earthly commerce betweene a civill and a celestiall course of traffike And now my Christian beloved and deare bretheren after whose eternall enriching my soule doth long from the very hart roote in Christ Iesus seing foe it is as we have seene that there is A TRADE soe surpassing this of yours A trade that hath Noe evill in it wheras yours hath much All good in it that yours hath and more Yea some Good things that yours cannot have What say your soules now to these things which we have sayd bethinke your selves throughly and call in all your jnmost thoughts to the most serious harty consideration of what you have now heard that you may make such an answer as suits with Christanity and may both have approbation with God and bring consolation to you I say what say your soules consciences myndes willes affections harts here vnto summon them all joyntly and severally to give answer to that God who will either presently appose you in merey to make you soe more then ever you have done or let you alone till heareafter at his day of appearance in justice to condemne you for ever and ever for that which you should have done If there be a better trade then that which you are bufied in if a more and much more yea and a soe much more beneficiall busines may be founde will you not be affected toward it and fall to it were there but some odds of advantage betweene our present temporall employment we follow and some other that a freind had given vs notice off it would be censured for egregious sillynes yea for grosse folly in vs if we did not forthwith betake our selves vnto it and lay by that we have to get better And shall others condemne vs in this latter and not we condemne our selves in that former case wherin we may be more happy then
THE BEST MERCHANDISE OR A CLEARE DISCOVERY OF The evident difference and admirable advantage betweene our traffike with God for the true treasure and with men for temporall commodity VVHEREIN IS SHEVVED That our spirituall trading is both free from all the evill full of all the good which is incident to civill commerce yea that it overfloweth with divers excellent prerogatives which the affayres of the earth cannot yeelde Preached at Middleburgh in Zeelandt immediately before the remoovall of the famous fellowship of Merchant Adventurers of England from thence vnto Delft in Hollandt And now published and dedicated to the honour and vse of that whole society there or other where residing By IOHN VVING a true harted well willer to their temporall and eternall good with God and men Pro. 23.23 Buy the truth but sell it not AT FLVSHING Printed by Martin Abraham vander Nolck dwelling at the signe of the Printing house 1622. SOCIETAS ADVENTVRARIA Ana-gramma RE-RATA VIVIS DEO SANCTA What er'e can be concluded from a NAME Yours doth include all happines and fame Thus spel'd thus anagram'd it boade's your Fate Then which there cannot be a happier State With MEN t' enjoy your reconfirmed GLORIE And with your GOD to be reputed HOLIE What can I wish but THESE withall increase And after THESE those joyes that never cease TO THE Right Worshipfull my worthy freinds Master EDVVARD BENNET Deputy the Assistance and Generality of the famous Fellowship of Merchant Adventurers of England resident at Delft in Hollandt IOHN WING wisheth all Temporall Spirituall and Eternall happines here and in heaven I Am bolde beloved and much respected in the Lord to send this demonstration of my dearest affection after you not that that I account it any competent recompence but that you will as I hope receive it as some greatfull remembrance of those your greater favours which you have soe kindely communicated vnto me Some taste hereof you had while I was soe happy as to speake now and then in your hearing and because that was but a taste yet well savoured of such as heard the same I could not deny or discourage the Christian desire of any who were affected to feede more fully therevpon It was the last message that I delivered among you from God and therefore inasmuch as you were vpon your jmmediate remoovall to attayne a more happy course of commerce with men I thought it my part and duty therein to doe my best for the furtherance of your most happy traffike with the Lord that you might if by 〈◊〉 possibility I might helpe be prosperous both in heaven and earth at once and grow abundantly rich in body temporally and in soule and body eternally together And God who is Lord over all and rich vnto all grant that you may enjoy this double blessednes to the greatest prayse of his most glorious name and the everlasting peace and welfare of your owne harts and states for ever before him To his grace and loue I commend you all for ever and to you all and to your loue I commend this my poore endeavour nothing doubting yet earnestly desiring your kinde acceptance of the same from him who resolveth ever to remayne Yours in all vnfayned affection for good IOHN WING From my house in Flushing March 26. 1622. The summe of the Sermons God who compare 's his kingdome to your trade VVould have you Merchants like his kingdome made VVhereto sincerely if you doe endeavour Both rich and blessed shall you be for ever For why all things most sweetely doe combyne To rayse rare proffit by Commerce divine Jt standeth wholy of advantages There is no feare of losse or damages Adventures Sales Exchanges Bartars Debts All are secure all gainfull nothing lett 's Th' Adventure 's nothing it 's by th' almighty borne Who for your safety by himself hath sworne That maugre sin and all the devills in hell Your soules estate for ever shal be well Your Sales are happy of your sin that 's naught And that 〈◊〉 Bartar for the grace Christ bought And soe you make most rich Returnes and To giue the best for worst God doth 〈◊〉 place The Exchange is gainfull 〈…〉 Lesse bringeth more 〈…〉 The more 〈…〉 occasion we deliver The more we doe receive from this free giver Noe desperate Debts or Bankrupts in this trade God is the Credditour Christ Surety made And both have bound themselues to pay to us The principall with gracious over plus Nor neede you doubt Bad Servants should deceive You lay out all your self and all receive There is no trusting other agents here Each man his owne eternall state shall beare And if to th' reckoning day we wisely looke When our great Master will peruse his booke Th' account will rise most happy to our share That sweetest voyce with gladsome harts we heare Come faithfull servant take your masters ioy Posesse eternall blisse without anoy Loâ— here is heaven for earth for trash true trâ—â—sure For some few cares and paynes ioy without measure Glory for greife eternity for ages For litle worke immortall endles wages My soule doth wish you were such Merchants all That he who to himself his owne will call May take you all vnto that blisse aboue you Next unto Him and his Vice-roy J loue you The methode of the whole matter The Excellency of the best merchandise doth appeare in the consideration of 3. things FIRST that it is free from all the evills of civill trade there being in it No Adventure No Bad Debts No Bad Servant SECONDLY that it is 〈…〉 of all the good that civill trade hath for therin we haue ever Good Sales Best Bartars Exellent Exchange THIRDLY that it overfloweth with much more good then is to be found in mans commerce because All our busines is in one place with one party for one commodity All is given vs which we deale for All we deale for is exceeding good without any evill Our greatest good commeth when we have done tradeing The best Merchandise OR Tradeing for the true Treasure WHEREIN The excellent difference and admirable advantage that is betweene spirituall and temporall traffique is clearely layd open and discovered In ceartaine Sermons on Pro. 3.14.15 14. For the merchandise therof is better then the merchandise of silver and the gayne therof it better then fine golde 15. She is more precious then rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her IT readily appeareth to every vnderstanding reader that these words doe contayne an evident reason of that which is avouched in those that goe next before them in the 13. verse In which verse we heare the spirit of God magnifying and that with his owne mouth that cannot lye the most happy blessednes and welbeing of that man who hath attayned true wisdome and vnderstanding Happy or blessed is the man that findeth wisdome and the man that getteth vnderstanding Now what is propounded in those words is proued in these
well into it it is better with vs now then it was before he began to bring evill vpon vs. And what is now left of him but the bare shaddow or outside of an adversary in regard of that he was when he had power not only to tempt but to overturne vs but now he can only tempt vs we in our Christ can â—verturne him Let vs not then like fooles feare or discomfort our selves or suffer others to disquiet vs with things of no consequence in this our commerce with our God Say our ships be brittle suppose our passage be boysterious admit what we carry be corrupt what is all this when we further consider that we have an omnipotent Pilot that can make our vessell thyte the sea quiet and change our commodityes into better condition The liuing God both can doe and hath promised that he will doe all this the more to assure vs of soe much it pleaseth him to vtter and expresse his consolations vnto vs in sea-faring mens tearmes speaking to vs as vnto men in sea dangers Isai 54.11 cap. 43.2 saying Oh thou afflicted tossed with tempest c. againe VVhen thou passeth through the water I will be with thee that the floods shall not drowne thee by the apostle he further tells vs what good ground-tâ—kle we have to wit an anker Heb. 6.19 sure and stedfast that cannot fayle vs though therefore some seeming danger may shew it self yet assured danger there is none something may appeare very perilous to our flesh and blood to our frailty ignorance and infidelity as the growne sea and the great billow doth to fresh water souldiers who start and shrinke at every waâ—e but to our faith and that power of grace given vs of God nothing can proone terrible howsoever it appeare We have a God that can doe whatsoever he will Psa 115.3 and hath power at his pleasure to jmploy for our best good and will doe by that power according to his pleasure whatsoever may any way redounde to the happines of their harts who vnfaynedly defire to deale with him Vpon him and vpon his power and favour we depend fearing no present or future perill in any thing appertayning to his kingdome and those affayres that concerne the same And in this resolution let all Gods saints set vp their rest for ever For there is a crew of vpstart TRADERS or rather INTRVDERS I meane Papists ArminiaÌ„s I joyne them together though the one be much yonger then the other yet are both late â—â—vices in respect of the ancient truth of God who meddle or rather Peddle in Gods merchandise and tell men that there is great hazzard and adventure borne in this blessed trade and no such manifest and vndoubted security as we plead but danger of being â—aâ—kâ—â—â—pt failing in Grace in falling finally from it and no câ—â—tainety of being blessed in Glory or assurance of being received into it Concerning these I am perswaded verily they speake as they thinke and I thinke they finde themselues as they speake to others for not being made free of the fellowship of Gods faithfull ones the truth not having yet made them free of the communion and corporation of the true saints I can see noe reason seing they wil be INTERLOPING in Error but they should mistrust danger and meete with it too and not enjoy the gracious previledgis and these most beneficiall jmmunityes of that society wherof they are not And seing they are not members vnited but monsters annexed therevnto why should they goe vpon as sure grounds as Gods owne doe Especially seing they will not make God soe good a master or his factors soe good merchants as they grant the Divill to be for they confesse that all that deale for him are sure enough of damnation but of those that are agents for the Lord it may be doubted of their salvation yea it is presumption to rest infallibly vpon it which if they spake intended only of themselues I could soone put it into my creede but being as they meane it vniversally true of the very elect what man having the faith of Gods elect in him can beleeve it Some also there are among the multitude of our ignorant vulgar Protestants who being neither well perswaded nor at all experienced in the light and power of this truth thinke it something with the most for any man to secure his owne soule of his eternall salvation oh say they you must not presume but have a good hope that all shal be well it is too much to say more And is it soe indeede why then there is noe more safer or faster holt of heavens everlasting treasures then of the temporary vanityes of the world for a man may say soe much of them it is not sin to hope that such a ship shall come safely to her port and may noe more be sayd of the jmmutable things of God then of the worldes â—â—oneabâ—es which have soe many waies and meanes to miscarry Are your conceits soe grosse confused that they can put no difference nor vnderstaÌ„d the difference Christ himself hath put betweene the things that perish and those that cannot perish is it all one to trade with God and man in heauen and in earth in fadeing corruptible and transitory traâ—h and in that enduring substance which will outlast both heaven and earth How prejudiciall are these foolish sayings to his wisdome who evermore make's it a property incommunicable a prerogative royall to spirituall things to be firme and not fadeing and labour's herevpon to wynn our harts vnto them vpon this consideration that they are soe certaine sure to weane vs from all things here below because they are soe brittle and vnsounde How apparantly opposite is this speech to that of the Apostle who tell 's vs that he was perswaded and that throughly that Neither life nor death Rom. â— 38.36 nor angells nor principalityes nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor beight nor depth nor any other creature if any other could be conceited could separate him from the loue of the Lord Iesus in whome he saith not only of himself but of all the elect of God that we are made more then conquerours ver 37. through him that loued vs and in this especially shewed his loue vnto vs that he vnderwent the brunt that most willingly of whatsoever was indeede dangerous and by soe doing brought vs from vnder the mutable freedome of the first Adam to be free from mutability and miscarriage any more vniting vs to himself that in the second Adam we might be safe and sounde for ever Let this be remembred of vs and magnifyed by vs in him our Lord who hath done soe great things for vs as to make vs in this thing to be more happy then he who was created in absolute happines he was without sin Note yet not sure we are sure though not without sin his
perfection without Christ made him not free from mutability we by Christ are jmmatable notwithstanding all our jmperfections Soe now we trade vpon better that is vpon surer tearmes then he did we cannot be soe jnnocent of evill but we are more absolute in good then he was he no sooner began to deale with God but he broke straight we are secured from the first instant of our begining that we shall never fimally fayle Thus we see this is the first priveledg of the first sort wich your merchandese hath Gods hath not ADVENTVRES are EVILS and therefore they are not incident to this trade though to yours they be But this is but the first and the beginning of the benefit of this trade let vs looke further for more encouragement to this celestiall commerce and the further we goe the more good shall we still be sure to see Set we then towards a second and that is this That as there is no hassarde in this heavenly trade Prive ∣ ledg 2 but all come's safe to hand soe neither is it possible to make a bad debt in all that we deale for Noe BAD DEBTS can be made in this busines nay no debts can be made which are not exceeding good yea better then all the ready money in the worlde if it were all aue to one man And this help 's on the happines of the former for it all should come well arive safely and we should when it hath passed all sea dangers endanger it our selues in selling it to vntrusty buyers who should not pay currantly where were the comfort of the former safety where were the future benefit of the commodity But if a man have it in sure posession and sell it to such as will make sure payment then is he happy and hath his harts desire And here it is soe and it cannot be otherwise for why who doe we trust in all we trade for even HE alone is trusted whose payment cannot be mistrusted we trust none but GOD to whome we should be guilty of fearfull blaspemy if we should harbour in our harts one jealous or suspitious thought of inconstancy he being one whose compassions cannot faile Lam. 3.22 None but the Lord is our Debter in the managing of this busines he who is rich in mercy Lord over all rich vnto all able enough to pay and as willing as he is able to give vs content nay beyond that more then we can aske nay beyond that too more then we can receine We heard what alsufficiens security he hath given vs by himself by his son by his spirit by his word by his oath by all more then all that we could demaunde or desire to satisfy vs. We all know there can be no bad debt if the debtor be good how then is there a possibility of any to be founde here seing we trust nothing vpoÌ„ any but vpon him vpon whome we say we put all our trust who although he by not be any right that we can clayme or challeagne a debtor to any man as owing any thing by due to his creature but contrariwise that all the world are debtors to him and owe him infinite dues which are simply vnpayable on our part vnto him if he should aske his owne Yet it pleaseth him to make himself and to manifest himself to be our debtor and of his owne mere grace and love he wil be see assuring vs that we shall be payd to the full yea that with vnspeakeable overplus and advantage He is content it should be sayd we lend vnto him Pr. 16.17 He that is mercifull to the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and that he wil be our paymaster and the Lord shall repay vnto him whatsoever he layeth out And the payment he make's the satisfaction and contentment he gives is such and soe excellent as would if we well vnderstood it make vs ever more desire to have him more and more in our debt happy is that man that hath or can have most debts standing out with God the more the better he that is deopeâ—â— in is vndoubtedly most happy and that for one speciall and remarkeable reason worthy of everlasting remembrance and observation and that is this That to whome soever he once makes payment Note those men are made for ever They shall never neede to trade more who once are satisfyed by this debtor and the debt is as sure as himself is who is the debtor it is not more ceartaine that he is in heaven then that all to whome he makes himself judebead shall receive plenary and perfect payment beyond all that can be either demanded desired or received his satisfaction is soe super abundant that we are not capable of the fullnes thereof All bad debts come by trusting the world or the Divell or our selves either overmuch or at all for not one of them is worthy of any considence they are all three soe farre from infallibylity that they who most depend vpon them shall finde nothing but vanity deceit in them But he that relyeth vpon the living Lord as sure as the Lord line 's that man shal be satisfied There Note are few men to whome he is debtor but he paye's them double Something they have in hand they are presently payd in part even in this world and in such a time as he knowe's may doe them most good and with such either jnward or outward comforts or it may be some of both sorts as they are most fit to receine and shal be most happy to haue Something is still resting to them and remayneth to be received in heaven and that is the infinite glory blisse and felicity which Abraham Isaac and Iacob the blessed Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and those jnnumerable spirits of just and perfect men doe enjoy with all whome we shall fit downe in that kindome and beholde the Lord of life and king of glory face to face and partake those incomprehensible happinesses which are reserved for vs with them there The least the Lord doth ronder to vs even of these baser blessings is more satisfaction then we have or can have right vnto but the best whether it be of grace or of glory doth exceede not only our right but even our thought also And hence it is that we are with soe good reason soe often invited and incited by the holy Ghost to Trust in the Lord yea to trust perfectly in him to cast all our cares vpon him to commit both our wayes and our selves to him and we are also tolde that it is better to trust him then princes and yet we would thinke our debt good and our money sure if a Prince were to be our paymaster well saith David it is better to trust in the Lord them in Princes he speake's it twise that we may know he is well advised in it and well assured of it and to harten vs here vnto he vndertake's we shall never be confounded or a
the appearance of grace where the substance is not The apostle tell 's vs that Great is the mystery of Godlines and so indeede it is too great for vs to know learne as we ought and as true it is that great is the mystery of Vngodlines though nothing so great as the other yet too great for vs to know and shun as we should Hyprocrisy is spun with a fyne threed and made as fayre as is possible to deceive the simple and it doth indeede delude the greatest part of the christian worlde misleading most men and making them to thinke they have saving whenas intruth they have naught but deceiving Grace that is that which they they thought was true grace but were deceived by it Howbeit yov most know that this is not the merchandise meant here in our text all bad wares come out of the Divells warehouse and his they are Now because they are soe deceivably made as that such multitudes are gul'd with them it shal be good for vs and it wil be well worth our labour and learning to endeavour as every maÌ„ doth in his owne element to get some skill to discerne betweene true and false Grace that you may be able to put a difference betweene that which is sound and that which is only seeming And soe much the more doth it stand vs vpon soe to doe because if we be deceived in this one thing we are vtterly vndon for ever and if we be not we are made for ever and ever Let vs fall to it then and looke well about vs for though here be more difficulty then in the most cunning collusion of any temporall commodity yet is it no jâ—possibility to try it out most manifestly vpon good advise and diligent search Some few things we will note therefore wherin Gods true commodityes and Satans sophisticated vanityes may be well knowne one from another though they seeme to be both alike both in matter and colour Among others note these three 1. Diffe ∣ rence 1 Seeming grace come's not from the same fountayne that sound grace doth They have not one father nor one author that which only seemeth is from below and it is carnall sensuall divelish Iam. 3.15 as the Apostle speaketh but that which is substantiall commeth downe from aboâ—e from the father of lights from whome cometh every good and perfect gift cap. 1.16 as the same Apostle doth also witnes But it may be some will say vnto vs this is most true that you say yet are we not the wiser for we know not how to know which is from aboâ—e which is from below Yea but you may if you doe carefully marke whither it tendeth how it worketh in man For as naturall things doe tende their owne center soe in like manner doe supernaturall things evermore incline to their owne author whence they came originally That saving grace which is from aboue will carry a man vpward in all respects it will make him heavenly mynded towards God heavenly tongued towards men heavenly lyâ—ed before God and men The affection the communication the conversation of that man who hath it wil be all of things that are aboue doe but marke well how kindly holy speeches fall from him what occasions he takes nay rather then faile what occasions he makes to vent his graces that he may employ them to the glory of the giver the good of every hearer all that flowe's from him will fly vpwards as the sparks doe that is naturally freely and of it owne accord that which is sound and came from God will to God againe from whome it first came But that which is from below though it have some shew as if it were from aboue hath not this property to ascend freely of it self Indeede Satan force's the hypocrite many times to seeme very pious and exceeding zealous and the hypocrite forces himself to the vttermost that he may appeare vnto men soe to be by them be apprehended taken for a true Jsralite And to this end he arme's them with all infernall subtilty cunning to conterfeit the carriage demeavour of the dearest and most conscionable saints of God But wise and wary observation will soone detect this wicked and diabolicall jugling For why they cannot but bewrayed if we note either the time of the continance or the manner of vtterance of these things For all that is done by this seeming grace being but strayned and forced we know that VVhat soeuer is violent cannot be permanent for some time it may holde to delude others but it cannot holde out to discharge themselves either in the sight of God whose pure eyes doe peirce into the depth of their consenage or before the face of such men as keepe a wakefull and jealous eye vpon their dayly carriage especially in matters of religion Or put case it make some sorry shift to shuffle out a little longer then ordinary yet during the tearme it abideth this outside grace hath not that free frequent natiue operation neither doth it worke soe kindely or flow from the hypocrite with that facility at any time that it doth from the faithfull at all times There is allwaies as much odds to the eye of an experienced and vnderstanding christian as betweene the water that falleth from heaven or floweth out of the earth of it self without mans endeavour and that which is drawne out of the earth sprinkled vpon it by great paynes labour The dissembler knowe's this to be vndeniable inasmuch as his borrowed Grace doth not nor cannot beare vp his hart to heaven or call him in secret before the searcher of all harts without and beyond any notice of man to humble abase him before the higest majesty and to rayse him againe with those jnward and vnknowe coÌ„sosations which only they that are intimate with their God doe finde and feele Noe his Grace like a â—arcase must have some other jmpulsive cause to mooue it for of it self it cannot finde worke for it self But that which the Lord giveth vnto any he doth ever draw it againe to himself and his spirit from whence as from a fountaine it issued is ever causing the streame to run from whence it came and the same spirit will still be pressing and provoking that gracious hart towards those blessed things that are aboue by the secret and silent motions of the same and vpward will the minde mount with all alacrity From God it came and to God it will goe 2. Seeming grace DiffereÌ„ ∣ ce 2 as it come's not from the same spring soe neither doth in run through the same channell that sounde grace doth It is not wrought in any man by the same meanes that true grace is and the carefull search of this will soone shew whence it is Doe but aske and enquire diligently whence he had his grace how he came by it and when when was the time what was the meanes who was the instrument of
reason doe concurre in one consent for the justification hereof that no man in the managing of this divine commerce may justle in another and shuffle out himself in any thing that is here to be done for he who put 's in another put 's out himself The current of the scripture run's strong this way let vs looke vpon the streame and we shall see it will overbeare all opposition by the voyce of God who by all his holy ones hath left his mynde written touching this matter By Solomon who sayth If thou be wise Pro. 9 12. Hos 10 â—â— thou art wise for thy self By Hosea who adviseth all people to Sow to themselves in righteousnes By Christ who exhorts vs to Lay vp treasures for ourselves By Paul who tells vs that Every man must give account to God for himself And many more whose testimonyes it is needles now to multiply vnto you by jnnumerable instances which might be produced if there were any reason to doubt or demurre of this but soe farre is it from that that all reason doth assent vnto it also God thinks it vnreasonable that any man should drive this trade doe this busines by another or by any but our selves and we cannot but be of the same mynde and thinke it good reason if we minde well these few considerations that follow 1. These things are too high excellent and precious too heavenly in their nature too heavy in their neglect to be committed to the care of any but our selves vpon any tearmes The least of those things that belongs to this bufines lye's vpon our life yea it concernes our eternall life which is infinitely more then our naturall the happy gayne or wofull losse of our everlasting blisse and being with God in the inconceivable foelicityes of heaven for ever and ever stands vpon our well or ill looking to our estate in these passages If we looke well to it it cannot but be well with vs but if we fayle herein we are vndone in body soule for ever heaven is lost we are lost there is noe prison or punishment for such as breake in this trade but hell from whence it is grosse folly to have one hopefull thought of any recovery Now what man is there among men so slight and carelesse that in matters of this waight and jmportance wherin and wherevpon all happines or misery doth consist and wil be assuredly consequent will repose must in another and cast the care of his present and future state vpon any agent whatsoever we would deeme it no discretion to doe it in temporall things whether naturall or civill if either did touch our lives and is it not monstrous dotage to offer it in these spirituall things the meanest wherof carryeth greater consequence then the whole world and all things therein can doe Things of common and ordinary rate which reach not to our making or marking we dare cast vpon other men but of the mayne we wil be respective and looke to that our selves not trusting to others eyes save in petty things but our owne shal be jealous and vigilant But in this merchandise of grace nothing is meane or vnworthy of our most serious care and consideration not a commodity we meddle withall but all lye's vpon it the least of these doth as farre exceede the greatest of the earth as the soule doth the body or eternall life doth our naturall or heaven the earth in happines or hell our temporary crosses and losses in vnhappines There is not neither can be any proportion or comparison conceited betweene these the one being foe incomparably beyond the other in all excellency commodity and whatsoever els may be apprehended to make a thing vnspeakably happy Who then can or will rest vpon others in these things which are of soe high a nature soe absolute necessity soe excellent in advantage soe miserable in damage surely none that hath reason in himself can see reason to doe thus 2. As the things are too high to be trusted vpon others so is God with whome alone we have to doe herein too good to be served by any vnderlings of ours He is most worthy that we should our selves in our owne person and that in all the powers of our soules serve him in these affayres and we are most vnworthy at our best to deale with him how then can it be tollerable that we should set others about it we our selves are but servants in this negociation he only that is in heaven is a Master and shall we appoint him other servants of ours and set them a worke in this soe worthy an employment wherin the best of vs is too bad and vnworthy to intermeddle Dare any subject offer this to his Prince to send another in his place at what time our owne presence and attendance is required and that then when the honor of his crowne and safety of his person is to be preserved The majesty of a mortall man cannot endure any such deputation as to be served at second hand by their inferiours who are his jmmediate officers And doe we dreame that the highest majesty of the jmmortall God who is soe high and excellent can brooke to be thus basely abused of vs that we should turne those that serve us to serve him for vs. Every where we are called vpon in our owne persons Thou shalt doe this or that no where is it allowed that Thou shalt doe it by another or another shall doe it for thee The Lord hath not dealt soe with us as by any other either in heaven or earth to redeeme vs but by himself yet all men know he might and could had he soe pleased have done vs all good by other meanes then his owne jmmediate working yet he would not but did it himselfe to give vs an ensample and by this blessed worke of his owne to vpbrayd most righteously all such as should dare thus jmpiously to idegenerate from soe dealing with him in their bounden duty as he hath done with them in his marveilous and most abâ—ndant mercy 3. The advantage of another mans industry cannot by any meanes be made ours in this merchandise There can be noe kinde of conveyance made that is good in law I meane in Gods law whereby the grace that another getteth may become or be made over to us that which he is and that which he doe's is for himself and it is his owne no other man is capable of the comfort or commodity of it inasmuch as in all Gods courts of justice there is no Office of alienation from one's self and of assignation to another our owne graces remayne for ever inseparable to our selves or as I may say incommunicable from our selves if we have faith it is our owne we have it to our selves and we live by it it fareth with our spiritualls as with our naturalls that as we cannot breath or eate or evacuate or live for another but the bensfit of all these is our
be beloued of vs what sin would be deare vnto vs were it possible that any Jmpiety should have the least place in our affections if this were well pondered of vs who would give house-roome to dyrt that might have as much money as his house would holde if he would but cast the dyrt out of dores were we perswaded of this and posessed with it as we should be every evill would be abhorred of vs abhominable to vs and well worthy our greatest excecration seing soe long as we keepe it it keepes out those singuler and surpassing excellencyes aforesayd and assoone as it is voyded we are presently filled with them Could any merchant be excusable among men that should refuse such a beneficiall bartar as this as to have some rare commodity for some ordinary drug he who should doe it would be thought a foole and a dolt if he dealt for himself and no lesse but it may be a knaue which is more if he were entrusted to trade for some other would any mā thinke him fit or worthy for any merchants busines that should neglect and let goe such a market wherin soe much benefit might be made by bartaring away a meane commodity against a good And are we not then condemned of our selves beloved even out of our owne mouthes nay consciences if in this heavenly trading we let slip such singuler advantage and is not our condemnation soe much the more just by how much these kinde of most commodious bartars are ordinary and common betweene God and vs whenas among men they are rare and vnvsuall and not every day to be founde Common did I say nay they are continuall in this traffique for there is no other neither indeede can be for how should there whenas it is vndeniable and past all question in all that have to doe with the Lord in this blessed busines that it is not more ceartaine that he hath nothing but good to conferre vpon vs then it is that we have nothing but evill to put away in steed of the good wherewith he doth posesse vs. If there be any dealing betweene the Lord of heaven and vs it is it must be it cannot but be of good on his part to vs for evill on our part toward him inasmuch as nothing els is to be had of neither They who have brought the worst have carryed away the best as might be most manifest in those forenamed examples of Manasses of Mary Magdalen of Paul and such others which I speake not to encourage any man to be naught A good hart will never make such bad vse of any thing but to comfort those who have beene soe and now from their soules doe desire to be better that Satan may not keepe them away and quash them with their conceit of being too vile seing they who have come to the Lord and with whome it hath pleased his holy majesty to entertayne this gracious commerce if they have brought with them the grossest vices they have borne away the greatest graces And this is not only to barter evill for good but the worst evill for the best good So that the more wretched we come the more rich we goe he who was most vngodly goeth away most gracious So that if in respect of things that are evill any man shall say as sometimes Peter did touching things temporary and civill VVe have left all followed thee what shall we have it may be truly answered to them as by Christ it was to him that if he that foregoeth lawfull things shall receive such abundant reward much more shall they who doe relinquish things sinfull finde that vnspeakable favour and advantage before spoken yea and as it is added there besides over and aboue all that can be conferred vpon him here on earth to make him truly gracious he shal be sure in the life to come to be eternally glorious with that God who hath not disdayned out of his speciall grace to deale with him vpon the tearmes wherof we now treat And thus shall it be done to the man whome the Lord will honour even to that man who in thus doing will honour the Lord as we have sayd in relinquishing all his jmpiety to doe it away for holynes Every such trader shall finde abundant benefit on earth and infinite blessednes in heaven The end of this course is endles comfort And shall we neede to vrge any other arguments or by more powerfull evidence to perswade men or to plead with them to forsake and surcease all sin whenas before-hand they know they shall thus gaine by giving it away Of this I am sure an Elect sinner needeth no more though it might be had and seing more cannot be enforced he that is not prevayled vpon by this doth thereby proclayme himself no better no other then a reprobate Gods evidence are prevayling with his elect and he that rejecteth them it is a most sure signe that God in great justice hath rejected him Let vs then rest perswaded yea resolved herin that in this busines of celestiall trading as we can fare no better soe we shall fare no worse but according to these words It is not more experimentally true toevery mans feeling that our great vniversall grand-father Adam did vndoe vs all when he soe wretchedly made away his created perfect grace fell into sin soe became eternally accursed then it is vnquestionably true to every mans faith that by this bartar of which we speake we shal be made men againe and that for ever and ever his copeing with the Divell was not so ill as this of ours with the Lord is good beleeve it this advantage doth equall nay wonderfully exceede that damage Let no man feare it then but every man in the feare of God fall to it for we may be nay we shal be worse offred if we refuse soe great goodnes as this then which it is absolutely jmpossible to be better offred He that is wise will ponder these things and vpon deliberation of them put himself jmmediately vpon their practise A man seing he might have but a temporall advantage of this kinde though nothing neere soe good yet would he in noe wise for it were no wisdome to foreslow it it should be the first match he would make least some other should prevent him of it or vndermyne him in it Why then by how much better and happyer this heavenly dealingis by soe much let our haste and expedition be the greater to attaine the advantage therof that through Christ we may purchase to our selves this rich portion It hath beene the manner of all Gods children to make great haste to all good things to run and not leyter to force themselves and not linger about them what they have once gone about to doe they have done quickly and that vpon the considerations wherof we have spoken before in the time of this tradeing Let it be our care to doe in like manner and we shall finde
mercy in the same measure that is abone measure even that which is infinite and boundles blessednes And thus in the second thing of this second ranke to wit in Bartars you see we are beyond you and that so farre that none of yours come neere any of ours We are now to passe on to the third and last of this range wherin we shall not be more behinde but as in both the former much beyond you also and that is in the point which you call EXCHANGE In which it is well knowne that you are subject to much vnceartainety and by reason therof to some losse by the rising of it in one place and the falling of it in another as also by the vntrustines of some of them vpon whome the money is taken and who are to discharge the bills at sight or at time In both those your damage sometimes may prove double as no doubt but to some it hath done But now that exchange which is in vse in this celestiall trading is ever ceartaine and assuredly gainefull Ceartayne it is and vndoubted for there can be no reason why any man should mistrust his money never was any one of his bills protested by any vnder heaven for default of non-payment whosoever hath beene to receive any thing he or whosoever shal be is sure to have it discharged in due time The Lord is not behinde-hand with any man he is debtor to none nay so farre is he from that that he is much before-hand with every man and that may all men truly acknowledge to the honour of his name and happines of their owne harts And as it is thus ceartaine soe also is it as ceartainely beneficiall and comodious never did any receive a bill but he gott by it and was much benefited in the receit of the same These two advantages doe not evermore attend your exchanges nay sometimes you have but one of the two and sometimes it may be neither of them If the exchange be beneficiall the man may prove naught that should pay the bill if the man be sure yet the exchange is variable and may fall out worse then we accounted a litle time may turne our gaine into losse and bring benefit to damage and when we reckoned soe much was woonne it is possible that a few monethes may turne our figures into cyphers and bring all our profit we thought to gaine by our commodity within the price we payd for it These Bills have beene bad weapons to beate downe many some have beene soe beset with them that they have beene forced to fly It is jmpossible that any man should soe foresee times as to know how to passe his bills with vndoubted benefit and advantage at all times But our traders are most sure both of good payment and of good proffit also Who can call either of these two into any question that consider's that which in all the particulers before-going hath beene soe often remembred to wit that in this as in the rest we deale only and wholy with the Bord our God who cannot faile vs in any thing If we looke vpon his owne promise or vpon his saints experience how plentifully will both these appeare vnto vs what child of God hath ever received by exchange from the Lord but he hath had both sure payment and great proffit Have they not evermore received good for evill graces for grosse jmpietyes at the first exchange they ever made as we have sayd more then once already and when they have come againe have they not brought many wants and gone back with celestiall endowments and done away their lesser evills even their infirmityes for more graces added to those they had before And when yet againe they have come the third fourth tenth hundreth thousandth time as oft as they would or could from time to time during all their dayes of sanctification have they not received more grace for lesse a greater measure for a meaner and gotten those good things now to abounde in them which before had only a being What may be the meaning of that of David when he saith they goe from strength to strength or of that of Solomon who tell 's vs that the righteous shyne more more as the sun to the perfect day Or of that which Iohn hath where he avouches that of his fullnes we all receive grace for grace Or of that of Paul where he tell 's the Romans that the righteousnes of God is revealed from faith to faith and the Corinthians that we are translated from glory to glory What I say may all these graduall speeches intend but to tell vs that we have more for lesse more strength more knowledge more faith more joy more grace of all sorts of graces then we had before evermore a greature measure for a smaller and this not for some once or soe or but seldome now and then but continuall yea perpetuall till we come to appeare before the Lord at the the great day of his appearance when he shall come to judge the whole world A childe of God never come's into the presence of the Lord to employ any grace he hath received but he receive's more to it still more and more the multiplication is continuall the augmentation ever abiding more faith to faith till we come to receive the end of our faith which is the salvation of our soules more grace till we passe to the end of grace which is endles glory with the Lord our God who is the sountaine of grace Thus like a good stoek of money well managed our graces are still bringing in something vpon vs and adding to that which we had attayned before he who is still doing with them and laying them out wisely shal be sure dayly to get something by them if we send them out with vprightines they will without question come home with proffit Two talents gaine two other talents to them five talents gaine five more the church of Thiatyra had her happines in this that her works were more at the lost then at the first Thus is it most true that to him that hath shal be given he shall have abundance as Christ faith In temporall exchanges a man may fish all night and forecast all day too and catch nothing nay it may be when he hath done his best in both he may lose something because of the mutability of times and diversity of tradeing scarcity or plenty of money or commodity may occasion the disappointment of the wifest mans expectation But this busines is never bad much lesse worse and worse nay it is and wil be ever better and better ever more mending and prospering in all the passages of the same yeelding not only better for worse but more good for that which was lesse He that makes over any thing is most sure to receive more it is not possible a man should deale with the Lord and have nothing added to his spirituall estate at any time Nay wheras exchanges
required to make vs spirituall merchants it is cast vpon vs by him through that inconceivable kindnes wherewith he doth in his son affect vs. Your temporall trade doth not partake in this prerogative what man among men ever furnished any with all these For stock to begin with all parents lay vp for their children and it is many times given them but they must serve some yeares for their skill that is not freely conferr'd vpon any much lesse are those many and severall things that must be bought and solde it was never heard that any merchant had as much given him both of native commodityes as he could export or of forrayne as he could bring in he that should have all by gift that other men pay for would be the wealthyest man among the sons of men Well our God doth all this for vs the least wherof or not much more is done by man we are throughly furnished by him with every thing that is or can be required to make vs fully happy herein His loue yeelde's vs all things that belong therevnto in any respect What it is we trade for we have heard before even for grace this we cannot doe but by prayer and endeavour and such other supernaturall and divine assistance as he is pleased to bestow vpon vs these are the only wayes to wynne spirituall wealth to become mighty in the advantage and abundance of these celestiall affaires Now who can begin the world one whit in these things that doe belong to the world to come soe much as to affect or attempt any spirituall gaine by any of the fore-named meanes vnlesse it be given him from aboue the doctrine of any inhoerent powers of grace in our nature is no better then a dreame dotage and delusion we are tolde enough by Christ who tell 's vs that without him we can doe nothing no nor thinke any thing neither as the Apostle further avoucheth If our being in nature be of God and that in him alone we live move our wel-being in grace and our best-being in glory with all that appertayneth vnto both must needes be of him also If we pawse a litle on the particulers of Prayer and Endeavour it will full well appeare in both that the Lord God out of the vnsearcheable riches of his grace doth give vs both grace to pray and practise and the grace which is gayned by both and the glory which is annexed to both For prayer which is a speciall helpe in this heavenly busines can we pray of our selves is it in our power to put vp one acceptable request vnto the Lord he who saith he can speaketh a lye and the truth is not in him nay he make's God even the God of truth a lyar who tell 's vs all to our teeth Rom. â— 16 that we know not what to pray as we â—ught but must be enabled by his spirit therevnto Note that he saith not simply that we cannot pray as if we had no possibility of speaking or vttering any desires or requests before God for our very faculty and ability of speech may be employed in words of prayer read or sayd by rote as in other words but this he saith we cannot pray as we ought Mat. 20. Iam. 4. to pray as the mother of James and Iohn not knowing what we aske or as they who did aske but not speed because they prayed admisse that we are too prone to doe but to performe the duty of prayer as God doth command it of vs and will accept it at our hands that soe by it through Christ we may obtaine what we pray for this we cannot doe but are vtterly jmpotent vnto it God that requires vs to pray to him for that which he will give vs is pleased to give vs first ability to prayer vnto him So that this first speciall helpe to our spirituall trading is freely given vs from him with whome we trade Endavor is the second by it I meane the practicall carriage of our selves in those dutyes required to enrich vs in this commerce Duties must be added to desires performance on our part toward God to that which we pray he would performe to vs. Now here vnto we are as farre to seeke as we were in the other nay further for it being more to doe then to desire we who are litle able to the former which is the lesser are lesse fitted to performe the latter which is the greater Our Lord Christ himself tell 's vs in plaine tearmes that without him we can doe nothing and the apostle Paul assenteth herevnto when he affirmeth all our sufficiency to be of God and acknowledgeth that by the helpe of Christ he can doe all things but without that his assistance just nothing at all for it is of him that we have to will and to doe according to his good pleasure as the same apostle faith other where These two are the principall if not the only things that we can trade withall as we have heard they are neither of them naturall to vs now as once when time was they were before sin seized vpon vs and despoyled vs of all those noble abilities wherwith we were fully furnished to the most ready performance of every gracious act we must have them from him him againe by petition who once freely gave them in our creation they doe foe necessarily conduce to our welfare and wealth in this jmployment that we can no more misse them then he that meane's to be a merchant can be without mâ—nny creddit or skill in the trade he intendeth to manage And yet are not these things more needefully required to be in vs then they are voluntarily given to vs of our good God who proclaymeth himself vnto vs by his Pâ—ophet to be that God that teacheth vs to proffit and leadeth vs in the way which he would have us to gâ—e and when he hath done soe even taught vs as it were how to get an everlasting living he give 's vs all the proffitt we doe or can gâ—t for our selves Now consider and bethinke your selves herof whether this kinde of kindnes have ever beene heard off vnder heaven hath any man done thus to man as the Lord doth in this particuler to all that vndertake this heavenly trading Or if it were possible to produce some one rare and admirable instance of vnwonted and extraordinary loue liberality and beneficence which once in many ages might passe betweene some two who were exceeding entyre yet hath it ever appeared or doth any record in the whole world tell vs of any that hath thus repayred the state of some wilfull bankrupt and professed adversary who hath not only robd vs in our state but done his worst to defame and abuse vs in our creddit and good name too and besides both these hath further done vs all the judgnityes and disgraces that he could devise in any respect to heape vpon vs out of measure The Lord our God hath done
reputed rich and that both because it is the nature of these things to enrich those that have them because also it is the nature of God in the riches of his infinite grace to repute them rich in his son Christ who have received of his spirit and by faith lay holde on those riches of his son who therefore became poore to make vs rich before his Father All the graces of Gods spirit are farre beyond all pearles and the most precious things that can be had are but vile in respect of them even as dung or trash as we have heard Now all men know that a litle portion of that which is of great price and valuation will make a man rich and he may well be esteemed worth much though he have no great quantity of that which is soe highly esteemed especially if loe it were that who soever had any one of those prizeles pearles should be interessed into that mans whole estate which had all the rest that were to be had soe is every Christian into Christ we having any measure given vs of God are made partakers of his fullnes in whome all the graces are beyond measure So that as was sayd the nature of these things is rich inasmuch as the come from the Lord and the Lord from whome they come doth through his grace account them rich who have received them according to his most wise dispensation It is not the quantity or measure but the nature quality of Grace by which our estate spirituall is measured of the Lord our God Now then summe vp these passages together to wit FIRST that it is most lawfull for all men to be as rich as they can SECONDLY that the richer any man is the happier he is both before God and in himself and vnto others and TIRDLY that every man that is indeede endued with any saving grace is reputed rich and then tell me whether these be not entising considerations to tole on any man to take this trade in hand and to doe his best to follow it with his whole hart Adde here vnto further that a man in this merchandise if he be once a trader he can never fayle he that is once rich cannot be beggerd if God doe set vp a man he is past falling downe our spirituall stock cannot breake You never read in all Gods booke nor never heard in the whole world of any if you were rightly informed that was vndone since the dayes of our first father Adam since his time none hath ever broke of all that were â—ruly free of the body of Iesus Christ this corporation never had one Bankrupt no not one of all those that ever traded in these true treasures for these riches have power to preserve themselves where they are once planted and also to preserve those in whome they are planted there is vertue in them to sustayne those that have them that nothing in heaven earth or hell no angell man or devill are able to bereave vs of them they are given vs by him who gives vs by his Christ ability to stand with them and that against both the feyrcest and the subtilest assaults wherewith Satan either jmmediately by himself or by any mâ—anes of his shall attempt by power or by policy to overturne vs. The Lord doth arme vs with strength against his force with wisdome against his fraude That we may be able to stand fast and firme in the evill day and to accquit ourselves as men yea as men of God against the Divell who is Gods enemy and ours They that teach otherwise and tell the world that men may fall finally from saving grace are but Satans jmposiors to abase the stability of the Graces of the holy Ghost and to abuse the riches of our soules making them as mutable as mooveable as those of our body and concerning all such as doe say they may be lost I thinke it may be most safely sayd that of these men these true never fading treasures were never founde he that doth perswade others that a man may fall for ever from it was never yet made a partaker of any whit of the true preserving power of it Assuredly it is no small mischeife the devill doth these men in telling them thus and setting them on to teach others soe to beleeve because he well knowe's that which their sillynes doth not vnderstand that he that beleeues all the grace he can get may be lost and himself become a lost childe after he he hath gotten it can never soe seeke after saving grace as he may obtayne it For why it being not attaynable but by both our most earnest and affectionate desires and our most vnfayned and vtmost endeavours What man can have any hart to addresse himself vnto either of these when he knowe's before hand he shall get nothing but that which when in both kindes he hath done his best may come to nothing This is no small jndignity to God and jnjury to vs jndignity to him to deny him double honor the honour of his graces in their just valuation the honour of our services in their due affection and jnjury to vs it is also in that it keepes vs in-capable of those graces which should preserve vs inasmuch as we are soe meanely peaswaded of them that they are not able to preserve vs. The man that is not perswaded of the power of Grace shall never be partaker of the power of it that hart that doth not thinke it can keepe him is not fit to keepe it God speakes better to vs when he tell 's vs that by grace we stand and that so strongly that we can never jrrecoverable fall It is for the world for deceitfull riches to yeeld bankrupts and beggerly companions it is for vaine men in whome is no constancy or confidence or conscience to vndoe such as they deale withall it is for mortall and corruptible things to fayle and leave vs in poore estate The things of God are such as the world can neither haue from him nor take from vs. We cannot have them from the worlde therefore cannot the world haue them from vs for what they canâ— not give it lyeth not in their power to deprive any man off Now who would not meddle in that busines wherin never man did miscarry who is not in love with that trade that never yeelded one bankrupt but wherin every man who tradeth prospereth And vnto this consideration cast in yet one more and that is the honour that followe's these merchants of which something was before spoken In the world many men toyle much and get no wealth many doe attayne wealth which yet attayne not honour but here whosever trades growes rich and none are enriched but the same are also honoured and that of God who doth preferre vs to some spirituall and divine dignityes while we are on earth making vs Kings over sin satan and the world but the most and best honours are reserved for vs