Two Treatises THE PEARLE OF the GOSPELL AND THE PILGRIMS PROFESSION To which is added A Glasse for Gentlewomen to dresse themselues by By Thomas Taylor Preacher of Gods Word to the Towne of Reding LONDON Printed by I. H. for Iohn Bartlet at the gilt Cup in Cheape-side 1625. THE PEARLE of the Gospell OR Jewell Euangelicall 1. Diligently sought 2. Ioyfully found 3. Dearly bought by the wise Merchant Infolded in Christs Parable AND Vnfolded by the Application OF THOMAS TAYLOR Preacher of Gods Word to the Towne of REDING LONDON Printed by I. H. for Iohn Bartlet at the gilt Cup in Cheape-side 1625. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Mris Elizabeth Backus Wife to Mr. Samuel Backus Esquire and Iustice of Peace And to her three vertuous and religious daughters Mris Mary Standen wife to Mr. Standen Esquire and Iustice of the Peace Mris Flower Backus wife of Mr. Iohn Backus Esquire and Mris Elizabeth Bellingham wife to Mr. Richard Bellingham Esquire Grace and Peace from the Fountains Right Worshipfull PEarles are small in quantitie but great in their hidden qualitie and smaller often in the weight than in their worth such an one is this which I haue presented vnto you as a token of my due respect and vnfained loue to your selfe and the Church in your familie Pearles from earth fit not common persons but this from heauen belongeth to all who meane to partake in the common saluation As this Pearle is yours in the common right of Saints so this offer of its is yours by a second and more peculiar right as who first helped it out of the darke into this light Your earnest and often desires of some of the written notes of this Treatise drew from me a promise the thought of the paiment whereof was my first thought of this publication And now this Pearle being yours weare it as your chiefe ornament the price of which raiseth your owne price and reckoning in the eyes of God and good men Pro. 30.10 aboue the Carbuncles and Rubies Other ornaments seuered from this are but beautifull vanities The largest reuenues the richest estates the most ample treasures the costliest cabinets filled with pearles and precious stones sets the person wanting this pearle in no higher reckoning than common flints or other contemptible stones Isa 40.15 with him to whom the Nations are but as the drop of a bucket or as the dust of a balance So of all naturall endowments wee may compare them as Salomon doth beautie to a ring of Gold which outwardly commendeth the wearer But the iewell of this ring is this pearle of the Gospell or the life of the Gospell in the life of the Gospeller Let this Iewell be lost once or missing the ring may be gilded and glistering without but the touchstone and triall will finde that it was neuer gold 3 Ioh. 4. And because I know that you haue no greater ioy than to see your children walke in the truth I am assured you will gladly afford them an equall share with you in this so precious a commoditie and therefore haue I taken them into this dedication Psal 127.5 Blessed are you that haue your quiuer full of such louely arrowes Of the vertuous woman is said Her children praise her Prou. 31.28 Were this a verball praise of the mouth children might seeme testes è sinu and the spreaders of the partiall praises of their mother but this is an actuall and solid commendation and vnsuspected when the shining vertues of the feare of God sobrietie and modest conuersation of children proclaime the grace pietie and care of the mothers education Among that rich store of earthly comforts with which God hath beset you you haue none comparably gracefull to this if you except your sweet societie with your graue and religious husband And now to you three daughters worthy of such a Mother When I call to remembrance the vnfained faith which dwelt and yet dwelleth in your Grand-mother whose reuerend old age is crowned with an ancient and honorable profession and practise of holy religion aboue any I know in these parts and in your deare mother and am assured it dwelleth in you also I could not but put you in remembrance to stirre vp the gift of God that is in you And exhort you as you haue happily begun to hold on in the way of grace and see that your works bee more at last than at first God hath aduanced you into the fellowship of religious and compleat Gentlemen your husbands to faire estates and portions in this world but especially to a sure expectation hereafter by meanes of your inseparable coniunction to your Head and Husband Iesus Christ. You must now aduance him who hath thus aduanced you and loue him for himselfe who hath loued you in his Sonne and hold euery new sense of mercy a new spurre and prouocation vnto dutie In the way and pace in which you goe I must acknowledge I passe and slip an opportunitie by passing ouer in silence so many commendable parts in you all Prou. 31.30 which make you worthy to bee praised among women fearing God But my praises can lift you no higher than your owne vertues doe whose diligent paines in gaining knowledge of holy things conscionable practise of sound religion charitable refreshing of the poore members of Christ and whose humble sober wise modest and louely carriage especially in these loose dayes are as so many tongues and mouthes and pens without mine to publish your due praises and knowing that you will be better pleased that I turne my praises into praiers for your progresse and prosperitie in the good way I shall endeuour to supplie that want this way heartily commending you to the power of his grace who only can further enrich you with the pearle of the Gospell who also giue you with the new yeere new supplies of all holy graces till the new man be compleat in Iesus Christ in whom I rest Your Worships to be vsed for your furtherance in the faith THO. TAYLOR THE PEARLE OF the Gospell MATTH 13.45 The Kingdome of Heauen is like vnto a Merchant man that seeketh good pearles Who hauing sound a pearle of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it OVr Lord Iesus comming from the bosome of the Father to reueale the mysterie hid from the beginning of the world spent the whole time of his ministerie in discouering to the Church the excellencie the vtilitie and the necessitie of that blessed and sauing truth the daughter of eternitie without which the whole world had lien in perpetuall death and darknesse This parable among many The scope of this Parable and aboue many manifests that how base soeuer and vile the things of God seeme to naturall men yet there is such worth vertue price and beautie in them as the godly man who only can discerne them will exchange all he hath with them yea part with all the world before he will part
encline his eare to his Prayer and shew him fauour because hee is a stranger in the Lords Countrey and therefore committing himselfe to the protection and safe conduct of the Lord of the Countrey hee doubteth not but to finde grace in his eyes and by his meanes a comfortable passage till hee come happily to the end of his way For who should heare the complaints of a soiourner but hee with whom he soiourneth 4. But is it otherwise with Dauid now than with other men No surely but hee beareth part in the common condition of his Fathers Although hee was deare to God and the King of Gods people yet hee is no better than his Fathers hee is a stranger as all his Fathers were Hee meaneth not the fathers of his flesh onely who were all dead and gone to their iourneys end but the Fathers of his faith also those holy Patriarchs Abraham Isaac Iacob and their posterity which were the holy seed who in their times accounted themselues strangers Heb. 11.13 14. and declared themselues so to bee both in that they chused to dwell in Tents Heb. 11.9 and not in houses or Cities as the posteritie of Cain did for they held themselues strangers on earth and expecting euery day the word of God to call them hither or thither at his pleasure they would not cumber themselues with buildings or purchases but betooke themselues to poore and portable tents which were soone pitched vp and as soone taken downe As also in that they were contented to wander vp and downe as Pilgrims restlesly from place to place insomuch as the iourneyes and trauels of Abraham recorded in his Story amounts to 1794. miles Iacobs little lesse whose posteritie was a stranger in Egypt foure hundred yeeres and from thence were taken into the terrible Wildernesse where they wandred forty yeeres and all the rest of them in the wide wildernesse of this world and vale of Baca onely passed thorow as Pilgrims vnto the heauenly Canaan All which our holy Prophet reuoluing in his minde subscribeth the same schedule that he is a stranger also as they were Doct. Hence wee learne That all the Saints of God and true beleeuers are strangers vpon earth for so was Dauid and all his Fathers of his flesh and of his faith as himselfe not onely heere in sense of his affliction professeth but elsewhere stirred vp by the sight and sense of Gods abundant mercie towardes him and in the time of his solenme ioy and festiuitie vttereth the same words 1 Chron. 29.15 All things come of thee and of thine owne hand â—ee haue giâ—en thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for wee are strangers before thee and solourners like all our Fathers 2 Cor. 5.6 while wee are at home in the body wee are estranged from the Lord. And indeed euery Christian is a Gershom that is a stranger and in a strange land in respect first of place for they are absent from heauenly Canaan their owne home and Countrey heere is not their fathers house nor their brethren and sisters nor their treasure they are Citizens with Saints Eph. 2.19 and heauen their home where our Lord Iesus is preparing Mansions for them Iohn 14. Secondly as for the world it is but a way to their Countrey and as a wildernes thorow which the Israel of God passe towards their Canaan They are indeed in the world but not of it for they are called out of the world 1. by Christs separation Iohn 15.19 I haue chosen you out of the world 2. Christs interdiction 1 Iohn 2.15 Loue not the world nor the things of the world 3. Christs operation Gal. 6.14 Commorandi diuersoriuÌ„ non habitandi Cicero de Senect The world is crncified to mee and I vnto the world The very light of nature saw and said that nature hath affoorded vs in this world onely an Inne and not a dwelling and should not grace much more acquaint vs with Gods decree and ordinance which is that man should bee a while in the world as in a way to passe him vnto his finall estate elsewhere or at most but a trauailer in an Inne which hee is ready to leaue the next morrow Secondly in their owne account and confession they are strangers Heb. 11.13 All these confessed that they were strangers and pilgrimes vpon earth And in the account of the world also they are strangers which vseth them strangely and coursely as Dauid was a stranger to his brethren Psal 69.8 And whereas were they of the world it would know them loue them and hugge them in their lap they being strangers it is an other Egypt to Gods first borne and knoweth them not but to vexe and oppresse them Thirdly in respect of the short time of their continuance for as a stranger abides not in a strange place as the natiues doe but hasteneth through his way and so with his time cutteth and shorteneth his iourney Heb. 13.14 so the godly haue here no abiding city neither is this their resting place For this cause the whole militant Church is called a Tabernacle Psal 15.1 the Saints call the time of their life for the shortnesse and discontinuance of it but a being in this tabernacle 2 Pet. 1.13 because first as a Tabernacle is but a soiourning place set vp for a shift to hide our selues for a small while as the Souldier hides himselfe in a sconce or tent onely for the time of a siege at the longest so is it with the Tabernacle of the body set vp for a small time not so much for it selfe as for the Inmate the Soule which is contained in it Secondly as a Tabernacle is a moueable tent pitched for a day ouer-night is set vp and perhaps the next day the stakes are pulled vp and the cordes are slacked and the couering is folded vp no otherwise is it with the Tabernacle of the body which no man knoweth whether it shall stand vnmoued till the next morrow no nor till the next houre Thirdly as a Tabernacle is onely a couering but hath no foundation to settle vpon so Iob speaketh of our bodies as houses of clay Iob. 4.19 whose foundation is in the dust that if God did not fasten the siluer cords of them to his appointed time euery blast would ouerthrow them euery moment Fouthly the godly are strangers heere below in respect of their businesse and employment a stranger is vnacquainted with the affaires of the place where hee takes vp his Inne hee meddles not with the gouernment the offices the passages of causes in the towne where hee lieth as a stranger but intendeth his iourney and onely careth how hee may passe through and if hee haue any businesse there it is onely to aduance his estate at home in his owne Countrey And so it is with the godly they estrange themselues as much as may bee from the world and the common courses of it their callings they cast not off because they
one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eat come I say and buy wine and milke without siluer and without money Not the least of these commodities are to be valued by money gold pearles and the desirable things of this life Prou. 3.14.15 for the merchandise thereof is better than siluer or whatsoeuer men can deuise or desire besides it Sixtly 6. Circumstances 1. Of time in regard of circumstances of time and place For the time Ciuill merchandising is to be exercised on the six dayes not on the Sabbath day 13. Neh. 19 20. And when the gates of Ierusalem began to be darke before the Sabbath I commanded to shut the gates and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and some of my seruants set I at the gates that there should be no burden brought in on the Sabbath day So the chapmen and Merchants of all merchandise remained once or twise without Ierusalem But for supernatural and spirituall trading as all the six dayes are fit so the seuenth especially is the Lords mart or market to furnish all his people with prouision for the whole weeke following And for the place All places are not fit for ciuill marts Merchants but the principall prohibited place is the Church the house of God Matth. 21.12 Iesus went into the Temple of God and cast out all them that bought and sold in the Temple and ouerthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold Doues Christ would not endure his Fathers house of praier to be made a house of merchandise But in spirituall trading for heauen all places are fit for Christian Merchants who should goe no where but still be trading for grace and continually either be doing of good or taking of good But especially the house of God is the most proper place appointed for the inriching of the heart and increasing of the stocke of faith and knowledge and of all graces So much for the dissimilitude betweene them The similitude and resemblance between earthly and heauenly trading standeth in fiue things Now the similitude and reason of this resemblance standeth in fiue things 1. A Merchant man is a man that dealeth in great and precious commodities The Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Merchant is no pedler nor chapman of small wares nor taken vp in selling pins or points and toyes for babes but tradeth for great things for great bulks quantities 1. In greatnes of the commodities for great summes and dealeth in most rich commodities So the Christian Merchant carefull for heauen aimeth not at the base profits of this life as siluer gold and such corruptible things for these things are but small in his eye and contemptible in respect of the businesse of iustification of holinesse grace and glory These are that one thing needfull Luke 10.42 and that better part that taketh vp his thoughts and desires such a rich Merchant was Dauid Psal 4.7 Thou hast giuen me more ioy of heart than they haue had when their wheat and their oile did abound Let other men peddle and barter for corne wine and oile the Christian Merchant hath a commoditie beyond all this in his eye Psal 4.6 Lord lift vpon me the light of thy countenance Such a Merchant was Zacheus Luke 18.8 when saluation was come to his house he cast away these pedling profits faster than he gat them halfe hee gaue to the poore and the rest he reserued to restore fourefold Such a one was Paul Phil. 3.8 who counted all things losse and dung in comparison of Christ and to know the vertue of his death and resurrection Such rich Merchants were the Martyrs who hauing heauen in their eye esteemed their goods libertie yea life it selfe not worth hauing in comparison thereof For as a man if hee were as high as the Moone would see the earth but as a pricke so hee whose thoughts are in heauen and his eye on things that are aboue within the veile esteemeth the earth but small and despicable For euen as the great light drowneth the lesser so the bright shining of the Sunne of righteousnesse drowneth all the lesser candles and comforts of this present world Secondly 2. In the skill of the commoditie there is likenesse in the skill of the commoditie hee dealeth in For as a Merchant greatly aduanceth his estate if he haue skill and insight what commodities are like to be of the quickest returne if he know and lay out for the best conditioned commodities of euery kinde So the Christian Merchant labouring for Skill knowledge and sound iudgement in the matter of Religion whereby he may be able to iudge aright of Doctrines deliuered shall grow rich in knowledge and to a great measure of faith and full of Christian wisdome whence the Apostle Phil. 1.10 praieth that they may abound in all knowledge and iudgement to discern things that differ and thus they shall be rich and filled with fruits of righteousnesse vers 11. And contrariwise for want of this skill a Merchant dealing for great bulkes soone falleth into great losses but especially the Ieweller or Lapidarie by ignorance may soone ouerthrow his whole estate in respect of many cheaters and couseners who can notably counterfeit Pearles and make them seeme very orient by false arts and so put away at a great price a peece of a fish bone or shell or some peece of painted glasse for rich Pearles and precious stones Euen so many spirituall Merchants decay and breake for want of this skill by meanes of many imposters and deceiuers heretickes false teachers Apostates Libertine Preachers and the Popish guides furnished with all arts to deceiue as with wit and speech and other insinuatiue faculties that make offer of pibles for Pearls and thrust vpon men for the true Pearle of Gods word the glassie and brickle conceits of mans braines which because they haue made to glister and haue set a good colour on them they hold at as high a rate as any Pearle can be valued and now many inconsiderate persons are taken with the beautie profit or some seeming pleasure and so robbed and gulled of their soundnesse for the present and of their expectations and hopes hereafter Now that we may not be thus abused let vs listen to those Apostolicall precepts Ephes 4.14 Not to be children wauering and carried about with euery wind of Doctrine by the deceit of men and craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceiue and in 1 Ioh. 4.1 Beleeue not euery spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God and 1 Thess 5.21 Trie all things and keepe that which is good Thirdly 3. In conferring of their commodities the similitude is in their conuersing and conferring one with another Euery Merchant will be speaking of his commodities he will make offer of his pearles and wares of
we haue receiued of the Lord to trafficke withall what portion or proportion of gifts we haue in our hands and esteeme our selues worth so much as we haue receiued of grace and no more Secondly the Merchant will not lay out his money but for a hopefull bargaine Esay 55.2 Wherefore doe you lay out siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied Hearken diligently vnto me and eat that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse taxing the folly of such as labour and dearely buy externall food and prouision with neglect of the wholesome bread and water of life So a wise Christian Merchant will spend his time and labour on that which when hee hath gotten will satisfie him which if hee bestow in outward things suppose hee doth gaine them they cannot satisfie him Eccles 5.9 He that loueth siluer shall not bee satisfied and hee that loueth riches shall be without the fruit there of And of all earthly things may be said that of Salomon The eye is neuer satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing onely godlinessE bringeth with it contentment Thirdly the Merchant will often cast his estate his bookes his shops and his reckonings to see whether his stocke increaseth or decayeth If he finde himselfe a gainer then he is glad if the contrary he is heartles and sorrowfull So the Christian Merchant is much and often in trying his estate and standing in grace and is most glad when hee findeth in himselfe increase of grace knowledge humility faith loue c. but it is a death to him to goe backward and to see his estate of grace rather to decrease than increase hee hath no comfort in his present vnfruitfulnesse much lesse in Apostacy and backe-slicing but his comfort and account to the Lord is onely when hee can say Luke 19.13 Lord thy talent hath increased ten talents Vse 3 Let this consideration also comfort godly poore men despised in the world The poorest Christian is a very rich Merchant thou that art a poore Christian in a low estate in the world labour busily for grace and thou maist bee as rich a Merchant haue as rich a stocke and deale in as great and rich commodities if poore in spirit as the richest Thou that hast no money and but little credit in the world maist heere make as good a bargaine and as gainfull returne for thy selfe as he that hath thousands of money beyond thee The poore receiue the Gospell saith our Sauiour that is few but the poore in estate none but the poore in spirit for this trading is without money like the poore womans curing who spent all her money on the Physitians and yet was not cured but Christ commeth and cureth her freely Againe art thou a poore man hast thou a great charge of children and no meanes to put them forth to trades here is a rich trade make Merchants of them teach them and binde them to this trade of godlinesse this is the way to make them prosperous in earth and bring them happily towards heauen Prou. 14.26 The feare of the Lord is an assured strength and his children shall haue hope Vse 4 Haue likewise a care that hauing bought and purchased the Pearle Part not from the Pearle once gotten thou doest not fell it againe Pro. 23.23 Buy the truth but sell it not likewise wisdome and instruction and vnderstanding for what wee sell we esteeme it lesse worth than that we sel it for but we must value this Pearle aboue riches glory libertie Pearles and life it selfe by no meanes part from wisdome neither by our forgetfulnesse security or ouer-sight any way Besides we can sell it for nothing which is not vncertaine gaine but this is most certaine and most lasting and therefore not to bee exchanged with any other This of the third generall The Merchant mans actions are three Three maine actions of a wise Merchant 1. He seeketh a good Pearle 2. Findeth an excellent one 3. Selleth all he hath to buy it Euery man naturally will be seeking some thing to make him happy the naturall man hath some naturall Pearle or other on which hee setteth his affection and in which bee taketh greatest delight Some Merchants esteeme pleasure their best Pearle some honour some riches and the most of the world seeking some Pearle light vpon some counterfeit or other wherein they content themselues and blinde both themselues and others which made an ancient Father cry out Foelix negotiator qui nouit qua rerenon necina vt ambitiosi nen inutiâ—a vt curiosi sed salubria vt sancti Happy is that Merchant that knoweth to seeke not hurtfull things as the ambitious doe nor vnprofitable things as the curious doe but the most wholesome things as doe the Saints but this a supernaturall both seeker and seeking and things sought The thing sought is the grace of the Gospell a good Pearle indeed as before the seeker was the wise Merchant Quest. But how can any man seeke grace seeing Psal 14. and Rom. 3. no man seeketh after God Sol. Answ No man by nature can seeke after grace nor of himselfe once aske after it because he is destitute of the spirit of God no more than the lost groat can aske after her that lost it or a wandring sheepe after the Shepherd or a dead man after life So as those places are meant of men before conuersion and calling for the elect seeke not God till God first seeke them and findeth them But this is to be vnderstood of men called conuerted already found of God and mooued by the Spirit of God who mooued by God can now moue themselues and sought by him now can seeke him Which both setteth out our infinite miserie who of our selues neuer minde the meanes of happinesse and also magnifieth Gods mercie which is infinite who offering vnto vs a free grace doth truly say I was found of them that sought me not and giueth him also the honour of goodnesse and of our seeking of him Only the godly and all they are seekers of the good Pearle Doct. they seeke after God in Christ and the grace of the Gospell Only the godly and all they are seekers of the Pearle euery where the godly are called seekers of God and seekers of wisdome Prou. 2. and seekers of the kingdome Matt. 6.33 and wicked men are described to be such as seeke not after God Psalm 14.4 And why Reas 1 1. These onely doe see their owne want and beggerie which is implied in seeking No man seeketh that hee wanteth not or that first findeth not in himselfe a want of grace Psal 143.6 Dauid desired grace as the thirstie ground and grace is not promised nor giuen to any but the thirstie Isa 55.1 Euery one that thirsteth come yee to the waters Psalm 14.2 First they must vnderstand namely their estate and then seeke after God Reas 2 2. All these and they alone doe see
All these and a thousand more vertues hath this Hearbe-Grace wrought in thee in some measure if thou hast found it and so aboundantly recompenseth all thy labour He went sold all that he had and bought it The third action of the Merchant Our Sauiour continueth the allegory of the wise Merchant who 1. hath sought 2. found the Pearle and then sitteth not downe 1. Vadit ad forum spiritualium per effectum but thirdly maketh purchase In the words are three things 2. Vendit omnia per affectum contimptum terrenorum 1. He goeth away to the Mart and meanes where it is to be had 3. Emit per conatum desiderium aternorum 2. Hee selleth all in affection to it and contempt of earthlythings 3. He buyeth it by a carefull desire and endeuour after heauenly things For the meaning 1. he goeth away Selfe-denial is the first lesson in Christs schoole Whosoeuer will saue his life Mat. 16.25 shall loose it and whosoeuer shall loose his life for my sake shall find it hee that forsaketh not his own will reason affections and euill habits and doth not crosse his owne desires shall neuer prize or purchase this Pearle 2. And selleth all That is in comparison hee contemneth all earthly things setteth them at a low rate and value in respect of the Pearle and doth not care much who haue them so hee may enioy the Pearle let others get the wealth of the world he will be rich in grace let others get corne wine and oile if he can get naked Christ hee hath enough Obiect But is it necessarie to sell all to haue eternall life It may seeme so Matth. 19.22 Iesus said vnto him if thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all that thou hast and giue it to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and follow me Sol. Ans The Papists build a state of perfection vpō voluntary pouerty and hold it a counsell onely fit for perfect Christians and farre more meritorious than the keeping of the whole Law But 1. to answer them and then the question 1. It is a friuolous conceit to thinke that any man may come to an higher estate of happinesse by some other meanes than by keeping the Law Secondly it is absurd to thinke that any worke can be acceptably done toward saluation which is without the walke and compasse of the law which is so perfect that cursed is he that doth dare to adde to it or detract any thing from it 3. Christ desired no more of the young man than he did of his Disciples who said verse 27. wee haue left all to follow thee and yet Peter had an house still and Iohn to which hee tooke the Virgin Mary And therefore Christ would haue the young man to part with all which hee could not hold with his loue and affection to Christ himselfe and the Gospell Fourthly that which Christ required of this Iustitiarie is not any deuised Euangelicall counsel aboue the law but a dutie contained in the law the summe of which is Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and whereas hee had boasted that hee had kept all the law Christ doth send him backe againe to the law to let him see his want of loue both to God and his neighbour to God if the loue of his friends hinder him from following him whom he confesseth a teacher from God And want of loue to man if at Christs word hee will not part with his money especially if not at Christ his especiall commandement So as this is not a counsell to some perfect recluses or orders of wilfull men but a commandement to all Christians that must striue to perfection 1. Cor. 2.6 And we speak wisdom amongst them that are perfect who must not onely leaue goods and lands and houses for Christ and the Gospell but must hate father mother wife and children brethren sisters and their owne life if they cānot hold them with Christ So much to answer the Papists Now to the question 1. Who can denie wealth to be the gift of God if it be held without couetousnes confidence pride and subordinate to heauen and heauenly things Or who can denie but riches may become helps to heauenly Tabernacles who can denic but good men may both haue them and vse them Abraham was a man of great possessions and Iob and Dauid men of most great wealth and yet godly men and poore of spirit goods therefore in themselues are not to be cast away but first in comparison Wealth in foure cases to be renounced rather than we will not attaine and retaine the Pearle of the Gospell we must abandon all we haue Secondly when they proue an impediment to our calling and holy profession we must renounce them Heb. 11.25 as Moses in this case refused to be the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and to suffer with Gods people a traueller may carrie a staffe to helpe him in his iourney but not to ouer-load himselfe and he may beare some money in his purse for his charges but not burthen himselfe with it Thirdly in affection alwaies wee must renounce them and hold them retiredly and weignedly vsing the world as not vsing it 1 Cor. 7.3 Let them be in our hands not in our hearts to lay downe or lay out not to lay vp or lay vp our hearts with them Fourthly actually but not vncalled wee must leaue them not of our owne accord but called by God nō sponte sed vocati let vs alwayes see wee haue a good ground as if tyrants or persecutors keepe vs from inioying either Christ or our own estate then in this choyse we must prefer a poore estate in Christ before a rich estate in the world And buyeth it Our sauiour vseth this word buying not to signifie that we can make any recompence payment or merit to purchase eternal life for first that is infinite we finite and betweene these is no proportion Secondly it is a free gift of God Rom. 6.23 Thirdly it is a buying Esay 55.1 but without money money worth And the poore are called to buy it who haue no money to lay out for it Fourthly this Pearle is such a commoditie as neither men nor Angels can giue any due price for Fiftly we can giue God nothing but his owne But Christ here speaketh figuratiuely namely that this wise Merchant dealeth as a buyer The Christian man resembleth a buyer in 4. things first hee seeth the want of Gods grace Christs merits the thirsty are called to buy Esay 55.1 Secondly as a buyer he priseth valueth and casteth the worth esteemeth Christ at the hiest rate and all things else in comparison of him losse and dung Phil. 3.13 Thirdly as a buyer he maketh an exchange not of money nor money worth but vseth all good indeuour and labour by prayer and diligence and the vse of all good meanes to obtaine
countrey where his parents his ancestors and deare kindred dwell and inhabit Now where dwelleth the Christian mans Father but in heauen Where is his elder brother but there Where are all his brethren and sisters sonnes and daughters of the same parents but there and therefore heauen is his Countrey Thirdly Further that is a mans Countrey where his principall estate and goods are where his patrimony and inheritance lyeth and where is the chiefe portion the treasure the immortall inheritance of the Christian but in heauen And where else is his Countrie Now then a Christian considering on the one hand that hee is in a strange Countrey and how hardly hee hath bin intreated in it and so likely to be still and on the other hand that hee hath an home and a father there that loueth him dearely and that his elder brother Iesus Christ and all his spirituall kindred the Saints of God are there And besides that hee hath a rich portion and a large patrimony euen an immortall inheritance in heauen how can hee chuse but to bee reared in his affections yea rauished to bee there desiring nothing in the world more than to bee dissolued hence and to bee with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1.23 A Traueller hath his minde and thoughts still vpon home and saith with himselfe Home is homely And the Marriner or Sea-faring man in a storme or rough Sea hath his desires on the Shore and his minde is not where his body is So is it with the Christian Passenger his minde is not where his body is and if hee cannot get home in the body as soone as hee desireth yet in his spirit hee will minde heauen and heauenly things hee will get as neere home as hee can if he cannot get into the heart of the citie hee will bee sure to get into the suburbes the Church of God If hee cannot get suddenly into that Ierusalem which is aboue Reu. 21.2 hee will get into the Ierusalem which is from aboue and where his person cannot bee for the time his conuersation meditation shall bee in heauen Matt. 6 21. for where his treasure is there will his heart be also Vse 2. In that wee are strangers with God wee learne diuers things 1. The soueraigntie and power of God who is the great owner Zach. 4.14 and ruler of the whole earth Kings themselues who are the highest earthly Lords and commanders are but strangers with God Psal 24.1 for the earth is the Lords and all that therein is And no man sitteth in his owne but are Tenants at will vnder this great Land-Lord The greatest of men yea of Kings are but as David was soiourners in his sight Leuitic 25.23 The Land is his and wee are but strangers and soiourners with him 2. Wee must hence gather out our owne dutie towards God in whose Countrey wee soiourne and our dutie is manifold 1. To aske leaue of GOD to passe through his Countrey so did Israel of Edom a wicked Prince and people Numbers 20. I pray thee that we may passe through thy Countrey c. It is fit to aske leaue where no right is Besides that by daily prayer for Gods leaue and fauourable loue in our way wee both ascribe vnto God the honour of soueraigntie and bountie as also sweeten his mercies which hee giueth vs leaue to enioy all which are sanctified to vs by the word and by praier 1 Tim. 4.5 2. Binde thy selfe from trespassing in the way and Countrey through which thou passest So did Israel vnto Edom Num. 20.17 We will not goe through the fields nor the vineyards neither will wee drinke of the water of the wells wee will goe by the Kings way and neither turne to the right hand nor left till wee bee past thy borders So must the Christian bee carefull hee transgresse not the lawes of the Countrey in which hee soiournes to stirre vp against himselfe the wrath and reuenge of the Lord in whose Countrey hee soiourneth but frame himselfe to please him by whose leaue hee trauelleth through his Countrey How carefull and diligent were Iosephs brethren to please their vnknowne brother Gen. 44. the Lord of that strange Countrey Much more ought we to please our brother Iesus Christ the Lord of this strange countrey through which wee passe to our owne Canaan 3. Cast thy care vpon God and depend vpon him for all needfull supplies so did holy David heere because hee was a stranger in Gods Countrey he therefore casteth his burden vpon the Lord desiring him to heare his prayer and to hearken to his cry and not to bee silent at his teares A stranger ouer-loadeth not himselfe with cares and carriages but carrying a competent viaunce with him dependeth for all necessaries vpon them where he soiourneth so a Christian stranger need bee in nothing carefull Phil. 4.6 but in all things let his requests bee shewed vnto God the King of the Countrey in prayer All distrustfull and excessiue carefulnesse is to bee auoyded of a Christian yea suppose the care be about things lawfull if it bee excessiue it is sinfull and vnseemely in a Christian Pilgrim Let thy chiefe care be Psal 37.5 1 Pet. 5.7 to commit thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and hee shall bring it to passe Psal 55.22 Cast thy care vpon the Lord and he shall nourish thee 4. Be much in thankefulnesse vnto God for all the comfortable blessings thou receiuest in thy Pilgrimage a stranger thankefully accepteth all the fauours shewed him in a strange Countrey and so did holy Dauid when God had enabled him to prepare abundantly for the building of the temple breake out into abundant praises Wee thanke thee our God 1 Chro. 29.13.14 and praise thy glorious Name But who am I or what is my people that we should offer vnto thee for all is thine and of thine own haue we giuen thee for wee are strangers before thee and soiourners as all our Fathers were And surely it well beseemeth the iust to bee thankfull seeing they are strangers in the Lords land and all the comforts they enioy are his by right and possession and theirs onely by leaue and thankfull acceptation 5. Be contented and patient if this great Lord deny thee any thing thou wouldst haue whilest thou passest through his Countrey Numb 20 21. so was Israel when Edom out of a churlish and hurtfull minde denied them peaceable passage But the Lord of this Countrey knoweth what is fit for vs and neuer denieth any thing out of a churlish minde neither can deny any thing good in it selfe and good to vs and if he with-hold any hurtfull things we must be not onely patient but thankfull Vse 3. In that wee are strangers heere and trauelling to our countrey as all our Fathers haue done before vs it appeareth that our wisdome will bee to resolue of paines and trauell all the dayes of our life and