The Merchant Real, Sermon · Lesson 1
1. The firſt leſſon.
Out of theſe premiſes you may in the generall obſerue this point of learning. That It is the moſt prudent, the moſt pretious, & moſt gainfull Marchant-dizing in the world to reſolue to performe our earthlie vocation with a heauenly mind.
Mat. 7.24. Mat. 6.20. Mat. 10.16. Mat. 25.4. Mat. 25.21.This light appeareth from gods lampe. For vviſe men build vponupon the rocke. Treaſure vp for heauen, Expoſe their bodies to ſaue their heads, as doth the vviſe ſerpent, HaueHave alvvaies this oyle in their lamps vvith the vviſe Virgins, Trade vvith the good, & faithfull ſeruant on this manner vntill Chriſt doth come, & ſoe theſe vviſe,Mat. 16.26. & faithfull ſeruants enter into their maſters ioy. This is this royall vviſdome of this Marchant reall. It is alſo moſt gainfull Marchant-dizing Chriſt ſayth ſoe, asking. What doth it aduantage a man to vvinn the vvhole vvorld, & to loſe his ovvne ſoule?1. Tim. 6.6 Paule preacheth ſoe. Godlines is the great riches both for the price thereof, rarenes, & continuance.
Inſomuch that for the price thereof, Chriſt didnot only ſay, but pray, & pay; Sayd vvhen he ſpake vntounto the people, prayed vvith teares, & ſtrong cryes, & payed his deareſt bloud.
The rarenes great for fevve find it, The continuance conſtant, & fixt, for once a Chriſtian, & euer a Chriſtian.
And alſo it is moſt pretious trading for the pretious ſtones in the breaſtplate of Aaron, & thoſe many,Exod. 28.10. & manifold ievvells that the bleſſed deuine ſetts out the heauenly Ieruſalem vvithal in the Reuelation,Apoc. 21.19.20. Apoc. 2.17 & the vvhiteſtone vvhichwhich vvas promiſed to the church of Pergamus vvherein vvas a nevve name vvritten (vvhichwhich noe mā knevve but he vvhichwhich receaued it) may in ſome ſort reſemble, but in noe vviſe equalize any part, or parcell thereof noe not in the leaſt.
The right of this appeares in reaſon, for it is the better part Maryes choyce,Luc. 10.42 Mat. 5.6. Mat. 23.23. And bleſt are they that thirſt after this righteouſnes. But vvoe belongs to them that tith mint, & commin, & annyſe, & neglecte the principall parts of the lavve, as Iudgment, righteouſnes, & merciemercy
Againe I shevve it further, That a kingdome deuided againſt it ſelfe cannot ſtand. A deuided hart.Hosh. 10.2 is not for god. To ſpeake Ashdod, & Hebrvve is a harſhe language in the eares of the lord,Iam. 1.8. a man of tvvo ſoules is vnconſtant in all his vvayes, a double tongued man is reproued, & a meere impoſſibility it is to ſerue tvvo maſters God, & Mammon. For ſoe the Philiſtimes had God, & Dagon, The Ievves had God, & Chemosh, Iſraell had God, & Baal, Solomon God, & Ashtaroth, Which ſinne of theirs Philo a learned Ievve brandeth vvith the note of Double iniquitie.foreign Philo. Act. 4.32. 1. Cor. 1.10 Matth. 13. Pſal. 27.4. Gods light doth punctually, require this of all his children, to hauehave one hart for one god, one tongue to ſpeake in the name of one mediator, one principall maſter to ſerue in heauen, one ſpirit to giude vsus, & one rule the vvord of god to lead vsus. This vvas that one thing that Dauid required One thing hauehave I deſired of the lord that vvill I ſeeke after: that I may dvvel in in the houſe of the lord, all the daies of my life, to behold the beauty of the lord, & to enquire in his temple.Phil. 3.13.14. This is that One thing that Paul preſſed ſoe hard for. Brethren, I account not my ſelfe to hauehave apprehended: but this One thing I doe, forgetting thoſe things vvhichwhich are behind, & reaching forth vntounto thoſe things vvhichwhich are before I preſſe tovvard the marke, for the price of the high calling of god in Chriſt Jeſus.
Novve tell me vvhat good, vvhat gaine, vvhat price, vvhat prudence is comparable to this heauenly trading, & reall Marchandizing.
Practice. 1 The life of this Learning is manifold. Firſt it teacheth us to practiſe a vvhole, & abſolute reſignation of our ſelues,Gen. 2.16. & ours to god, I am my vvelbeloueds, & he is mine ſaith the ſpouſe in the Canticles.Pſa. 119.125 I am thine o lord hid not thy commandement from me ſaith Dauid in the pſalmes.Gal. 2.20. Novve I liue not, but Chriſt liueth in me ſaith Paule the Apoſtle. Who is in there in heauē that I deſire but thee?Pſal. 72. & who is there on earth that Irequire, but thee o lord ſaith the ſvveet finger of Iſrael? All vvhichwhich oracles of gods ſaincts shevve that vve should be vvholy gods in all our buſineſſes that vve may attayne at the laſt, to be one vvith Chriſt,Ioh. 17.21.22. as he is one vvith god.
Practice. 2 The ſecond is of reſolution not to be the vvorlds in any caſe, for Chriſt praied not for the vvorld, Not to be our ovvne, for gods children hauehave bene prodigall of their bloud euen to the death, Nor to be quailed vvith feare of death, for vve should rather ſuffer a thousānd deaths thē to forſake Chriſt. Not to be vaſſalls either to profit, or pleaſure, the tvvo poles vvhereon the vvorld is turned.
For pleaſures are but bitter pills lapt in ſugar, & gaines vvithout this godly Marchan-dizing are but giules of Corban, & gieues of Sathan to manacle vsus.
Practice. 3 Thirdly it is for anſvvere to the curious, vvho demaund hovv they should obtayne this prudency. I tell them. By hauing an eare to all gods commandements. By liſtening to his counſels by yealding to his holy motions, by conſecrating themſelues Holocauſts to god, as Mary Magdalen did vvhoſe eies, vvhoſe hands, vvhoſe teares, vvhoſe touch vvere vvholy conſecrated to CHRIST.
Practice. 4 Fouerthly of pacification for Sathan vvill trouble thoſe vvho are troubled vvith the buſines of the vvorld vvith many temptations, & out cries of conſcience. As vvith doubtings of their ſaluation, but you may anſvvere him shall not he liue, for vvhom Chriſt died? If Sathan accuſe you that you hauehave greeuous ſinns Anſvvere him, but they are remitted, but they are couered, but they are not imputed for Chriſt his ſake.Pſal. 32.1. If Sathan reply, & ſay thou haſt fayled in keeping of gods lavves. Anſvvere him All the lavve is kept, vvhen that vvhichwhich is not kept, is forgiuen. If Sathan be inſtant, & reioyne vvith thee, & ſay an euill father hath ſold thee (Meaning Adam) ſay thou againe, but the good ſonne of god hath redeemed me. Thus shall a good man in the goodnes of his conſcience taking care of all his vvaies pacifie, & appeaſe the conflicts of his ovvne tempted conſcience.
Practice. 5 Fiftly of preparation againſt the terrors of death. For death is ſvvallovved vp in victory, & Chriſt is vvholy in heauen as our head taking poſſeſſion for vsus Chriſtians, vve, as his mēbers are there already in expectation, & conuerſation. Which cauſed Monica the mother of S. Auguſtine often to ſay vve hauehave ſeized vponupon heauen let vsus fly hence, let vsus fly hence.
Practice. 6 Sixtly of Confidence againſt the terrors of iudgment for bleſſed is that ſeruant, vvhom the lord shall find vvhenſoeuer, or hovvſoeuer he commeth thus trading. For if god loued vsus vvhen vve vvere his enimies, & did beare vponupon vsus the image of the diuell hovve much more shall he louelove vsus novve being reconciled, & bearing the image of ſanctification in Chriſt.
Practice. Laſt Laſtly of Expoſtulation together vvith motion:
Can any one amongſt you implead this Learning? Is there a vviſe man amongſt you? I hope he is not vviſer then Solomon yet he accounted all things in the vvorld vexation, & vanitie vvhen he had once learned this leſſon. Is there any amongſt you that makes an high accompt of himſelfe, & his? let not this ſtout hart of his ſtoope to vile, & vaine things of the vvorld. Is there a frugall, & thrifty man amongſt you? that vvould enrich himſelfe let him trad for this true gold of Ophir, & not vvith the shippers of king Ochaſias trade for peacockes, parrats, parachitoes, & popiniayes for ſoe they may chance to hauehave their ships broken at Eſiongeber, & all their proud peacokes be they vviues, or vvātons, & all their paultrie popiniays be they giules, or practiſes may ſuffer a fearfull vvrack vvith them.
In a vvord, all of you are men, ciuill men, & Marchant men, & that vvhichwhich is more then all Chriſtian men. Will you knovve the beſt of all, & the only good for you, & yours? then knovve that guiles are noe gaines for you to liue by in a godly conſcience. Nor noe good ground-worke, for your poſterity to liue on, whē you are gone, for the goodnes of god is extended to the thouſand generatiō of thē that louelove him, & endevoure to keepe his commandements. Thus much of the vvhole text in generall.