The Merchant Real, Sermon · Lesson 8
The eight leſſon.
You hauehave ſeene this our reall marchants Dilligence. Novve behold his conſtancie. For he ſeeketh god not by fitts, & flashes, but reſolueth to ſeeke this Pearle vntill he find it. So doth the fullnes of the greeke vvord in the text ſignifie, & by the fittnes of it is taken from the ſagacitie of hounds, that earneſtly ſeeke, & neuer giuegive ouer vntill they find their game. Whereof the learning is. That if euer vve deſire to find fauour in the ſight of god vve muſt continue in our ſuits vntounto him, & in our ſeruice for him moſt conſtantly vntill vve obtaine the bleſsing.
The light of this appeares Firſt from the oracles of Chriſt himſelfe poſitiuely as.Mat. 10.22 Ye shalbe hated of all men for my name, but he that endureth to the end he shalbe ſaued.Mat. 15.32. Miraculously Then IESUS called his diſciples vntounto him, & ſaid I hauehave compaſsion on this multitude, becauſe they hauehave continued vvith me already three daies, & hauehave nothing to eate, & I vvill not let them depart faſting leaſt they faint in the vvay. So by their conſtant-ſtaying they beheld a miracle.Mat. 24.13. Prophettically But he that endureth to the end he shalbe ſaued And pyrobalically Abide in me,Io. 13.4. & I in you as the branch cannot beare fruite of it ſelfe excepte it abide in the vine, no more cā ye excepte ye abide in me.
Secondly from the practice of the patriarches by the example of Enoch vvho vvas translated becauſe he vvalked vvith god.Gen. 5.24. Gen. 18.23. Of Abraham vvho earneſtly ſued for Sodom. Of Jacob vvho vvreſtled all night vvith the angell, & nevver leſt of vntill he had obtayned the bleſſing, & vvayted vntounto his end for his ſaluation.Gen. 19. And of Moſes vvho continued vvith god forty dayes in the mount, & receaued the lavve.
Thirdly by the prophets Jeremy expoſtulats theIer. 2.5. cauſe vvhat iniquitie hauehave your fathers found in me (ſaith the lord) that they are gone farre from me,Ier. ….5. & hauehave vvalked after vanity,Hoſ. 6.4. & are become vaine? Hoſea lamēts it ſaying O Ephraim vvhat shall I doe vntounto thee? O Judah vvhat shall I doe vntounto thee? for your goodnes is as the morning devve & as the early cloud it goeth avvay, & further shevves the reaſon vvhy they did not continue vvith god Becauſe they vvere like a cake on the harth not turned,Hoſ. 7.8.10 like a ſilly doue vvithout hart, & vvere fed vvith the vvind.
Fourthly the light of this doth appeare from the practice of the true Chriſtian church. They continued vvith one accord in prayer,Act. 1.14. Act. 2.4…. & ſupplication vvith the vvomen, & Mary the mother of Ieſus, & vvith his brethren. Alſo they continued ſtedfaſtly in the Apoſtles doctrine, & fellovvshipe, & in breaking of bread, & in prayers.Heb. 4.16. Moreouer Let vsus therefore goe boldly vntounto the throne of grace that vve may find merciemercy, & find grace to helpe in tyme of neede.
Luc. 8.6. & 13.Fiftly from parables Firſt of the ſeed vvhichwhich fell on the ſtones, & vvhen it was sprūg vp, it vvithered avvay▪ becauſe it lacked moyſtnes. The ſtones are they which vvhen they hauehave hard, receaue the vvord vvith ioy: but they hauehave noe roots, vvhichwhich for a vvhile beleeue, but in the tyme of temptation go… avvay. Secondly of the houſe built vponupon the ſand vponupon vvhichwhich the raine fell,Matt. 7.27 1. Cor. 9.24 & the flouds came, & the vvinds blevv, … beat upon that houſe, & it fell, & the fall thereof vvas great. Thirdly from a race. Knovve ye not (ſayth the apoſtle) that they vvhichwhich runne in a race, runne all▪ yet one receiueth the price? ſo rūne that ye may obtaine. There are three ſorts of races, Italian, Pythian, & Olympian.
There are three ſorts of places, Heauen a place of ioy, hell of dolor, the earth of labour. It is as naturall therefore as it is to the bird to flie, or for the oxe to labour, or the ſparkes of fire to flie vpvvards, ſo it is for the ſonnes of men to take paines, & labor. For they that doe not pertake vvith the ſonnes of men in labor here, shall pertake of the paines of hell vvith the deuill here after.
Sixtly from the revvard of merciemercy. Noah found fauor vvith god in the old vvorld,Gen. 6.8. Gen. 19.19. becauſe he continued in his ſeruice. Lot becauſe he held it out, euen amongſt the vncleane Sodamites.
Laſtly from gods deuine diſpenſation for god vvilbe found of a people that ſeeke him not, & the reaſon is,Ro. 10.20. becauſe he preuents them vvith his grace. For they are meerly paſsiue in their firſt conuerſion, & he is the only agent. For he preuented vsus Englishmen, novve the Iſraell of god, but heretofore the abomination of Idolatry.Apo. 20.15 But he that is not found vvritten in the booke of life shalbe caſt into the lake of fire, & brimſtone. And vve muſt take our tyme. For Eſau found not place for repentance, though he ſought it vvith teares,Pſal. 21.8. & the right hand of god vvil find out all thē that hate him. Thus you ſee the …ight hereof. The right is alſo moſt plaine for firſt vve muſt not be diſcouraged vvith vveake▪ & ſmall beginnings, for god vvill helpe,Neh. 2.20. & aſſiſt them that endevour. For the people in the tyme of Nehemiah continued building albeit they held the ſvvord in one hand, & a trevvell in the other,Neh. 4.17. & the lord god of heauē did proſper their reſolutions. But if vve looke backe, it is to deſpiſe god, & therefore vve hauehave a caueat Remember Lottsvvife, & our vnfittnes ſo heauen is shevved. For ſayth Chriſt he that putteth his hand to the plough,Luc. 9.62. & looketh backe is not apt for the kingdome of heauen▪ And not to goe forvvard, is to goe backvvard ſayth a father,Luc. 14.30 & herein vve make our ſelues ridiculous, & it vvilbe be ſayd of vsus, this people began to build,Heb. 13.8. but vvere not able to make an end. Secondly Chriſt is the ſame yeſterday, & today, & for euer. The ſame objectiuely in this vvord. Subjectiuely in his attributes of tender merciemercy as he is a father, & our god, & Effectually in his goodnes, grace, & preuenting merciemercy.
Thirdly the example of Chriſt vvho ſeeketh vsus till he find vsus, as the good sheepheard ſought his vvandring sheepe, ſoe Chriſt ſeeketh vsus till vve become godly Chriſtians, carieth vsus on his shoulders in our death, & reioyceth to bring vsus to our home in the reſurrection of the iuſt. Laſtly the promiſe of eternall life is made to none, but to thoſe that continue in vvell doing,Rom. ….7. & the caſe is plaine in the prophecie of the prophet Ezekiel in the eighteene chapter there it is ſett dovvne at large to vvhichwhich I referr… the reader.
Practice. 1 The practice of this is firſt a Confutation of thoſe vvho either vvith Balaam vvish to die the death of the godly,Act. 26.28. Apoc. 2.5. but care not to liue their life. Or vvith Agrippa are almoſt perſvvaded to be Chriſtians, Or to forſake their firſt faith as the church of Epheſus did. Or ſtand ſtill at one ſtay in a Saturnicall humor as the earth doth, or like, a mill horſe goe in a round from thirty to ſixty, & neuer the better, or enuy others that perſeuere, & goe on, as Cain did Abell, or like thoſe. (Whom Paule ſpeaketh of) vvith Phygellus,2. Tim. 1.15 & Hermogenes turne avvay, or vvith Hymeneus,2. Tim. 1.15 & Philetus fret as a cancer, Or vvith Demas forſake Paule, & embrace this preſent vvorld.2 Tim. 2.17 For vvhat vvill it profitt a prentice to ſerue halfe his tyme,2. Tim. 4.10. & loſe his freedome in the end? What did it profitt Lotts vvife to goe out of Sodom, & to goe tovvard Zoar vvhen shee lookt backe againe to Sodom? What did it profitt Iudas to preach the goſpell, to doe miracles as is probable, to be in compaine vvith Chriſt, & to ſitt at meate vvith him, & in the end to hauehave a treacherous hart? What vvould it hauehave profitted Chriſtophorus Columbus, or Veſputius Americus to hauehave ſayled many daies, & nights if they had not continued their courſe. The one then had ſurely neuer bine lord Admirall of Spaine, nor the other could euer hauehave giuen the name of America to the nevve found land.
Practice. 2 The ſecond is of direction, for are vve not all like the ſunne alvvaies to be in motion. Pſal. 92 13.14. Matt. 20.8.The ſunne neuer ſtādeth ſtill, nor goeth backvvard but by miracle, ſoe vve that are the ſonnes of god should neither ſtand ſtill, nor goe backe in gods ſeruice, but vve should be a maruell vntounto our ſelues to recall our courſes. Are not vve all plants inoculated, into the true vine. Then certainly vve shall grovve, encreaſe, & bring forth. Are vve not all ſeruants, & receaue vvages, shall we be idle? Are vve not all faithfull ones. If it be but the leaſt ingredience of faith though it be no bigger then a graine of muſtard ſeed, It vvill grovve to a great tree,Matt. 31.31. & a little leauen vvhichwhich a vvoman taketh & hideth in three pecckes of meale vvill leauen the vvhole lumpe.
In our ſeruice hauehave not vve made a ſtrong covenant vvith god, as Elisha did vvith Eliah ſaying, as the lord liueth,…. Reg, 2.6. & my ſoule liueth I vvill not leaue thee.
Practice. 3 The third is of Expoſtulation. Hovve many Ephramites are there amongſt vsus that are like vntounto a ſpongious cloud noe ſooner vvett but dry, like vntounto Gedeons fleece dry one vvhile in goodnes vvhile all their neighbours about them are vvett, & another time drenched vvith drunkenes, vvhile all their neighbours are ſober of thirſt after righteouſnes. For vvhat reſt is there in our bones vvhen vve hauehave loſt him vvho is the ioy of our harts. Which cauſed Glouer the martire (as it is recorded in the booke of acts, & monuments) to cry out at the ſtake HE IS COME, HE IS COME. Hauing had before ſome conflicte of diſconſolation, & novve perceuing Chriſts ſpirituall preſence he cryes HE IS COME. So likevviſe one of the Greeke church cryed EURICA,Ioh. 1. EURICA, I hauehave found him. I hauehave found him vvhom my ſoule loueth. And Iohn the deuine told Nathaniel I hauehave found the Meſsias. If vve vvil not ſeeke him to find him, he vvil find vsus, & our impiety, & vvill cry againſt our vnthankfullnes.Pſal. 107.8. O that men vvould praiſe the lord for his goodnes, & for his vvonderfull vvorkes to the children of men.Pſal. 50.22. Our sleighting of him O conſider this ye that forgett god leſt I teare you in pieces, & there be none to deliuer you.Galat. 3.1. Our ſtupidity O Foolish Galatians, vvho hath bevvitched you that you should not obey the truth, before vvhoſe eies Ieſus Chriſt hath beene euidently ſett foorth,Eſai. 1.2. crucified among you? Our inſenſibility Heare o heauens, & giuegive eare o earth for the lord hath ſpoken (ſaith Eſayh) I hauehave norished, & brought vp children, & they hauehave rebelled againſt me. The heauie burden of our ſinnes Ah ſinnfull nation, a people laden vvith iniquitie, a ſeed of euill doers children that are corrupters: they hauehave forſaken the lord,Eſa. 1.4. they hauehave prouoked the holy one of Iſraell vntounto anger, they are gone avvay backvvard▪ Deu.& our extreame folly Ah foolish people doe you thus revvard the lord?
Why then doe vve not ſearch, & try our ſelues. Firſt our vvayes, & vvorkes O that my vvaies vv…re directed that I might keepe thy ſtatutes Our ſinnes that lay vvaſt our conſciences Jeremy laments ſaying.Ier. 9.3, …. Oh that mine head vvere full of vvater, & myne eies a fountaine of teares that I might vveepe day, & night for the slaine of the daughter of my people,Eſ. 64.1 & our iudgment. Oh, that thou vvouldeſt break the heauens, & come dovvne, & that the mountaines might melt at thy preſence. That vve might cry out vvith Dauid O that I had vvings like vntounto a doue that I might fly hence & be at reſt. Hovve many Iudaits are there amongſt vsus, vvho like the devve in the morning (as Hoſea ſayth) glitter, & gaſter, but before noone vanish avvay to nothing, ſoe vve are here in the morning, but a fore night vve vanish avvay, & become like the mildevve that ſmutteth the corne. You are here in the morning, & the devve of Hermon falls vponupon you, before night you shake it of. Yea vvith Manna the angells foode are ye fed vvithall in the morning, but before night ye doe as nice gentell vvomen vvith their flowers, put them in their boſomes in the morning, but ere night ſtravve them at their feete.
Practice. 4 The fourth vſe is of ſatisfaction, for if you should demaund of me the queſtion vvhat might be the cauſes that men perſeuere not? I anſvvere it is becauſe they are like the tribe of Ephraim a cake on the harth not turned (ſaith Hoshea) vvhichwhich muſt needs be burnt on the on ſide,Hoſ. 7.8. & dovve on the other, That is dovvnvvard earneſt to the vvorld, but vpvvard key cold tovvard god, like a doue vvith our hart deceaued, becauſe they are fed vvith the vvind, that is vvith vaine things, & their iniquity is bound vp.Hoſ. 13.12. Againe their harts are poyſoned vvith the venime of ſinne vvhichwhich the zeale of gods truth cannot melt.Suetonius in vita Caligulae. For the naturaliſts ſay that the hart of a mā that is poyſoned cannot be conſumed vvith fire.
Practice. 5 The laſt vſe is of Motion if you belong to god knovve this that you shall continue conſtant to the end, The golden chayne of gods predeſtination shevves this,Rom. 8.30. That whō he predeſtinate thē alſo he called, & whō he called, them alſo he iuſtified, & vvhō he iuſtified, thē he alſo glorifieth. For it is not in him that vvilleth, nor in him that runneth, but in god that shevves merciemercy, & gods merciemercy acompanieth his ovvne. The youth of gods children brings forth, their middle age increaſeth their grovvth, & in their old age they are compleat, and full of fruite. For ſuch as be planted in the houſe of the lord shall euer florish in the courts of our god, in the vtter, & invvard courts here in this vvorld, vvhether they they be Layiques, or Cleriques, & in the vvorld to come they shalbe admitted into the holie of holieſt for euer.
In the ninth place is shevved vvhat this reall marchant found in his perſeuerance of ſearch. The text ſayth, ONE PEARLE OF GREAT PRICE. In ſeeking good things a man shalbe ſure to find the beſt at laſt. What this one pearle of great price is, both auncient, & late deuines diuerſifie.
The auncient as Chriſoſtome, & Origen ſay, It is the Goſpel found among the goodly pearles of the lavve, for the lavve is the goſpel concealed, & the goſple is the lavve reuealed. Hillarie, Auguſtine, & Ambroſe ſay, It is Chriſt in heauen, farre fairer then the ſonns of men, & Charity on earth the cheefe, & choiſe of the goodly theologicall vertues. The late devines ſay, It is ſanctification ſo Beza, & Melanchton. Another the Obſervation of the Commandements, as Zinglius. A third Charity, as Feuerdentius. Other ſay, It is grace, or faith the gift of grace, as Fran: Zuares. All leuell at this, that this one pearle of great price is Chriſt in heauen, & Charity on earth, of both in order.