The Merchant Real, Sermon · Lesson 13
The thirteenth leſſon.
It follovveth, that this reall Marchant is ſo ready to purchaſe this pearle, that he makes avvay all that he hath to hauehave it. The text ſayth HE SOLD. There is an euill ſale, as buying & ſelling in the church of god,Matth. 21.12. vvhichwhich Chriſt vvhips out. There is an vnnaturall ſale vvhen brother ſelleth brother, as the patriarches did Ioſeph.Gen. 37.28 And there is a prophane ſale vvhen a man ſells diuinity for vanity, as Eſau ſold his birthright for pottage. But there is a good,Gen. 25.33. & godly ſale vvhen vve ſell earth for heauen, the vvorld for god, the curſed corban for Chriſt, ſo did the apoſtollicall church vvhen they ſold their poſſeſsions, & brought the price, & laid it dovvne at the apoſtles feete. The collection,Act. 4.45. or learning from this interpretation is this. They that once hauehave taſted of god, of Chriſt, & of the bleſsings of the other life doe eaſily renounce, contemne, & deſpiſe all things which hinder them that they may not obtaine heauen, & make away with all ſuch things that helpe thē on thither to procure, & purchaſe this pearle.
This is made cleare by reuelation and by reaſon. By reuelation out of euidence of the vvord. Firſt by precept, vve muſt firſt ſeeke the kingdome of god.Matth. 6.33 Secondly by parable.Luc. 8.7. The ſeed that fell among thornes vvas choaked. Thirdly by myſtery,Luc. 10.22 2. Tim. 2.4 Mary made the beſt choiſe. Fourthly by resēblance. Noe man marcheth vvell on in the ſpirituall vvarfare; vvhichwhich entangleth himſelfe vvith the things of this vvorld.
In the ſecond place it is cleare. Firſt by the condition.1. Ioh. 2.13. If any man louelove the vvorld, the louelove of the father is not in him. Secondly it is cleare by an impoſſibillity.Matt. 6.24 For noe man can ſerue tvvo maſters God, & Mammon.Apoc. …. Thirdly from the iudgment. For the luke vvarme, god vvill ſpeve out of his mouth. Laſtly they that ſvvere by god,Zeph. 1.5. & M…lchom are abhomination to the lord.
In the third place it is cleare from a diſtinction. For all the things in the vvorld are of a threefold condition. Some things are ſo good, that god giues them to none, but to his ovvne children, as Faith, & repentance, and ſo forth. Secondly ſome are ſo bad, that they are giuen to none, but to the damned as impenitency, hardnes of hart, & the like. And ſome are of a mixt nature, as are riches, vvhichwhich are neither good nor bad in themſelues,Auguſt. ad Bon…faciū Epiſt. 70. but as they are vſed, or abuſed, & theſe are giuen to good, & bad. To the good leaſt theſe things should be thought to be euill, and ſo they vvere giuen to Abraham, & they are giuen to the bad leaſt theſe things should be thought to be the cheefeſt good things,Luc. 16. & ſo they vvere giuen to the rich glutton.Rom. 12.1. This is alſo cleare by reaſon. For if vve muſt offer our bodies ſacrifices to god, much more our goods. For the bodie is better them rayment.Matt. 6.25. Iob 2.4. And a man vvould giuegive his skinne for his life. Beſides the godly knovve,Heb. 12. 2. Cor. 7. Pſal. 102. 1. Ioh. 5. that by the contempt of the vvorld, they are deliuered from the vvorlds holdfaſt From the vvorlds nothing. From the vvorlds vncertaintie, and from the vvorld iniquity.
Practice 1 The practice of this is firſt, of lamentation. Is it not a thovvſand pitties that there are many marchants ſo deſperate that ſett to ſale their ovvne ſoules. The coueteous Marchant for mony as did Demas.Ecce. 10.9. Hebr. 1…. The vvanton for pleaſure, as did Eſau. The imperious for ambition, as Alexander the ſixt ſold his ſoule for the popedome, & Abſolon for a kingdome. And the vvicked man for is ovvne harts luſt, as did Ahab that ſold himſelfe to doe euill in the ſight of the lord. Is it not lamentable to behold other daingerous Marchant Aduenturers vvho paune their ſoules as did Noah Dauid, & Peter. But let theſe take heed that they be as good husbands as they vvere by repentance or els they may paune them ſo, that they may neuer redeeme them. Againe is it not alſo lamentable that ſome careleſſe marchants vvill loſe their ſoules; as carnall goſpellers, doe, & the like, Oh vvhat a foolish thing is it to be carefull to keepe the chickin from the kite, the lambe from the vvolfe, & the doue from the vermine, & to be careleſſe to keepe our ſoules from the deuill. O vvretched condition of the ſonnes of men.
Practice 2 The ſecond Practice is of difference Indeed there are ſome that are the children of this vvorld,Luc. 16.9. Coll. 3.6. children of diſobedience, & children of iniquity vvho vvill ſell the righteous for ſiluer,Am. 2.6. Hosh. 10.9. Ioh. 12.36. Rom. 9.8. Matth. 8.1… & the poore for shoues, yea they vvill transgreſſe for a cruſt of bread. But there are children of light, children of promiſe, & children of the kingdome, & theſe hauing god to their father CHRIST to their brother, the angells to their guard, the creaturs to their ſeruants, the holy ghoſt to their aſſurer, enioy all things,1. Cor. 3.22 for all things are theirs, & they are CHRISTS, & CHRIST is gods.
Practice 3 The third vſe is of caution, Here ſee vvhat S. James ſaith vntounto you Goe to novve ye that ſay to day,…am. 4.13.14.15.16.17 or to morrovv vve vvill goe into ſuch a city, & continue there a yeare, & buy, & ſell, & get gaine: vvhereas ye knovve not vvhat shalbe on the morrovv: For vvhat is your life? It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time, & then vanisheth avvay. For that ye ought to ſay …if the lord vvill, vve shall liue, or doe this or that. But novve ye reioyce in your boaſtings: all ſuch reioycing is euill. Therefore to him that knovveth to doe good, & doth it not, to him it is ſinne. And further that bleſſed apoſtle ſaith to the ſecure vvordlings. Goe to novve ye rich men, vveepe, & hovvle for your miſeries that shall come vponupon you.Iam. 5.1.2.3. Your riches are corrupted, & your garments motheaten: your ſiluer, & gold is cankered, & the ruſt of them shalbe a vvitneſſe againſt you, & shall eate your flesh as it vvere fire: yee hauehave heaped treaſures together for the laſt dayes.
Practice 4 The laſt practice is of motion. The Egiptians ſold houſes, lands, & poſſeſſions to buy them earthly bread, vvhat should not vve ſell to buy our heauenly Manna Make frends therefore of the vnrighteous Mammon, that you may be receaued in to euerlaſting habitations. But if you vvill vvith Iudas ſell Chriſt & neither for god nor goodnes ſell,Deut. 32.30. or giuegive any thing, then knovve, that god vvill ſell you. Hovve els should one chaſe a thouſand, & tvvo put ten thouſand to flight, except their Rocke had ſold them, & the lord had shut them vp?Eſai. 50.1. Therefore ſaith the lord, vvhere is the bill of your mothers diuorcement, vvhom I hauehave put avvay? or vvhichwhich of my creditors is it to vvhom I hauehave ſold you? Behold for your iniquity hauehave you ſold your ſelues, & for your transgreſſions is your mother put avvay.Pſal. 44.1…. And Dauid complaines that vvhen god is angry vvith a people he ſells them for nought,Ioel. 3.1. & takes noe mony for them. And Ioel ſaith that they hauehave caſt lots for my people, & hauehave giuen a boy for a harlot, & ſolde a girle for vvine that they might drinke.
Thus you ſee this noble marchant reall chooſeth rather to ſell, then to be ſold, that ſo he might purchaſe the price of his redemption.