The Merchant Real, Sermon · Lesson 14
The fourtenth leſſon.
Yea this marchant is ſo reſolute that he is not only ready to goe vvith Chriſt, & contemne the vvorld, but alſo is fully perſvvaded to ſell ALL. He is noe Agrippa to be perſvvaded almoſt to become a Chriſtian. He is noe Athan to …oord vp a vvedge of gold, & a Babylonish garment. Nor a Saul to ſpare Agag, & the beſt things But he being come to the full perſvvaſion of his faith ſelleth all. Whence the doctrine is That they vvhichwhich once come to the full perſvvaſion of their faith doe willingly conſecrate themſelues, & all they hauehave, as holy, & heauenly, reaſonable, & ſeaſonable vvhole burnt offerings to god in Chriſt Ieſus.
This is cleare firſt by the degrees of ſauing faith. For the firſt degree of faith is a ground vvorke, vponupon vvhichwhich vve build a truſt, and confident affiance.Hebr. 11.1. Then vve proceed to a reuerend boldnes hauing an aduocate vvith the father Ieſus Chriſt our lord,2. Cor. 3.12 Phil. 3.3. vvho is our maſter of requeſts in heauen. And vponupon theſe premiſes vve come to a full perſvvaſion at the laſt,1. Ioh. 2.1. & conclude vvith Abraham in a full, & abſolute perſvvaſion of faith that god is able of ſtones to raiſe vp children. Hence is our harts filled vvith ſolace, our minds vvith reſt, & our mouths vvith praiſe, hovve ſoeuer the lord deales vvith vsus.Exo. …9.18 Secondly this appeares from the myſtery or figure of the vvhole burnt ſacrifice. For vvhether it vvere a ramme or a lambe it muſt be tendered ALL. When Abraham vvas to offer vp Iſaac it vvas not a legg, or a limme, an eie, or a hand could ſerue the turne but ALL. Thirdly from euangellicall righteouſnes vvhichwhich muſt exceed,Mat. 5.20. & ſurpaſſe phariſaicall, or ells vve shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen. Which righteouſnes is ſeene Firſt in contrition of humility, by forſaking our ſelues,Matth. 26.24. …. Cor. 7.31 Mar. 10.25. euen all our ſelues, by vſing the vvorld as if vve vſed it not, euen all the vvorld, & by vntvvyning the cable, euen ALL the cable that ſo it may goe through the eie of a needle.Matth. 3. Fides fiduciae. Secondly this euangellicall rightiouſnes iſſueth frō faith of aſſurance that god is able to raiſe vp children of ſtones, & they that hauehave him for their aſſuerer are aſſured by their truſt in the lord to ſtand faſt as mount Sion for euer.Pſal. 125.1. Thirdly this righteouſnes produceth invocation in holy deuotion.Reu. 3.17. Not as the church of Laodicea doth in the Reuelation ſaying I am rich, & vvant nothing, but as Chriſt hath taught vsus to pray hovv rich ſoeuer vve are GiueGive vsus our bread for the day.Mat. 6. For vvhat is our ALL, if god giuegive not a bleſſing to eueryevery peece, & parcell thereof? vponupon vvhichwhich premiſſes vve conclude Firſt by queſtioning vvhat shall ſeperate vsus from the louelove of god? & reſolue at at laſt that nothing shalbe able to doe it hovvſoeuer vve are aſſalted either vvith things aboue vsus,Rom. 8.35. & 39. or vvith vsus, or beneath vsus to vvithdravve vsus from it.
The reaſon of this appeares firſt from an apoſtollical queſtion.1. Cor. 4.7 What haſt thou that thou haſt not receaued? Haſt thou gold, & ſiluer? Haggai tells thee It is none of thine. Haſt thou heards of cattle in thouſands?Hag. 2.…. the Pſalmiſt vvill tell thee they are the lords?Pſal. 50.10 Haſt thou had riches, & novve haſt not? The preacher vvill tell thee that god is the ocean from vvhence they ebe,Ecc. 1.7. & flovve. Secondly from a diabollicall ſuggeſtion. For the deuill could ſay ALL this vvill I giuegive then vvhen he had nothing to giuegive. But gods children acknovvledge no ſuch donor. Neither doe they conceal the author of their vvealth vvith Eſau, nor the phiſition of their health vvith the nine vnthankfull leapers, nor gaſe, & gape vponupon vvhat they hauehave as the Iſraelits did vponupon their Manna asking Man-hu vvhat is this? not enquiring vvho gaue it, neither doe they arrogate to themſelues part, & deuide ſtackes vvith god, or challenge the vvhole, but doe acknovvledge their all to come from the author, & Ocean of ALL, & to it they returne their ALL againe.
Thirdly this appeareth from the ſelling of Chriſt for he vvas ſold ALL that he might redeeme ALL his. Suffred in ALL. In ALL his body, yea in ALL his humane ſoule. It vvas ALL heauie euen vntounto the death. Yea the Iewes ſought it in ALL his parts to find it. In his braines by the crovvne of thornes, in his bloud, in his hart, thus vvas he made an ALL burnt offering for vsus ALL. Shal not vve render to him then our ALL? Eſpecially when he requires ALL, ſaying Sonne giuegive me thy hart vvhichwhich if thou giuegive, thou giueſt ALL for that vvill dravve ALL. Indeed if Sathā hath tēpted our harts to keepe backe part of the price as he did the harts of Ananias, & Sapphire then hauehave vve noe part nor portiō in this buſines. But gods children doe aſſuredly knovve that ALL their being▪ & vvell being euen ALL their beſt being is in the creator of ALL things. To vvhom they tender, not part … …butaries, but ALL as votaries to their heauenly maſter.
Practice. 1 The vſe of this is firſt of Anſvve… vntounto certaine queſtions that ſeeme to contradicte this doctrine. Firſt of the Papiſts vvho doe magnifie euangellicall coūſells vvherby they ſay that vve may performe more then god hath commanded vsus, & theſe they call vovves of perfectiō as voluntary pouerty, perpetuall continencie, & vovved obedience. Therefore they vrge that vvhichwhich our ſauiour ſpake to the young mā ſell ALL thou haſt, & ſo forth Mathevve 19.21. I anſvvere that this mandate vvas perſonall, particular, & of eſpeciall triall. They obiecte that of Mathevve the 10.9. Poſſeſſe neither ſiluer, nor gold. I anſvvere that this mandate vvas temporall that the vvealth of beleeuers might not deuolue to Gentiles & infidells. Thirdly it is obiected vvhether it be lavvfull for a man to ſell ALL, & bring himſelfe to pouerty, & to giuegive himſelfe to prayer, & faſting? I anſvvere from the vviſe man Prouerbs the 5.15. giuegive vvaters of thy ceſterne, but keepe the fountaine for thy ſelfe. But in three caſes vve muſt forſake ALL. Firſt in an extraordnary vocation ſo did the apoſtles Mathevve 19.27. Secondly in caſe of the profeſſion of our conſcience, & day of tryall Luc. 14.33. Mathevv 19.29. Thirdly in tyme of perſecution, famine & vvarre Pſalme …2. Luck. 12.…3. Acts. 3.45. But you vvill ſay then vve pray you make vsus vnderſtand vvhat is meāt by the Marchants ſelling ALL, that vve may doe the like.Affirmativae Chriſti leges obligant ſemper, non ad ſemper. Semper velle, non ad ſemper agere. Tho: Aq. Gulielmus de Sancto amore. I anſvvere Firſt that all the affirmatiue lavves of CHRIST doe bind vsus allvvaies, but not at all tymes, Alvvaies to be vvilling, but not alvvaies to doe it. As for example ſell all, & follovve me; That is vvith a preparation, of mind to leaue all, & follovve him, & in caſe aforenamed actually to doe it. Againe it is ſayd, he that vvill loſe his life shall ſaue it. The meaning is not actually to loſe it all tymes, but habitually allvvaies to be vvilling to doe it in caſe of gods dishonor, & mayntaining the integritie of faith.
Thirdly it is ſayd if any man commeth to me, & hateth not father, & mother, & his ovvne life is not vvorthy to be my diſciple. The meaning is not actually to hate, but habitually to be vvilling in a ſober, & diſpoſed moderation of mind to forſake the louelove of father, & mother, yea of a mans ovvne life in caſe that they ſtand againſt the glory of god, & the good of his church.
Practice. 2 The ſecond vſe is of direction againſt begging, and ignorant friers. For it is more bleſſed to giuegive then to receaue. Which of thoſe begging ſpirits may be cōpared in their voluntary pouerty vvith rich Abraham for faith, vvith rich Job for patience, vvith rich Ioſeph for chaſtity. Take direction therefore to be thankfull for vvhat vve hauehave, & to ſtudie to be rich to god in faith, louelove, & good vvorkes ſo if vve hauehave neither gold, nor ſiluer, yet hauing nothing vve shall poſſeſſe all things.2. Cor. 6.10
Practice. 3 The third vſe is of Expoſtulation vvherin vve may reaſon the caſe vvith the ſonns of men. Firſt vvith the coueteous vvho vvould hauehave all, although he hauehave the deuill, & hell, & all into the bargaine. Is not he the greateſt Idolater in the vvorld? Iniurious to the vvhole trinity. For mony is his maker. He ſpeakes ſo. If I may attayne to ſuch a ſume I am made, he makes it his redeemer to rid him of trouble, his ſanctifier for if he hauehave goods enough he thinkes he is good enough. He is alſo iniurious to man. To his ſuperiors for he sleights them, to his equalls for he ſcornes them, to his inferiors for he tramples vponupon them. Iniurious to himſelfe in his naturall life not affording himſelfe dyet, & apparrell beſeeming his place, nor sleepe, & recreation meete for his perſon. Iniurious to himſelfe in his ciuell life, beloued hartely of none, truly hated of all, & moſt of all iniurious to himſelfe in his ſpirituall life neuer attayning to the knovveledge of a true iuſtifying faith, & the comfort of the full reſolution thereof. In a vvord he is like vntounto a hogge, & a medler neuer good till he is dead,Eſay. 30.14 & rotten, nor vntill the vvormes hauehave his carcaſe, & an vnthrifte hauehave his capcaſe. And as he vvas unſatiable to hauehave the deuill, & all, ſo shall he meete vvith tvvo vnſatiable things as himſelfe, the graue, & hell.
If I should reaſon the caſe vvith the prodigall that ſpends all in exceſſe of royott both in drunkenneſſe, & leavvdnes vvhat could he anſvvere? Heretofore the proverbe vvas he is as drunke as a begger, but novve the gallants, & gentery take it vp. Heretofore boyes vvould cry out at them in the ſtreets as at ſome monſter, but novve it is cauſe of boaſting. Heretofore they vſed to bovve their knees in prayer, but novve to drinke healths till they are out of health. In leaudnes alſo he hath ſpent his all, vponupon his vvhore, or harlott. All his body full of rottennes, All his vvealth exhauſted, & he himſelfe brought to a cruſt of bread. All the povvers of his ſoule corrupted, his ſtrenght vveakned, his eieſight dimmed, his voice harsh, & pox, & penury his coate of armes. In a vvord he becomes a vvitch to all his vvitt, a theefe to all his vvealth, & a deuill to his vvhole man.
Practice. 4 The laſt vſe is of Motion God forgiueth vsus all our ſinnes. If he ſhould reſerue our ſinne,Mat. 18.32. & impute it vntounto vsus in vvhat vvofull eſtate vvere vve? shall vve ſerue him by halfes? shall vve not giuegive him all? If a man vvould giuegive all the ſubſtance of his houſe for louelove it vvould vtterly be contemned ſaith the Spouſe in the Canticles,Cant. 8▪7. & vvithout doubt if vve louelove god vvith all our hart vve vvill deny him nothing of all. Paule tells vsus that vve are all concluded vnderunder ſinne, for vve hauehave all of vsus ſinned Let vsus therefore make our peace vvith our all, that vve may obtayne all, then hauehave vve made the beſt bargaine that euer vve made in the vvorld. For then vve shall be deliuered vp in the kingdome by CHRIST to god the father that he may be all in all vvhichwhich god grant vntounto vsus all AMEN.
Novve are vve come vntounto the laſt vvhichwhich is this Marchants purchaſe. Bleſſed vvas his deligence, choiſe, conſtancie, skill, readines, contempt of the vvorld, & full perſvvaſion to obtaine ſo great a purchaſe for the text ſayth he bought it The learning vvhereof is this.