The Merchant Real, Sermon · Lesson 15 – Conclusion
The fiftenth leſſon.
That it is the greateſt purchaſe of the world ſo to buy, & ſell in the vvorld that vve may purchaſe at the laſt the inheritance of the other vvorld.
Mat. 16.26The truth of this appeareth Firſt by Chriſts queſtion, For vvhat is a man profited, if he should purchaſe the vvhole vvorld, & loſe his ovvne ſoule? Or vvhat shall a man giuegive in exchange for his ſoule? This queſtion poſeth all vvorldlie purchaſers, all ſubtile exchangers. Secondly this appeareth by parable vvhat did all thoſe recusāts gaine which vvould not come vntounto the ſupper,Luc. 14.16 vvhereunto they vvere ſo kindly invited? One had purchaſed a farme another bought fiue yoke of oxen, euen this they gained that they should not taſt of that heauenly ſupper.1. Cor. 7.29.3….31. Thirdly it is plaine by apoſtolicall expoſition of that ſupper. But this I ſay brethren, the tyme is short. It remayneth, that both they that hauehave vviues, be as though they had none, & they that vveepe, as though they vvept not. And they that reioyce as though they reioyced not, & they that buy, as though they poſſeſſed not, & they that vſe this vvorld as not abuſing it, for the fashion of this vvorld paſſeth avvay.
In the ſeond place it appeareth by the rules of buying, & ſelling. Firſt vvho ſees not his ovvne vvant, & therefore vve buy.Rom. 3. We all vvant the grace of god, & vvho vvould not buy it, if he ſold all. Secondly buyers deſire to hauehave vvhat they vvant for their mony. But this purchaſe is offered vvithout mony,Eſai 55.1. Phil. 3.8. or monies vvorth. Thirdly they buy for a great price vvhat they vvould hauehave yea vve muſt account all things as doung to vvinne Chriſt. Fourthly buying, & ſelling is by exchange. Properly in this, there is noe exchange as is shevved before out of Eſay. 55. & 1. And Simon Magus vvas rebuked, that thought the grace of god vvas to be bought vvith mony. Was it not a bleſſed exchange for vsus, vvhen the ramme vvas taken for Iſaac,2. Cor. ….21 that is vvhen he that knevve noe ſinne, vvas made ſinne for vsus that vve might be the righteouſnes of god in him? vvhichwhich cauſed Martin Luther oftimes to ſay in his prayers O god thou art my ſinne, & I am thy righteouſnes. If you shall aske of me hovve this exchange is made. I anſvvere in a vvord. By faith, & the friuts thereof, prayer, & good vvorkes. For albeit vve hauehave nothing of our ſelues to giuegive, yet it hath pleaſed god to giuegive himſelf in his ſonne for vsus. By vvhichwhich free, & voluntary gift vve purchaſe pure gold that enricheth vsus royall robes that cover our nakedneſſe, & pretious eie ſalue that maketh vsus ſee. The gold is our faith vvhichwhich is much more pretious then gold that perisheth, both in brightnes, price, & profitt, as S. Peter ſpeaketh?1. Pet. 1.7. The garments vvhere vvith vve are couered, are the rich robes of our ſanctification.Gal. 3.27. For as many of vsus as hauehave bine baptized hauehave put on Chriſt. Yea all the elect of god hauehave put on the tender bovvells of merciemercy, kindnes, humblenes of mind, meekenes, long ſuffering.Coll. 3.12. For if we are not thus clothed vvith the robes of grace, our filthines vvill appeare to god, and vve shall become abhominable. The eie ſalue vvherby vve ſee vvhat is it but the illumination of gods ſpirit vvherby vve ſee vvith Stephen heauen opened, Heare vvith Paule things that cannot be vttered by vvords, & at the laſt enioy eternall reſt vvith Lazarus in Abraham boſome. The reaſon of this appeares from Solomons Counſell.Prov. 23.23 Buy the truth,Apoc. 3.18 & ſell it not, alſo vviſdome & inſtruction. & vnderſtanding. Secondly from the counſell of an angell I counſell thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou maieſt be rich, & vvhite rayment that thou maieſt be clothed, & that the shame of thy nakednes doe not appeare, & anoynt thine eies vvith eies ſalue, that thou maieſt ſee. Marke vvhat is ſayd, he counſelleth you, & that you may not diſtruſt this counſell.Eſay. 9.6. The prophet Eſay tells you he is the vvonderfull counſeller. Thirdly from the obſeruation of all the godly in all the ages of the vvorld. Some hauehave ſtolne this purchaſe by doing good deeds ſecretly, & are revvarded openly.Matt. 11.12 Some hauehave taken it by violence. For the kingdome of heauen ſuffereth violence by ſuch as are importunate vvith god day, and night for it. Others barter for it by leauing frends, fauors, all to hauehave this purchaſe. Let all the great men of the vvorld that thinke of nothing els, but of their purchaſing rents, and reuennevvs tell me vvhat purchaſe can be compared to this The light vvhereof the vvord hath shevved them, & the right vvhereof reaſon hath directed them in.
Practice 1 The firſt practice of this is of eſtimation. For vvherein is any purchaſe in the vvorld to be eſteemed as this, or compared vvith this? Either in reſpecte of continuance, or the vvorth. The continuance of this purchaſe is not only for our life time, but ēdures till our death, yea & after our death. What purchaſe then is like this vvhichwhich brings to the penitent pardon, for ſinns paſt, presēt, & to come, vvhichwhich clotheth vsus vvith the obediēce of Chriſt in the fullfilling of the lavve, which dignifieth vsus vvith the titles of the ſonnes of god, & the brothers of Chriſt Ieſus, vvhichwhich gardeth vsus vvith protection of angels, & turneth all our croſſes, & curſes into bleſſings, giues vsus his ſpirit to be our life, makes our prayers incenſe in the noſtrills of god, makes his ovvne flesh vvhichwhich he took of vsus to be a pavvne for vsus in heauen. Tell me o you purchaſers of the earth vvhat royalties of any earthly purchaſe can be compared to theſe? But this is not all It continues in death. For death is noe death to ſuch a purchaſe, but by a bleſſed exchange is made the vvay to heauen, yea, & after death it continueth for by this purchaſe our bodies ariſe againe to life,Phil. 3.10. & vve hauehave a royalty to iudge the vvorld, yea the euill angells, & at the laſt to fitt together in heauenly places vvith Chriſt Ieſus. The vvord of it incomparable. For no leſſe then all Chriſt is our purchaſe, & that alſo according to both natures. It is a fearefull thing vve knovve to fall into the hands of the liuing god, but novve to fall into the hand of a god that died for vsus. It is comfort vnſpeakeble. Behold nowe thē vvith the eies of your pretious faith your Chriſt in his humilitatiō redeeming you frō hell, & the povvers of darknes, & by his exaltatiō hath put you in poſſeſsiō of the kingdome of heauē by liuery, & ſeiſen in our owne nature.Io. 14.2. For he is gōe to prepare you a place
Practice 2 The ſecond vſe is of direction. If you shall aske me by vvhat vvay you may obtayne this purchaſe. I anſvvere There is noe other way but to cōfeſſe that we are poore miſerable, blind, & naked, & then vve shall ſeeke to ſupplie our vvants from this purchaſe. Secondly to knovve that all good is in this purchaſe for vvithout Chriſt neither heauen, nor earth is any thing, nor men, nor angells, nor god himſelfe is availeable to vsus without Chriſt.
Thirdly vve muſt deteſt that foolish fullnes vvhichwhich the papiſts dreame of, to be in the cheſt of the church, vvhere in not only they conceaue to be an ouer plus of Chriſt meritts, but alſo of Martyrs, & ſaincts, from, vvhichwhich treaſure of the church the pope deriueth his plenary indulgences, & ſelleth thoſe goodly purchaſes to the bevvitched slaues of his Romish captiuity But vve knovve in Chriſt dvvelleth all the fullnes of the godhead bodily, & that noe Romish miſcreant hath any povver to diſpoſe of any of this fullnes, but only the ſpirit of our god vvho is Chriſts viceroy, & diſpoſeth of this purchaſe a plentifull portion to ſaue our ſoules.
Laſtly there muſt be an heauenly deſire in vsus to be ſvvallovved vp of the louelove of god in Chriſt, & this is the meanes to obtaine this purchaſe.
Practice 3 The third vſe is of Expoſtulation. Tell you me all you great purchaſers of the vvorld, that ioyne houſe to houſe; & lay feild to feild, till there be noe place, & that you may dvvell alone in the midſt of the earth, doth not a vvoe follovve you at your heeles.Eſay. 50.8. Tell me ye that ſpoyle others,Eſay. 33. & are not ſpoyled your ſelues the vvhile, shall not others ſpoyle you or yours, that the broken titles you hauehave entered into, the morgages you hauehave receaued, & the forfeitures, that you hauehave taken may bring vvoe vntounto you, that are at eaſe in Sion, & rich in the mount of Samaria. That your depopulations of countries, improuements of lands, rackings of rents, grindings of the faces of the poore, & other ſuch like Ieſuiticall practices (vvhichwhich you blanch vvith this ſaying) It is lavvfull for vsus to make the moſt of our ovvne, though thereby you make the leaſt of all men els that deale vvith you. That theſe things I ſay may be as bane, & bitternes, vvrath, & vvormevvood to you, & yours, & that the old vvorld of the Ievves both in their tabernacle & temple may vtterly condemne you in their zeale, & earneſtnes for god.
Practice 4 The fourth vſe is of entreaty. Wherein I deſire eueryevery man that hath faith to examine it, & tell me if that man be not a ſtarke foole vvhichwhich beleeueth an idle dreame to be true Yet ſuch is all the purchaſe of this vvorld. Aske the Prophet Eſay, & he vvill tell you chapter 29.8. Is not he a ſtarke foole that doth giuegive credit to a traytor,Seph. 1.8. yet ſuch is the vvorld that betrays vsus vvith a kiſſ as did Judas, or that ſerueth ſuch a maſter that cannot helpe him. For noe purchaſe but this of heauen can deliuer vsus. Is not he a madman that prouideth ſnares to entangle himſelf, and goeth to drovvne himſelf, & endeuoreth to quench fire, not by caſting on vvater, but oyle; So doe all the mad men of the vvorld that couet to be rich vvith vvorldly purchaſes, & not vvith this. So Paule teacheth his scholer Timothy.1. Tim. 6.9 Yea is not a man poſſeſſed as it vvere vvith a lunaticke deuill vvhichwhich doth oft caſt him into the vvaters of affliction,Matth. 17. vvhen he meets vvith many troubles in the vvorld by reaſon of his purchaſes, & many vnneceſſary, & tedious ſuits in lavve vvhichwhich doe miſerably diſtract, & drovvne him, & ploung him into many, manifold, & manifeſt garboyles, & turmoyles both of mind, & body, goods, & good name. Is he not as it vvere poſſeſſed vvith a ſpirit of infirmity that bovves him dovvne ſtill to the earth as the poore vvoman in the goſple?Luc. …8. Yea doubtles the ſpirit of blindnes, darkenes, & doomenes hauehave poſſeſſed all ſuch vvorldlings that mind only earth, & earthly things, & neuer thinke of this heauenly purchaſe.
Practice 5 The laſt practice is of Motion▪ tending to reſolution. I mention only tvvo purchaſes at this tyme. The one made by Abraham the other by Iudas. Abrahams purchaſe vvas a ſepucherir to bury in.Gen. 23. It vvas the caue in Machpelah, & it coſt him fovver hundred ſycles vvhichwhich is 33. h 6. s 8. d ſterling. This vvas a bleſſed purchaſe It vvas the dormitory for the bodys of his tribe to sleepe in, vntill the laſt trumpet should call them to heauen.
Judas purchaſt to for thirty peeces of ſiluer but it vvas a miſerable purchaſe euen an Acheldema a feild of bloud.Mat. 27. But you (maſters, & mortalls) I hope novve after all this that hath bine ſayd, vvill reſolue, euen all of you like reall Marchants to remember that vvhereas god hath purchaſed you from the earth to be heires of heauen,Apoc. 14.3.4. 1. Cor. 6.20. & hauehave purchaſed you from among men to be a choiſe people vntounto himſelf, & in a vvord hath purchaſed, & bought you vvith a price priceles, & peareles, as you hauehave hard. See that you glorifie god, both in your bodies, & in your ſoules, & thinke noe price to deare to obtayne ſo rich a purchaſe as this, euen the pearle of bliſſe euerlaſting life through Ieſus Chriſt our lord, vvhichwhich god grant vntounto you for his mercies ſake, & the merritts of his ſonne into vvhoſe ſauing mercies I recommend you, & committ you to the giudance of the holy ghoſt vvho may build further. To vvhom vvith the father, & the ſonne be aſcribed all praiſe, & all povver, & all glory of vsus here, & of the vniuerſall church for euer, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Loe, The Merchant Real (1620)