The Merchant Real, Sermon · Lesson 5
The fift leſſon.
For this kingdome of heauen is not reſembled to eueryevery marchant, but to a marchāt Ievveller ſo ſayth my text.foreign. The kingdome of heauen is like vntounto a marchant mā that ſought goodly pearles. The learning vvhereof is this, That Marchandizing for pretious vvares is lawfull, & he that ſeeketh the kingdome of heauen is rightly reſembled to ſuch a Marchāt that ſeeketh pretious, not vile things, that indeede is a Marchant Ieweller.
The light of this appeares from paradiſe. For there vvas the Bdelium,Gen. 2.12. & the onix ſtone for mans delight before his fall, euen in his inocency. In the breaſtplate of Aron there vvas ſixe pretious ſtōes on the one ſide,Exo. 28.10. & ſixe on the other. God shevving herein the pretious accōpte he made of his people, And for the fabrique of the Temple Dauid prepared vvith all his povver for the houſe of god, gold for veſſels of gold,1. Chr. 29.2 & ſiluer for veſſels of ſiluer, & braſſe for things of braſſe, yron for things of yorn, & vvood for things of vvood, & onix ſtones, & ſtones to be ſet, & carbuncle ſtones, & of diuers colours, & all pretious ſtones, & marble ſtones in abundance.2. Chro. 32.27. The right of this appeares from a regall ſtate Hezekiah alſo had exceding much riches, & honour, & he gate him treaſures of ſiluer, & of gold, & of pretious ſtones. From a regall banquet. The hangings vvere of vvhite,Eſt. 1.6. greene, & blevv clothes faſtened vvith cords of fine linnen, & purple, in ſiluer rings, & pillars of marble: The beds vvere of gold, & of ſiluer vponupon a pauement of porphyre, & marble, & alabaſter, & blevv colour. And frō a patriarchall marriage,Gen. 24.53▪ Then the ſeruant of Abraham tooke forth ſiluer & ievvels of gold, & raiment, & gaue to Rebekah. Moreouer the kingdome of heauen is rightly reſembled to a Ievveller, ſeing god himſelfe vvill hauehave is ovvne, & thoſe things that he hauehave prepared for his ovvne to be ſignified by pretious ſtones. His ovvne in the breaſtplate of iugdment.Exo. 28.17. There muſt be fovver rovves conſiſting of threes. In the firſt rovve a ſardius, a topaze, a carbuncle, in the ſecond an em…raud a ſaphir, & a diamond, in the third a ligure, an achate, an hematite▪ in the fourth a Chriſolite an Onix, & a Jaſper. And all this to shevve hovve pretious his children are both in life, & death in his ſight. Right deare in the ſight of the lord is the death of his ſaincts ſaith the Pſalmiſt.Pſal. 116. If their death be pretious, their life much more.
The things prepared for his are reſembled to pretious ſtones. For in the deſcription of the heauenly Jeruſalem in the Reuelation by the Devine,Apoc. 21.21 it is ſayd that the foundation of the vvall vvas of all manner of pretious ſtones, as of Jaſper, Saphir Calcedon, of the▪ Emeraude, Sardoinx, Sardius, of the Chriſolite, Beryl, Topas, of the Chriſopraſus, Iacinth, Amathyſt.
The right of reaſon shevves this. For god hath put more povver and beautie in ſtones that hauehave only being, then in other Creatures, that hauehave being, ſence, & reaſon. Whereby he shevveth to vsus his povver to ſnib, & controule our pride. For vvhat beauty is ſo bright as the diamōd? vvhat roſeall hevve ſo amiable as the Corall? vvhat skill hauehave any phiſitiā ſo povverfull in medicine to cure as are many pretious ſtones.
Secondly god confirmeth herein the doctrine of election, & reprobation for as of ſtones, ſo of mankind ſome are vile, ſome are pretious And on the other ſide the rareſt ievvells hauehave not that vertue, as the loadſtōe vvhichwhich for luſtre in reſpecte of other ſtones is, but vile, & deſpicable. Wherein vve may ſee that vvhen the moſt vile, & meaneſt things are taken into the hand of god, vvhat rare, & vvonderfull effects he can bring to paſſe by them. In a vvord all pretious ſtones procede from one and the ſelfeſame matter vvhichwhich is the earth, & yet ſee vvhat great difference there it betvveene the vile, & the pretious, betvveene the currant, & counterfaite; Euen ſo among the ſonnes of men, all are made of the one, & the ſame matter; Yett vvhat difference there is betvvixt man, & man of the ſame mould, betvveene brother, & brother of the ſame bloud, euen aſmuch as betvveene Simon Magus, & Simon Peter, Cephas, & Caiphas, Judas the traytor, & Jude the apoſtle, yea vvhat differēce is in one mā vvhē god takes him into his hand, as of a perſecuting Saule to make him a preaching Paull.
Practice. 1 The vſe of this is firſt of Demonſtration, vvhat manner of perſons they are that truly build tovvards heauen. Paull telleth vsus that if vve build not vponupon the foundation that is Chriſt, pretious ſtones vve shall ſuffer loſſe.1. Cor. 3.12. Thoſe therefore that are true builders are reall Marchant ievvellers. For the grace of god doth ſo much prevaile vvith them,Pſal. 1. 1. Ioh. 3.3. that they become Jaſpers, greene & florishing in good vvorkes. Saphires purging themſelues of Epidemicall diſeaſes for the hope of heauē. Calcedons curing fantaſticall deluſions, all Enthuſiaſmes, Anabaptiſmes, & the like fancies. Carbūcles healing the falling ſicknes, of falling into the vvaters of coueteouſnes,Zanch. de oper. Dei. & fires of contention. Sardonixes as compoſed of two natures, mortall, ſpirituall, by the one humbled, by the other lifted vp, Sardiuſſes in reioycing the hart, for vvho can be more merry, thē he that ſerues god? Chriſolits driuing avvay agues both hott, & cold, for the feare of god is the bath of ſinners, curing them of chilling cold, of baſe idelnes, & the flaming heat of intemperat Zeale. Beryls, by kindling fire againſt the ſunne, the Zeale of the ſonne of god euen eating them vp;Apoc. 12.1. Topaſſes curing Lunacies, trampling all ſublunary things vnderunder their feete. Chryſopraſes shyning more in the night then in the light, holding out the light of the truth againſt all the darknes of this vvorld. Hyacinths hauing armore of profe againſt lightning for they are as innocent as doues & therefore god vvill not hurt them, & Laſtly Amatyſts enioying quiet sleepe. For god giueth his beloued sleepe in this life, & their death is as a very ſvveet repoſe, & reſt in sleepe.
Practice. 2 The ſecond practice is of Information from the name generation, & production of pretious ſtones. The name of them pretious for god knovves all his by their names. The generation of pretious ſtones is rare euen from the devve of heauen in the mother of pearle, the regeneration of gods children rare euen of the ſymle of heauen, the grace of god in the boſome of their mother the church. The production of pretious ſtones vvonderfull, from the veines of the earth, from the deapth of the ſea from the bodies of vncleane creatures. The renovation of gods children wonderfull from the duſty, & durty thoughts of the earth, from the sleepenes of Sathan, & from the bodies of vvicked parents come eftimes good children.
Practice. 3 The third of Detection for there are certaine pretious ſtones vvhichwhich are tranſparent only; ſoe are gods children, like Nathaniell (vvho vvas ſo translucēt that Chriſt pronunceth of him that in him there vvas noe guile. Some are duske, & not tranſparent, ſuch a countefaite vvas Demas, vvho shyned for a tyme, but in the tyme of tentation fell avvay, & ſome are mixt vvhichwhich are partly duske, & partly tranſparent. Such are they that vveare Linſy vvoolſy in their garments, plough vvith an oxe, & an aſſe, & changing their religion, vvith William Rufus according to their profittable reaſon. But all theſe may eaſily be knovven the true from the counterfait euen as pretious ſtones are, by three manner of vvaies. By the touch, by the ſight, by the file. If they be counterfaite touch them, deale vvith them, their dealing vvilbe as rough as Eſaues hands, albeit their voice be as oylie as Iacobs. Looke vponupon them, & not a good vvorke shall you ſee, but their good vvorkes are as inviſible as the holy ghoſt. Try them vvith the file, & they vvill not abide the tryall, but in the tyme▪ of temptation fley avvay as the svvallous doe in vvinter.
Practice 4 Laſtly of motion, all pretious ſtones come of the earth their common parent, but by the devve of heauen, & influence of coeleſtiall bodies doe become pure, & pretious. Soe all gods children are all by nature from the earth, earthly, but by the louelove of the god of heauen their father, & by the vnſpeakable benefitt of the ſonnes ſufferings, & by the all powerfull operatiō of the holy ghoſt, they are (not by the will of mā, but according to the purpoſe of the will of god (rēewed, & becōe pure, & pretious from out all their contagion, & euill, & in the end shall ſuffer noe loſſe in their tryall. For they as pretious ſtones are built vponupon the euerlaſting foundation Ieſus Chriſt, by vvhom they are conveyed to the heauenly building, & shall remayne in the heauenly Ieruſalem vvith god for euer.