The Merchant Real, Sermon · Lesson 7
The ſeuenth leſſon.
The gratious endovvmēts of this reall Marchant, to vvhom the kingdome of heauen is reſembled are rare. For firſt he is noe Lythersbye, or idle companion, but one that Seeketh goodly pearles. So then the learning of this is, That The life of a reall chriſtian Marchandizing ſoule, that trads for heauen is not ſecure, & sluggish, but full of dillegence, ſearch, & ſeruice.
The light of this appeares from gods lampe. Firſt in ſeeking him by the contemplation of his vvorkes. The inviſible things of him that is,Rom. 1.20. his eternall povver, & godhead are ſeene by the creation of the vvorld, being conſidered in his vvorkes, to the intent that they should be vvithout excuſe. In the mirror of his vvord for ſoe vve are enioyned.Io. 5.39.40 Search the ſcriptures, for in them yea thinke ye hauehave eternall life, & they are they vvhichwhich teſtifie of me, And yee vvill not come to me that ye might hauehave life. yea in this life to ſeeke a glimpſe of his glory that is to ſeeke his face.Pſal. 24.6. This is the generatiō of them that ſeeke him: euen of them that ſeeke thy face o Jacob.
Secondly by queſtioning hovve, & vvhat vve may doe to find him, as did the young prince in the goſple. Good maſter vvhat good thing shall I doe,Matt. 19.16 that I may hauehave eternall life? As the people, publica…, …ouldiers did. The people asked him ſaying vvhat shall vve doe then? The publicans came, & ſayd vvhat shall vve doe?Luc. 3.10. ibid. 12. ibid. 14. The ſouldiers likevviſe demaunded of him ſaying & vvhat shall vve doe? As the Ievves did. What shall vve doe that vve might vvorke the vvorkes of god?Io. 6.28. Act 16.30. And as the Iaylor did. Sirs vvhat muſt I doe to be ſaued.
Thirdly in requiring Chriſt Ieſus the prince of this kingdome of heauen, if vve hauehave loſt him at any tyme by our negligence, & euill. We muſt ſeeke him in our beds, in the ſtreets, vve muſt aske after him of the vvatchmen yea of all rather then not find him as the ſpouſe did.Gant. 3.1.2 3.4. For a liuely conſcience vvill not be at quiett, vntill it hath found her beloued. Therefore the godlie vvill Seeke him in the firſt place according to the direction of Chriſt Seeke ye firſt the kingdome of god, & his righteouſnes, & all things shalbe added vntounto you. Seeke him vvith ſorrovve, if need be as Ioſeph, & the virgen did Chriſt.Mat. 6.3…. Seeke him in the graue vvith Mary Magdalen. Seeke him aboue as Paule exhorteth. Seeke him in diſtreſſes as Dauid.Luc. 2.48. Ioh. 20.15. Col. 3.1.2.3 Pſal. 32.3. Pſal. 38.8. Rom. 8.36 Seeke him in faintings, ſighings, roarings. Yea, & in vtmoſt extremities, and torments, though vve are killed all the day long. Yea albeit shame cover vsus, albeit vve turne our backes vponupon our enimies, & become as sheepe for the slaughter, & are made a byvvord of them that are round about vsus,Pſal. 44.10 yea albeit vve are ſmittē into the place of dragons, & into the shadovve of death, yet vve vvill neuer forgett to ſeeke after thee o god ſayth Dauid.Pſal. 119.25 In a vvord▪ albeit our bovvells cleane euē vntounto the graue, & our vearie ſoules vntounto the duſt, as Dauid ſpeakes, & that vve vvere made the filth, & ofſcouring of all things,1. C…. 4.9. … become a galing ſtocke to men & angells as Paule ſayth. Yet a reall Chriſtian ſoule hath reſolued vvith Iob to Seeke god in truſt, though god kill him. And a reall chriſtian ſoule hath reaſon for it. Firſt from gods promiſe,Matth. 7.… Matt. 18 11. that he that thus Seekes god in Chriſt shal aſſuredly find him.
Secondly vvhen vve ſeeke him in vveakenes, he ſeeketh, & ſaueth vsus in povver. And hovve should not a religious ſoule Seeke him, vvho vvipes avvay all teares from our eies, vvho putts an end to all our troubles, Hovve can vve choſe but ſeeke him, vvhoſe face, & fauour turneth all ſorrovves of this vvorld to ſolace, Yea vvhom to ſeeke is to liue ſaith Amos.Amos. 5.4
Practice. 1 The life of this learning is firſt of direction that he vvho ſeeketh god muſt firſt forſake him ſelfe, as they that are indebted, & being not able of themſelues to pay, ſeeke helpe & aſſiſtance from others. Secondly he that ſeeketh god muſt thirſt after righteouſnes in gods merciemercy, & in Chriſt his merritts the deſirable viands of a Chriſtian ſoule. Thirdly he muſt goe the right vvay vvhichwhich is traced out vntounto him in the bloud of Chriſt. For if vve ſeeke him othervviſe by pilgrimages to Loretto, Compoſtella, Shichim, & Hallas, and the like, or by truſt in our ovvne vvorkes vvhichwhich are but markes, not cauſes of our ſaluation, the vvay to this kingdome not the cauſe of our raigning vve faile, & fall in our ſeeking. For in all ſuch vnvvarrantable courſes it is impoſsible to find him becauſe vve ſeeke him not in faith.
Practice. 2 The ſecond is of Encouragment. For great revvards are promiſed vntounto all diligent ſeekers, for firſt he gratiously offers himſelfe vntounto all ſuch for their exceding great revvard, & beholdeth them coming tovvards him a farre off, & meets them by his preventing grace as the tender harted father did his prodigall ſonne. So gratious is not the fauour of princes, or great ones in the vvorld.Luc. 15.20. For gods maieſty ſtoopeth dovvne herein to our miſery. Secondly heshevves them exeding fauours. For his eies are vponupon the righteous to doe them good, & his eares are open to their prayers. Thirdly he bleſſeth them vvith the teſtimonies of his louelove, vvith the principalls,Pſal. 34.15. of paradiſe, & the appurtenances of happines vvith the teſtimonies of his louelove in quieting their conſciences, vvith aſſurances of remiſſion of their ſinnes in this life, as the pledge, & earneſt of his ſpirit, & vvith the aſſured reſt of glory in the vvorld to tome. With principalles or paradiſe, as namely vvith the continuall banquet of a good conſcience, & vvith the ioy of the ſpirit. Laſtly vvith the appurtenances of happines as hauing a proportion of eſtate or contentment in this life, as a parcell of that eternall portion in the other life.
Practice. 3 The Third is of Caution. Firſt to remoue all impediments that hinder vsus in ſeeking after our god, as Mockery, contempt of the vvord & ſuch like, vvhichwhich commonlie doe accompanie them that looke tovvards heauen. But god vvill reuenge himſelfe on them that hate him, ye he vvil lift vp his hand to heauen, & ſayth he vvill liue for euer. If he vvhets his glittering ſword, & his hand take hold on iudgmēt, he vvil render vengance to his enemies, & vvil revvard them that hate him. He vvil make his arrovves drunke vvith bloud,Deu. 32.40.41.42. & his ſvvord, shall deuoure flesh, & that vvith the bloud of the slaine, & of the captiues from the begining of the reuenges vponupon the enemie. Nay ſaith the Pſalmiſt he hath bent his bovve, vvhet his ſvvord, & made it ready againſt the faces of them that ſeeke him not. Take heed therefore that in noe caſe you giuegive, & ſell your ſelues over as Ahab did to ſeeke the vvorld. For the world is but a phariſee promiſing much performing nothing, nor yet ſeeke after the flesh to fullfill the lucts thereof, for it is but a familiar Iudas vvhile he kiſſeth he killeth, nor ſeeke ye to the povvers of darknes for the deuill is but a crafty Herod, a foxe vvho vvhen he canot tyrannize, vvill ſubtilize. If you vvil not be aduiſed S. Paule vvill poſe you in all your proiects in one word what fruite had yee then in thoſe things vvhereof ye are novve ashamed? for the end of thoſe things is death.
Practice 4 The fourth is of ſatisfaction. The deuill ſeekes to gaine you in eueryevery caſe of your conſcience, ſeeke therefore in eueryevery caſe of conſcience to thy god. For there is balme in Gilead, & there are phyſitiōs in Iſrael. God hath giuen the vvord, & great is the companie of the preachers.
The curious conſcience may find a Moſes vvho vvith his rod vvil ſatisfie him by MTRIS if not by MIRACULIS. The afflicted conſcience may find an Aaron who vvith his bells will qualifie all diſtreſſes. A cōtrite, & broken hart may find a Dauid Iſraells ſvveete finger vvho vvith his deuine harpe vvill cure him of the venemons biting of the beaſt TARANTULA, vvhichwhich is his ſinne. The hard conſcience may find a Ieremy vvho vvith the hammer of gods iudgmēts vvil vvorke him. The sleepie conſcience may find an Eſay vvho vvith his trumpet vvil avvake him▪ The vvearie conſcience a Peter vvho vvith his keyes of heauen may open vntounto him cōforts that may refresh him. And the tender conſcience may find Barnabaſſas ſonns of conſolation vvho may helpe to bind vp the vvounds, & poure in vvine, & oyle.
Practice 5 The fift vſe is of anſvvere to thē that ſay oh good Sir vve knovve not howe to ſeeke god. Thē I vvill tell you. Firſt you muſt looke forvvards not backvvards in the ſpirit of pharaſ…iſme, that is to conſider not what we hauehave done, but vvhat vve muſt doe,Phil. 3.14. as Paule reſolues I preſſe tovvard the marke for the price of the high calling of god in Chriſt Ieſus, & the reaſon is vponupon record. For if vve forgett vvhat vve hauehave done for gods ſake as thinking all is to little vvhat euer it be, then god vvill record it, as he did the curteſie of the vvoman vvhichwhich Chriſt calleth a good vvorke. But if vve record,Math. 26. & commemorate our good deeds, god will sleight them.
Secondly vve muſt reſolue in eueryevery caſe,Lu…. 7.32. & conditiō to ſeeke him. Out of the veary deepes, & early in the morning, yea though vve grovell in our ovvne duſt, & ſtucke faſt as it vvere in our ovvne durt, yet as Ieremy vve muſt cry vntounto him out of the dungeon. For vvhen the ſpirite of man doth grone to god for helpe. The bleſſed ſpirit of god for the louelove of Chriſt vvill breath vnſpeakable comfort vntounto man.
Practice. 6 Laſtly let me moue you to ſeeke god vvhile he may be found. It is propheticall, & apoſtolicall counſell. And Dauid yealds the reaſon. For there vvill come a tyme that in the great vvaters vve shall not, vve cannot come nigh him.Pſal. 32. There vvere, and yet are certayne foolish philoſophers, & pratlers in the vvorld called Sceptiques in deed meere Scoptiques, vvho vſe to queſtion all things (euen the Magnificat,) but aſſeuere, & roſolue on nothing. So there are certayne vvho ſeeke god daily as ſayth Eſay,Eſai 58. 2. Tim. 3.7. & as Pauls vvoemen did vvere euer learning, & neuer earning. And theſe are ſuch vvho flatter their ovvne ſoules, that they ſeeke god aright vvhen as they only prattle, & prate of god, & deny indeed the povver, & price of their redemption. But being perſvvaded better things of you my bretheren Remember … beſeech you by the mercifulnes of god that vve all liue for a day, for an hovver, for a minute. Seeke Your god therefore this day, this hovver, this minute & harden not your harts. For euen novve is the axe layd to to the roote of the tree, eueryevery tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hevven dovvne, & caſt into the fire,Matth. …. From vvhichwhich fearfull, fatall, & finall diſtruction god deliuer vsus all in the ſauing mercies of his ſonne CHRIST JESUS.