Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The Saints Trading for Heaven, opened in Seven Particulars.
NOW in the Saints Trading for Heaven there are theſe ſeveral things conſiderable.
Firſt, As in trading you know it is requiſite in thoſe that are trades-men to any Countrie, that they ſhould have skill in the Commoditie that they trade for; ſo the Saints they have skill in Heavenly things; there's many poor Chriſtians who have little skill in the matters of the world, ſpeak to them about them they underſtand but little, but ſpeak to them about Heaven, and you may quickly perceive that they have skill in heavenly Commodities, they have a skill from God, they are Wiſe Merchants.
Secondly, A Trades-man, he muſt have a ſtock to trade withal: Now the Saints they have a ſtock to trade withal for heaven, they have grace in their hearts, grace in the heart is a ſtock for a trade. If you leave your Children no lands, yet if you leave them a good trade and a ſtock, you think you leave them a plentiful portion. Now the Saints though they have but little in the world, yet they have skill in the Commodities of heaven, they have a good trade and a good ſtock too, they have a ſtock of grace that ſhall never be loſt, how ever they perhaps may not have thoſe In comes that they do deſire ſomtimes, yet they ſhall never loſe their ſtock, their portion, and it ſhould be their care to improve their ſtock for heaven, and indeed then they have their Converſation in heaven, when they improve and lay out all their ſtock that way about heavenly Commodities.
And then a third thing in trading is, To take advantage of the Market for Commodities: Great bargains may be had ſometimes that cannot be had at another; ſo the trade of a Chriſtian for Heaven it is in the obſerving his advantages that he hath for heavenly things, and thoſe that have their Converſations in heaven they are very wiſe and underſtanding this way; they are able to know their times and ſeaſons; other men that have not skill in the matters of heaven they do not know their times and ſeaſons, and therefore they neglecting their markets, it may be upon their ſick and death bed then they begin to think of heaven, and then, Oh that they might but know that their ſouls might go to Heaven when they go from their bodies! I but thou art unskilful in heavenly Commodities, thou dideſt not know thy time, thou ſhouldeſt have had thy Converſation in Heaven in the time of thy life, and ſo have obſerved what advantages God gave thee for trading for heaven; Oh that we were but all wiſe this way, to make it appear that our Converſations are in Heaven in this reſpect, namely, That we are wiſe to obſerve our advantages, Oh! the advantages that God hath given us all at one time or at another for Heaven, there's not any one of you but God hath given you much advantage for Heaven had you but taken it, If you will reflect upon your own hearts, the courſe of your lives in former times, your conſciences may tell you, Oh ſometimes what fair advantages had I for Heaven! How did the Spirit of God begin to ſtir in me? What truths were there darted into mee at ſuch a ſeaſon! What motions flowing in had I at ſuch a time? Oh how happy had I been if I had taken ſuch an advantage for Heaven, I had even been in Heaven already: Now thoſe who do converſe with Heaven, they watch at thoſe advantages, they come not to hear the Word but they watch for the time to have God ſtirring in their hearts, and they follow that advantage, they watch for the time of the ſoftening of their ſpirits, and the enlivening of their ſouls, and they follow hard thoſe advantages, and ſo trade for Heaven, and grow rich in Heavenly Commodities.
Fourthly, Where there is a trade from one Country to another, there's much intercourſe. A man that trades to ſuch a Town or Country, ther's much intercourſe between that man and thoſe that live there: ſo a Chriſtians trading for Heaven is in this, there is very much intercourſe between Heaven and his ſoul, every day he ſends up to Heaven, and every day he hath ſomething from Heaven ſent down to his ſoul! Oh do but examine what intercourſe there hath been between Heaven and you: how is it with many of you? even as if there were no Heaven at all? Men that are no trades-men to the Indies, 'tis as if there were no ſuch place at all to them. So it is with many that lives even in the boſom of the Church, there is very little intercourſe between Heaven and them; but a trader for Heaven hath much intercourſe with heaven.
Fifthly, A man that trades to any place, if he trade for great matters he hath the chief of his ſtock where he trades; though he be not preſent in his body, yet the chief of his eſtate is there: If a man be a Spaniſh or a Turkiſh Merchant and trade thither, the chief of his eſtate lies there, in Spain or Turkey more than here. So it is with one that trades for Heaven, the chief part of his eſtate lies there, he accounts his riches to lie in Heaven; indeed he hath ſomwhat to live upon here in this world for a while, but there's his riches, he looks at Heaven as the place where his greateſt treaſure lies.
Sixthly, A man that trades, is willing to part with ſomething where he is, that he may receive advantage in the place where he trades: So it is with the Saints that trade for Heaven, they are willing to part with much that they might receive afterwards in Heaven: they are willing (I ſay) to part with any thing here in this world, to the end that they may receive it when they come home. A man that is abroad, and is going to his own Country, and there he is trading for Commodities, he is very willing to part with all his money where he is for receiving Commodities in his trade; or thoſe that give their moneyes here that ſo they may receive commodities in another place where they are trading: A carnal heart that doth not know the certainty nor excellency of the Commodities of Heaven, they are willing to part with nothing, but will keep all, they think with themſelves, what we have here we are ſure of, but that that they talk of Heaven we do not know what it is, it may prove to be but an imagination, therefore we wil keep what we have and be ſure of that: Oh! thou art no trader for heaven, if thou wert thou wouldſt be willing to part with any thing here, that ſo thou mightſt receive commodities there, thou wouldeſt be content to live poorly, and meanly in this world ſo be it that thou mighteſt have thy riches when thou comeſt into thy manſion of glory.
Seventhly, Trades-men that trade for great matters, they muſt truſt much, they cannot expect to have preſent pay in great ſums. It's true, men that trade for little matters, that trade by retale, they uſually take in their pence and two pence as their commodities goes forth; but it's not ſo with Merchants that trade for great things in whol-ſale: So 'tis in traders for Heaven, they truſt much; and indeed, the grace of Faith it is the great grace that helps in the trading for Heaven, they have a little earneſt for the preſent. You that are traders, and go to the Exchange and ſell bargains for many thouſands, you have not perhaps above twelve pence or a crown for the preſent, it may be only a promiſe, but you expect the great ſums afterwards. So thoſe that are traders for Heaven, they have ſome earneſt, they be contented with a little for the preſent, the firſt-fruits of the Spirit, or a bare promiſe from Chriſt, this is that that binds the whole bargain, and they expect to have the full pay hereafter when they come to Heaven. It is a happy thing when God gives men and women hearts to be willing to truſt God for eternity, and if they have but a little comfort and grace now, yet to look at that as an earneſt peny of all the glory that Jeſus Chriſt hath purchaſed by his blood, and that God hath promiſed in his Word, thou art not fit to be a trades-man for Heaven that canſt not truſt, that canſt not be content that great bargains ſhould be bound with a little earneſt. But that's the ſoul that trades in Heaven, that can be content to wait for the fulfilling of promiſes, & to take what they have from God for the preſent though it be but a very little, as an earneſt to bind all thoſe glorious things that God hath promiſed in his Word. Here you ſee a trader for Heaven in theſe Seven things. Now put all theſe things that you have heard together with theſe; and you may ſee what it is to have our Converſations in Heaven.