Works of Joseph Hall, Sermon 6 – Dedication 21
THE BEST BARGAINE.
PROV. 23.23.
Buy the Truth, and ſell it not.
THE ſubiect of my Text is a Bargaine, and Sale. A bargaine enioyned, a ſale forbidden: and the ſubiect of both bargaine and ſale, is Truth; A bargaine able to make vsus all rich; a ſale able to make any of vsus miſerable; Buy the Truth, and ſell it not; A ſentence of ſhort ſound, but large extent; the words are but ſeuen ſyllables, an eaſie load for our memories; the matter is a world of worke; a long taske for our liues. And firſt, let mee call you to this Mart, which holds both now; and euer; If yee louelove your ſelues, bee yee cuſtomers at this ſhop of heauen; Buy the Truth.
In eueryevery bargaine there is merx, and mercatura; the commoditie, and the match; The commoditie to be bought is the Truth; The match made for this commodity, is Buying, Buy the Truth. An ill Iudge may put a good Interrogatory; yet it was a queſtion too good for the mouth of a Pilate, What is Truth? The ſchooles hauehave wearied themſelues in the ſolution; To what purpoſe ſhould I reade a Metaphyſicall Lecture to Courtiers? Truth is as Time, one in all; yet, as Time, though but one, is diſtinguiſhed into paſt, preſent, future, and eueryevery thing hath a Time of it owne; ſo is Truth variouſly diſtinguiſhed, according to the ſubiects wherein it is; This is Anſelmes, cited by Aquinas; I had rather ſay, Truth is as light: (Send forth thy Truth, and thy light, ſaith the Pſalmiſt) which (though but one in all) yet there is one light of the Sunne, another of the Moone, another of the Starres, another of this lower aire: There is an eſſentiall, and cauſall Truth in the Diuine vnderſtanding, which the ſchooles call Primo-primam; This will not bee ſold, cannot be bought; God will not part with it, the world is not worth it; This Truth is as the Light in the body of the Sunne. There is an intrinſecall or formall truth in things truly exiſting; For, Being and True are conuertible; and Saint Auſten rightly defines, Verum eſt illud quod eſt; All this created Truth in things, is deriued exemplarily, and cauſally, from that increated Truth of God; this the ſchooles call Secundo-primam; and it is as the light of the Sun-beames, caſt vponupon the Moone, and Starres. There is an extrinſecall, or ſecondary truth of propoſitions following vponupon, and conformable to the truth of the things expreſſed: thus, Verum is no other than Eſſe declaratinum, as Hilario; And this Truth, being the thing it ſelfe ſubiectiuely, in words expreſſiuely, in the minde of man terminatiuely, preſuppoſeth a double conformitie or adequation; Both of the vnderſtanding to the matter conceiued; and of the words to the vnderſtanding; ſo as Truth is when wee ſpeake as wee thinke, and thinke as it is; And this Truth is as the light diffuſed from thoſe heauenly bodies, to the Region of this lower aire; This is the Truth we are called to Buy: But this deriuatiue and relatiue Truth, whether in the minde, or in the mouth, hath much multiplicitie, according to the matter either conceiued, or vttered; There is a Theologicall Truth, there is a naturall, there is a morall, there is a ciuill; all theſe muſt bee deare bought; but the beſt at the higheſt rate, which is Theologicall, or diuine; whether in the principles, or neceſſary concluſions; The principles of diuine Truth are Scriptura veritatis, Dan. 10. The Law of Truth, Mal. 2. The Word of Truth, 2 Cor. 6. The neceſſary concluſions are they, which vponupon irrefragable inferences are deduced from thoſe holy grounds: Shortly then, eueryevery parcell of Diuine Truth, whether laid downe in Scripture, or drawne neceſſarily from Scripture, is this Mercimonium ſacrum, which we are bidden to Buy; Buy the Truth.
This is the commoditie; The match is, Buy; that is, Beat the price, and pay it. Buy it; Of whom? For what? Of whom, but of the owner, of the Maker?
The owner; It is Veritas Domini, Gods Truth, Pſal. 117. His ſtile is the Lord God of Truth, Pſal. 31. The Maker; The works of his hands are truth, and iudgement, Pſal. 111. And if any vſurping ſpirit of error ſhall hauehave made a free-bootie of Truth, and ſhall with-hold it in vnrighteouſneſſe, we muſt redeeme it out of his hands with the higheſt ranſome.
What is the price? That is the maine thing in buying; For, Buying is no other than pactio pretij: Elſe-where God proclaimes; Hoe, eueryevery one that thirſteth, come, buy wine and milke without money, and without price, Eſay 55. This is a Donation, in forme of ſale: But, here muſt be a price in the hand; God will giuegive mercy, and not ſell it; Hee will ſell Truth, and not giuegive it: For what will he ſell it? Firſt, for Labour; The Heathen Poet could ſay, his gods ſold learning for ſweat; The originall word here vſed is (foreign) Compara; Get it any way, either labore, or precio; yea labore, vt precio. This great foreman of Gods ſhop tells vsus we cannot hauehave it vnderunder, Prou. 2.4. Wee muſt ſeeke for her as ſiluer, and ſearch for her, as for hid Treaſures; The veine of Truth lies low, it muſt bee digged, and delued for to the very center. If Truth could be bought with eaſe and pleaſure, many a lazie Chriſtian would bid faire for it, who now reſolue rather vponupon want, than toile. The ſlothfull worldling will rather take vp a falſhood for Truth, than beat his braine to diſcerne Truth from falſhood; an error of free-coſt is better than an high-rated Veritie; Labour for Truth is turn'd ouer for the taske of Church-men; no life ſauours to theſe flegmaticke Spirits, but that of the Lillies, Neque laborant, neque nent; They neither labour nor ſpin; This dull reſolution is vnworthy of a Chriſtian, yea of a reaſonable ſoule; and if we ſhould take vp no other for the body, we ſhould be fed with hunger, and cloathed with nakedneſſe; the earth ſhould bee our fether-bed, and the skie our Canopie; wee ſhould abound with want, liue ſauagely, and die miſerably. It was the iuſt Canon of the Apoſtle, He that labours not, let him not eat; Certainly, he can neuer eat of the heauenly Manna of Truth, that will not ſtep forth to gather it: Heare this yee delicate Courtiers, that would heare a Sermon if yee could riſe out of your beds; that would lend. God an houre, if yee could ſpare it from your pleaſures; the God of heauen ſcornes to hauehave his precious Truth ſo baſely vnderunder-valued; if yee bid God leſſe than labour for Truth, I can giuegive you no comfort, but that ye may goe to hell with eaſe.
The markets of Truth, as of all other commodities, varie: It is the rule of Caſuiſts; Iuſtitia pretij non conſiſtit in indiuiduo; The Iuſtice of the Price doth not pitch euer vponupon a point; Sometimes the price of Truth hath riſen, it would not be bought but for danger; ſometimes, not vnderunder loſſe, not vnderunder diſgrace, not vnderunder impriſonment, not vnderunder exile; ſometimes yet dearer, not vnderunder paine; yea ſometimes it hath not gone for leſſe than bloud. It did coſt Elias danger, Michaiah diſgrace, Ieremie impriſonment, the Diſciples loſſe, Iohn and Athanaſius exile, the holy Confeſſors paine, the holy Martyrs death; Euen the higheſt of theſe is pretium legitimum, if God call for it, how euer nature may tax it as rigorous, yea ſuch as the franke hearts of faithfull Chriſtians hauehave bidden at the firſt word for Truth; What doe yee weeping, and breaking my heart; For I am ready not to be bound only, but to die for the name of the Lord Ieſus, ſaith S. Paul, Act. 21. Skin for skin, yea all that a man hath will he giuegive for his life, ſaith Satan; but skin, and life, and all, muſt a man giuegive for Truth, and not thinke it an hard penny-worth; Neither count I my life deare vntounto me that I may finiſh my courſe with ioy; ſaith the choſen veſſell, to his Epheſians. Oh the heroicall ſpirits of our bleſſed fore-fathers, that ſtucke not to giuegive their deareſt heart-bloud for but ſome corollaries of ſacred Truth; whoſe burning zeale to Truth conſumed them before thoſe fires of Martyrdome, and ſent vp their pure and glorious ſoules, like Manoahs Angell, to heauen, in the flame. Bleſſed be God; Bleſſed be his Anointed, vnderunder whoſe gracious Scepter we hauehave enioyed daies as much more happy than theirs, as their hearts were more feruent than ours: We may now buy Truth at a better hand; ſtake but our labour, we carrie it with thanks; I feare there want not thoſe that would be glad to marre the market; It can be onelyonly knowne to heauen what treacheries the malice of hell may be a brewing. Had but that Powder once taken, nothing had beene abated of the higheſt price of our Predeceſſors; we had paid for eueryevery dram of Truth, as many ounces of bloud, as euer it coſt the frankeſt Martyr; ſhould the Deuill hauehave beene ſuffered to doe his worſt, we might not hauehave grudged at this price of Truth, Non eſt delicata in Deum, & ſecura confeſsio; qui in me credit, debet ſuum ſanguinem fundere, ſaith Ierome. Chriſtian profeſſion is no ſecure or delicate matter, he that beleeues muſt be no niggard of his bloud. But why thus deare? Not without good reaſon: Monopolies vſe to enhance the price: Ye can buy Truth at no ſhop but one, In coelo praeparata eſt Veritas tua, Pſal. 89.2. Thy truth is prepared in heauen. And it is a iuſt Rule of Law, Quiſque in rebus ſuis eſt moderator, & arbiter: EueryEvery man may rate his owne: Neither is this only the ſole commoditie of God, but beſides, deare to the owner. Dilexiſti veritatem; Thou haſt loued Truth, ſaith the Pſalmiſt. And it is a true rule in the Caſes of Commerce, Affectus aſtimari poteſt, Our louelove may be valued in the price. Yea, O God, thy louelove to Truth cannot be valued; It is thy ſelfe, thou that art Truth it ſelfe haſt ſaid ſo, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; We cannot therefore know how much thou loueſt thy Truth, becauſe as thy ſelfe is infinite, ſo is thy louelove to thy ſelfe: What ſhould we hunt for compariſons? If all the earth were gold, what were it? when euen very heauen it ſelfe is traſh to thee in reſpect of Truth: No maruell if thou ſet it at an high rate; It is not more precious to thee, than beneficiall to vsus. It frees vsus, Iohn 8.32. It renues vsus, Iames 1.18. It confirmes vsus, Prou. 12.19. It ſanctifies vsus, Iohn 17.17. It defends vsus, Pſal. 91.4. Shortly, it doth all for vsus that God doth; for God workes by his Almighty word, and his Word is Truth, Iohn 17. Therefore buy the Truth. And if truth be thus precious, thus beneficiall; how comes it to paſſe that it is neglected, contemned? Some paſſe by it, and doe not ſo much as cheapen it; Others cheapen it, but bid nothing; Others bid ſomething, but vnderunder foot; Others bid well, but ſtake it not; Others laſtly ſtake downe, but reuoke it. The firſt that paſſe by and cheapen it not, are careleſſe vnbeleeuers; The next that cheapen it, and bid nothing, are formall Chriſtians; The third that bid ſomething but not enough, are worldly ſemi-Chriſtians; The fourth that bid well and ſtake it not, are glorious hypocrites; The laſt that ſtake downe and reuoke it, are damnable Apoſtats. Take all theſe out of the ſocietie of men; and how many cuſtomers hath God that care to buy the Truth? If Truth were ſome rich chattell, it would be bought; If Truth were ſome goodly Lordſhip, or the reuerſion of ſome good Office, it would be bought; If Truth were ſome Benefice, or ſpirituall promotion, (Oh time!) it would be bought; Yea, how deare are we content to pay for our filthie luſts; we will needs purchaſe them (too oft) with ſhame, beggerie, diſeaſe, damnation; only the ſauing Truth of God will not off hand. What is the reaſon of this? Firſt of all; It is but bare, ſimple, plaine, honeſt, homely Truth, without welt, without guard; It will abide none but natiue colours, it ſcorneth to wooe fauour with farding, and licking, and counterfeiſance; it hates either bought, or borrowed beauty; and therefore like ſome natiue face among the painted, lookes courſe, and ruſty. There are two ſhops that get away all the cuſtome from Truth, The ſhop of Vanity, the ſhop of Error; The one ſels knacks and gew-gawes, the other falſe wares, and adulterate; both of their commodities are ſo gilded, and gaudy, and glittering, that all fooles throng thither, and complaine to want elbow-roome, and ſtriue who ſhall be firſt ſeru'd; Whereas the ſecret worke of artleſſe, and vnpoliſht Truth can winne no eie to view it, no tongue to aske ſo much, as, What will it coſt me? Oh yee ſonnes of men, how long will ye louelove vanitie, and ſeeke after lies?
Secondly, though Truth in it ſelfe be alwaies excellent, yet the iſſue of it is not ſeldome diſtaſtefull; Veritas odium: There is one Michaiah whom I hate: Am I become your enemie, becauſe I tell you the truth? And this is the cauſe that Frier Menot alleages, why Truth in his Time was ſo vnwelcome to the court. But if truth be the mother of Hatred, ſhee is the daughter of Time, and Truth hath learn't this of Time, to deuoure her owne brood; So that in Time, Truth ſhall conſume hatred; and at the laſt, a galling Truth ſhall hauehave more thanks, than a ſmoothing ſuppariſitation. In the meane time, Veritas nihil erubeſcit praeterquā abſcōdi; Truth bluſheth at nothing but ſecrecy, as Tertull.
How euer then fond, or falſe hearts value the Truth, let vsus, that ſhould be wiſe Chriſtians, eſteeme it as the pearle hid in the field, which the man ſold all that euer he had to purchaſe. Would it not ſet any heart on fire with an holy anger, to ſee wha the enemies of Truth bid, and giuegive for falſhood, for faction? Their liberty, their country, the life of their Soueraigne, the eternall ſtate of their ſoules hath not ſeemed too deare to caſt away vponupon an ill bargaine of miſ-religion; and ſhall not we bid ſo much as our zealous well-wiſhes, our effectuall endeuours, our carefull obſeruances for the vndoubted truth of our Maker and Redeemer? What ſhall I ſay to the miſerable and ſtupid careleſneſſe of theſe thriftleſſe and godleſſe times; wherein eueryevery thing is appriſed, eueryevery thing is bought, ſaue that which is moſt precious, moſt beneficiall, Truth. Yee great ones are made for precedents to the inferiour world; your example is able to bring either good or euill into faſhion; For Gods ſake, for your ſoules ſake, what euer tranſactions ye make for the world, lay your plots for the bleſſed purchaſe of Truth; Oh let not your fickle honours, your vnſatisfying pleaſures, your worthleſſe profits, yea your momentany liues ſeeme deare to you in compariſon of heauenly Truth. It is no ſhame in other parts for great Peeres to be Merchants; Mercatores tui erant principes, ſaith the Angell concerning Babylon, Reuel. 18. Thy Merchants were the Princes of the earth; And why ſhould not yee great ones be the Merchants of Truth? Bleſſed be the God of Truth, yee are ſo. It is no proud word to ſay, that no Court vnderunder heauen hath ſo rich a ſtocke of Truth, as this of Great Britaine; yet let me tell you, the very Angels knew not ſo much, but they deſired to know more, Epheſ. 3.10. And if ye had already that veſpertine knowledge of the Saints which ye ſhall once hauehave in heauen, yet know that this Bargaine ſtands not more in the iudgement, than in the affections. What euer our ſpeculations may be, if our hearts be not ſet vponupon Truth, we may be Brokers, we are not Merchants; Brokers for others, not Merchants for our ſelues. As our Sauiour then, when he bids vsus ſell all, forſake all, holds it done, when in preparation of minde we are ready to abdicate all for his name, though we doe it not, ſo doth God hold vsus to buy Truth, when we beſtow our beſt thoughts, our deareſt wel-wiſhes vponupon it, though we hauehave it already. Oh ſtirre vp your languiſhing zeale, ye noble Courtiers, rouze vp your drouping louelove to diuine Truth; GiueGive your hearts to it, ye cannot but giuegive all for it; And if ye doe not finde the ſweet gaine of this Bargaine, in this lower Region of error, and confuſion, ye ſhall once finde it in thoſe eternall, and empireall habitations of Truth, where the God of Truth ſhall make vp the Truth of his promiſes, with the euerlaſting truth of his glorious performances; where Mercy and Truth ſhall ſo meet, and embrace one another, that both of them ſhall embrace the faithfull ſoule, for euer and euer.
This for the Bargaine of Truth; The forbidden ſale followeth; ſell it not. Commonly what we buy, we may ſell. Alexander, not the Great, but the good, ſold Miters, Keyes, Altars; the verſe giues the reaſon; Emerat ille prius, Hee bought them. So Saint Auſten of Simon Magus, Volebat emere ſpiritum Sanctum, quia vendere volebat ſpiritum Sanctum; He would buy the Holy Ghoſt, becauſe he meant to ſell it. GiueGive me a man that buyes a Seat of Iudicature; I dare not truſt him for not ſelling of Iuſtice; he that ſits in the chaire of Symonie, will not giuegive Orders, will not ſticke to ſell ſoules. Some things wee may buy to ſell, as Ioſeph did the Egyptian corn; ſome things wee muſt ſell, if wee buy, as an Iſraelites inheritance, Leu. 25. But here wee are charged to buy what it is a ſinne to ſell; Buy the Truth and ſell it not; There is many a good thing ill ſold; Eſau ſels his birth-right for pottage, Hanun and Shechem ſell their Countrey for louelove, Dalilah ſels her louer for a bribe; The Patriarchs ſell their Brother for twenty ſiluerrings; Haman ſels the Iewes for nought. The Gentiles ſell the Iewiſh girles for wine, Ioel 3.3. Iſrael ſels the righteous for ſiluer, and the poore for ſhooes, Amos 2.6. Their Iudges ſell ſins or innocencie for rewards, Eſa 5.23. Ahab ſels himſelfe to wickedneſſe; Iudas ſels his maſter; Demas ſels the Truth; All theſe make an ill market; And in all it is a ſure rule, the better the commodity is, the more pernicious is the ſale. The indefiniteneſſe of the charge implies a generality. Buy it at any price; At no price ſell it. It is the fauour of God, that it may be bought for any rate; It is the Iuſtice of God, that vponupon any rate it ſhould not bee ſold: As buying and ſelling are oppoſites in relation; So that for which wee muſt not ſell Truth is oppoſite to that for which we may buy it. We muſt buy it with labour, therefore we may not ſell it for eaſe; If need be we muſt buy it with loſſe, therefore we may not ſell it for gaine; we muſt buy it with diſgrace, we may not ſell it for honour; we muſt buy it with exile or impriſonment, we may not ſell it for libertie; we muſt buy it with paine, we may not ſell it for pleaſure; We muſt buy it with death, wee may not ſell it for life; Not for any, not for all of theſe may we ſell Truth; this were damnoſa mercatio, as Chryſoſtome: In eueryevery bargaine and ſale there muſt be a proportion; now eaſe, gaine, honour, liberty, pleaſure, life, yea worlds of all theſe are no way counteruailable to Truth; For what ſhall it profit a man to win the whole world, and leeſe his owne ſoule? And hee cannot ſell Truth, but his ſoule is loſt: And if any thing in the world may ſeeme a due price of Truth, it is Peace. Oh ſweet and deare name of Peace, the good newes of Angels, the ioy of good men! who can but affect thee, who can but magnifie thee? The God of heauen before whom I ſtand, from whom I ſpeake, knowes how oft, how deeply I hauehave mourned for the diuiſions of his Church, how earneſtly I hauehave ſet my hand on worke vponupon ſuch poore thoughts of reunion, as my meanneſſe could reach; but when all is done, I ſtill found we may not offer to ſell Truth for Peace. It is true that there be ſome Scholaſticall and immateriall Truths (the infinite ſubdiuiſion whereof hauehave rather troubled than informed Chriſtendome) which for the purchaſe of peace might bee kept in, and returned into ſuch ſafe generalities as minds not vnreaſonable might reſt in; but ſold out they may not be; If ſome Truths may be contracted into a narrower roome, none may be contracted for; Qui diuinis innutriti ſunt eloquijs, as that Father ſaid; Thoſe that are trained vp in diuine truths may not change a ſyllable for a world. Tene quod habes, Hold that thou haſt, is a good rule in all things; which if in temporalities it were well obſerued, we ſhould not hauehave ſo many gallants ſquander away their inheritances to liue Cameleon-like vponupon the ayre of fauour; But how euer this be too wel obſerued in theſe earthly things by frugall hands, which take as if they were quicke, hold as if they were dead, yet in ſpiritual graces it can neuer be obſerued enough; we get Truth, we buy it as Iacob did his birth-right, to keepe, to enioy, not to ſell againe: If therefore the world, if Satan ſhal offer to greaſe vsus in the fiſt for truth, let vsus anſwer him as Simon Peter did Simon the Sorcerer, Thy mony periſh with thee, becauſe thou haſt thought the Truth of God may be purchaſed with mony.
What ſhall we ſay then to thoſe pedling petty-chapmen which wee meet withall in eueryevery market, that will be bartring away the truth of God for trifles? Surely the forme of our ſpirituall market is, contrary to the ciuill; In our ciuill markets there are more buyers than ſellers; there would be but poore takings, if many did not buy of one; but in the ſpirituall, there are more Sellers of Truth than Buyers.
Many a one ſels that he neuer had, that he ſhould hauehave had, the Truth of God; Here one chops away the Truth for Feare or ambition; There another lets it goe for the old ſhooes of a Gebeonitiſh pretence of Antiquitie; Here one parts with it for a painted, gilded hobby-horſe of an outwardly pompous magnificence of the Church; there another for the bables of childiſh ſuperſtition; One for the fancies of hope, another for the breath of a colloguing Impoſtor; Amongſt them all, Diminutae ſunt veritates à filijs hominum, Pſal. 12. Truth is failed from the children of men: Yea as Eſay complained in his time, Corruit in platea veritas, Eſa 59.14. Truth is fallen in the ſtreets. What a ſhame it is to ſee, that in this cleere and glorious Sun-ſhine of the Goſpell, vnderunder the pious gouernment of the true Defender of the Faith; there ſhould not want ſome ſoules that ſhould trucke for the truth of God, as if it were ſome Cheapſide, or ſome Smithfield-Commoditie? Commutauerunt veritatem Dei; They hauehave changed the Truth of God into a lie, Rom. 1.25. And all their care is, that they may be deceiued good cheape. Whoſe heart cannot bleed to ſee ſo many well-rigg'd and hopefull Barkes of our yong Gentry, laden with the moſt precious merchandiſes of Nature and Grace, hall'd in eueryevery day to theſe deceitfull Ports of Error, the owners partly cheated, partly robbed of Truth, deſpoiled of their rich fraight, and at laſt turn'd ouer-boord into a ſea of Deſperation? Oh fooliſh Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that yee ſhould not obey, that ye ſhould not hold faſt the Truth; Where ſhall I lay the fault of this miſcariage? Me thinkes I could aske the Diſciples queſtion, Nunquid ego Domine, Is it we Lord? Are there of vsus that preach our ſelues and not Chriſt? Are there that preach Chriſt, and liue him not? Woe to the world becauſe of offences. It muſt needs bee that offences ſhould come, but woe to the man by whom the offence commeth: God forbid that we ſhould be ſo bad that the ſeuen hils ſhould not iuſtifie vsus; But what euer we be, the Truth is ſtill, & euer it ſelfe, neither the better for our innocence, nor worſe for our guilt. If men be faultie, what hath Truth offended? Except the ſacred word of the Euer-liuing God can miſ-guide you, we hauehave ſet you right. We are but Duſt and Aſhes, yet, O God, giuegive vsus thine humble vaſſals leaue in an awfull confidence ſo far to conteſt with thee, the Lord of heauen and earth, as to ſay, If we be deceiued, thou haſt deceiued vsus. It is thou that haſt ſpoken by vsus to thy people; Let God be True, and eueryevery man a Lier; Whither ſhould we goe from thee? Thou haſt the words of eternall life. Deare Chriſtians, our fore-fathers tranſmitted to vsus the intire inheritance of the glorious Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt, repurchaſed by the bloud of their martyrdome; Oh let not our ill husbandry impaire it; Let not poſterity once ſay, they might hauehave beene happy, but for the vnthriftineſſe of vsus their progenitors; Let it not be ſaid, that the coldneſſe of vsus the Teachers, and profeſſors of Truth, hath dealt with Religion as Rehoboham did with his ſhields, which he found of Gold, but leſt of Braſſe. If Truth had no friends, we ſhould plead for it; but now that we hauehave before our eyes ſo powerfull an foreign of Chriſtian faith, that with his verie pen hath ſo laid error vponupon the backe, that all the world cannot raiſe it; what a ſhame were it to be wanting to him, to Truth, to our ſelues? But perhaps now, I know ſome of your thoughts; you would buy Truth (ye thinke) you would hold it, if ye could be ſure to know it; There are many ſlips amongſt the true coyne; Either of the mothers pleaded the liuing childe to be hers, with equall proteſtations, oathes, teares. True, yet a Salomons ſword can diuide Truth from falſhood; and there is a teſt, and fire that can diſcerne true metals from adulterate; In ſpight of all counterfeiting there are certaine infallible marks, to know Truth from Error; Take but a few of many; whether in the originals, in the natures, in the ends of both. In the firſt, Truth is diuine, Error is humane; what is grounded vponupon the diuine word muſt needs be irrefragably true; that which vponupon humane Traditions, either muſt, or may be erroneous. In the ſecond, Truth is one conforme euer to it ſelfe, foreign as one ſaid; Omne verum omni vero conſonat, All Truth accords with eueryevery Truth, as Gerſon; and as it is pure, ſo peaceable; Error is full of diſſonance, of cruelty: No particulars of ours diſſent from the written verity of God; We teach no man to equiuocate; Our practiſe is not bloudy with treaſons, and maſſacres. In the third, Truth, as it came from God, ſo is referd to him; neither hath any other end than the glory of the God of Truth; Error hath euer ſome ſelfe-reſpects; either foreign, or foreign, filthy lucre, or vaine-glory; profit, or pride; We doe not pranke vp nature; we aime not, either to fill the cofers, or feed the ambition of men; Let your Wiſdomes apply and inferre, and now (if ye can) ſhut your eyes, that you ſhould not ſee the Truth; and, if ye care not for your ſoules, when ye ſee it, ſell it: Let no falſe tongue perſwade you there is no danger in this ſale: How charitably ſo euer we thinke of poore blinded ſoules, that liue in the forced, and inuincible darkneſſe of error, certainly Apoſtaſie is deadly; How euer thoſe ſpeed that are robbed of Truth, you cannot ſell Truth, and be ſaued. HaueHave mercy therefore on your own ſoules, for their ſakes, for the ſake of him that bought them, with the deare ranſome of his precious bloud; And as God hath bleſſed you with the inualuable treaſure of Truth, ſo hoard it vp in your hearts, and menage it in your liues; Oh let vsus be Gens iuſta cuſtodiens veritatem, Eſa. 26. A iuſt nation keeping faſt the Truth; So whiles ye keepe the Truth, the Truth ſhall keepe you, both in Life, in Death, in Iudgment; In life vntounto death, in death and iudgement vntounto the conſummation of that endleſſe and incomprehenſible glory which the God of Truth hath prepared for them that ouercome.
To the happy poſſeſſion whereof he that hath ordained, in his good time as mercifully bring vsus; and that for the ſake of the Son of his LoueLove, Ieſus Chriſt the Righteous; To whom with thee, O Father, and thy bleſſed Spirit, one infinite God, be giuen all praiſe, honour, and glory, now and for euer. Amen.
A SERMON PREACHED AT THE RECONCILEMENT OF THE HAPPILY-RESTORED, and reedified Chapell of the Right Honourable, the Earle of EXCETER, in his Houſe of S. IOHNS.
ON SAINT STEPHENS DAY. 1623.
By IOS. HALL.
SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS
Io 3.
ANCHORA FIDEI:
LONDON, Printed for GEORGE WINDER, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Saint DVNSTONS Church-yard. 1624.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, MY SINGVLAR GOOD Lady, the Lady ELIzABETH Counteſſe of Exceter.
RIght Honourable: this poore Sermon both preached and penned at your motion (that is to mee your command) now preſents it ſelfe to your hand, and craueth a place (though vnworthy) in your Cabinet, yea, in your heart. That holy zeale which deſired it, will alſo improue it. The God, whom your Ladiſhip hath thus honoured in the care and coſt of his Houſe, will not faile to honour you in yours.
For me, your Honour may iuſtly challenge mee on both ſides; both by the Druryes, in the right of the firſt Patronage; and by the Cecils, in the right of my ſucceeding deuotions. Jn either, and both, that little J hauehave, or am, is ſincerely at your Ladiſhips ſeruice, as whom you hauehave merited to be
Your Honours in all true obſeruance and duty, IOS. HALL.