The Heavenly Trade, Title page – Dedication
THE Heavenly Trade, OR THE Beſt Merchandizing: The only way to live well IN IMPOVERISHING TIMES. A Diſcourſe occaſioned from the decay of earthly Trades, and viſible waſtes of Practical Piety in the day we live in, offering Arguments and Counſels to all, towards a ſpeedy revival of dying Godlineſs and timely prevention of the dangerous iſſues thereof impending on us. By BARTHOLOMEW ASHWOOD Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Labour not for the meat that periſheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlaſting life, Joh. 6. 27.
Seek ye firſt the Kingdom of God, and his righteouſneſs, and all theſe things ſhall be added to you, Matth. 6. 33.
Ne nimium operae conſumas in rebus leviſſimis, fugax aetas, & vitreares valetudo, non quibuſlibet eſt impendenda: quaedam deſpicienda ſunt, & animus ad magna eſt erigendus, Eraſ.
foreign. Iſocrat.
London, Printed for Samuel Lee near Pope's Head Alley, over againſt the Church in Lombard-ſtreet, 1678.
To my honoured Friend Mr. Jeremy Holwey, Merchant in BRISTOL.
SIR,
BOth Equity and Intereſt do give you a peculiar claim to this offſpring of my weak Labours, it being born in your Houſe, and drawing its firſt breath in your famous City. 'Twas with you I had the occaſion, and from your Self the practical encouragement to treat on this Subject; while under your roof I enjoyed for divers weeks the advantage of your converſe, and beheld in your expreſſions and converſation a fair diſplay of this Heavenly Trade. This cheriſhed my hopes that a diſcourſe of this nature might find or help to make more ſuch Traders in your Auguſt and Merchandizing City: A place (among its many Ornaments) made happy with Goſpel enjoyments, and the lovers of Truth and Peace. 'Tis Religion is the honour and proſperity of a People, It lays their foundation with Agates, and makes their borders of pleaſant ſtones, Iſa. 54. 'Tis like the Crown of Solomon, with which his Mother crowned him in the day of his eſpouſals, and in the day of the gladneſs of his heart, Cant. 3. 11. This gives them Peace within their walls, and Proſperity within their Palaces, Pſal. 122. 7. It brings down a bleſſing on their Basket and Stores, fills their Chambers with all precious and pleaſant riches, Prov. 24. 4. And decay in this Heavenly Trade, is doubtleſs one reaſon of thoſe waſts in mens earthly Trades: There is no ſuch way for men to thrive in their own intereſts, as to be faithful to God's intereſt; As 'twas ſaid of Caeſar, that by ſetting up Pompey's Image, he eſtabliſhed his own, whereas a decay of Godlineſs brings a Moth on mens earthly Trades alſo: Hoſ, 5. 11, 12, Ephraim is oppreſſed and broken in judgment, becauſe he willingly walked after the Commandment, therefore will I be unto Ephraim a Moth, and to the houſe of Judah as rottenneſs. Gregory gives this reaſon why Dives was tormented in his Tongue, becauſe he talk'd much of Religion, but practiſed little, Verba legis in ore tenuit quae opere ſervare Contempſit. We live in an age of much talking of God, but of little walking with God; Mens tongues are tipt with Heaven, but their hearts and feet ſunk into the World, and are full of Pride, Vanity, and Deceit. What was ſaid of Diogenes Synopenſis, That in Opinion he was a Stoick, but in Converſation an Epicure, may be ſadly reflected on many Profeſſors in this Age, who eſpouſe ſtrict Principles, but lead looſe Lives, and only Treat for Heaven, but Trade for Earth. But Sir, You have not ſo learned Chriſt, or received this Spirit which is of the world; but that which is of God, 1 Cor. 2. 12. Your devotedneſs to the Lord making your earthly Intereſts ſubſervient to things above, with your Zeal, Courage, and Conſtancy in the way of God, and natural care for the things of his Glory, do beſpeak you to be a Trader of another Countrey, whoſe work and wages are above; And certainly whatever men think, a walking with God in his appointments, and a conſcientious care in every thing to pleaſe him, will one day appear to be the greateſt interest even in their eyes who now deſpiſe it; neither is there at preſent any thing in the ways of God which Souls have cauſe to be aſhamed of, however cloathed with Calumny and Scorn by men; nor can they who walk in them in Truth, be deprived of any real interest by the utmoſt ſeverity of thoſe that would run them down, And were there no other Argument to perſwade men to the choice and perſuit of Godlineſs, this were ſufficient, even that relief gracious Souls find from a reflexion on their Ʋprightneſs, to bear them up under their greateſt ſufferings; yea, that ſerenity, peace, and ſweet acquieſcence of Spirit which ſincerity affords them under the moſt dreadful iſſues which divine pleaſure may allot them here. It muſt needs ſet Religion above all other Intereſts (its Enemies themſelves being Judges, if they would be rational) that the worſt things of Holineſs, even then when Believers are under the ſaddeſt Circumſtances, are choſen and preferred by them above the beſt things of the world; yea, they are thought a good bargain when purchaſed with their greateſt Sufferings. Surely humour will not engage ſuch who know the uſefulneſs of earthly Comforts, and have leaſt reaſon to be prodigal of them, to expoſe themſelves, and their deareſt concerns in the world unto ruine, but for what they are perſwaded, is far better. Hebr. 10. 34. Nor can it be thought obſtinacy or hypocriſie in thoſe who know their own hearts, and the terrors of the Lord, to perſiſt in thoſe ways that would coſt them their earthly All, and lay them open to divine wrath too, ſhould they be falſe and diſobedient. Certainly, did not prejudice and paſſion blind mens eyes, the calm exerciſe of their own light would reſtrain them from ſuch an uncharitable cenſure of thoſe that deſire to fear God, though they walk in ſome ways different from their underſtanding, while they labour to approve their integrity to God and men, and are found faithful to that meaſure of light they have received. But poſſibly this Piece may not fall into ſuch hands, or be permitted long under their eye: My hopes, at leaſt my deſires are, that it may proſper with thoſe who profeſs better things; And if it ſhall pleaſe the Lord (who ſometimes uſes clay and ſpittle, and Goats hair, and counts the things that are not as if they were) to make this of any ſervice to your Self and Family, and unto thoſe who profeſs his Name in your City, for whom I have ſo high reſpect in the Lord, it will abundantly compenſate the labour, and anſwer the deſign of him who is and deſires to approve himſelf
SIR, Your Servant in Chriſt Jeſus Barthol. Aſhwood.