1. The first lesson.

Out of these premises you may in the generall obserue this point of learning. That It is the most prudent, the most pretious, & most gainfull Marchant-dizing in the world to resolue to performe our earthlie vocation with a heauen­ly mind.

Mat. 7.24. Mat. 6.20. Mat. 10.16. Mat. 25.4. Mat. 25.21.This light appeareth from gods lampe. For vvise men build vpon the rocke. Treasure vp for heauen, Ex­pose their bodies to saue their heads, as doth the vvise serpent, Haue alvvaies this oyle in their lamps vvith the vvise Virgins, Trade vvith the good, & faithfull seruant on this manner vntill Christ doth come, & soe these vvise,Mat. 16.26. & faithfull seruants enter into their masters ioy. This is this royall vvisdome of this Marchant reall. It is also most gainfull Marchant-dizing Christ sayth soe, [Page 5] asking. What doth it aduantage a man to vvinn the vvhole vvorld, & to lose his ovvne soule?1. Tim. 6.6 Paule prea­cheth soe. Godlines is the great riches both for the price thereof, rarenes, & continuance.

Insomuch that for the price thereof, Christ did­not only say, but pray, & pay; Sayd vvhen he spake vn­to the people, prayed vvith teares, & strong cryes, & payed his dearest bloud.

The rarenes great for fevve find it, The continu­ance constant, & fixt, for once a Christian, & euer a Christian.

And also it is most pretious trading for the preti­ous stones in the breastplate of Aaron, & those many,Exod. 28.10. & manifold ievvells that the blessed deuine setts out the heauenly Ierusalem vvithal in the Reuelation,Apoc. 21.19.20. Apoc. 2.17 & the vvhitestone vvhich vvas promised to the church of Per­gamus vvherein vvas a nevve name vvritten (vvhich noe mā knevve but he vvhich receaued it) may in some sort resemble, but in noe vvise equalize any part, or parcell thereof noe not in the least.

The right of this appeares in reason, for it is the better part Maryes choyce,Luc. 10.42 Mat. 5.6. Mat. 23.23. And blest are they that thirst after this righteousnes. But vvoe belongs to them that tith mint, & commin, & annyse, & neglecte the prin­cipall parts of the lavve, as Iudgment, righteousnes, & mercie

Againe I shevve it further, That a kingdome deui­ded against it selfe cannot stand. A deuided hart.Hosh. 10.2 is not for god. To speake Ashdod, & Hebrvve is a harshe lan­guage in the eares of the lord,Iam. 1.8. a man of tvvo soules is vnconstant in all his vvayes, a double tongued man is reproued, & a meere impossibility it is to serue tvvo [Page 6] masters God, & Mammon. For soe the Philistimes had God, & Dagon, The Ievves had God, & Chemosh, Israell had God, & Baal, Solomon God, & Ashtaroth, Which sinne of theirs Philo a learned Ievve brandeth vvith the note of Double iniquitie. [...] Philo. Act. 4.32. 1. Cor. 1.10 Matth. 13. Psal. 27.4. Gods light doth punctually, require this of all his children, to haue one hart for one god, one tongue to speake in the name of one media­tor, one principall master to serue in heauen, one spirit to giude vs, & one rule the vvord of god to lead vs. This vvas that one thing that Dauid required One thing haue I desired of the lord that vvill I seeke after: that I may dvvel in in the house of the lord, all the daies of my life, to behold the beauty of the lord, & to enquire in his temple.Phil. 3.13.14. This is that One thing that Paul pressed soe hard for. Brethren, I account not my selfe to haue apprehended: but this One thing I doe, forgetting those things vvhich are behind, & reaching forth vnto those things vvhich are before I presse tovvard the marke, for the price of the high calling of god in Christ Jesus.

Novve tell me vvhat good, vvhat gaine, vvhat price, vvhat prudence is comparable to this heauenly trading, & reall Marchandizing.

Practice. 1 The life of this Learning is manifold. First it tea­cheth us to practise a vvhole, & absolute resignation of our selues,Gen. 2.16. & ours to god, I am my vvelbeloueds, & he is mine saith the spouse in the Canticles.Psa. 119.125 I am thine o lord hid not thy commandement from me saith Da­uid in the psalmes.Gal. 2.20. Novve I liue not, but Christ liueth in me saith Paule the Apostle. Who is in there in heauē that I desire but thee?Psal. 72. & who is there on earth that Irequire, but thee o lord saith the svveet finger of Israel? [Page 7] All vvhich oracles of gods saincts shevve that vve should be vvholy gods in all our businesses that vve may attayne at the last, to be one vvith Christ,Ioh. 17.21.22. as he is one vvith god.

Practice. 2 The second is of resolution not to be the vvorlds in any case, for Christ praied not for the vvorld, Not to be our ovvne, for gods children haue bene prodigall of their bloud euen to the death, Nor to be quailed vvith feare of death, for vve should rather suffer a thousānd deaths thē to forsake Christ. Not to be vassalls either to profit, or pleasure, the tvvo poles vvhereon the vvorld is turned.

For pleasures are but bitter pills lapt in sugar, & gaines vvithout this godly Marchan-dizing are but giules of Corban, & gieues of Sathan to manacle vs.

Practice. 3 Thirdly it is for ansvvere to the curious, vvho de­maund hovv they should obtayne this prudency. I tell them. By hauing an eare to all gods commandements. By listening to his counsels by yealding to his holy mo­tions, by consecrating themselues Holocausts to god, as Mary Magdalen did vvhose eies, vvhose hands, vvhose teares, vvhose touch vvere vvholy consecrated to CHRIST.

Practice. 4 Fouerthly of pacification for Sathan vvill trouble those vvho are troubled vvith the busines of the vvorld vvith many temptations, & out cries of conscience. As vvith doubtings of their saluation, but you may an­svvere him shall not he liue, for vvhom Christ died? If Sathan accuse you that you haue greeuous sinns An­svvere him, but they are remitted, but they are co­uered, but they are not imputed for Christ his sake.Psal. 32.1. If Sathan reply, & say thou hast fayled in keeping of gods [Page] lavves. Ansvvere him All the lavve is kept, vvhen that vvhich is not kept, is forgiuen. If Sathan be instant, & reioyne vvith thee, & say an euill father hath sold thee (Meaning Adam) say thou againe, but the good sonne of god hath redeemed me. Thus shall a good man in the goodnes of his conscience taking care of all his vvaies pacifie, & appease the conflicts of his ovvne tempted conscience.

Practice. 5 Fiftly of preparation against the terrors of death. For death is svvallovved vp in victory, & Christ is vvholy in heauen as our head taking possession for vs Christians, vve, as his mēbers are there already in ex­pectation, & conuersation. Which caused Monica the mother of S. Augustine often to say vve haue seized vpon heauen let vs fly hence, let vs fly hence.

Practice. 6 Sixtly of Confidence against the terrors of iudg­ment for blessed is that seruant, vvhom the lord shall find vvhensoeuer, or hovvsoeuer he commeth thus trading. For if god loued vs vvhen vve vvere his eni­mies, & did beare vpon vs the image of the diuell hovve much more shall he loue vs novve being reconciled, & bearing the image of sanctification in Christ.

Practice. Last Lastly of Expostulation together vvith motion:

Can any one amongst you implead this Learning? Is there a vvise man amongst you? I hope he is not vviser then Solomon yet he accounted all things in the vvorld vexation, & vanitie vvhen he had once learned this lesson. Is there any amongst you that makes an high accompt of himselfe, & his? let not this stout hart of his stoope to vile, & vaine things of the vvorld. Is there a frugall, & thrifty man amongst you? that vvould enrich himselfe let him trad for this true gold [Page 9] of Ophir, & not vvith the shippers of king Ochasias trade for peacockes, parrats, parachitoes, & popiniayes for soe they may chance to haue their ships broken at Esiongeber, & all their proud peacokes be they vviues, or vvātons, & all their paultrie popiniays be they giules, or practises may suffer a fearfull vvrack vvith them.

In a vvord, all of you are men, ciuill men, & Mar­chant men, & that vvhich is more then all Christian men. Will you knovve the best of all, & the only good for you, & yours? then knovve that guiles are noe gaines for you to liue by in a godly conscience. Nor noe good ground-worke, for your posterity to liue on, whē you are gone, for the goodnes of god is extended to the thousand generatiō of thē that loue him, & endevoure to keepe his commandements. Thus much of the vvhole text in generall.

The secōd lesson.

From the particular passages arise diverse lessons The first is dravven from the Object vvhich is a kingdome. For frō hence vve learne, That it is the mind of Christ Iesus, that all his should be of a Royall mind, & therefore a king­dome is sett before them, as a reward of mercie for their seruice.

1 The light of this appeareth forasmuch as gods king­dome is three fold to vvitt of Povver, of Grace, & of Glorie. Of Povver for god is not a brasen vvall, but a vvall of fire to his chosen to surround, & encircle them. What euer pleaseth him that doth he in heauen,Psal. 13 [...] & in earth, & in the seas, & in all deepe places. And of him,Rom. 11.36 & through him, & to him, are all things. For the Lord is the Greatnes. The Povver, & The Glory, & the victorie, & the maiestie, for all are his in heauen, & in [Page 10] earth, his is the Kingdome, & he is exalted as head ouer all soe preacheth Dauid in the booke of the Chronicles,1. Ch. 29.11 Dan. 6.26. and Darius the king of Babilō proclaymeth in his king­dome that all men should tremble, & feare before, the god of Daniell, for he is the liuing god, & steadfast foreuer & his kingdome That vvhich shall not be destroyed, And his dominion shalbe euē to the end. All his vvorkes shevve this, for they all speake of his glory of his kingdome, & talke of his povver. Thus you see here is a kingdome of Povver that the vveake may flie vnto it as vnto a city of refuge.

2 Secondly a kingdome of Grace soe CHRISTS forerunner saith Repent for the kingdome of god is at hand,Matth. 3.2. & Christ him selfe tells his Apostles that it is giuen vnto them to knovve the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen,Luc. 8.10. & Christs follovver sayth, the kingdome of heauen,Rom. 14.17 is not meat, & drinke, but righteousnes, & peace, & ioy in the holy ghost.

3 Lastly he hath a kingdome of Glory For it is his pleasure to giue his children a kingdome, & it vvas prepared for them before the vvorld vvas,Luc. 12.32. Mat. 25.34 Mat. 13.43. & they shal shine therein as the sunne in the firmament.

2 The right of this appeares in reason that Christ vvould haue Christians regally minded, because there is an opposition of kingdomes against this kingdome of Christ to vvit, that of the kingdome of the beast, & of the vvhore, the kingdome of Sathan, & the kingdome of this vvorld.Apo. 16.20 The kingdome of the beast the Reuela­tion mentioneth,Matth. 26. & against both by vvay of disclayme Christ saith directly, My kingdome is not of this vvorld.

The might of this kingdome of Christ appeareth [Page 11] that he should rule ouer the house of Iacob for euer,Luc. 1.33. & he should raigne till his enemies are put vnder his feete yea his very members by his grace shall raigne,1. Co. 15.23. For if by one mans offence death raigned, by one man much more they vvhich receaue abundance of grace,Rom. 5.17. & of the gifte of righteousnes shall raigne in life by one Iesus Christ, & he it is that hath made vs vnto our god kings, & Preests, & vve shal reigne on the earth by santificatiō.Apoc. 5.10 Yea vve shal iudge the collapsed angels.

Thus much for the probat of the learning hereof.1. Cor. 6.3.

Practice. 1 The life of this appeares. First in the practise of the exaltation of our ovvne Christian spirits, for euery one hath euer naturally vvithin himselfe a kingdome, vvherein reason is the prince, the sences the gard, the vpper faculties of the soule the Peares, the invvard sēces the commons, the passions the rebbells. Novve faith by grace ruleth ouer all these, & obtayneth the kingdome. For passion must subiect it self, to sence, Sence to reason, reason to faith, & faith to the spirit of god. Thus is a kingdome sett vp in vs that vvill neuer be cast dovvne, either by the plotte of Machiauell vvho imagined that religion did effeminate debase, & deiect the courages of Christians But the magnanimity of George Castriott prince of Epyrus, & of Iohannes Zisca Mirmidons of vvarre, of Martin Luther, & of Huldricus Zinglius, & of such like both Laiques, & Cleriques vvortheis of the vvord doth vtterly confute that poore conceit of the secretary of Florence Machiauell. This exaltation also vvil guide vs that vve be not deceaued by Sathan, vvho offereth vs kingdomes to serue him, Nor yet to dreame of an earthly kingdome vvith the flattering Herodians,Matth. 4.8 misled Chyliasts, Origenists, or Millinaries (for all these last three are one.)

[Page 12] Practice. 2 Secondly the life of this learning confuteth those that are of a base, & abjecte condition, that either with the proud man sells their clayme for ayre as did Abso­lon for honor, or vvith the couetous man for earth, as did Demas for this present vvorld, or vvith the Letcher for puddle, as did Ammon for Thamar, or else pavvne it as did Dauid, Noah, & Peter, or lose their clayme to this kingdome by neglecte, contempt, or carelesnes,3. Ioh. 1.9. Lucae 16. or giue it avvay as Diotrephes did for pre­heminence, as the Glutton for delight, as the vvanton for pleasure, as the envious for nothing, but for vexatiō of mind, & as the desperate only for horror of consci­ence, vvho destroy their bodies that the deuill may haue their soules.

Practice. 3 Thirdly this teacheth vs not to be rebells in this kingdome not to partake vvith the beast vvho dispo­seth of kingdomes at his pleasure, nor vvith the deuill vvho seekes to ruinate the states of kingdoms,Rom. 6.12. but that finally vve resolue that sinne may not raigne in our mortal bodies as in a kingdome, that vve should obey it in the lust thereof,Rom. 5.21. but that as sinne hath raigned vnto death, euen soe grace might raigne through righteousnes vnto eternall life by IESUS CHRIST our lord.

The third lesson.

The former was a kingdome, but novve a kingdome of heauē is sett before vs wherein we may learne That God hath prepared a kingdome of heauen for those that in hope thereof purge themselues in the kingdome of grace.

By heauen vve vnderstand not that place betvvixt the earth,Gen. 1.28. & the Moone, for thats the heauen of fovvles [Page 13] for they are called the foules heauen,Genes. 1. nor yet the fir­mament vvherein are placed the sunne, the moone,2. Cor. 12.2 & starres, but that third heauen into vvhich Paule vvas taken vp, vvhere Christ sitteth at the right hand of god the father, vvhere the soules departed are in rest, vvhere all the elect in the end of the vvorld shalbe as the angels, & shal shine as the sunne in brightnes, & glo­rie of god the father. Of vvhich kingdome of heauen if you aske me vvhat it is I ansvvere it is a creature made of god in the begining vvhē he created the earth.Gen. 1.1. If you aske me vvhere it is, I ansvvere it is aboue these visible heauens. If you aske me vvhy god made it? I ansvvere for to shevve his glorie vnto his saincts, & therefore it is called a paradise of all delectable, & desireable things in the presence of god. The house of god vvherein all the elect are gathered. A kingdome vvherein god is king, & Christ is the prince, & the church the queene, & the subjects all the angells, & saincts.Luc. 6.38. And it is called the kingdome of glorie vvherein not only vve receaue glory in good measure, but pres­sed dovvne, & heaped vp, & running ouer. In hope vvhereof all gods children purge, & prune themselues that they may bring forth much fruite.1. Ioh. 2.3. For vvhat vvill not a Christian soule doe, & labour, & striue, & struggle vvhile he is here, that here after he may sitt in heauenly places vvith Christ Iesus.Eph. 2.6.

The right of this learning the reason of scripture shevves.Apoc. 21.8. For noe vncleane thing entereth into this holy city, nor any abhomination. The meanes is therefore offered,1. Ioh. 1.7. euen the bloud of Iesus Christ vvhereby vve may be purged frō all our sinnes, that vve may be cleane. And gratious is the conversation of all gods children, [Page 14] for their conuersation is in heauen allbeit they be in earth.Phil. 1.20. 1 First by liuing in christian charity. For he that liueth in charity liueth in god.

2 Matt. 6.21.Secondly in affection for their hart is in heauen vvhere their treasure is.

3 Thirdly by right of inheritance for vvhere the head is there must the members be Christ our head is in heauen, & christians the members clayme their interest in him,Gorranus in locum. Or as our contryman sayth the conuersation of Christians on earth is in heauen, 1. By meditation in the strength vvhereof they fly daily into heauen, 2. By daily conference for they speake continually of those things that belong to the kingdome of heauen, 3. By ho­ly admiration for vvho knovveth the order of the visi­ble heauens, therefore much lesse can vve vnderstand the glory of the invisible. 4. By speaking to our soules in holy soliloquies saying. Who is, or vvhat is there in heauen, or in earth that vve desire, but thee o, lord god. Lastly by attending gods leasure, & as the Patriarches did,Gen. 49.18 soe doe they daily vvaite for their saluation.

The life of this learning consists in practise. Practice. 1 First of greuance for it is a thousand greeuances to see the madnes of the vvorld,that vvhen as god hath pre­pared vs a kingdome, & this kingdome is preached daie­ly vnto vs, yet it is sleigthed, & neglected as if vve told thē tales of Virginia,Iob. 4.19. 2. Pet. 1.14. 1. Pet. 2.11. or of the Bermuthaes vvhere they neuer meane to goe. And for asmuch as vve knovve, that vve dvvel here in houses of clay, & in tabernacles of earth, & are but strangers, & pilgrimes, yet that vve should haue noe more desire to goe to our mansions, to repaire to our tabernacle made vvithout hands, & to reside in our ovvne country is a straine of extreame [Page 15] madnes. Practice. 2 Secondly of contentation in vvhat estate,or condition soeuer vve are either vvith Abraham dvvel­ling in tents,Heb. 9.10. yet still to haue an eie to the land of pro­mise or vvith Paule not to looke on the things that are seene,2. Co. 5.1.2 but to knovve that if this earthly tabernacle be destroyed, vve shalbe sure of a better made vvithout hands.

Practice. 3 Thirdly of confutation of those hellish spirits that make hast vnto the kingdome of darknes, For say, & preach vvhat the lord Iesus vvill in his holy Testamēt that they should purge, and purifie themselues for the hope of this kingdome,Hosh. 5.4. yea if Hoshea preach neuer soe earnestly, yet the Spirit of vvhordome vvilbe in the middest of some.Exod. 16.5.

If Moses, & Aarō preach of this kingdome, & shevve. Signes & vvonders,2. Ti. 4.10. yet the spirit of gluttony vvill desire the flesh potts of Egipte, & if Paule preach neuer soe povverfully, yet the spirit of coueteousnes vvill cause Demas to forsake him,Matt. 5.22. & imbrace this present vvorld & the spirit of vvrath vvill call his brother Racha though he be in dainger of a counsell,Eph. 4.29.30. the spirit of enuie vvill sell innocent Ioseph, & the spirit of lying, of peruersnes, & peeuishnes vvill greeue the spirit of god vvith rebel­lion vvhat soeuer can be sayd to the cōtrary. Practise. 4 The fourth is of purgation vvhich directeth vs hovve vve may be cleansed laying dovvne this first as a ground, that noe man shall see god vvithout a purgatory, but this is noe popish, foolish cōceite of purging after this life vvithout ground, or vvarrant of the vvord, but our invvard, & ef­fectuall purging by baptisme, the lavacre of regēeratiō, the vvashing of the nevve birth by Christs passiō where in he hath vvashed vs in his bloud, by the vvord vvhich maketh vs cleane,Aquinas. by grace vvhich purgeth vs from [Page 16] all our sinne, & by doctrine vvhich cleereth vs from ignorance.

Practice. 5 Fiftly of eleuation to bestovve our vvhole man in searching, & seeking to lift vp our selues both out­vvardly, & invvardly to this kingdōe, our eies to vvaite, & vvatch for it, our eares to listen to gods counsells, our hands to be lift vp in pure prayer, our feete to stand in the gates of the lords house, our soules to thirst after the the righteousnes of this kingdome, for all christiā soules doe soe, vvhose minds are illuminated vvith this knovvledge, vvhose vvills the holy ghost hath moued vvhose desires are thereto sanctified.Lilia terrae Ilia terrae. Ludibria venti. Yea those soules ouerlooke, Baca, & Basan that is all crosses, & losses ac­compting the pleasures thereof to be but the lillies of the earth, & gold, & siluer but the garbage of the earth, & the fauors of great ones to be but as the turnings of the vnconstant vveather cockes.

Practice. 6 Lastly the practise of this tends to motion, that vve should vse the meanes to fitt our selues for this king­dome of heauen.

1 The first is our readines to be vvith our loynes girt, our hart allvvaies vpon our treasure in heauen, & our earnest desire to be dissolued.

2 Psal. 84.10Secondly to loue the congregation of gods peo­ple, & to chose rather to be a dore keeper vvith Dauid, then to be out of the congregation vvith Miriam the sister of Moses, or to complayne in the great misery of Cain that vve are cast out from the face, & fauour of god.Gen. 4.14.

3 Thirdly to vveane our selues from the vvorld, that our soules may be humbled as a vveaned child.

And lastly to dispose our selues for death, that [Page 17] vvhen the lord calleth vve may say as Samuel sayd here I am lord, & as the spouse sayth Come lord Iesus Come quickly, & being thus disposed, & fitted, & made meete for this kingdome of heauen vve shall neither much feare our ovvne death, vvhensoeuer it commeth, or vvheresoeuer, nor ouermuch lament the death of others, for vve shal meete in this kingdome of heauen, & be blessed for euer in Christ our lord.

The fourth les­son.

If you aske me vvhere vnto this kingdome may be resembled my text tels you It is like vnto a man, A kingdome resembled to a man. There is reason for both, A man is a little kingdome, yea a little vvorld, and the kingdome of heauen is prepared for man through the mercies of god, & by the merritts of the life, & death of one that vvas truly man, albeit not a meere mā euen by Iesus Christ both god, and mā vvho is blessed for euer. This very resemblance that the kingdome of heauen should be resembled to a man shevves me this light. That man, in his Creation of God, & regenera­tion by the grace of God is the most perfecte modle of all Creatures, but in his degeneration, and falling from God is a most prodigious, & portentous monster and euen as hell it selfe.Eccles. 7.31 The preacher preacheth soe, & shevveth it in one vewe saying God made man righteous but he hath sought out many inventions. The creation of man shevveth it. For he vvas created in the image of god, both in the dignity of his soueraingty, in the proprieties of his person, and also in the entitie of his subsistence.Genes. 1. In his soueraingty. For as god is lord of all vvhatsoeuer, so [Page 18] god made man the souerainge of all corporall things. And as God is vvholy in the vniuerse and in euery part thereof, so mans soule quickneth, guideth, moueth the vvhole body and euery part & parcell thereof. Man indede is the Epitome, and sume of all things, hauing being, life, sence, and intellectuall faculties. To noe other creature all those but to him only. In the proprieties of personage a very resemblance of the diety. For man is spirituall as he is a regenerate per­son. The spirituall man discerneth all things saith Paule. Invisible in his soule, and impassible in the same by any outvvard things. In a vvord there are three men in one man, a carnall man, a naturall man, a spiri­tuall man, and all trulie one man. In his entitie a very perfect resemblance of the trinity. The trinity is three persons in one essence. Mans cheefe entity hath three faculties in one soule Memory, Vnderstan­ding, Will. In vvhich vve may take a vevve of this per­fecte modle in his state of regeneration, In the Me­mory dvvells god the father.Psal. 100.3. Psa. 104.27 For vve record him to haue giuen vs our first being Indeede he made vs, and not vve our selues. Secondly he giues vs temporall­ties to maintayne our being. He giues vs our meate in due season. Thirdlie he giues vs his sonne for our better being. In vvhom vve haue measures of grace, in this life, and assurances of glory in the other life for our best being. God the sonne dvvelleth in our vn­derstanding by the knovvledge of our god, and of our selues.Psal. 9. Of our god his majesty to feare, of god his mercie to adore, of our selues that vve might knovve our selues to be but men, fraile men, euery day ready to be dissol­ued, vaine men lighter then vanity it selfe, vile men [Page 19] vvorthy to be abhorred, vvretched men euery vvay de­spicable, vvicked men euery day to become peneten­tiaries. God the holy ghost dvvells in the Will, by bovv­ing it to the obedience of god lavves soe affecting, and cleansing it by the vvord, that a regenerate man doth not only contemne all earthly things vvhich are combersome, but also all delectable things, yea and a mans ovvne selfe that he may enioy god. The pri­uiledges of this regenerat man vvho can declare? Doth he beleeue? he hath eternall life. Is he mercifull? he is gods deare sonne. Doth he heare the vvord? he is the cozen, the sister, the mother of Christ. Doth he pray? he surpriseth gods maiesty as did Moses.Ioh. 5.24. Matth. 5.7. Matth. 12.49.50. Doth he giue a cup of cold vvater? he shal not lose his re­vvard. In a vvord all other creatures move in a right line, but a man moveth in a circular.Mat. 10.42. Other creatures haue taken that perfection they haue in themselues, man hath his perfection in god, he came of one, in that one he hath his being, and to that one he must returne in his best, and most happie being for euer.Act. 17.22. Thus haue we all this vvhile bene ioyous in vevving the delectable things of paradise, in seing the light of the land of Go­shen in telling the bulvvarkes, the cittadles, & tovvers of the heauenly Ierusalem, in arriuing at the faire ha­uens, and considering man in his perfection, but novve vve must descend in to the vally of the children of hin­non to consider, the darknes of Egipte to looke on the ruines of the holy citie, and to see our vveather beaten barke shaken, and ready to sinke vvith the boysterous blasts of Furoclydon, yea novve vve must consider man in his degeneration, as he is become a prodigious, and portentous monster even as hell it selfe.

[Page 20] Practice. 1 First by vvay of Demonstration. For an vnregene­rate man hath sought out many inventions.

1 First the vvay of invention of disobedience he had rather be at his ovvne direction then at gods, and so is become a monstrous rebbel like Chore, Dathan, and Abyram vnvvorthey to breath vpon the earth.

2 Secondly the invention of doubting by putting in (Paraduentures) into the vvord as Euah did,Genes. 3. vvhich god neuer spoke.

3 Thirdly the invention of Presumption in plovving vpon gods backe, and making long furrovves saying let him that made me saue me.

4 Fouerthly the invention of sleighting god euen in discourse of reason, as the Ievves did in chosing Barra­bas and refusing Christ.

5 Fiftly the invention of Dissimulation resembling the generation of those, that are pure in their ovvne conceipte, and are not cleansed from their vvickednes.

6 Sixtly the invention of Persvvasion of euill to others, as if they had not sinne enough of their ovvne to ansvvere for but they must entice others also.

Lastly by the invention of shutting their eares and hardening their harts against vvhat soeuer they should heare from god or be persvvaded by good mē for their good, & resoluing desperatly to liue in the vvorld vvith an iorn arme to doe any violence for aduantage, vvith an ants belly to liue neuer so basely for their profitt, and vvith a dogs souls to doe any exployt neuer soe de­uelishly soe they may haue their ovvne vvill.

Practice. 2 The second passage is of Lamentation. For is it not a thousand pitties, to see him that vvas a man of god should become a man of bloud to invent gunns, and [Page 21] torments to destroy his Species as did Bertholdus Schu­uartz the Franciscan Frier,Genes. 4.8 To become a man of death to cause his ovvne hands to murther his ovvne brother, as did Cain, to become a sonne of Belial to sel himselfe to doe euill as did Ahab, and to become a man of sinne as that great Archimandrites the Pope of Rome is.

Practice. 3 The third passage is of Deiection. Psal. 49.12. Psal. 59.20 For tvvice in one Psalme it is sayd Man being in honor vnderstood it not, & is compared vnto the beasts that perish. To beasts in generall. Paule fought vvith beasts at Ephesus,Iere. 51.17. and Ieremy saith that euery man in his ovvne knovvledge is a veary beast. To beasts in particular as to vipers,Maith. 3.7. Matt. 10.16 Luc. 13.32. Marc. 7.27 Matt. 16.12 Act. 13.10. 1. Tim. 4.1. vvolues, foxes, hogs, doggs. Yea compared to devills. Haue not I chosen you tvvelue, & one of you is a de­uill, sayth Christ, And Paule tells Elimas the sorcerer, that he vvas the child of the deuill, yea & vve read of doctrines of deuills, & deepenes of Sathan. The fathers haue resembled men to beasts. A man of goodlie parts vvithout discretion to the Estridge, that hath goodlie feathers, and canot flie as Job speaketh, a man of enuy, and despight studying reueng to a camell, that forget­teth all things sauing a shrevvd turne, a man that is apte for euill to a Dromedary that is svvift to batell. Oh hovve lamentable a thing it is to consider, that a man that vvas made in the image of god, should novve be vvorse then the men vvith vvhom he liueth running to that excesse of royot vvhich other men doe not. Worse then bird vvhich praise their creator in their kind, vvorse then beasts vvhich vvil drinke no more, but vvhat sufficeth, vvorse then deuills that beleeue and tremble.

Practice 4 Lastly of Erection, For my desire is that this sunneshine [Page 22] should not sett in so darke a cloud, seing god hath sayd to man, vvhich he sayd not to the angells that fell. Shall man fall, and shall not he rise? shall man turne avvay & shall nothe returne againe? Lett vs, therefore as the Apostell sayth quitt our selues like men, vve are all of vs Ishbosheths sonns of shame. When vve come into the vvorld our frends couer our shame vvith raggs, and in the end vvhen vve goe out of the vvorld they doe the like. All of vs, are Mephibosheths, lame on both leggs both in our loue to god, and in our cha­rity one to another. We are all Lazarusses full of sores, and lie begging at the gate of gods rich mercie. Lett vs therefore remember our creator, that as vve are men soe by gods grace vve may become ciuill men, & Christian men, and the men of god by the mediation of the man IESUS CHRIST our lord god blessed for euer, and by his, merritts may obtaine this kingdome vvhich is resembled to man, prepared for mā, merited by that man, vvhich kingdome he shal render vp in the end of all (vvhen there shalbe noe man lyving on the earth) to god the father that god may be all in all. Euen so lord Iesus.

The fift lesson.

But this kingdome is not resembled to euery man but vnto a marchant man. The lesson then is, That Marchants and Marchādizing are of god. Mar­chāts not only in their creatiō but also in their vocation. In their creation as they are men, & in their christiā vocatiō, as they are Marchant mē. It is noe smalle cōfort for a man to be assured, and asser­tayned that his calling is of god. It remaines there­fore that you marchants vse this calling legally, that [Page 23] god may blesse you, & it, & that you may be traders for this heauenly kingdome vvhich is resembled vnto you, as you are marchant men.

The light of this appeares that marchants dizing is pretions vvith god.

1 First because it is for the magnificence of a kingdome that god vvould advance.

2 Secondly it is for the good of a people that god vvould blesse.

3 Thirdly it appeareth from the heauenly distri­bution of commodities in seuerall countries, and pla­ces, And lastly from the dispensation of deuine proui­dence in all things.

For the first the kingdome of Solomon is recom­mended 1 vpon record in gods booke as for other things, so also for the magnificence of marchantdizing.2. Chron. 8.17.18. 1. Reg. 10.22. Es. 23.18. That he sent ships to Esion geber, to Elod, & ioyned him selfe vvith Hiram king of Tyre, & vvith his marchants vvho brought gold from Ophir once in three yeare. 2 Againe it is a blessing pronoūced of Tyre, that her marchantdi­zing& vvages should be holy vnto the lord, It shall not be laid vp, nor kepte in store but her marchantdize shalbe for them that dvvel before the lord, to eate suf­ficiently, and to haue durable clothing.

3 Thirdly god hath distributed his commodies seuerally, one country hath not all commodities. But the sea, & the earth, those tvvo great caskets of gods treasuries are in seuerall places diuersly furinshed. So that one country seemeth as it vvere the granary of the vvorld. So Sicilie vvas called the granary of the Romane state. Another the celler of the [Page 24] vvorld, as the Canarie Ilands. Another the orchard of the vvorld as Lombardy in Ittaly so acompted, Ano­ther the Arcenall of the vvorlde as Russia, & Norvvay are esteemed, espetially for cordage & materialls of ship­ping. In all vvhich & the like is imployed a necessity of marchantdizing for the distraction of commodities from one nation to another, for furnishing the necessi­ties of each country, & for the vpholding, & norishing of commerce, peace, & amity, amonge the people, and inhabitants of the earth. Lastly it is plaine by deuine dispensation of gods all ruling prouidence, & vvisdome in opening the secrets of all things as belongs to Mar­chants. As first god himselfe that made the sea vvas au­thor of shipping, & nauigation on the sea. For the first modell of a shipp vvas the arke of Noah that after the flood, & cataclysme of vvaters vvas found vpon the mountaines of Armenia. Againe god hath opened the vse of the needle, card, & compasse as the abstruse se­crets of nauigation that are only for their vse. And hath caused nature in generall as the starres of heauen, the vvinds, the seas, & the art of man in the skill of nauiga­tion to be as the attendants vpon their Marchantdi­zing,Prov. 31.14 Therefore the Marchants shipp vvhich bringeth her commodities from a farre to vvhich a good vvife is resembled in the prouerbs is indeed the good husvvife of a common vvealth. Can vve then thinke the abysse of vvaters for soe the scripture cals the Ocean vvas made for nother vse,Psa. 104.26 but for sight, and vvondermente? vvhen as Dauid tells you there goe the shipps & describes gods marveilous perseruation of his seruants in those great vvaues. There also is fish in great abundance vvhich by shipping is had thence for the vse of man, [Page 25] yea the gospel of Christ Iesus had bene vnknovven vn­to remote nations, vnles by marchantdizing they had hard thereof yea and it pleased god to extēd, & enlarge the territories of his sonnes dominion by Pauls trauelling,Act. 13. & voyages made by sea in the shipps of Marchants. All this shevves that Marchants & their marchandizings are of god. It remayneth that the men to vvhom this glorious kingdome of heauen is re­sembled doe vse their vocation legally that god may blesse them & it, & that they may at the last become Marchants of that kingdome of heauen. To performe their vocatiō legally they must doe it first conscionably, then constantly, and in so doing they shalbe sure to end it comfortably.

To doe their vocation conscionably they must remember that it is not enough for a man to be in a lavvull calling, but he must follovve it lavvfully.Luc. 18.10. For god loueth aduerbs better then adiectiues. That is, god loueth that his children should doe all things lavvfully,Luc. 5.5. and that to doe it by directiō of his vvord, that vvhether they trade day, or night, by sea, or land the vvord of god must be their loadstone, compasse, and Pilote (as the pillar of fire, & pillar of a cloud vvere the guids of gods people in the vvildernes.) Auoyding in all their tradings all base couetousnes,Genes. 6. Galat. 5.13 Psal. 107. Act. 21.5. & vniust dealing When they build a shipp they must build her in faith as Noah did the arke, & vvhen shee it built they must serue one another vvith her in loue, & in all things vsing prayer. For Paule before he vvent on ship board prayed vpon the sea shoare.

For in vaine else doe vve build shipps vnlesse god doe giue the blessing.

[Page 26]Secondly they must vse it constantly, & not be as the manner of some is to be constant only in vn­constantcie. But rather by remouing all hinderances, in your trading, as namely Absolons foolish am­bition Matchiuills diuelish pollicy all deluing, trenching & vndermyning one another in their gaines, and commodities, but constantly vsing the holy meanes of honest recreation, & helpes of deuotion to further one another in their holy cal­ling.Act. 20.24. So vndoubtedly you shall finish your course comfortably, and end it vvith ioy that vvhen the auncient of dayes shall sitt dovvne, & death, & the sea,Reuel. 20.13. Matth. 25.21. & the graue shall giue vp her dead you shalbe sure of a comfortable Euge vvel done good, and faithfull seruants enter into your masters ioy vvhich haue continued trading as I bad you vntill I came, & novve I vvilbe your euerlasting great revvard for euer, vvhich revvard of mercy you did allvvaies trade for in all your negotiations, & busines.

Practice. 1 The life of this learning is first of Caution that you should not be proud if riches encrease by your marchantdizing, for the Tyrians, and Sidonians vvere the greatest Marchants of the vvorld but being proud by reason of their riches the prophets did prophicie against them.Es. 23.1. Ezech. 27.2. Hovvle o ye shipps of Tharsis for your distruction, & shipvvrackes (sayth the prophet) And albeit they vvere come to perfect beauty in their Marchantdizing. That their plankes vvere of the fine trees of Shenir, their masts of the ceders of Lebanon, their oares of the oakes of Bashan, their bankes vvhereon they rovved of yuorie [Page 27] brought from Greece, & Italie. Their sayles vvere of fine linnen vvith broydered vvorke brought from Egipte. Blevv silke, & purple, vvas their clothing, & vvast clothes. Their marriners, men of Zidon, & Aruad, Their pilottes vvere prudent, Their kalkers the skilfull men of Geball, The Per­sians, the men of Lud, of Phut, of Aruad, & the Gam­madimes vvere their men of vvarre, theyr saylers, & their souldiers. From Tharsis they traded in siluer, tinn, iorn, & lead, The men of Iauan, Tubal, and Mesech, vvere their vndertakers. From Togarmah they had horses, horsemen, & mules. They dealt from Dedan vvith Elephants teeth, & Peacokes. They oc­cupied vvith the Aramites in Emrauds, corall, & pearle. They dealt vvith the men of Iudah, & Israel in vvheat, honny, oyle, & balme, With them of Damascus in vvine, & vvoole. With them of Dan in Cassia Calemus, & in vvhat not? So large vvas their mar­chantdizing soe encreased vvas their trade, & the mar­chants in all this vnthankfull, & grovven intollerable proud. Therefore lamentation is taken vp for thē, heire city distroyed, their ships broken at sea, they ship­vvracked, other Marchants hissed at them, yea they became a terrour to themselues, to others, & to this day vvere neuer any more in that glory, & reputatiō as they vvere before. Take heede therefore of pride, & if you be lifted vp vvith riches, let not your harts be lifted vp against god. For kings the principall among the sonnes of men are borne naked, & euery thing is an helper to our being. The heauēs giues vs light, The ayre beath, the earth her fruites, the bees their hōny, the veins their wine, the shepe their woole, the wormes our silke why [Page 28] then should Marchants be proud. Hast thou gold, & siluer?Hag. 2.8. Psal. 50.10. Psal. 24.1. Eccles. 1.7. it is the lords saith Haggai. Hast thou cattle? they are the lords vpon a thousand hills. Hast thou plate, & houshold stuffe? vvhy? the earth is the lords, & all that therein is. Hast thou had much, and novve hast not?Gen. 33.11. Psal. 78.70 he is the Ocean to vvhich all riuers runne, & returne. Hast thou health? he hath the keyes of life & death. Let euery one learne therefore to confesse vvith Iacob, that the lord hath dealt graciously vvith them,1. Chro. 29.14. & vvith Dauid that recordeth his follovving the sheepe, & the evves great vvith young, as for the regall state, crovvne, & septer he attributeth all to god. For sayth he of thee is all o lord. Why, then should Mar­chants be proud? Let them record their prentiships, their meane estate, and giue god the glorie for the better.

Practice. 2 The second passage is of confutation that you might not be deceaued in your holy calling vvith mar­chants of an vnholy calling, the Iesuits I meane, vvho are indeed (as the deuine in the Reuelation saith) the marchants of the earth, earthly minded making Mar­chantdize of the vvord of god (as Paule speaketh) by their holy exercise (as they tearme it) and other Anti­christian sleights like the Mōtibanks, and Quacksaluers of the Latyan, & Lateran sinagogue. For Christian mar­chants buy before they sell but these sell, & neuer buy, as dispensations. Indulgences, deliuerāces out of Purga­tory, vvhich noe Geographer did euer portray in table, card, or map. Christian marchants vvhen they haue sold lett the buyer enioy that vvhich is sold, but these sell the vearie sight of things, & the buyer enioys them not, as reliques of Saints heads, sculls, shoes, handker­chers, [Page 29] breeches, and such like trash. Christian mar­chants sell one thing to one man, but these Antichristiā Montebankes sell the sight of one thing to a thousand. Christian marchants haue certaine specificall kinds of Marchantdizing, but these Antichristian Montebankes sell heauē, and earth, & hell, sell tovvling of bells, places of sepulture, dispensation for eating of meates, marying of vviues, false promise of heauen, Friers coules, & vvhat not. Christian Marchants compell none to buy their Marchandize, but these Antichristian Montibankes doe curse vvith bell booke, & candle, & accompt all such as Athists, & Achrists that doe not buy vp their trash, and popish trumpery. Christian Marchants doe make holiday somtimes, but these Antichristian Mon­tebankes doe trade most on such dayes as are consecra­ted to gods seruice. Christian Marchants haue sett places for their marts, but these Antichristian Monte­bankes haue vvalls, & vvoods, & hollovve trees, & stockes, & stones, & miracles, & maruels at Sichem, at Halas, Bruxells, compostella, Loretto, & vvhere not, & vvhat not to encrease theire popish trading, & Iesuitti­call Marchantdizings.

Practice. 3 The third passage is of Detection in vvhich if you vvill take a revevve, & looke backe, but into tvvo shopes of the Iesuits you shall see their trinkets, both of profitt, & also of pleasure. And although their vvare be, but trash, & verball, yet by the iniquitie of the times it is be come more rich, & more opulent then all the honest marchantdizing of the Christian, & reall Marchant.

First in this shopp of profitt you shall see that huge commodity of the yeare of Iubile,The shopp of profitt. vvherein you haue [Page 30] remission of sinnes in all the degrees of comparison. Which yeare of Iubile vvas vvont to be euery fiftith yeare, but novve in the popes Ephod (Vtilitatis gratia) it is thought meete to be euery fiue, & tvventith yeare, & euery centenary yeare, though the fiue & tvventith yeare in their accompt vvas the yeare imediatly before the centenary. And that noe man might be ignorant of this yeare there are Siquisss. set vp on euery post to be remembrancers thereof vnto you. And if any man hinder any manner of person that is vvilling, & desirous to trauell to Rome in this Iubile it is a reserued case, & can be remitted by none, but by the popes novvne self. But there is some cause of enuy in all this, that the Italians should be so neere their remission, & the Pollender, the English, Scot, & Irish should be so farr of from soe great a fauour. Their second great commoditie is their Archiepiscopall, & Episcopall, pall vvhich they make vvith great cost for sooth. For the Nunnes of the order of S. Agnes doe offer tvvo vvhite lambes vpon the alter of S. Peter, & S. Paule at Rome iust at the tyme that Agnus Dei is singing. Of the vvoll of the vvhich lambes these palls are made, & noe bishope can haue a pall, but he must be a petitioner in all the degrees of comparison, & if he be Archbishope, or bishope he payes pro rato tvventy, or thirty thousand Duccatts, & yet for all this his successor shall not be the better for it, for he must buy a nevve one albeit his predecessor should die the vearie next day after he hath bought it. I should be to much iniurious vnto you if I should desire you to vevve a corner of their shop, vvherin are anniuersary masses, priuat masses, priuiled­ged alters, & papall bulls vvhich they send ouer euen [Page 31] vnto Amerrica, vvhere they compell the poore Indians to receaue them Insomuch that some shipes of Holland haue taken vvhole Cariques full laden vvith such trash for the misled Americans. And that vvhich is vvorth the obseruations none may vent these commodities or buy, or sell, but he that hath the marke, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. But I feare me I should be ouer much teadious vnto you if I should desire your patience to cast your eies into an other corner of their shop of profitt vvherein you may see their taxations Apostolicall (as they call them) in vvhich there are sett dovvne the prices of ordinations, dispensations, absolutions, reuocations, legittimations & the like stuffe. Insomuch that if a great king of Christendome were nowe aliue he might call a great duke that yet liueth his brother, cosen, nephevv, & sonne. And you knovve it is noe lesse a vertue to keepe, then to gett. Therefore these Anti­christian Marchants haue trickes to keepe, & to bring all the vvater to their ovvne mill.

1 First the vovve of single life vvherby none are occasioned to challenge a remaynder of goods in case of vvife, & childrē, yea though a Clerique be conuicted, & condemned of neuer so criminall, & capitall a crime, yet confiscation of goods to the state is not knovven vvhat it meaneth among them.

2 Secondly the election of the pope it kepte in the conclaue of the Cardinalls, vvhich vvas vvont to haue its strenght among the suffrages of the people. And it is thought that in France there is to the number of ten host of mē that are of some order or other of the papacie.

[Page 32]Thirdly to gett the fauor of great personages they haue their seuerall trikes, & deuises as to make their younger Sonnes Cardinalls, Abbots, & Priors, & their collapsed daughters Abbesses, Prioresses, & Recluses.

Fourthly they can curriefauor vvith kings in presenting them vvith pretty presents as vvith a rose in the tyme of yeare consecrated by the popes novvne self at the first comming. A holy svvord, a millitary belt, a vvaxē Agnus Dei, & such like trash vvherevvith those pretty vvhite sonnes, & misled novices conceaue that they may driue a vvay disasters, diseases, tempests, & mortall sinnes. Moreouer vvhats a gentelman but his pleasure? For this shopp of profitt vvere nothing vvorth vnlesse they had a shopp of pleasure vvithall. For profitt vvithout pleasure is sordid, & base. Therefore these cunning marchants haue deuises to make their greatnes merry.

Their shopp of pleasure.For first they take great pleasure in the peoples ignorance And to this purpose they sett it dovvne positiuely for an haynous offence to haue a bible, or leturgie, & praiers in a knovven tongue. And noe­mareuell vvhen they haue a professed sort of friers, vvho tearme themselues Foliain, or friers ignorant. And vvhen Bellarmine their Attlas shall euidently affirme, that the faith of a Christian may better be de­fined by ignorance, then by knovveldge.

Secondly they take great pleasure in traducing the scriptures. For they render the vvord Repent that is say they vvhip your selues, or goe a pilgrimage to Loretto in Italy, or to Sickem, & Hallas in Flandres. To beare the crosse of Christ, is as they tell the people to carry a siluer, or golden crosse in their capes. You are [Page 33] the lighte of the vvorld saith the scripture, that is say they, vve must light tapers in churches in the day time. And PATER NOSTER in popery is latine for a paire of beades. And because Christ sayd Be like vnto children. Therefore say they our friers doe vveare covvles like vnto childrens first biggins.

Thirdly they sport themselues to see hovve they can serue all commers, all customers, and please euery humour. If they be stately minded, vvhat is more pom­pous then the papacie. If they be of a base humor, vvhat is more sordid then the Capucini, & Foliani. If they be melancholly vvho more retyred then the Hermits, & Anachorits. If they be Epicures, Abbots shall entertayne them. If they be vvanton, some fevve dayes before the Carniuall it is lavvfull in Rome for a man to vse his pleasure any vvay vvithout controule. And that vvhich I admire aboue all, the mixe composi­tion of their doings. And for the Pope to take vpon him to vvash the feete of the poore in humility, & yet to cause the kings of the earth to kisse his feete in extreame arrogancie, & vvith one, & the same bull to giue, & take avvay kingdomes. And to call himselfe the seruant of seruants, & yet to suffer bookes to come out vvith this title to gods viceroy Paule the fist that novve is pope. And adde to these the povver that they challenge to remitt sinnes, the opinion of Tran­substantiation vvhereof Bessaeus the French kings Almoner sayd vnto the Prince of Condie thus Ioshua comanded the creature to stand still in the firmament, but the popish preests command the creator in the sacrament. As also adde herevnto auricular confession vvith the punishment, and absolutiō thereof, espetially [Page 34] that of Robert the Normād duke surpasseth all ciuillty, & humanity.

Lastly the vvorkes of supererogatiō, or rather the vvorkes of superarrogation, vvhere in they say the Ethnickes meritt of congruity, The faithfull Layiques of condignity but the Cleriques are of an extrordina­ry straine, for they meritt for themselus, & their neighbours. A thing not hard of of the patriarchies, Prophets, & Apostels. O the vvit of man among popelings, Papists, & Iesuits. Tell me novve deare [...] contrymen, masters, [...] & mortalls. Is it not a lamentable thing for vs in this glorious suneshine of the vvord, to see the spirit of god so greeued, the pure light of the gospell so obscured, & may not vve cry out vvith Dauid? It is tyme for thee lord to sett to thy hand for they haue destroyed thy lavve. But leaving these antichristiā Marchants I returne to you vvith a charge euen to euery one of you, that if any of you haue a robe, a diamōd, a horse, acknowledge it to be the kings as Mordicai did,Est. 6.8. that is the king of kings, & not yours. And let nōe of you enquire curious­lie, as did the Israelits of the Manna saying Man hu vvhat is this? Neither let any of you sacrifice to your owne nett,Habac. 1.16 1. Reg. 3.26 or burne in cense to your ovvne yearne, or be of a vvhorish disposition, as the harlot spake to Solomon let it be deuided meaning the liue child, so you must take care not to share vvith god in your vvealth as partly attributing the encrease thereof to gods blessing, & your paines taking. But learne to speake as the man after gods ovvne hart doth, & absolutly disclayming your ovvne selues, & say Not vnto vs lord, not vnto vs but [Page 35] to thee, & thy name be rendred the praise, the honor, the glory for euer.

The fift lesson.

For this kingdome of heauen is not resembled to euery marchant, but to a marchāt Ievveller so sayth my text. [...]. The kingdome of heauen is like vnto 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 vpon a pauement of porphyre, & marble, & alabaster, & blevv colour. And frō [Page 36] 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 haue is ovvne, & those things that he haue 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 haue only being, then in other Creatures, that haue being, sence, & reason. Whereby he shevveth to vs 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 haue any phisitiā so povverfull in medicine to cure as are many pretious stones.

Secondly god confirmeth herein the doctrine of [Page 37] election, & reprobation for as of stones, so of mankind some are vile, some are pretious And on the other side the rarest ievvells haue not that vertue, as the loadstōe vvhich 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 vvhich 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 vs that if vve build not vpon 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 [Page 38] 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 vnder 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.

[Page 39] Practice. 3 The third of Detection for there are certaine pretious stones vvhich 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 vvhich 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 vpon 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 loue 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, & [Page 40] pretious from out all their contagion, & euill, & in the end shall suffer noe losse in their tryall. For they as pretious stones are built vpon the euerlasting founda­tion Iesus Christ, by vvhom they are conveyed to the heauenly building, & shall remayne in the heauenly Ierusalem vvith god for euer.

The sixt lesson.

Moreouer the Marchant to vvhom this kingdome is resēbled is not a Ievveller of ordinary Ievvells, but one that seeketh goodly pearles so that hence vve learne. That the high vvay to this kingdome of heauē is goodnes, & the studie of Goodnes is the Christian, & reall Marchants practice.

[...].The light of this appeares in the vvord of the text vvhich signifieth beautifull, cōmodious, amiable, & superexcellent pearls.

Beautifull is goodnes in it selfe, for if it could be portrayed in orient colours, & set out to the life▪ vvonderfull vvould be the loue that men vvould be stirred vp to beare vnto it. Cōmodious, for godline▪ is the goodliest riches.Phil. 4.8.9 Amiable in effecte, making them amiable that are good, superexcellēt, so sayth the Apostle whatsoeuer things are true, vvhatsoeuer things are honest. Whatsouer things are iust, vvhatsoeuer things pure, vvhatsoeuer things are louely, vvhatsoeuer things are of good report, if there be any vertue, & if there be any praise, think on these things: Those vvhich ye haue both learned, and receaued, & hard, & seene in me, doe, & the god of peace shall be vvith you. The feete of them amiable, that bring vs the meanes that makes vs to be good. The promise that god vvould be present vvith it.2. Chro. 19 11. For Jehosaphat told his iudges that [Page 41] they should be of good courage, & doe it, & god vvould be vvith the good.Mich. 6.8. And the declaration of this shevves it to be good. For god hath shevved thee o man vvhat is good, & vvhat the lord requireth of thee: surely to doe iustly, to loue mercy, & to humble thy self to vvalke vvith thy god.

Secondly this appeares by the distinction of goodnes Naturall, Morall, & Deuine.Just. Mar. For Christian Marchants doe not only desire accidentall good things, as a good vvife, good children, good seruants,Titus 2.12. & such like vvhich are all gods good gifts. And Morall goodnes in themselues, but also Deuine goodnes vvhich leads them to this kingdome.Heb. 10.24 2. Pet. 1.10. And these things doe soe neare touch vs that vve by goodnes, & the effecte thereof doe signe to others, [...]. Tim. 1.7. & seale to our selues the certainty of our election. Wherein also our faith doth not only shevve it selfe, but exercise,Eph. 4. [...]0. & inflame vs to a godly seale.

Thirdly it abandoneth vs from sinne. For as by euills vve greeue the holy ghost, that sealeth vs vnto god, soe by goodnes vve ioy our conscience in the holy ghost.

Fouerthly as by doing evill vve call to our selues many miseries,Deut. 28. so by doing the good vve shall auoyd many euills of punishment, & see the goodnes of god in the land of the liuing.

Lastly goodnes is the vvay vvherein gods childrē ordinarily trade,Eph. 2.10. for they are his vvorkmāshipe created for that purpose. Thirdly there is a necessity of being good in gods children. Not a necessity of coaction, for gods children doe the good Chearfully. Not of cause, for goodnes is but the vvay, and gods children [Page 42] vvalke therein, but it is of necessary duty that vve should be good. For thats the vvill of god euen your santification.1. Thes. 4.3 It is the commandement of god. Let your lights so shine before men that they may see your good vvorkes,Matt. 5.16. and glorifie your father vvhich is in heauen,Tit. 2.12. & it is the end of all preaching. Noe good actiō can be done but by a good man vvho doth it out of a pure hart, othervvise it is base, & sordid, out of a true faith vvhich else is a glittering sinne, & to the glory of god,Vae justitiae nostrae si­remota ju­stitia Chri­sti judice­tur; Nam qu [...]e­quid in te est sine Christo Sathan est. August. vvhich othervvise is but hiprocrisie, And this is the cause vvhy it is accepted of god for Christ his sake othervvise all our goodnes vvere menstruous & monstrous. The right of this appeares, forasmuch, as reall Christians knovve that god regardeth goodnes more then greatnes. Nay there is nothing but foolish man regardeth greatnes. Nature doth not for the sonnes of royalty are borne naked, & the god of nature is noe accepter of persons, nor the destroyer of nature, for death visits the crovvne, assoone as the clovvne.

1 Againe it is the end, & scope of the reall Christians lyving vvhich hath three aspects in doing good. First to the praise of god. O lett my soule liue, & it shall praise thee sayth Dauid. Secondly to comfort our selues in making our election sure by goodnes. Lastly to ouercome others euill vvith our good. [...]. Petr. [...].10

2 Secondly reall Christians are pertakers of the diuine nature. For vvhen god tooke a vevve of vvhat he had made he savve it vvas exceeding good, but vvhen mā tooke a suruay of vvhat he had done behold it vvas nothing, but vanity, & vexation of spirit.

[Page 43]Thirdly good examples of good men doe encite gods children to goodnes. For albeit none are absolutly good, but god only.2. Chro. 32 32 2. Chro. 35 26. Yet the scripture stiles Hezekias, & Iosias to be good kings. The goodnes of gods children hath a threefold povver. Of Preseruation, Vnion, Communication. It is a preservatiue to pull some out of the fire.Iud. Epist. 23. Of vnion to make peace. Of communication by extending their goodnes to the saincts on earth. Thy Christians faith is a proper, & a peculiar good betvvixt god, & thine ovvne soule, but a Christians goodnes; is extensiue & delated to all demensions of goodnes. The very profession of a Christian is goodnes. See in the rule of addition in Christian arythmetike that S. Peter setteth dovvne for sayth he. Adde to your faith vertue,2. Pet. 1 [...].5.6.7.8. & to vertue knovvledge, & to knovvledge, temperance, & to temperance, patience, and to patience godlines, & to godlines brotherly kindnes, & to brotherly kindnes charitie. For if these things be in you, & abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren, nor vnfruitfull in the knovvledge of our lord Iesus. Lastly let vs reason from the povver of Christ bloud, vvas it shed that vve should be vile still? farre should any such thought be from vs that vve should professe religion & deny the povver thereof. By this then that hath bine spoken both from the light of Illumination in gods vvord, & by the right of Demonstration in reasoning from the vvord: It is plaine that the high vvay to heauen is to consult, and resolue to doe all the good vve can vvhile vve are here trading tovvard heauen. The vse of this is manifold.

[Page 44] Practice 1 First of ansvvere to the cauills of popery vvho accuse vs Protestants for contemners of goodnes because vve teach that man is iustified by faith only. And here vpon they accuse vs that we preach negatiue, & priuatiue doctrines, & not affirmatiue, & positiue. And here vpō they say that the tymes are novve become Ablatiue vvhich vvere heretofore Datiue branding vs vvith the heresies of the Synomians, Eunomians, Jovinians, & such like, vvhereas vve in one vvord ansvvere directly that these are meere slanders, & vntruths. For vve teach onlie that good vvorkes haue noe iustifying quality in themselues before god, but that faith only is like Iohn the deuine leaning on Christs breasts, & good vvorkes like S. Peter that followed after Christ. Faith the bride, good vvorkes the handmaids. Faith the bride goeth into the chamber, yea into the bed of her beloued, vvhere the handmaids come not. Faith the roote, good vvorkes the fruite, Faith only necessary to justification goodvvorkes to saluation.

Practice. 2 The second vse is of thankfulnes. For all our good is of god, vvhether it be the good of prouidence all sayth Iob is of the lord he giueth it. The bread vve daylie eate is called ours, but vve beg it of him. The goods of the body as Sampsons strength, Absolons beauty, Sauls tallnes, all of god. The goods of the mind are of god, he giues vvisdome to Solomon, taketh it avvay frō Georgius Trapezuntius vvho being somtimes a great scholler, at the last by accident forgat his ovvne name. The diuersity of good gifts is of god. Paull is profound, Apollos eloquēt, Cephas Zealous, Augustine an excellent disputāt, Ierome textuall, Gregorij morall, [Page 45] Ambrose iuditious, Origen allegoricall, Chrysostome excellent to moue, passion all diuersified. The goodnes of our vvill is of god. My goods of mind are thy gifts.Bona mea. Dona tua. August. Conf. 10. lib. 4. cap. If any man think othervvise, if he vvere as good as an angell, & his meate that he eateth as good as Māna, & his garmēt as good as the Ephod of Aarō, let that mā knowe that he must attribute all to god, & be thankfull for all gods goodnes tovvards him either naturall, or ciuill, or spirituall, or externall, internall, eternall, for all our good is either god himselfe, or from god himselfe, & it is his goodnes that hath follovved vs all our life.

Practice. 3 The third vse is of Enquirie amongst you Mar­chants. Are you traders for these goodly pearles? If you be you vvill not abuse the good things of god to euill purposes. Neither the goodnes of gods prouidence to excesse, & royott, vanity, & vilenes, nor the goods of your body to vvickednes, you vvill not abuse your eares to become a sepulcher to burie the good name of your frend, nor your tongues to be organs of despite, nor your eies fireballs of enuy, nor your hands engines of mischeefe, nor your vvhole body a stie, and stinck of sinne, Nor the goods of your mind vvill you abuse either to your imagination to imagine mischeefe vpon your beds, nor in your vvills to desire to doe euill, like miscreants vvhen you cannot. Nor to be as hammers to knocke out on anothers braines, nor as svvords in each others bovvells, nor as arrovves to on anothers harts. But rather vvhich is the fourth vse here of to directe on another.

Practice. 4 For negatiue justification auailes not. It is Pharasaicall. For euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruite is hevven dovvne, & cast into the fire. Be [Page 46] therefore directed to recompence noe man euill for euill, as Joab did Abner, for thats a poore spirit, much lesse euill for good as Iudas did to Christ for thats a diuells spirit: Nay if you doe recompence good vvith good as Ahasuerosh did Mordicai it is but common justice, but to ouercome euill vvith goodnes, is more then to preach,Rom. 12. vlt. or to doe a miracle, or to cast out a diuell.

Practice. 5 For if I should expostulate vvith you, vvhy vve doe vsurpe these glorious titles, as to be called the sonnes of god, if vve haue noe good bloud of our heauenly father, but are like the fig tree vvhich had only leaues, so vve like Nepthalie haue goodlie vvords but doe neuer a good vvorke, What doth it profitt vs to be stiled Citizens vvith the saincts, Domestickes, seruants, saincts, baptized illuminats Christians, & haue noe goodnes ansvverable to those goodly titles. There may a Zozomen arise, & obserue that vve Christians like Turckes, vvhich call themselues Sarazens vvhen they are but Hagarens. soe vve call our selues Christians vvhen vve haue noe goodnes of Christ in vs, but are indeed Cretians vvho as Paule citeth out of Epimenides vvere alvvaies Liars,Tit. 1. ill beasts, slovve bellies. For tell me vvhat doe they meane that lay vvaste their consciences by doing euill, & trading for counterfeits, coralls, paultry ieat, or for euill.

Doth any hard harted Pharoh, imperious Ne­buchanezer, cruell Adonibezek, prophane Passhur, false harted Zidkiah, foolish Ahab, incestuous Ammon, mispersvvaded Magus, sorcerous Elymas, vnmercifull [Page 47] Gluton, Prodigall, Prodigious, vvicked miscreant thinke vvho here doth runne out his tyme vvith euill of sinne, that there vvill not come a tyme vvhen the euill of punishment shall be avvarded seauen fold into his bosome? Nothing more sure. For he that had not soe much goodnes as extended to a crumme of bread had not afforded him a drop of the vvater of mercie.Luc. 16. Look to it therefore Masters, & mortalls. For the apostasie of faith vvas in the later tymes,1. Tim. 4.1 but novve for ought that I can see there is an apostasie of goodnes in the vvorld of both vvhich Paule prophecieth.2. Tim. 3.1. Looke therfore to euery case of your conscience. Doe you feare the vvrath of god for the guilt of your sinne? fall to doing of goodnes,2. Chro. 19.3. & god vvill turne avvay his vvrath from you for Christ sake as he did from Iehosophat. Is thy soule almost dead in sin­ne? Incline to goodnes,Act. 9.36. & god vvill raise thee frō death as he did Tabitha that is from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnes. Wilt thou be certified of thine election? make it sure by good vvorkes.2. Pet. 1.10. Wilt thou be secured from the diuell? god vvill check him, if thou be doing of good, & vvill say vnto all the povvers of darknes, as Christ sayd vnto those that hindered Mary Magdalen vvhy trouble ye the vvoman?Matth. 26. Wilt thou spend thy tyme vvell?Gal. 6.10. Doe good vvhile thou hast tyme. Wilt thou be crovvned? continue in doing good, & thou shalt haue honor, & glory,Roman. 2. & immor­tallity, & euerlasting life. In a vvord good vvorkes doe not goe before one that is to be justified, but they follovve him that is already justified. Conceaue not therefore that thou art justified by faith vnlesse thou see good vvorkes follovve thy faith. [Page 48] If thou dost imagine othervvise, Christ vvas not conceaued in thee by faith, nor borne by loue, nor suffered, nor arose from the dead, nor ascended for thee. And remember this that in the end of the vvorld, & in the day of iudgment as the forme is sett dovvne in Mathevves gospell there is noe question made of faith,Matth. 25. but of facte, vvhat vve haue done, or not done. For he that beleueth not,Ioh. 3. is condemned already saith Christ. Be therefore aduised, & doe the good here, & you shall see the goodnes of god in the land of the liuing.

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 haue eternall life, & they are they vvhich testifie of me, And yee vvill not come to me that ye might haue 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.

[Page 49]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 haue 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 haue 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 vnto 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 vs, albeit vve turne our backes vpon our enimies, & become as sheepe for the slaughter, & are made a byvvord of them that are round about vs,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 [Page 50] a vvord▪ albeit our bovvells cleane euē vnto the graue, & our vearie soules vnto 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 vs 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 mercie, & in Christ his merritts the desirable viands of a Christian soule. Thirdly he must goe the right vvay vvhich is traced out vnto 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 vvhich 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.

[Page 51] Practice. 2 The second is of Encouragment. For great revvards are promised vnto all diligent seekers, for 1 first he gratiously offers himselfe vnto 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. 2 Secondly heshevves them exeding fauours. For his eies are vpon the righteous to doe them good, & his eares are open to their prayers. 3 Thirdly he blesseth them vvith the testimonies of his loue, vvith the principalls,Psal. 34.15. of paradise, & the appurtenances of happines vvith the testimonies of his loue 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 vs in seeking after our god, as Mockery, contempt of the vvord & such like, vvhich 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 [Page 52] 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 vpon 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 giue, & 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 euery case of your conscience, seeke therefore in euery 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 [Page 53] venemons biting of the beast TARANTULA, vvhich 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 vnto 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 haue 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 vpon record. For if vve forgett vvhat vve haue 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 vvhich Christ calleth a good vvorke. But if vve record,Math. 26. & commemorate our good deeds, god will sleight them.

Secondly vve must resolue in euery 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 vnto him out of the dungeon. For vvhen the spirite of man doth grone to god for helpe. The blessed spirit of god for the loue of Christ vvill breath vnspeakable comfort vnto man.

Practice. 6 Lastly let me moue you to seeke god vvhile he may be found. It is propheticall, & apostolicall counsell. And [Page 54] 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, euery tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hevven dovvne, & cast into the fire,Matth. [...]. From vvhich fearfull, fatall, & finall distruction god deliuer vs all in the sauing mercies of his sonne CHRIST JE­SUS.

The eight lesson.

You haue seene this our reall marchants Dilligence. Novve behold his constancie. For he seeketh god not by fitts, & flashes, but resolueth to seeke this Pearle vntill he find it. So doth the fullnes of the greeke vvord in the text signifie, & by the fittnes of it is taken from the sagacitie of hounds, that earnestly seeke, & neuer giue ouer vntill they find their game. Whereof [Page 55] the learning is. That if euer vve desire to find fauour in the sight of god vve must continue in our suits vnto him, & in our seruice for him most constantly vntill vve obtaine the blessing.

The light of this appeares 1 First from the oracles of Christ himselfe positiuely as.Mat. 10.22 Ye shalbe hated of all men for my name, but he that endureth to the end he shalbe saued.Mat. 15.32. Miraculously Then IESUS called his disciples vnto him, & said I haue compassion on this multitude, because they haue continued vvith me already three daies, & haue nothing to eate, & I vvill not let them depart fasting least they faint in the vvay. So by their constant-staying they beheld a miracle.Mat. 24.13. Prophettically But he that endureth to the end he shalbe saued And pyrobalically Abide in me,Io. 13.4. & I in you as the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe excepte it abide in the vine, no more cā ye excepte ye abide in me.

2 Secondly from the practice of the patriarches by the example of Enoch vvho vvas translated because he vvalked vvith god.Gen. 5.24. Gen. 18.23. Of Abraham vvho earnestly sued for Sodom. Of Jacob vvho vvrestled all night vvith the angell, & nevver lest of vntill he had obtayned the blessing, & vvayted vnto his end for his saluation.Gen. 19. And of Moses vvho continued vvith god forty dayes in the mount, & receaued the lavve.

3 Thirdly by the prophets Jeremy expostulats theIer. 2.5. [Page 56] cause vvhat iniquitie haue your fathers found in me (saith the lord) that they are gone farre from me,Ier. [...].5. & haue vvalked after vanity,Hos. 6.4. & are become vaine? Hosea lamēts it saying O Ephraim vvhat shall I doe vnto thee? O Judah vvhat shall I doe vnto thee? for your goodnes is as the morning devve & as the early cloud it goeth avvay, & further shevves the reason vvhy they did not continue vvith god Because they vvere like a cake on the harth not turned,Hos. 7.8.10 like a silly doue vvithout hart, & vvere fed vvith the vvind.

4 Fourthly the light of this doth appeare from the practice of the true Christian church. They continued vvith one accord in prayer,Act. 1.14. Act. 2.4 [...]. & supplication vvith the vvomen, & Mary the mother of Iesus, & vvith his brethren. Also they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine, & fellovvshipe, & in breaking of bread, & in prayers.Heb. 4.16. Moreouer Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that vve may find mercie, & find grace to helpe in tyme of neede.

5 Luc. 8.6. & 13.Fiftly from parables First of the seed vvhich fell on the stones, & vvhen it was sprūg vp, it vvithered avvay▪ because it lacked moystnes. The stones are they which vvhen they haue hard, receaue the vvord vvith ioy: but they haue noe roots, vvhich for a vvhile beleeue, but in the tyme of temptation go [...] avvay. Secondly of the house built vpon the sand vpon vvhich the raine fell,Matt. 7.27 1. Cor. 9.24 & the flouds came, & the vvinds blevv, [...] beat upon that house, & it fell, & the fall thereof vvas great. Thirdly from a race. Knovve ye not (sayth the apostle) that they vvhich runne in a race, runne all▪ yet one receiueth the price? so rūne that ye may obtaine. There are three sorts of races, Italian, Pythian, & Olympian.

[Page 57]There are three sorts of places, Heauen a place of ioy, hell of dolor, the earth of labour. It is as naturall therefore as it is to the bird to flie, or for the oxe to labour, or the sparkes of fire to flie vpvvards, so it is for the sonnes of men to take paines, & labor. For they that doe not pertake vvith the sonnes of men in labor here, shall pertake of the paines of hell vvith the deuill here after.

6 Sixtly from the revvard of mercie. Noah found fauor vvith god in the old vvorld,Gen. 6.8. Gen. 19.19. because he continued in his seruice. Lot because he held it out, euen amongst the vncleane Sodamites.

7 Lastly from gods deuine dispensation for god vvilbe found of a people that seeke him not, & the reason is,Ro. 10.20. because he preuents them vvith his grace. For they are meerly passiue in their first conuersion, & he is the only agent. For he preuented vs Englishmen, novve the Israell of god, but heretofore the abomination of Idolatry.Apo. 20.15 But he that is not found vvritten in the booke of life shalbe cast into the lake of fire, & brimstone. And vve must take our tyme. For Esau found not place for repentance, though he sought it vvith teares,Psal. 21.8. & the right hand of god vvil find out all thē that hate him. Thus you see the [...]ight hereof. The right is also most plaine for first vve must not be discouraged vvith vveake▪ & small beginnings, for god vvill helpe,Neh. 2.20. & assist them that endevour. For the people in the tyme of Nehemiah continued building albeit they held the svvord in one hand, & a trevvell in the other,Neh. 4.17. & the lord god of heauē did prosper their resolutions. But if vve looke backe, it is to despise god, & therefore vve haue a caueat Remember Lottsvvife, & our vnfittnes so heauen is [Page] shevved. For sayth Christ he that putteth his hand to the plough,Luc. 9.62. & looketh backe is not apt for the king­dome of heauen▪ And not to goe forvvard, is to goe backvvard sayth a father,Luc. 14.30 & herein vve make our selues ridiculous, & it vvilbe be sayd of vs, this people began to build,Heb. 13.8. but vvere not able to make an end. Secondly Christ is the same yesterday, & today, & for euer. The same objectiuely in this vvord. Subjectiuely in his attributes of tender mercie as he is a father, & our god, & Effectually in his goodnes, grace, & preuenting mercie.

Thirdly the example of Christ vvho seeketh vs till he find vs, as the good sheepheard sought his vvandring sheepe, soe Christ seeketh vs till vve become godly Christians, carieth vs on his shoulders in our death, & reioyceth to bring vs to our home in the re­surrection of the iust. Lastly the promise of eternall life is made to none, but to those that continue in vvell doing,Rom. [...].7. & the case is plaine in the prophecie of the prophet Ezekiel in the eighteene chapter there it is sett dovvne at large to vvhich I referr [...] the reader.

Practice. 1 The practice of this is first a Confutation of those vvho either vvith Balaam vvish to die the death of the godly,Act. 26.28. Apoc. 2.5. but care not to liue their life. Or vvith Agrippa are almost persvvaded to be Christians, Or to forsake their first faith as the church of Ephesus did. Or stand still at one stay in a Saturnicall humor as the earth doth, or like, a mill horse goe in a round from thirty to sixty, & neuer the better, or enuy others that perseuere, & goe on, as Cain did Abell, or like those. (Whom Paule speaketh of) vvith Phygellus,2. Tim. 1.15 & [Page] Hermogenes turne avvay, or vvith Hymeneus,2. Tim. 1.15 & Phi­letus fret as a cancer, Or vvith Demas forsake Paule, & embrace this present vvorld.2 Tim. 2.17 For vvhat vvill it profitt a prentice to serue halfe his tyme,2. Tim. 4.10. & lose his freedome in the end? What did it profitt Lotts vvife to goe out of Sodom, & to goe tovvard Zoar vvhen shee lookt backe againe to Sodom? What did it profitt Iudas to preach the gospell, to doe miracles as is probable, to be in compaine vvith Christ, & to sitt at meate vvith him, & in the end to haue a treacherous hart? What vvould it haue profitted Christophorus Columbus, or Vesputius Americus to haue sayled many daies, & nights if they had not continued their course. The one then had surely neuer bine lord Admirall of Spaine, nor the other could euer haue giuen the name of America to the nevve found land.

Practice. 2 The second is of direction, for are vve not all like the sunne alvvaies to be in motion. Psal. 92 13.14. Matt. 20.8. The sunne neuer stādeth still, nor goeth backvvard but by miracle, soe vve that are the sonnes of god should neither stand still, nor goe backe in gods seruice, but vve should be a maruell vnto our selues to recall our courses. Are not vve all plants inoculated, into the true vine. Then certainly vve shall grovve, encrease, & bring forth. Are vve not all seruants, & receaue vvages, shall we be idle? Are vve not all faithfull ones. If it be but the least ingredience of faith though it be no bigger then a graine of mustard seed, It vvill grovve to a great tree,Matt. 31.31. & a little leauen vvhich a vvoman taketh & hideth in three pecckes of meale vvill leauen the vvhole lumpe.

In our seruice haue not vve made a strong covenant [Page 60] vvith god, as Elisha did vvith Eliah saying, as the lord liueth, [...]. Reg, 2.6. & my soule liueth I vvill not leaue thee.

Practice. 3 The third is of Expostulation. Hovve many Ephramites are there amongst vs that are like vnto a spongious cloud noe sooner vvett but dry, like vnto Gedeons fleece dry one vvhile in goodnes vvhile all their neighbours about them are vvett, & another time drenched vvith drunkenes, vvhile all their neighbours are sober of thirst after righteousnes. For vvhat rest is there in our bones vvhen vve haue lost him vvho is the ioy of our harts. Which caused Glouer the martire (as it is recorded in the booke of acts, & monuments) to cry out at the stake HE IS COME, HE IS COME. Hauing had before some conflicte of disconsolation, & novve perceuing Christs spirituall presence he cryes HE IS COME. So likevvise one of the Greeke church cryed EURICA,Ioh. 1. EURICA, I haue found him. I haue found him vvhom my soule loueth. And Iohn the deuine told Nathaniel I haue found the Messias. If vve vvil not seeke him to find him, he vvil find vs, & our impiety, & vvill cry against our vnthankfullnes.Psal. 107.8. O that men vvould praise the lord for his goodnes, & for his vvonderfull vvorkes to the children of men.Psal. 50.22. Our sleighting of him O consider this ye that forgett god lest I teare you in pieces, & there be none to deliuer you.Galat. 3.1. Our stupidity O Foolish Galatians, vvho hath bevvitched you that you should not obey the truth, before vvhose eies Iesus Christ hath beene euidently sett foorth,Esai. 1.2. crucified among you? Our insensibility Heare o heauens, & giue eare o earth for the lord hath spoken (saith Esayh) I haue norished, & brought vp [Page 61] children, & they haue rebelled against me. The heauie burden of our sinnes Ah sinnfull nation, a people laden vvith iniquitie, a seed of euill doers children that are corrupters: they haue forsaken the lord,Esa. 1.4. they haue prouoked the holy one of Israell vnto anger, they are gone avvay backvvard▪ Deu. & our extreame folly Ah foolish people doe you thus revvard the lord?

Why then doe vve not search, & try our selues. First our vvayes, & vvorkes O that my vvaies vv [...]re directed that I might keepe thy statutes Our sinnes that lay vvast our consciences Jeremy laments saying.Ier. 9.3, [...]. Oh that mine head vvere full of vvater, & myne eies a fountaine of teares that I might vveepe day, & night for the slaine of the daughter of my people,Es. 64.1 & our iudgment. Oh, that thou vvouldest break the heauens, & come dovvne, & that the mountaines might melt at thy presence. That vve might cry out vvith Dauid O that I had vvings like vnto a doue that I might fly hence & be at rest. Hovve many Iudaits are there amongst vs, vvho like the devve in the morning (as Hosea sayth) glitter, & gaster, but before noone vanish avvay to nothing, soe vve are here in the morning, but a fore night vve vanish avvay, & become like the mildevve that smutteth the corne. You are here in the morning, & the devve of Hermon falls vpon you, before night you shake it of. Yea vvith Manna the angells foode are ye fed vvithall in the morning, but before night ye doe as nice gentell vvomen vvith their flowers, put them in their bosomes in the morning, but ere night stravve them at their feete.

Practice. 4 The fourth vse is of satisfaction, for if you should demaund of me the question vvhat might be the causes [Page 62] that men perseuere not? I ansvvere it is because they are like the tribe of Ephraim a cake on the harth not turned (saith Hoshea) vvhich must needs be burnt on the on side,Hos. 7.8. & dovve on the other, That is dovvnvvard earnest to the vvorld, but vpvvard key cold tovvard god, like a doue vvith our hart deceaued, because they are fed vvith the vvind, that is vvith vaine things, & their iniquity is bound vp.Hos. 13.12. Againe their harts are poysoned vvith the venime of sinne vvhich the zeale of gods truth cannot melt.Suetonius in vita Ca­ligulae. For the naturalists say that the hart of a mā that is poysoned cannot be consumed vvith fire.

Practice. 5 The last vse is of Motion if you belong to god knovve this that you shall continue constant to the end, The golden chayne of gods predestination shevves this,Rom. 8.30. That whō he predestinate thē also he called, & whō he called, them also he iustified, & vvhō he iustified, thē he also glorifieth. For it is not in him that vvilleth, nor in him that runneth, but in god that shevves mercie, & gods mercie acompanieth his ovvne. The youth of gods children brings forth, their middle age in­creaseth their grovvth, & in their old age they are compleat, and full of fruite. For such as be planted in the house of the lord shall euer florish in the courts of our god, in the vtter, & invvard courts here in this vvorld, vvhether they they be Layiques, or Cleriques, & in the vvorld to come they shalbe admitted into the holie of holiest for euer.

In the ninth place is shevved vvhat this reall marchant found in his perseuerance of search. The text sayth, ONE PEARLE OF GREAT PRICE. In seeking good things a man shalbe sure to find the best [Page 63] at last. What this one pearle of great price is, both auncient, & late deuines diuersifie.

The auncient as Chrisostome, & Origen say, It is the Gospel found among the goodly pearles of the lavve, for the lavve is the gospel concealed, & the gosple is the lavve reuealed. Hillarie, Augustine, & Ambrose say, It is Christ in heauen, farre fairer then the sonns of men, & Charity on earth the cheefe, & choise of the goodly theologicall vertues. The late devines say, It is sanctification so Beza, & Melanchton. Another the Observation of the Commandements, as Zinglius. A third Charity, as Feuerdentius. Other say, It is grace, or faith the gift of grace, as Fran: Zuares. All leuell at this, that this one pearle of great price is Christ in heauen, & Charity on earth, of both in order.

The ninth lesson.

First of Christ that he is One. Secondly that he is the only pearle peareles, pricles. And then of charity. Of Christ his Onenesse this is the learning. CHRIST Iesus is most one in the vnity of deuine essence, truly one in the vnity with his electe, yea who­ly, & only One in the mediation for his electe.

The light of this appeares thus, He is one vvith the father in essence I & the father are one.Iob. 10.30. One in substance coessentiall vvith the father. One in nature by eternall generation, one in name, For he hath a name aboue all names, & one in number of existence, as one in the vnity of the essence. Where vpon the Orthodoxe faith is in Athanasius Creed, The diety is all one, The glory equall, the majestie coeternall.

[Page 64] 1. Tim 2.5.Secondly he is one in vnion vvith his electe by one spirit, and he alone doth mediate, for his elect. For there is one god, & one Mediator betvveene god, & mā vvhich is them a Iesus Christ,Eph. 2.13. And novve in Iesus Christ, yee vvhich once vvere farre off, are made neere by the bloud of Christ. He is one in essence, but in the sub­sistence differing, yet in actiō the same. The father doth things AUTHORITATIVE the sōne SUBAUTHORITATIVE to whom the father hath deligated all the iudgment. But Christ is vvholy his elects,Ioh. 5.22. so that vvhether it be Paul,1. Cor. 3.22.23. or Apollos, or Cephas, or the vvorld, or life, or death: vvhether they be things present, or things to come, euen all are yours, & ye are Christs, & Christ is gods.

The right of this appeares that he is one in the deuine essence.

1 First from the singlenes of his nature, vvhich is not communicable vnto many, noe not to any, nor yet diuisible for these vvould impart imperfection.

2 Secondly from his infinitnes of perfection, vvhich doth comprehend the vvhole perfection of being, and therefore the learned among the heathen vvere compelled to conclude that there vvas one begining.

3 Thirdly from the onenes of the vvorld for there is but one vvorld, of necessity therefore, that that vvhich reduceth all things to one,Dan. 6.4. is one. Therefore vve haue the same god vvhich the Israelits had. For our god is one saith Moses. Secondly that he is one in vnion vvith his chosen it must also follovve of necessity.

1 First to confirme their faith. Truth the sonne of god tooke our nature vppon him that he might be one vvith vs, to perfect our faith.

[Page 65] 2 Secondly that vve might take the right vvay to heauen, For man vvas not safely to be follovved, & god vvhom vve might follovve vvithout staggering vvas not visible. Therefore god became man, that man might follovve him.

3 Thirdly it vvas to shevve the dignity of our na­ture, that none should hereafter soe farre forgett him­selfe, as to defile his blessed nature vvith beastly impurities.

4 Fourthly it vvas to deliuer man from the slauery of sinne vvherein the iustice of god vvas to be satisfied, & the breach betvveene god, & man to be made vp, but neither this, nor that vvas in mans ability to doe, & therefore god & man became one that he might doe both.

In a vvord he is one in the office of mediation for the electe, & there is reason for it, For they had all one beginning euen the father,Ioh. 6.44. Noe man commeth to me sayth Christ except the father dravve him.Matth. 20. Eph. 4.24. 1. Cor. 12.4. They haue one end the revvard of mercie. They haue all one meanes One god, one faith, one baptisme. One spirit vvhereby they are animated, or quickned, one head Christ allbeit the giuds vnder him be many yet all lead to one head. Lastly one connextion of Members,Rom. 12. vvherin thy subsist in the communion of saincts here, & shall by his vvholy, & only mediation be possessed of the full & perfitt fruition thereof in the church triumphant hereafter.

Practice. 1 The vse of this is manifold. First of thankfullnes to god vvhich hath brought vs out of darknes into this glorious light.2. Reg. 17.30. First from the multiplicity of heathen gods to this only. For the men of Babell had Succoth [Page 66] Benoth vvhich vvas a hen, & chickins. The men of Cu [...] had Nergall vvhich vvas a continued fire, the men of Hamah had Ashima vvhich vvas a goate, the Auites had Nibhaz, & Tartack vvhich vvas an asse, & a doge, & the Sepharuites, had Adrammelech & An­ammelech that vvas a mule, & a horse; To these did the heathen consecrate deuine vvorshipe, but god hath deliuered vs from them, yea, & from hereticall pravity. From Ebion, Cerinthus, Photinus, the Marcioni [...], the Arrians, the Apollinarians the Eutichians, Nestorians, & the like all vvhich endeuored to impeach this doctrine, But the sacred counsells of Nice, Chalcedon, Ephesus, & Constantinople hath concluded against that damnable doctrine of theirs, & hath concluded in sound doctrine thus. That Christ Iesus our lord, vvas truly god, perfictly man, of both one, & continuing in that one both. What should I cite vnto you The Sydonians Ashteroth, or the Moabites Chemosh, or the Ammonites Milchom or Chiun,Act. 7. & Remphan that Stephen mentioneth vvith that abhomination of Moloch wherein as vnto diuels they offered their sonnes, & daughters as the Psalmist speaketh. Which abhomination as Paulus Fagius obserueth vpon the Caldaean paraphrase had seauen receptacles, & vvas set vp in the vale of the children of Hinnon nere Ieru­salem. In the first receptable, they offered their meale, in the second turtle doues, in the third a sheepe, in the fourth a ramme, in the fift a calfe, in the sixt an oxe, in the seauenth vvhich vvas his armes folden together, & made fire hott, in the hollovvnes thereof they offered their sonnes, & daughers naked, & there they spravled, & cryed vntill they died. In the meane vvhile the [Page 67] parents playing on timbrells that they might not heare the cry of their children. So vvith this confusion of noise of the skreiching of the children, & the parents playing on trimbrelles our Sauiour in the nevve testa­ment calleth hell gehenna, alluding vnto this confusiō in the vale of the children of Hinnon.

Practice. 2 The second is of Demonstration for from this vnion as from a fountaine it proceeds that vve are Christians, that vve are the members of Christ,1. Cor. 1.30 Eph. 5 30. that the vvhole trinity doth assist vs, for one man cannot liue by the soule of another, but all of vs liue by the spirit of Christ. Hence it is also that vve die to sinne, & liue to righteousnes, that as flies, & vvormes die in the win­ter, but reviue in the summer, so vve die in our selues, but liue in Christ.

And lastly hence it is that angells attend, vs for they attend Christ,Heb. 1.14. & soe consequently vs by reason of this mysticall vnion Are not they all (sayth the apostle) ministring spirits (meaning the angels) sent forth to minister for their sakes vvhich shalbe heires of saluation.

Practice. 3 The third passage is of Direction that as vve haue this sacred vnion vvith him soe vve should purge our selues from all impurities,1. Joh. [...].3. euery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe, euen as he is pure. For vve must be conformable to him, & partake of his devine nature. For those vvhich he knevve before,Rom. 8.29 he also predestinate to be conformable to the image of his sonne that he might be the first borne amonge many brethren.Ioh. 15.4. We must be full of good vvorkes I am the vine, & you are the branches, he that abideth in me & I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for [Page 68] vvith out me ye can doe nothing. Wee must be com­forted in our miseries.Iob. 19.25. For I am sure (saith Job) that my redeemer liueth,Ioh. 17.3. & he shall stand the last on the earth. We must meditate on heauenly things And this is eternall life that they knovve thee & vvhom thou hast sent Jesus Christ. And aboue all things vve must haue vnity amongst our selues keeping the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

Practice. 4 The fourth passage is of Expostulation. Tell me o ye deu [...]e, & deuine soules, o you my masters, & mor­talls, tell me vvhat comfort can it be vnto you if you cōsider god essentially as he is a iudge euē a consuming fire casting vpon vs fire & brimstone, as he is the lord of hosts breaking the rockes, as he is a master comming be­fore vve are prepared,Psal. 11. as he is a king cōming to destroy his emmies, & to render vengance to them that hate him vvhat comfort haue you I say in these things. But if vve consider him personally as he is One vvith vs.Psal. 31.5. Act. 7.56. 1. Pet. 4.19. Then vvith Dauid vve recommend our our soules in­to his hands. Then vvith Stephen vve see heauen open. Then vvith Peter vve committ our soules vnto him as vnto a faithfull creator.Apoc. 21. And vvith the spouse vve loue, vve looke, vve long for him, & crie out come lord Iesus come quickly.

Practice. 5 The fift practice is is of Mediation vvhere in I become an humble sutor to euery deuoute soule as Mo­ses did to the Israelites I stād betvveene the lord and you to shevve you the vvord of the lord,1. Cor. 5.20 saith he, and as Paule to the Corinthians For saith he vve are ambassa­dours of Christ: as though god did beseech you through vs, vve pray you in Christs stead, that ye vvould be reconciled to god. As they, so I cast myself dovvne at [Page 69] euery mans foote beseeching him to remember thatMat. 5.18. as Christ is one soe not one iote of his word shall perish That it is an impossibility to serue tvvo masters.Mat. 6.24. It is a hard matter, masters,Mat. 26.46 & mortalls If vve cannot to find this One pearle spare One hovver seing he reioyceth more ouer One sinner that repenteth then ouer ninty,Luc. 15.7. & nine that neede noe repentance. Let therefore all of vs cast our selues dovvne, as the prodigall sonne did, & cry to our heauenly father make vs as one of thy houshould seruants, and it sufficeth for vve are not vvorthy to be called thy sonnes.

Practice. 6 The last is of Motion. Let it never be sayd of any here I beseech you as Christ sayd to Iudas one of you shall betray me; & one of you is a diuell,Mat. 26.21. but remember the tyme vvill come that tvvo shalbe in one bed toge­ther, & one shalbe receaued, & the other left alone.Iam. 2.19. If you say that you beleeue that there is one god, the diuell doth soe, & trembleth Hovve farre are you from the faith of deuils? but vnlesse you beleeue as the doctrine is that god is one vvith you in the vniō of the spirit, & most one in himself in deuine essence vvith the father, & soly,Apo. 18.10 & vvholy one in his mediation to god for you It vvilbe sayd of you as of Babell alas their iudg­ment is come in one houre.1. Cor. 15.51▪ But behold I shevve you a mystery vve shall not all dye, but vve shalbe changed in a moment for vve liue not in certainty one day, one houre, one minuit. If therefore this one houre be granted vnto you seeke this one in this one houre that you may be one vvith god in him for euer.

The tenth lesson.

In the former place vve haue hard his Onenes. Novve lett vs see his pearelesnes, & pretiousnes. For Christ is not only one, but a pearle also of great price. [Page 70] So then the doctrine is this. That Christ Iesus our Sauiour is the one, & only pearle both peareles, & priceles vvhich vvas giuen as a ransome to redeeme vs from hell.

1. Cor. 6.29The Apostle Paule sayth so speaking indefinitly you are bought vvith a price, but the price vvas priceles. So Peter also, ye are not bought vvith gold, or sil­uer, or pretious stones, but vvith the bloud of Iesus Christ vvhich is vnvaluable, & matchles, & soe sayth my text in the resemblance of the pearle, & in the Hebraisme of great price. The resemblāce very apposite both in Name, Nature, Generation, Quantity, & Qua­lity.

1 Phil. 2.9.For the first a pearle is rare in Name. Soe Christ for god hath exalted him highly, and giuen him a name aboue euery name.

2 Secondly, a pearle is illustious in Nature, So Christ Thou art fairer then the sonnes of men: grace is povvred in thy lips, because god hath blessed thee for euer,Psal. 45.2.7. thou hast loued righteousnes, & hatest vvickednes, because God, euen thy god hath anoynted thee vvith oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellovves.

3 Thirdly a pearle is maruelous in generation being ingendred of the devve of heauen in the mother of pearle on earth. So Christ miraculous in his genera­tion hauing his father in heauen, & his mother on earth.

4 Fourthly a pearle is small, & litle in quantity So Christ abased himselfe to nothing. He like the sunne in the diall of Ahaz that vvas gone dovvne ten degrees backvvards.Ioh. 14.28. So he ten degrees beneath his father The [Page 71] father is greater then I. Ten degrees beneath the angells For he made him lovver then the angells.Psal. 8.5. Ten degrees beneath men I am vvorme & noe man, yea ten degrees beneath vvormes. for a liue doge is better then a dead lion. Liuing Barrabas the murtherer acompted better then the dying lord Iesus.

5 Lastly pearle is soueraigne in effectuall qualities to cure infirmitys, & diseases among the people. His bloud is a soueraigne antidote,Math. 4.23.24. & the sinners bathe to cure our burning feauers of incontinencie, The feare of the lord is cleane, & endureth for euer: the iudgmēts of the lord are truth, they are righteous altogether.Psal. 19.9. Our phlethorie of pride to become litle children. Our lethargie of forgetfulnes Remember thy creator in the dayes of thy youth whiles the euill dayes come not,Marc. 10.15 nor the yeares approch, vvherein thou shalt say.Eccl. 1 [...].1. I haue noe pleasure in them. Our staggers of inconstancie. For vve shall not be afraid of euill tidings for our harts vvill be fixed in the lord.Psa. 112.7. And our apoplexie of coueteousnes For this reall marchant selleth all, & buyeth it saith this present text. Thus you see the sutablenes of the resemblance.

Secondly this appeareth vnto vs from the Hebra­isme vvhich sayth that this one pearle vvas of great price. There are three states of singular eminency in the vvorld, a preest, a prophet a king In all these our Christ is supereminent Illoque TENUS SUPEREMI­NET OMNES Christ vvas a preest after the order of Melchisedec vvho vvas king of righteousnes for there vvas noe guile found in his mouth. King of Salem for he made both one. Without father on earth, vvithout mother in heauen, without begining vvithout ending. [Page 72] Who vvas the temple,August. 4. li. de trin. cap. 24. & alter, the preest, the sacrifice, & him to vvhom it vvas offered. A prophet of infal­libility a voice from heauen spake it Heare him, & the soule that doth not heare him must be cut of from the people vvho by his povver sends forth the prophetts,Math. 17.5. Deu. 18. Mat. 23.34. Apo. 19.10. Psal. 24.10. Psal. 45.6. & vvhose testimony is the spirit of prophecie. A king of regall dignity euen the king of glory, vvhose scepter is only righteousnes, the extent vvhereof is ouer the vvhole vvorld, & the continuance beyond all tyme, vvho after all tyme shall deliuer vp a kingdome purchased vvith his bloud that god,1. Cor. 15. may be all in all.

The right of reason thevves this also vnto vs. For there is valuation in pearle vvherein consisteth their dignity, their lustre, & povver. What valuation is comperable to Christs dignity vvhich surpasseth that of gold, & siluer. Ye vvere not redeemed vvith corruptible, things as gold, & siluer, from your vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of the fathers.1. Pet. 1.28.29. But vvith the pretious bloud of Christ, as of a lambe vndefiled, & vvithout spot. That of beasts, & cattle. For thou desirest noe sacrifice,Psal. 51.16. though I vvould giue it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. That of angells. Vnto vvhich of the angels sayd he at any time sit at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footestoole.Heb. 1.13. Ps. 116.11. That of men for all men are liars. Farre aboue the value of the offence. For if through the offence of one, many are dead, much more the grace of god,Ro. 5.15.16 & the gift by grace, vvich is by one man Iesus Christ, hath abounded vnto many.

For if by the offence of one, death raigned through one, much more Shall they which receiue the abundā ­ce of grace, & the gift of righteousnesse raigne in life through one, that is, Iesus Christ.

[Page 73]Secondly there is lustre in pearle, but in our Christ in his light vve shall see light. Yea the deuils, & the reprobate see so much to make them vnexcusable.

Thirdly pearles are povverfull in their effects▪ Gen. 49.8. Christ hath excellency aboue Juda, preheminence ouer diseases, povver of the influence of the sunne, moone, & starrs, yea ouer the graue, & death, & hell.

Practice. 1 The vse of this is diuerse. First of Accession. Come ye Marchant Ievvellers that a [...] faithfull soules, & see vvhat Ievvells your Sauiour hath prepared for you,1. Cor. 12. Ioh. 14. Can. 1. they are such that cannot be expressed by vvords. Yet is he gone to prepare them for you Jt remaines that you haue an affection to seeke, & runne after this your ievvell that you may at the last attaine him. Come blessed soules that haue hope in CHRIST though your sinnes be as red as scarlet he hath made them of a pearle colour. Let euery religious soule see his sauiour, this pretious pearle hovve vile he hath accompted of himselfe being sold for thirty peeces of siluer, & hovve pretious he hath esteemed of vs that shed his pretious bloud for vs, one drop vvhereof vvas vvorth ten thousand vvorlds. And let the languishing soule come hither, & see hovve god hath giuen vs his only ievvell to be our JESUS. What then vvill he deny vs vvith him? For he made him of noe reputation, & vile in the sight of the vvorld, that vve might be pretious pearles in the sight of god.

Practice. 2 The second vse is of Expostulatiō ▪ vvhat price is there that you can desire that is not to be found in this pearle of great price? The price of your redemption [Page 74] is in his passion, of absolution in his condemnation, of remission of sinnes in his crosse, of satisfaction in his sacrifice, of n [...]vvnes of life in his resurrection, of im­mortallity in the kingdome prepared for you, & of purgation in his bloud. For he that vvas a diamond hath made himselfe a ruby all red in his ovvne bloud, that vve might be diamond [...] in the sight of his father.

What vvould you haue? One pearle vvithout pea [...]e. He is this one. For he is One god in the essence of the diety,Ioh. 11. One creator that made heauen, & earth. One man vvho died for vs. One lord paramount vvho hath the preheminence,Matt. 23. Ioh. 10. Hebr. 10. One master not many. One father, One sheephard. One sacrifice for our sinnes.

Practice. 3 The third vse is of caution, that vve bevvare howe vve become vile in gods sight, for then vve become svvine,Mat. 7.6. & pearls must not be cast before svvine, & the deuill desireth to goe into such kind of creatures,Matt 8 31. Ibidem. & hath permission so to doe. But our case is as the case of Aaron vvhich had a robe, bells, a tunacle, an Ephod, the Vrim, & Thumim, & blevv silke, & fine linnen, yet all these vvere none of his ovvne, but ornaments ordayned by god to be put vpon him. So vve haue noe pretiousnes in our selues, but all our lustre commeth from this pearle.Eph. 5.8. Ie. 14. Ecc. 1.2. Matt. 7. Matt. 25. Gen. 8.21. For vve are in ourselues darknes in the abstract, Folly, Vanity, doggs, & hogs, death, & damned. If you vvill not beleeue me. Moses vvill tell you that the imagination of mans hart is euill from his youth, & Iob vvill assertaine you, for sayth he. If I vvash my selfe vvith snovve vvater,Iob. 9.30.31 & make my hands neuer so cleane: yet thou shalt plung me in the ditch, & mine ovvne cloths shall abhorre me.

Practice 4 The fourth vse is of feare, & trembling. For S. Paul [Page 75] sayth if any man loue not the lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema, Maranatha,1. Cor. 16.22. that is accursed vvhen the lord shall come. Yea surely they shalbe accursed in their goods, as the cursed things of Iericho, their specious mansiōs made a iakes, their possessiō a bloudy.Dan. 3.19. Acheldama, their gaines as the cursed guiles of Corban, their name as branded as Ieroboams, their fame rotten. Jf they be honerable, god vvill lay their honor in the dust, if noble, they shalbe vile, & base in his sight, if learned their learning shalbe a byvvord, & a hissing. If he be a king he shalbe made a beast vvith Nebuchad­nezzer If a minion, or fauorite he shalbe hanged as vvicked Haman that loues not the lord.

Practice. 5 The last vse is of petition vvherein I become an humble sutor vnto all that are here present, that there may not be amongst vs a prophane person of a svvinish, & boorish condition that vvill tread this pearle vnder his feete. For if there be any such most fearfull, & fatall is the expectation of his vvoe. For saith the apostle vvhat punishment suppose yee shall he be vvorthy of vvhich treadeth vnder foote the sonne of god,Heb. 10.29 & counteth the bloud of the nevve Testament as an vnholy thing, & doth despite the spirit of grace. But let euery one of vs be of Paules resolution to accompt all things doung, & dresse that vve may obtaine this pearle.Ephes. 3.14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 And for this cause I bovve my knees for you all vnto god the father of our lord Iesus Christ, (Of vvhom is named the vvhole familie in heauen, & in earth.) That he might grāt you according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthned in the inner man by his spirit. That Christ may dvvell in your harts by faith: that ye being rooted, & grounded by loue, may be able to com­prehend [Page 76] vvithall saincts, what is the bredth, & length, & depth, & height: And to knovve the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with all fulnesse of god. Vnto him therefore that is able to doe exceeding abundantly aboue all that vve aske, or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs, be praise in the church by Christ Iesus throvvout all generatiō for euer. Amen.

The eleuenth lesson.

Thus you haue hard vvhat is meant by that One pearle of great price in heauen. Novve see vvhat is that One pearle of great price on earth which this reall mar­chant findeth here. The former interpreters haue expounded it to our hand shevving that it is Charity. The learning then is. That Christian Charity is that one, & only pearle in earth both peareles, & priceles vvhich is found only among the children of god.

The light of this appeares most euidently from S. Paules vvords.1. Cor. 12.31. 1. Cor. 13. per tout. Wherin first S. Paule sayth. That he vvould shevve a more excellent vvay, & in the chapter follovving doth make it demonstrable. The Analysis vvhereof is thus breefly. First it callengeth the best things. Secondly it combateth vvith the vvorst things, and Thirdly it conquereth the last things. Christian Charity callengeth the best things, For angellical, euangellicall eloquence vvithout Charity is as sounding brasse, or as a tinckling cymball. The gift of prophecie, all knovvledge, all faith, yea miraculous faith in com­parison of this is nothing▪ Almes deeds, & martyrdome vvithout Charity profitteth nothing. In the second place it combateth vvith the vvorst things. In vvrath it suffereth long▪ base couteousnes it cānot endure, for [Page 77] it is bountifull, it is voyd of spight for it enuies not, it is not frovvard for it doth not beast it selfe, it is noe sovvlen bladder of pride, for it is not puffed vp, it is farre from reproach that it vvill doe noe vncomly thing, it is so farre from iniury that it seeketh not its ovvne, in it is noe bitternes at all for it cannot be provoked to wrath, noe surmises of euill, for it thinketh none, noe vniustice for it reioyceth not in inquity, but reioyceth in the truth, beleeueth the good, hopeth the best, & endureth all. In the third place it conquereth the last things. For vvhen the vvorld hath done it shall endure, & vvhen faith vvhich beleeueth all things of god, & hope vvhich expecteth all, doe cease, yet shall Charity vvhervvith vve loue god, & man endure for all eterinty.

It is also one,Io. 13.34. for it is that one commandement from mount Sion vvhich is the complement of the other ten from mount Sinai vvhich Christ calls the nevve commandement, & affirmes that it is the marke of his chosen. It is also a pearle of perfection for the Christians house vvhich he builds to god hath faith for its foundation vvhere vpon it is grounded, & hope the vvalls vvhereby it is erected, but Charity is the roofe vvhich perfecteth, & couereth all. It is of all price vvhether vve respecte the nearenes of it vnto vs It is not in heauen that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe vp for vs, & bring it vnto vs that vve may beare it, & doe it. Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe ouer the sea, & bring it vs that vve may heare it, & doe it? But the vvord is very nigh vnto thee, in thy mouth, & in thy hart, that thou mayest doe it. Or the breefnes. The commandement is shortened [Page 78] that euery man might be vnexcusable, & that noe mā in the day of iudgmēt as saith S. Augustine might implead god, or complaine that he could not retayne this lesson in his memory Therefore saith that father the vvord is this. If yee loue me you vvill loue one another.

Mat [...]. 11.30Or if vve respect the easines of this lesson. It is an easie yoke. For both old, & young, rich, & poore, vveake, and vvhole may performe this duty. Or if vve respecte the pre [...]iousnes of it. It is the bond of perfectiō, yea pretious it is in all dimensions. In lenght it endureth euer. In breath it is dilated to all, to the good of duty, to the bad of pitty. In deepenes it fayleth neuer, it vvill not forsake a frend in misery, noe nor in extremity, noe not in death it selfe.Cant. 8.6.7. For loue is as strong as death, ielousie is as cruel as the graue: the coales thereof are fierie coales, & a vehement flame. Much vvater cannot quench loue, neither can the flouds drovvne it: if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue, they vvould greatly contemne it. Or in height, it is of a noble disposition, it loues our frends in the lord, & our enimies for the lord. In a vvord it is pretious in extension. In this vvorld universall, it doth good to all. In the other vvorld it is eternall. Pretious in this vvorld for vse, for a mans faith is his ovvne proper good, but Charity is profitable, and vsefull to others. In the other vvorld it is pretious, for continuance, for it endureth to the end, in the end, after the end; vvithout end. Ignatius Christs martyr shall conclude vvho saith, that faith is the beginning of our Christianity, Charity the end, & best pillovve vvhereon to repose our head at the last gaspe.

[Page 79]The right of this appeares in the subject of Charity, for it svvimmes not in the braine vvith fancifull, & imagi­nary opinions, but setleth in the hart by deuine, and Christian affections. It is not conceitfull, but truly cordiall. In the obiect it is pretious, for god is the obiect thereof, & vvhatsoeuer god vvill haue beloued, as men; all men, yea our enimies for thats the exaltatiō thereof, Angels, saincts, Christ himself according to his humane nature vvhereby he doth not disdaine to call vs brethren. Lastly in the effects pretious, for it bringeth vnto vs the ioy of the spirit, peace of our conscience, patience, mercie, bounty, & the like.

Practice. 1 The vse of this is first of Confutation of the Papists vvho make Charity the forme of faith, & they argue thus. If Charity be greater then Faith, & hope, & more pretious for vse, & continuance as Paule affirmeth. Then are vve not iustified by faith only. I ansvvere that these conclusions vvill as vvell follovve. A king is better then a boore, therefore he can till the earth better, A man is better then a beast, therefore he can runne svvifter then a horse, he can carry more then an Ele­phant. Who sees not the absurdities? Let Faith haue her prerogatiues, It is the cause of gods loue.Galat. 5.6. For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision aueileth any thinge, neither vncircumcision, but faith vvhich vvorketh by loue. It is the victorie vvherby vve ouercome the vvorld.1. Ioh. 5.4. It is the renovation of the nevve birth in the children of god. It is that alone vvhich iustifieth vs,Eph. 3.17. yea vvithout faith Charity is sinne But in the meane vvhile let vs not spoile Charity of her priuiledges, as doe the Solifidiās,Rom. 14.23 & Nullifidiās. For charity is the end of the cōmaundemēt.1. Tim. 1.5. [Page 80] The bond of perfection.Col. 3.14. Rom. 13.10 Ioh. 13. Gal. 5.6. The complement of the lavve, The supplement of the gospel; & vvithout vvhich Faith doth nothing.

Practice 2 The second vse is of Estimation. For by Charity vve doe surprise god. God vvill doe nothing till Lot come to Zoar. Hereby vve honor angels CHARITATE, NON SERVITUTE saith S. Augustine. Hereby vve participate vvith the blessed in the communion of Saincts, in the church militant, in the church triūphant, & hereby vve liue comfortably vvith men in the com­mon vvealth, in the church, in our houses, in the streets, euery vvhere.

Practice. 3 The third vse is of resistance. For it vvithstandeth all imperfections, & infirmities of our minds, all vveakenesses of our vvretched, & vvicked natures, & is like a pretious antidote, or rare ievvell, or pearle to cure the maladies of our minds. For in case of emnity It saith I vvill loue mine enimie by the example of Christ.

Rom. 5.8.In case of iniury It sayth I vvill pray for mine enimies by the example of Stephen. In case of necessity It supplieth vvants.Act. 7.60. Prov. 25. Pro. 24.17. Luc. 17.4. In case of misery It condoleth, and in case of penetencie It doth vvillingly forgiue, & that full oft.

Practice. 4 The fourth vse is of consideration. Hovve vve shall enter into heauen.Matt. 22.12 For vvithout this garment to that holy mariage vve cannot be admitted. Our Sauiour vvonders hovve a fellovve came to a vvedding not hauing a vvedding garment. Novve euery garment hath the commendations from the matter vvhereof it, is made, from the colour, & from the svveetnes. The matter of this garment is the tender bovvells of Iesus [Page 81] Christ. The colour is the tincture of CHRISTS bloud, And the svveetnes is of Mirh, Aloes, & Cassia.Psal. 45. Noe man came into the court of Ahasuerosh vvith sackcloth,Act. 9. & noe man can come into the court of heauen vnless as Dorcas frends at her death shevved the garments that shee had vvrought before shee vvas restored to life by Peter. So in the last day vve must shevve our garments made of this Charity before vve shalbe possessed of life euerlasting.Matth. 25▪

Practice. 5 The Fift vse is of Expostulation. Tell me vvho can implead god.Rom. 13.10. Ioh. 13.34. He hath commanded you to doe ten things. This commandement doth them. Seauen things are to be desired, in a sort this desireth them, [...]ay absolutly doth them. Tvvelue things are to be beleeued, To vvhich of these doth this not extend it selfe either of nature, grace, or glory.

Practice 6 The last vse is to examine the language that this deuine vertue speaketh in. First in case of iniury I vvill not hurt neither in vvord, nor deed saith [...]hee. In case of rashnes I vvill not iudge saith shee.Psal. 39.2. 1. Thes. 5. Mat. 7. In case of casualty I vvill not reioyce (saith she) if it be euill, I vvill not grudg (saith shee) if it be good. In a vvord she saith of all I vvill despise noe brother, I vvill contemne noe sister, for vvhere I find one fault in them I can find ten in my self, if I looke vpon my selfe vvith the fame prying, & curious eie where­vvith I looke vpon them. Marke her reasonings to maintaine this. You thinke it a burthen saith she, but I knovve the yoke is easie. If Iacob could serue seauen yeares for Rachell, & say that it seemed fevve dayes vnto him for the loue that he bare vnto Rachel, [Page 82] if naturall loue can vvorke this, vvhat shall not deuine Charity effecte. Secondly her reason tells her that if shee endureth any thing for the loue of god. God himselfe vvill beare a part, & that shee shalbe deliuered from the greeuous yoke of malice, from the deuil the father thereof, & from hell the den thereof. Frō which miserable, & diabolicall mischeefe of malice, and sinne of Sathan good lord deliuer vs.

Noe soner hath this reall Marchant found this pearle but [...]e straightvvaies is become another man For the text sayth. He went, & sold all that he had & bought it. Resolution therefore is the remark­able note of a true Christian, vvhich consisteth in fovver things couched in these last vvords of my text.

The first is readines He vvent.

Secondly contempte of the vvorld And sold.

Thirdly a full persvvasion He sold all.

And Lastly The enioyement He bought it. His readines is couched is these vvordes He went That is as the originall vvord signifies He vvent from himselfe in denying himselfe, & all his ovvne strength For as the prodigall sonne is sayd to returne to himselfe vvhen he bethought himselfe to returne to his father hauing not bine vvith himselfe all the vvhile of his prodigallity; So this marchant is sayd to goe from himselfe vvhen he endeuoreth to purchase that vvithout himselfe vvhich he in himselfe could neuer find. So that the learning then is this.

The tvvelfth lesson. Suos, Sua, se negare.

Our Christian readines is to deny our ovvne frends, our ovvne goods, our ovvne selues, & as strangers and pilgrims vve must continue constantly to hold on our course tovvards this kingdome of heauen.

The light of this appeares That as Abraham the grandfather must forsake his ovvne country,Gen. 12.1. & goe to a land that god should shevve him; And as Jacob the grandchild must trauell to Padan Aram from his fathers house to liue vvith his vncle Laban in Mesopo­tamia, & there to be enriched, So must euery Christian soule forsake his ovvne frends here as doth the kings daughter vvhich is a figure of he church, & of euery true soule in the church. Forsake her ovvne people,Psal. 45.10 & her ovvne father house, so shall the king of heauen haue great delight in her beauty, & he vvill become her lord. In the second place vve see James,Mat. 4.2 [...]. & Iohn left the ship, & their father to follovve Christ.Mat. 19.27 The apostles, & disciples left, & forsooke all to follovve him in the regeneration;Act. 4.34. And the primitiue church in the tyme of the apostles cast dovvne their goodes at the apostles feete.

In the third place vve see Paule denies himselfe for albeit Agabus had foretold his death, yet he was resolute to goe on, & told the Elders of Ephesus, & others at Miletum that they should not vexe, & trouble him vvith vveeping for him. For he vvas resolued that albeit he knevve that in euery city euill did abide him, yet he vvould not only suffer, but die for the lord Iesus.Act. 10 & 11 He had learned this lesson of his master vvho [Page 84] had taught him That if any man vvould come after him he must deny himselfe take vp his crosse,Matth. 16.24. & followe him. What other things then denying our ovvne frends, our ovvne goods, our ovvne selues doth that myrhe & mortification, that dying, & burying vvith Christ signifie vvhereof so oft is made, mention in scripture. For vve are but strangers, & pilgrims like the children of Israell, in vvhose tvvo & forty stations is figured, & resembled the race of a Christian. For they came to Rameses the store house of the Egiptians, & from thence to Succoth, & so to Etham in the edge of the vvildernes. From thence to Pihiroth at the red sea before Migdoll So on to Marah vvhere they vvere three dayes vvithout vvater, & there they murmur. From thence to Elim vvhere they found tvvelue fountaines, & seauenty palme trees. Thence to the red sea in the desert of Syn vvhere they had quailes, & Manna, & so on till they had finished forty tvvo stations, a cloud by day, & a pillar of fire by night being their pilotts to guide them.Matth. 1. And as Christ had in his generatiō three fourteenes From Abraham to Dauid, from Da­uid to the captiuity, from the Captiuity to Christ, vvhich in all make forty tvvo. So if vve haue so many fleetings as Dauid calls them in the psalmes in our regeneration yet must vve goe on, & continue vntill vve haue finished our course. We see it vvas so in Christ. For being yet an infant he must flie into Egipte, back againe into the land of Israell, & turne a side into the parts of Galilee for feare of Archelaus the the sonne of Herod. In all his life, from the crach to the Crosse vvhat see vve, but stations of vvoe, & sorrovve? He that shall but cast his eie to see Paules peregrination [Page 85] from place, to place, to Cyprus, to Iconium, Lystra, Der be, Antioch, to Thesolonica, Beraea, Athens, Ephesus, Miletū, Ierusalem▪ tovvard Rome, suffered shipvvracke at Mileta novve called Malta, & Lastly vvas beheaded at Rome. What sees a man I say in all this his peregrina­tion, but a sea of sorrovve, & sobbs, & sighes, a perfect resemblance of the travaile of regeneration.

The right of this appeares to gods children. For they knovve that here they are but pilgrimes in respect of their stay, pay, & vvay. Noe stay.Iob. 14. Thou shalt seeke me to morrovv, & I shall not be. In respecte of pay, Noe peny, noe PATER NOSTER, Poore is the entertaynement that a traueler shall find that hath noe mony. Lastly in respecte of our vvay for euery day vve goe forvvards. Secondly gods children knovve that they must not be here allvvaies,1. Cor. 15. in respect of their sinne vvhich causeth death, For the angell of paradise must vvith his svvord cut the tvvine of this life before vve can tast the tree of the other life. Thirdly in respect of the place wherein they liue, vvhich Iob calls cottages of clay.Job. 4. God calls the land of the curse,Genes. 3. Dauid calls the land of the dead, The philosophers tearmed the sublunary region vvhere vve enquire still vvhat state the moone is in; And Barnard calls it the place vvherein vve liue by deaths; for vvhatsoeuer flyes in heauen, or goes vpon the earth, or glides in the vvaters that is eateable vve bury in our stomackes, so vve liue by their deaths. Againe right reason shevves this that there must needs be a dissolution, & vve must goe from our selues. First because our bodies are composed of diuerse qualityes vvhich cannot endure.

For a kingdome deuided against it selfe cannot [Page 86] stand. Secondly from the morall cause, vvhich is sinne, & sinne causeth death. Thirdly from the counsellor to sinne, vvhich vvas the deuill, by vvhose enuy sinne entered, & death by sinne. Lastly by the decree, & sentance vpon that sinne. For as there vvent a decree from Augustus Cesar that all the vvorld should be taxed,Luc. 2.1. So there is a statute in heauen concluded by the great Cesar of heauen, & earth that all men must once die.Heb. 9. Fourthly gods children knovve that vvhen they goe from themselues they goe to their holy burgeshipe,Phil 3.20. Ephe. 2.19. 2. Cor. 5. Ioh. 14. to their sacred seruice, to their heauenly entertaynment, & to their abiding place.

In a vvord this light of the scripture, & right of reason shevves this conclusion. That if vve vvil not by denying our ovvne frends, our ovvne goods, & our ovvne selues in respecte of Christ, be buried vvith CHRIST, be crucified vvith him, suffer vvith him, & be made conformable vnto him, vve shal neuer liue vvith him, raigne vvith him, or be glorified by him.

Practice. 1 The practice of this is first of direction. For in a Christianslife there is no faring delitiously euery day.Luc. 16. Matth. 7. Noe going on in a broad vvay, CHRIST directs it & saith If ye vvere of the vvorld the vvorld vvould loue his ovvne, but because ye are not of the vvorld, but I haue chosen you out of the vvorld,Ioh. 15.19. therefore the vvorld hateth you, but a reall Christian must cast avvay all that hindereth his race, as the blind man cast avvay his cloke▪ Heb. 12.1. Ma [...]. 10. & follovved Christ, For euery child of god must knovve that this a rule case, that euery citizen of heauen is a stranger on earth so [Page 87] Jacob speakes to Pharoh. So Dauid to god.Gen. 4 [...].9. And Peter exhorteth therevnto that vvee should pass the tyme of our dvvelling in feare,1. Chro. 29 15. 1. Pet. 1.17. 1. Pet. 2.11.12. & againe he saith Dearly beloued, I beseech you as strangers, & pilgrims, abstaine from fleshly lusts vvhich fight against the soule, & haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles, that they vvhich speake euill of you as euill doers may by your good vvorkes vvhich they shall see glorifie your father in the day of your visitation.

Practice. 2 The second practice is a full declaration of our misery, & gods mercie. The Israelites doe not all­vvaies march on forvvards to Elim vvhere are foun­taines, & palme trees (as before) but retyres to Marah to the vvaters of bitternes. The navigator doth not allvvaies saile before the vvind, for then he vvould neuer learne to bring his tacke a boord.

It appeareth euidently that god vvho knovves vs, knovves vvhat is best for vs, & therefore preuenteth our peeuishnes vvith his pitty. For hovve vnvvilling haue gods deerest children bine to enter into his seruice, & to goe from themselues. Moses excuseth himself that he is not elequent. Ieremy saith that he is a child. Lot lingereth to gett out of Sodom,Confes. lib 8.1, 2, 7. & S Augustine hauing a long conflicte at Rome goeth to Millain to heare S. Ambrose, & yet being not satisfied for resolution. He complaines, & sayth Hovve long lord? hovve long? shall I still say, as the crovv sayth CRAS, CRAS, shall I still say MODO, & M [...]DO QUAE NON HABENT [...]ODUM, But the lord at last hard him, & shevved him a scripture,Rom. 13.14 Not in chambering, & vvantonnesse not in striffe, & enuying, but put on the lord Iesus, vvhich scripture converted him, and made him an orthodxe christian.

[Page 88] Practice. 3 The third is of Caution to bevvare least vve goe not the rightvvay. For Ierusalem vvent, but it vvas backward,Ier. 15.6. That is noe vvay for vs. The euill seruant vvent also,Mat. 25.18. but he vvent, & diggd in the earth, & hid his talent, that vvas noe good marchant. The young man vvhom Christ bid goe,Mat. 27.5. & sell all, vvent to, but he vvent his vvay sorrovving for he had great revennevves. Iudas vvent also but it vvas to hang himselfe. Thus vve must haue a care vvhither vve goe.2. Corint. 5 For vvhiles vve are in the flesh vve are pilgrimes from the lord.

Practice 4 The Fourth vse is of Expostulation Can any man implead god that he hath not shevved him vvhich way he should goe? Hath not your eies seene it in greater▪ & lesser characters in his vvorkes, in his vvord? Hath not your eares hard it by profound Paules, eloquent Apolloses, & Zealous Cephases? Hath not your harts bine often touched vvith holy motions of gods spirit, & your consciences quieted therby. Nay haue not your hands handled of the vvord of life? Will you then still resist the spirit of god as your forefathers did before?

Practice. 5 Let me move you in the last place seing vve are going on, & must goe on Let vs doe as trauelers doe goe forvvards still not looking backvvards to Sodom, as Lotts vvife did but keepe our faces tovvards Ierusalem as Christ did.Genes. 19. Luc. 24. Secondly let vs goe on the right vvay seeking Christ in heauen, & Charity on earth. Thirdly let vs be sparing as trauelers are, & not to rūne to excesse of riott in spending our masters, & creditors goods, & [...]uinating our ovvne creditts, & Lastly let vs not be detayned by trifles, & gevvgavves, but let vs so runne on the race that vve may obtayne the goale, & shevve [Page 89] our readines to come to Christ, & he vvilbe most ready to receaue vs to immortallity, & glory for euer.

The thirteenth lesson.

It follovveth, that this reall Marchant is so ready to purchase this pearle, that he makes avvay all that he hath to haue it. The text sayth HE SOLD. There is an euill sale, as buying & selling in the church of god,Matth. 21.12. vvhich Christ vvhips out. There is an vnnaturall sale vvhen brother selleth brother, as the patriarches did Ioseph.Gen. 37.28 And there is a prophane sale vvhen a man sells diuinity for vanity, as Esau sold his birthright for pottage. But there is a good,Gen. 25.33. & godly sale vvhen vve sell earth for heauen, the vvorld for god, the cursed corban for Christ, so did the apostollicall church vvhen they sold their possessions, & brought the price, & laid it dovvne at the apostles feete. The collection,Act. 4.45. or learning from this interpretation is this. They that once haue tasted of god, of Christ, & of the blessings of the other life doe easily renounce, contemne, & despise all things which hinder them that they may not obtaine heauen, & make away with all such things that helpe thē on thither to procure, & purchase this pearle.

This is made cleare by reuelation and by reason. 1 By reuelation out of euidence of the vvord. First by precept, vve must first seeke the kingdome of god.Matth. 6.33 Secondly by parable.Luc. 8.7. The seed that fell among thornes vvas choaked. Thirdly by mystery,Luc. 10.22 2. Tim. 2.4 Mary made the best choise. Fourthly by resēblance. Noe man marcheth vvell on in the spirituall vvarfare; vvhich entangleth himselfe vvith the things of this vvorld.

[Page 90] 2 In the second place it is cleare. First by the condi­tion.1. Ioh. 2.13. If any man loue the vvorld, the loue of the father is not in him. Secondly it is cleare by an impossi­billity.Matt. 6.24 For noe man can serue tvvo masters God, & Mammon.Apoc. [...]. Thirdly from the iudgment. For the luke vvarme, god vvill speve out of his mouth. Lastly they that svvere by god,Zeph. 1.5. & M [...]lchom are abhomination to the lord.

3 In the third place it is cleare from a distinction. For all the things in the vvorld are of a threefold condition. Some things are so good, that god giues them to none, but to his ovvne children, as Faith, & repentance, and so forth. Secondly some are so bad, that they are giuen to none, but to the damned as impenitency, hardnes of hart, & the like. And some are of a mixt nature, as are riches, vvhich are neither good nor bad in themselues,August. ad Bon [...]faciū Epist. 70. but as they are vsed, or abused, & these are giuen to good, & bad. To the good least these things should be thought to be euill, and so they vvere giuen to Abraham, & they are giuen to the bad least these things should be thought to be the cheefest good things,Luc. 16. & so they vvere giuen to the rich glutton.Rom. 12.1. This is also cleare by reason. For if vve must offer our bodies sacrifices to god, much more our goods. For the bodie is better them rayment.Matt. 6.25. Iob 2.4. And a man vvould giue his skinne for his life. Besides the godly knovve,Heb. 12. 2. Cor. 7. Psal. 102. 1. Ioh. 5. that by the contempt of the vvorld, they are deliuered from the vvorlds holdfast From the vvorlds nothing. From the vvorlds vncertaintie, and from the vvorld iniquity.

Practice 1 The practice of this is first, of lamentation. Is it not a thovvsand pitties that there are many marchants so [Page 91] desperate that sett to sale their ovvne soules. The coueteous Marchant for mony as did Demas.Ecce. 10.9. Hebr. 1 [...]. The vvanton for pleasure, as did Esau. The imperious for ambition, as Alexander the sixt sold his soule for the popedome, & Absolon for a kingdome. And the vvicked man for is ovvne harts lust, as did Ahab that sold himselfe to doe euill in the sight of the lord. Is it not lamentable to behold other daingerous Marchant Aduenturers vvho paune their soules as did Noah Dauid, & Peter. But let these take heed that they be as good husbands as they vvere by repentance or els they may paune them so, that they may neuer redeeme them. Againe is it not also lamentable that some carelesse marchants vvill lose their soules; as carnall gospellers, doe, & the like, Oh vvhat a foolish thing is it to be carefull to keepe the chickin from the kite, the lambe from the vvolfe, & the doue from the vermine, & to be carelesse to keepe our soules from the deuill. O vvretched condition of the sonnes of men.

Practice 2 The second Practice is of difference Indeed there are some that are the children of this vvorld,Luc. 16.9. Coll. 3.6. children of disobedience, & children of iniquity vvho vvill sell the righteous for siluer,Am. 2.6. Hosh. 10.9. Ioh. 12.36. Rom. 9.8. Matth. 8.1 [...] & the poore for shoues, yea they vvill transgresse for a crust of bread. But there are children of light, children of promise, & children of the kingdome, & these hauing god to their father CHRIST to their brother, the angells to their guard, the creaturs to their seruants, the holy ghost to their assurer, enioy all things,1. Cor. 3.22 for all things are theirs, & they are CHRISTS, & CHRIST is gods.

[Page 92] Practice 3 The third vse is of caution, Here see vvhat S. James saith vnto you Goe to novve ye that say to day, [...]am. 4.13.14.15.16.17 or to morrovv vve vvill goe into such a city, & continue there a yeare, & buy, & sell, & get gaine: vvhereas ye knovve not vvhat shalbe on the morrovv: For vvhat is your life? It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time, & then vanisheth avvay. For that ye ought to say [...]if the lord vvill, vve shall liue, or doe this or that. But novve ye reioyce in your boastings: all such reioycing is euill. Therefore to him that knovveth to doe good, & doth it not, to him it is sinne. And further that blessed apostle saith to the secure vvordlings. Goe to novve ye rich men, vveepe, & hovvle for your miseries that shall come vpon you.Iam. 5.1.2.3. Your riches are corrupted, & your garments motheaten: your siluer, & gold is cankered, & the rust of them shalbe a vvitnesse against you, & shall eate your flesh as it vvere fire: yee haue heaped treasures together for the last dayes.

Practice 4 The last practice is of motion. The Egiptians sold houses, lands, & possessions to buy them earthly bread, vvhat should not vve sell to buy our heauenly Manna Make frends therefore of the vnrighteous Mammon, that you may be receaued in to euerlasting habitations. But if you vvill vvith Iudas sell Christ & neither for god nor goodnes sell,Deut. 32.30. or giue any thing, then knovve, that god vvill sell you. Hovve els should one chase a thousand, & tvvo put ten thousand to flight, except their Rocke had sold them, & the lord had shut them vp?Esai. 50.1. Therefore saith the lord, vvhere is the bill of your mothers diuorcement, vvhom I haue put avvay? or vvhich of my creditors is it to vvhom I haue sold you? Behold for your iniquity haue you sold your selues, & [Page] for your transgressions is your mother put avvay.Psal. 44.1 [...]. And Dauid complaines that vvhen god is angry vvith a people he sells them for nought,Ioel. 3.1. & takes noe mony for them. And Ioel saith that they haue cast lots for my people, & haue giuen a boy for a harlot, & solde a girle for vvine that they might drinke.

Thus you see this noble marchant reall chooseth rather to sell, then to be sold, that so he might purchase the price of his redemption.

The fourtenth lesson.

Yea this marchant is so resolute that he is not only ready to goe vvith Christ, & contemne the vvorld, but also is fully persvvaded to sell ALL. He is noe Agrippa to be persvvaded almost to become a Christian. He is noe Athan to [...]oord vp a vvedge of gold, & a Babylonish garment. Nor a Saul to spare Agag, & the best things But he being come to the full persvvasion of his faith selleth all. Whence the doctrine is That they vvhich once come to the full persvvasion of their faith doe willingly consecrate themselues, & all they haue, as holy, & heauenly, reasonable, & seasonable vvhole burnt offerings to god in Christ Iesus.

This is cleare first by the degrees of sauing faith. For the first degree of faith is a ground vvorke, vpon vvhich vve build a trust, and confident affiance.Hebr. 11.1. Then vve proceed to a reuerend boldnes hauing an aduocate vvith the father Iesus Christ our lord,2. Cor. 3.12 Phil. 3.3. vvho is our master of requests in heauen. And vpon these premises vve come to a full persvvasion at the last,1. Ioh. 2.1. & conclude vvith Abraham in a full, & absolute persvvasion of faith that [Page 94] god is able of stones to raise vp children. Hence is our harts filled vvith solace, our minds vvith rest, & our mouths vvith praise, hovve soeuer the lord deales vvith vs.Exo. [...]9.18 Secondly this appeares from the mystery or figure of the vvhole burnt sacrifice. For vvhether it vvere a ramme or a lambe it must be tendered ALL. When Abraham vvas to offer vp Isaac it vvas not a legg, or a limme, an eie, or a hand could serue the turne but ALL. Thirdly from euangellicall righteousnes vvhich must exceed,Mat. 5.20. & surpasse pharisaicall, or ells vve shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen. Which righteous­nes is seene First in contrition of humility, by forsaking our selues,Matth. 26.24. [...]. Cor. 7.31 Mar. 10.25. euen all our selues, by vsing the vvorld as if vve vsed it not, euen all the vvorld, & by vntvvyning the cable, euen ALL the cable that so it may goe through the eie of a needle.Matth. 3. Fides fidu­ciae. Secondly this euangellicall rightiousnes issueth frō faith of assurance that god is able to raise vp children of stones, & they that haue him for their assuerer are assured by their trust in the lord to stand fast as mount Sion for euer.Psal. 125.1. Thirdly this righteousnes produceth invocation in holy deuotion.Reu. 3.17. Not as the church of Laodicea doth in the Reuelation saying I am rich, & vvant nothing, but as Christ hath taught vs to pray hovv rich soeuer vve are Giue vs our bread for the day.Mat. 6. For vvhat is our ALL, if god giue not a blessing to euery peece, & parcell thereof? vpon vvhich premisses vve conclude First by questioning vvhat shall seperate vs from the loue of god? & resolue at at last that nothing shalbe able to doe it hovvsoeuer vve are assalted either vvith things aboue vs,Rom. 8.35. & 39. or vvith vs, or beneath vs to vvith­dravve vs from it.

[Page 95]The reason of this appeares first from an apostollical question.1. Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not receaued? Hast thou gold, & siluer? Haggai tells thee It is none of thine. Hast thou heards of cattle in thousands?Hag. 2. [...]. the Psalmist vvill tell thee they are the lords?Psal. 50.10 Hast thou had riches, & novve hast not? The preacher vvill tell thee that god is the ocean from vvhence they ebe,Ecc. 1.7. & flovve. Secondly from a diabollicall suggestion. For the deuill could say ALL this vvill I giue then vvhen he had nothing to giue. But gods children acknovvledge no such donor. Neither doe they conceal the author of their vvealth vvith Esau, nor the phisition of their health vvith the nine vnthankfull leapers, nor gase, & gape vpon vvhat they haue as the Israelits did vpon their Manna asking Man-hu vvhat is this? not enquiring vvho gaue it, neither doe they arrogate to themselues part, & deuide stackes vvith god, or challenge the vvhole, but doe acknovvledge their all to come from the author, & Ocean of ALL, & to it they returne their ALL againe.

Thirdly this appeareth from the selling of Christ for he vvas sold ALL that he might redeeme ALL his. Suffred in ALL. In ALL his body, yea in ALL his humane soule. It vvas ALL heauie euen vnto the death. Yea the Iewes sought it in ALL his parts to find it. In his braines by the crovvne of thornes, in his bloud, in his hart, thus vvas he made an ALL burnt offering for vs ALL. Shal not vve render to him then our ALL? Especially when he requires ALL, saying Sonne giue me thy hart vvhich if thou giue, thou giuest ALL for that vvill dravve ALL. Indeed if Sathā hath tēpted our harts to keepe backe part of the price as he did the harts of [Page 96] Ananias, & Sapphire then haue vve noe part nor portiō in this busines. But gods children doe assuredly knovve that ALL their being▪ & vvell being euen ALL their best being is in the creator of ALL things. To vvhom they tender, not part [...] [...]butaries, but ALL as votaries to their heauenly master.

Practice. 1 The vse of this is first of Ansvve [...] vnto certaine questions that seeme to contradicte this doctrine. First of the Papists vvho doe magnifie euangellicall coūsells vvherby they say that vve may performe more then god hath commanded vs, & these they call vovves of perfectiō as voluntary pouerty, perpetuall continencie, & vovved obedience. Therefore they vrge that vvhich our sauiour spake to the young mā sell ALL thou hast, & so forth Mathevve 19.21. I ansvvere that this mandate vvas personall, particular, & of especiall triall. They obiecte that of Mathevve the 10.9. Possesse neither sil­uer, nor gold. I ansvvere that this mandate vvas temporall that the vvealth of beleeuers might not deuolue to Gentiles & infidells. Thirdly it is obiected vvhether it be lavvfull for a man to sell ALL, & bring himselfe to pouerty, & to giue himselfe to prayer, & fasting? I ansvvere from the vvise man Prouerbs the 5.15. giue vvaters of thy cesterne, but keepe the foun­taine for thy selfe. But in three cases vve must forsake ALL. First in an extraordnary vocation so did the apostles Mathevve 19.27. Secondly in case of the profession of our conscience, & day of tryall Luc. 14.33. Mathevv 19.29. Thirdly in tyme of persecution, famine & vvarre Psalme [...]2. Luck. 12. [...]3. Acts. 3.45. But you vvill say then vve pray you make vs vnderstand vvhat is meāt by the Marchants selling ALL, that vve may doe the [Page 97] like.Affirmati­vae Christi leges obli­gant sem­per, non ad semper. Semper velle, non ad semper agere. Tho: Aq. Gulielmus de Sancto amore. I ansvvere First that all the affirmatiue lavves of CHRIST doe bind vs allvvaies, but not at all tymes, Alvvaies to be vvilling, but not alvvaies to doe it. As for example sell all, & follovve me; That is vvith a preparation, of mind to leaue all, & follovve him, & in case aforenamed actually to doe it. Againe it is sayd, he that vvill lose his life shall saue it. The meaning is not actually to lose it all tymes, but habitually all­vvaies to be vvilling to doe it in case of gods dishonor, & mayntaining the integritie of faith.

Thirdly it is sayd if any man commeth to me, & hateth not father, & mother, & his ovvne life is not vvorthy to be my disciple. The meaning is not actually to hate, but habitually to be vvilling in a sober, & disposed moderation of mind to forsake the loue of father, & mother, yea of a mans ovvne life in case that they stand against the glory of god, & the good of his church.

Practice. 2 The second vse is of direction against begging, and ignorant friers. For it is more blessed to giue then to receaue. Which of those begging spirits may be cōpared in their voluntary pouerty vvith rich Abraham for faith, vvith rich Job for patience, vvith rich Ioseph for chastity. Take direction therefore to be thankfull for vvhat vve haue, & to studie to be rich to god in faith, loue, & good vvorkes so if vve haue neither gold, nor siluer, yet hauing nothing vve shall possesse all things.2. Cor. 6.10

Practice. 3 The third vse is of Expostulation vvherin vve may reason the case vvith the sonns of men. First vvith the coueteous vvho vvould haue all, although he haue the deuill, & hell, & all into the bargaine. Is not he the [Page 98] greatest Idolater in the vvorld? Iniurious to the vvhole trinity. For mony is his maker. He speakes so. If I may attayne to such a sume I am made, he makes it his redeemer to rid him of trouble, his sanctifier for if he haue goods enough he thinkes he is good enough. He is also iniurious to man. To his superiors for he sleights them, to his equalls for he scornes them, to his inferiors for he tramples vpon them. Iniurious to himselfe in his naturall life not affording himselfe dyet, & apparrell beseeming his place, nor sleepe, & recreation meete for his person. Iniurious to himselfe in his ciuell life, beloued hartely of none, truly hated of all, & most of all iniurious to himselfe in his spirituall life neuer attayning to the knovveledge of a true iustifying faith, & the comfort of the full resolution thereof. In a vvord he is like vnto a hogge, & a medler neuer good till he is dead,Esay. 30.14 & rotten, nor vntill the vvormes haue his carcase, & an vnthrifte haue his capcase. And as he vvas unsatiable to haue the deuill, & all, so shall he meete vvith tvvo vnsatiable things as himselfe, the graue, & hell.

If I should reason the case vvith the prodigall that spends all in excesse of royott both in drunken­nesse, & leavvdnes vvhat could he ansvvere? Here­tofore the proverbe vvas he is as drunke as a begger, but novve the gallants, & gentery take it vp. Heretofore boyes vvould cry out at them in the streets as at some monster, but novve it is cause of boasting. Heretofore they vsed to bovve their knees in prayer, but novve to drinke healths till they are out of health. In leaudnes [Page 99] also he hath spent his all, vpon his vvhore, or harlott. All his body full of rottennes, All his vvealth ex­hausted, & he himselfe brought to a crust of bread. All the povvers of his soule corrupted, his strenght vveakned, his eiesight dimmed, his voice harsh, & pox, & penury his coate of armes. In a vvord he becomes a vvitch to all his vvitt, a theefe to all his vvealth, & a deuill to his vvhole man.

Practice. 4 The last vse is of Motion God forgiueth vs all our sinnes. If he should reserue our sinne,Mat. 18.32. & impute it vnto vs in vvhat vvofull estate vvere vve? shall vve serue him by halfes? shall vve not giue him all? If a man vvould giue all the substance of his house for loue it vvould vtterly be contemned saith the Spouse in the Canticles,Cant. 8▪7. & vvithout doubt if vve loue god vvith all our hart vve vvill deny him nothing of all. Paule tells vs that vve are all concluded vnder sinne, for vve haue all of vs sinned Let vs therefore make our peace vvith our all, that vve may obtayne all, then haue vve made the best bargaine that euer vve made in the vvorld. For then vve shall be deliuered vp in the kingdome by CHRIST to god the father that he may be all in all vvhich god grant vnto vs all AMEN.

Novve are vve come vnto the last vvhich is this Marchants purchase. Blessed vvas his deligence, choise, constancie, skill, readines, contempt of the vvorld, & full persvvasion to obtaine so great a purchase for the text sayth he bought it The learning vvhereof is this.

The fiftenth lesson.

That it is the greatest purchase of the world so to buy, & sell in the vvorld that vve may purchase at the last the inheritance of the other vvorld.

1 Mat. 16.26The truth of this appeareth First by Christs question, For vvhat is a man profited, if he should purchase the vvhole vvorld, & lose his ovvne soule? Or vvhat shall a man giue in exchange for his soule? This question poseth all vvorldlie purchasers, all subtile exchangers. Secondly this appeareth by parable vvhat did all those recusāts gaine which vvould not come vnto the supper,Luc. 14.16 vvhereunto they vvere so kindly invited? One had purchased a farme another bought fiue yoke of oxen, euen this they gained that they should not tast of that heauenly supper.1. Cor. 7.29.3 [...].31. Thirdly it is plaine by apostolicall ex­position of that supper. But this I say brethren, the tyme is short. It remayneth, that both they that haue vviues, be as though they had none, & they that vveepe, as though they vvept not. And they that reioyce as though they reioyced not, & they that buy, as though they possessed not, & they that vse this vvorld as not abusing it, for the fashion of this vvorld passeth avvay.

2 In the seond place it appeareth by the rules of buying, & selling. First vvho sees not his ovvne vvant, & therefore vve buy.Rom. 3. We all vvant the grace of god, & vvho vvould not buy it, if he sold all. Secondly buyers desire to haue vvhat they vvant for their mony. But this purchase is offered vvithout mony,Esai 55.1. Phil. 3.8. or monies vvorth. Thirdly they buy for a great price vvhat they vvould haue yea vve must account all things as doung [Page 101] to vvinne Christ. Fourthly buying, & selling is by exchange. Properly in this, there is noe exchange as is shevved before out of Esay. 55. & 1. And Simon Ma­gus vvas rebuked, that thought the grace of god vvas to be bought vvith mony. Was it not a blessed exchange for vs, vvhen the ramme vvas taken for Isaac,2. Cor. [...].21 that is vvhen he that knevve noe sinne, vvas made sinne for vs that vve might be the righteousnes of god in him? vvhich caused Martin Luther oftimes to say in his prayers O god thou art my sinne, & I am thy righte­ousnes. If you shall aske of me hovve this exchange is made. I ansvvere in a vvord. By faith, & the friuts thereof, prayer, & good vvorkes. For albeit vve haue nothing of our selues to giue, yet it hath pleased god to giue himself in his sonne for vs. By vvhich free, & vo­luntary gift vve purchase pure gold that enricheth vs royall robes that cover our nakednesse, & pretious eie salue that maketh vs see. The gold is our faith vvhich is much more pretious then gold that perisheth, both in brightnes, price, & profitt, as S. Peter speaketh?1. Pet. 1.7. The garments vvhere vvith vve are couered, are the rich robes of our sanctification.Gal. 3.27. For as many of vs as haue bine baptized haue put on Christ. Yea all the elect of god haue put on the tender bovvells of mercie, kindnes, humblenes of mind, meekenes, long suffering.Coll. 3.12. For if we are not thus clothed vvith the robes of grace, our filthines vvill appeare to god, and vve shall become abhominable. The eie salue vvherby vve see vvhat is it but the illumination of gods spirit vvherby vve see vvith Stephen heauen opened, Heare vvith Paule things that cannot be vttered by vvords, & at the last enioy eternall rest vvith Lazarus in Abraham bosome. The [Page 102] reason of this appeares from Solomons Counsell.Prov. 23.23 Buy the truth,Apoc. 3.18 & sell it not, also vvisdome & instruction. & vnderstanding. Secondly from the counsell of an angell I counsell thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou maiest be rich, & vvhite rayment that thou maiest be clothed, & that the shame of thy naked­nes doe not appeare, & anoynt thine eies vvith eies salue, that thou maiest see. Marke vvhat is sayd, he counselleth you, & that you may not distrust this counsell.Esay. 9.6. The prophet Esay tells you he is the vvonderfull counseller. Thirdly from the obseruation of all the godly in all the ages of the vvorld. Some haue stolne this purchase by doing good deeds secretly, & are revvarded openly.Matt. 11.12 Some haue taken it by violence. For the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence by such as are importunate vvith god day, and night for it. Others barter for it by leauing frends, fauors, all to haue this purchase. Let all the great men of the vvorld that thinke of nothing els, but of their purchasing rents, and reuennevvs tell me vvhat purchase can be compared to this The light vvhereof the vvord hath shevved them, & the right vvhereof reason hath directed them in.

Practice 1 The first practice of this is of estimation. For vvherein is any purchase in the vvorld to be esteemed as this, or compared vvith this? Either in respecte of continuance, or the vvorth. The continuance of this purchase is not only for our life time, but ēdures till our death, yea & after our death. What purchase then is like this vvhich brings to the penitent pardon, for sinns past, presēt, & to come, vvhich clotheth vs vvith the obediēce of Christ in the fullfilling of the lavve, which dignifieth vs vvith the titles of the sonnes of god, & the brothers [Page 103] of Christ Iesus, vvhich gardeth vs vvith protection of angels, & turneth all our crosses, & curses into blessings, giues vs his spirit to be our life, makes our prayers in­cense in the nostrills of god, makes his ovvne flesh vvhich he took of vs to be a pavvne for vs in heauen. Tell me o you purchasers of the earth vvhat royalties of any earthly purchase can be compared to these? But this is not all It con­tinues in death. For death is noe death to such a purchase, but by a blessed exchange is made the vvay to heauen, yea, & after death it continueth for by this purchase our bodies arise againe to life,Phil. 3.10. & vve haue a royalty to iudge the vvorld, yea the euill angells, & at the last to fitt together in heauenly places vvith Christ Iesus. The vvord of it incomparable. For no lesse then all Christ is our purchase, & that also according to both natures. It is a fearefull thing vve knovve to fall into the hands of the liuing god, but novve to fall into the hand of a god that died for vs. It is comfort vnspeakeble. Behold nowe thē vvith the eies of your pretious faith your Christ in his humilitatiō redeeming you frō hell, & the povvers of darknes, & by his exaltatiō hath put you in possessiō of the kingdome of heauē by liuery, & seisen in our owne nature.Io. 14.2. For he is gōe to prepare you a place

Practice 2 The second vse is of direction. If you shall aske me by vvhat vvay you may obtayne this purchase. I ansvvere There is noe other way but to cōfesse that we are poore miserable, blind, & naked, & then vve shall seeke to supplie our vvants from this purchase. Secondly to knovve that all good is in this purchase for vvithout Christ neither heauen, nor earth is any thing, nor men, nor angells, nor god himselfe is availeable to vs without Christ.

[Page 104]Thirdly vve must detest that foolish fullnes vvhich the papists dreame of, to be in the chest of the church, vvhere in not only they conceaue to be an ouer plus of Christ meritts, but also of Martyrs, & saincts, from, vvhich treasure of the church the pope deriueth his plenary indulgences, & selleth those goodly purchases to the bevvitched slaues of his Romish captiuity But vve knovve in Christ dvvelleth all the fullnes of the godhead bodily, & that noe Romish miscreant hath any povver to dispose of any of this fullnes, but only the spirit of our god vvho is Christs viceroy, & disposeth of this purchase a plentifull portion to saue our soules.

Lastly there must be an heauenly desire in vs to be svvallovved vp of the loue of god in Christ, & this is the meanes to obtaine this purchase.

Practice 3 The third vse is of Expostulation. Tell you me all you great purchasers of the vvorld, that ioyne house to house; & lay feild to feild, till there be noe place, & that you may dvvell alone in the midst of the earth, doth not a vvoe follovve you at your heeles.Esay. 50.8. Tell me ye that spoyle others,Esay. 33. & are not spoyled your selues the vvhile, shall not others spoyle you or yours, that the broken titles you haue entered into, the morgages you haue receaued, & the forfeitures, that you haue taken may bring vvoe vnto you, that are at ease in Sion, & rich in the mount of Samaria. That your depopulations of countries, improuements of lands, rackings of rents, grindings of the faces of the poore, & other such like Iesuiticall practices (vvhich you blanch vvith this saying) It is lavvfull for vs to make the most of our ovvne, though thereby you make the least of all men els that deale vvith you. That these things I say may be [Page 105] as bane, & bitternes, vvrath, & vvormevvood to you, & yours, & that the old vvorld of the Ievves both in their tabernacle & temple may vtterly condemne you in their zeale, & earnestnes for god.

Practice 4 The fourth vse is of entreaty. Wherein I desire euery man that hath faith to examine it, & tell me if that man be not a starke foole vvhich beleeueth an idle dreame to be true Yet such is all the purchase of this vvorld. Aske the Prophet Esay, & he vvill tell you chapter 29.8. Is not he a starke foole that doth giue credit to a traytor,Seph. 1.8. yet such is the vvorld that betrays vs vvith a kiss as did Judas, or that serueth such a master that cannot helpe him. For noe purchase but this of heauen can deliuer vs. Is not he a madman that prouideth snares to entangle himself, and goeth to drovvne himself, & endeuoreth to quench fire, not by casting on vvater, but oyle; So doe all the mad men of the vvorld that couet to be rich vvith vvorldly purchases, & not vvith this. So Paule teacheth his scholer Timothy.1. Tim. 6.9 Yea is not a man possessed as it vvere vvith a lunaticke deuill vvhich doth oft cast him into the vvaters of affliction,Matth. 17. vvhen he meets vvith many troubles in the vvorld by reason of his purchases, & many vnnecessary, & tedious suits in lavve vvhich doe miserably distract, & drovvne him, & ploung him into many, manifold, & manifest garboyles, & turmoyles both of mind, & body, goods, & good name. Is he not as it vvere possessed vvith a spirit of infirmity that bovves him dovvne still to the earth as the poore vvoman in the gosple?Luc. [...]8. Yea doubtles the spirit of blindnes, darkenes, & doomenes haue possessed all such vvorldlings that mind only earth, & earthly things, & neuer thinke of this heauenly purchase.

[Page 106] Practice 5 The last practice is of Motion▪ tending to resolution. I mention only tvvo purchases at this tyme. The one made by Abraham the other by Iudas. Abra­hams purchase vvas a sepucherir to bury in.Gen. 23. It vvas the caue in Machpelah, & it cost him fovver hundred sycles vvhich is 33.^h 6.^s 8.^d sterling. This vvas a blessed purchase It vvas the dormitory for the bodys of his tribe to sleepe in, vntill the last trumpet should call them to heauen.