N00348:183
Heavenly merchandiseHeavenly merchandize
Heavenly merchandise; or The purchasing of truth recommended and the selling of it dissuaded; as it was delivered in several sermons upon Prov. 23. 23. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Three lines of Scripture text]Heavenly merchandize; or The purchasing of truth recommended and the selling of it disswaded; as it was delivered in several sermons upon Prov. 23. 23. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Three lines of Scripture text]
printed by Samuel Green, 1686
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. Be persuaded to believe what losers you shall be, if you shall exchange the Truth for any worldly things whatsoever. Men that do buy and sell do aim at some advantage by it, or else they had as good sit still and spare themselves the trouble; but if you should let go any one Truth for all that is to be gotten in the World, you would not only be no gainers, but inexpressible losers: thus to do would be nothing less or better than to sell a substance for a shadow, an enduring substance for a flying shadow: compare the highest offers that the world is able to make, with the Truth, and see how incomparably they fell short of having the worth and good in them which that hath: is it wealth, it tempts you with? (and so poor Demas ⟨p. 161⟩was fooled out of his Religion) why they are but the Treasures of Egypt, and the reproach of Christ is greater Riches than all these, Heb. 11. 26. Gold it self is but perishing dust, Truth is an everlasting Treasure. Are they earthly pleasures and carnal delights? Afflicted Truth is upon a mature deliberation to be chosen before them: as being more eligible, Heb. 11. 25. thus to part with it, is to give undefiled Delights and everlasting, for the pleasures of sin which are but for a season. Is it favour and respect in the World? it is to exchange the love of the eternal God, for the good will of dying men, and to put your selves under their character, Joh. 12. 43 they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. In a word, put them all together, and make the most of them you possibly can, and they will amount but to a fading felicity, upon which you shall never settle; but keep the Truth, and it shall crown you with immortality and eternal life.
1. Be perswaded to believe what losers you shall be, if you shall exchange the Truth for any worldly things whatsoever. Men that do buy and sell do aim at some advantage by it, or else they had as good sit still and spare themselves the trouble; but if you should let go any one Truth for all that is to be gotten in the World, you would not only be no gainers, but inexpressible losers: thus to do would be nothing less or better than to sell a substance for a shadow, an enduring substance for a flying shadow: compare the highest offers that the world is able to make, with the Truth, and see how incomparably they fell short of having the worth and good in them which that hath: is it wealth, it tempts you with? (and so poor Demas