N00348:186
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. See that you do not place your hopes for happiness in this life or the things of it. That is it which makes these Doctrines which represent the Worlds grandeur as contemptible, and the afflictions of it as scarce regardable, to seem Paradoxes to us, because we confine mans happiness too much to this present time. The Apostle saw how incompatible these two were, to be a Christian, and to tie up ⟨p. 164⟩ones hopes to this life, when he laid down that conclusion. 1 Cor. 15. 19. If our hope in Christ were for this life only, we were of all men most miserable. If we think it an undoing thing, either to be without the delights, or to suffer the afflictions of this World, it will be no hard matter to make us put off the Truth as a cumbersome Commodity; yea, as that the keeping whereof will endanger our ruin. And that is the reason why carnal men account resolved Christians to be the veriest Fools in nature.
1. See that you do not place your hopes for happiness in this life or the things of it. That is it which makes these Doctrines which represent the Worlds grandure as contemptible, and the afflictions of it as scarce regardable, to seem Paradoxes to us, because we confine mans happiness too much to this present time. The Apostle saw how incompatible these two were, to be a Christian, and to ty up ⟨p. 164⟩ones hopes to this life, when he laid down that conclusion. 1 Cor. 15. 19. If our hope in Christ were for this life only, we were of all men most miserable. If we think it an undoing thing, either to be without the delights, or to suffer the afflictions of this World, it will be no hard matter to make us put off the Truth as a cumbersome Commodity; yea, as that the keeping whereof will endanger our ruine. And that is the reason why carnal men account resolved Christians to be the veriest Fools in nature.