Heavenly merchandiseHeavenly merchandize

A. Buying in general refers to Commutative Justice; and is that wherein a man purchaseth to himself the right and possession of one thing, by the exchange of some other thing for it, with the consent of the former owner; which is accepted as a valuable price. This Metaphor is here used by the Holy Ghost, not by way of proportion, but merely of similitude; for man hath nothing to give for it, that is equivalent to its worth, and is therefore said to buy without money, and without price, Isa. 55. 1. Only there is something to be done by the man in this transaction, which hath some little Analogy ⟨p. 11⟩with, or resemblance to such a thing among men; which what it is may be made to appear in several particulars.

A. Buying in general refers to Commutative Justice; and is that wherein a man purchaseth to himself the right and possession of one thing, by the exchange of some other thing for it, with the consent of the former owner; which is accepted as a valuable price. This Metaphor is here used by the Holy Ghost, not by way of proportion, but meerly of similitude; for man hath nothing to give for it, that is equivalent to its worth, and is therefore said to buy without money, and without price, Isa. 55. 1. Only there is something to be done by the man in this transaction, which hath some little Analogy ⟨p. 11⟩with, or resemblance to such a thing among men; which what it is may be made to appear in several particulars.

1. Buying of any thing intimates that a man hath it not of his own; what a man hath already at home in his proper possession, he needs not go to the market to buy it; and thus it is with fallen man, in his Natural Estate: Truth doth not fall to him by inheritance, but he is born a mere stranger to it; see