N00348:28
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.
4. A prudent buyer will see his wares, & try them before he will buy them. Men do not love to traffic in the dark, or take things upon trust, because they know that there is a great deal of falsehood and deceit in the world, false wares are sold for true, bad things are ⟨p. 14⟩put off for good; they would therefore know what they pay for, and are exceeding loath to be cheated; and thus (to be sure) must he do that would buy the Truth, and not be imposed upon: for there are no such cheats used again in the whole world, as there are in matters of Religion. As God hath his Factors (the faithful Gospel-Ministers) who use their utmost endeavour to set forth nothing to men, but the Saving Truths of the Gospel, those undeceiving verities of Jesus Christ, and such as will bear the trial, and stand before the exactest scrutiny: and hence they dare not deliver any thing at random, but with greatest solemnity weigh before hand, all that they make offer of unto men as Truth, proving all things: So Satan hath his broachers of false wares, his Merchants that have the balances of fraud in their hands, who with a great deal of falsehood and cousinage, and with many fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple. They have an unknown deal of hellish art, and take great pains to set a specious gloss upon their commodities; hence Mat. 24. 24. if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect. So that they who would be sure to get the Truth, and not be put off with a lye in the ⟨p. 15⟩stead of it, must not be over credulous, but exceeding wary; and labour to be well skilled in the rules of distinction, and be able to make application of them with great curiosity: Such is Pauls advice, 1 Thes. 5. 21. prove all things; and it was the Bereans commendation, that they tried all by the Scriptures, Acts 17. 11.
4. A prudent buyer will see his wares, & try them before he will buy them. Men do not love to traffick in the dark, or take things upon trust, because they know that there is a great deal of falshood and deceit in the world, false wares are sold for true, bad things are