Heavenly merchandiseHeavenly merchandize

2. Which is the best and surest title; when they have received the Truth in Love, and heartily embraced it by a saving faith; when they receive it, as it is in Jesus; when they are really built upon it: for then the Truth is indeed theirs by such a sure claim, as can never be justly questioned; they have bought it, and it is their own; God himself hath made it over to them, and sealed up the Sale.

2. Selling imports our letting go or parting with our propriety altogether in the thing; what a man hath sold, he can no longer lay any claim to, or challenge any right in it; he puts himself wholly out of the possession of it, and alienates it to another: and hence from that time forward, he disowns, disclaims, looks not after it, concerns not himself about it: thus a man hath then sold the Truth, when he hath relinquished the Profession of it, which sometimes he had made: when a man once comes to disown the Truth, as to an outward Profession, and either will not stand by it, or openly renounceth it, when he either will not ⟨p. 26⟩own it, or is bold to deny it, though once he challenged an interest in it, this man hath sold it.

3. Selling imports a willingness to part with a thing. There are some things which may be taken away from men by an hand of violence, and against their wills; they that are too strong for them, may wrest them out of their hands forcibly, and this cannot be called selling; for that is ever done by consent, it being always acted in a contract which is made between two parties, to the making up and determining of which the will must of necessity yield. There may indeed be a loathness in a person to part with such a thing, and by reason of this averseness, he may give a great many denials to him that is urgent upon him to move him to sell it, but all this while there is a demur, there is no bargain made till it comes to this, for that always waits for consent; he may indeed come to this with reluctancy, yet he is prevailed upon to yield; and truly the Truth is such a commodity, as no man that hath it, can be robbed of it, nor can he lose it, except he be willing to it; it must be a voluntary act of his own: Men may lose