Heavenly merchandiseHeavenly merchandize

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 ⟨p. 27⟩their liberties, they may lose their estates, their credit or reputation among men, their visible enjoyment of the Gospel and Ordinances thereof, all these may be taken away from them whether they will or no: but they cannot lose the Truth, except they deliver it up; they may indeed be bewitched with enticements, so were the Galatians; Gal. 3. 1. but it is their own folly that they are so, as he there gives them to understand. O Foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth?

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 yeild. There may indeed be a lothness 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 demurr, 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