N00348:80
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.
6. They trade for the most Durable Estate: It is that which, when once gotten, will abide by them; hence that Pro. 8. 18. Riches and honour are with me: yea, Durable Riches and Righteousness. The whole traffic of this world is occupied about perishing things: there is a moth in their garments, and rust upon their metals, and a thief watcheth for both, ready to carry them ⟨p. 56⟩away: all these things have wings, and are every moment ready for the flight, Pro. 23. 5. Riches certainly make themselves wings, &c. and no man ever yet had the art to clip them, or if they did, they soon grew again: but Truth is a never failing treasure; if once a man hath gotten it for his own, it will never forsake him. Truth is in it self Incorruptible, 1 Pet. 1. 23 and hence is incapable of being corroded by moth or rust, and it lies out of the reach of the Thief, he that possesseth the Truth cannot be robbed of it. There are indeed some things here below, that are more durable than others, and hence (comparatively) are more desirable, on which account the worlds prudent men endeavour to convert their estates as fast as they may with convenience, into them; such are Houses and Lands: and the Psalmist gives us the reason for it, Psal. 49. 11. Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations. But the man who hath turned his all into Truth, and settled that as his proper inheritance, hath infinitely out-witted these men. Truth is an everlasting Treasure, and he that hath bought it shall have something to live on, when the other shall be like the beasts that perish; and is it so? Let then the ⟨p. 57⟩worlds Ishmaels mock on; and let pious souls bear it patiently, until the happy time shall come, wherein all accounts shall be adjusted, and even-reckonings made up: and if then, these Merchants shall be found fools, let the wicked triumph for ever: but know it assuredly how scornfully soever they now deport themselves toward the children of Wisdom, the Upright shall have dominion over them in the morning.