Heavenly merchandiseHeavenly merchandize

2. That if he sells the Truth to buy his peace with the world, he lays down too great a sum for it, and shall certainly purchase to himself the greater misery, when God sold him the Truth, it was under the straitest and most solemn engagement never to sell it again; this was one of the articles in the contract which past between them and how shall be do this great wickedness, and sin against God? he knows that by keeping of it (let the worst come that can) he shall but purchase to himself a created malice, which can ⟨p. 63⟩no farther vent it self but by inflicting—bodily sufferings upon him; he shall no more but expose himself to their fury, whose farthest power can extend but to kill the body, and he sees no reason to be amazingly affrighted at that, having the prospect of an endless life in his eye; but he is certain that if he shall cowardly or perfidiously betray his trust, and part with the Truth, he shall procure to himself the sorest indignation of the great God, incur his infinite displeasure, and throw himself upon his wrath, who can destroy both Soul and Body in hell for ever; and that he is with highest reason afraid of: he bears it in remembrance continually who it is that hath said, whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his father, with the holy Angels, Mat. 8. 18. and he thinks it a thousand time more eligible to undergo the worst that the world can do, rather than to throw himself upon the woeful hazard of being disowned by the Lord of glory, in that day when it will be nothing less than hell so to be: and hence he hath drawn up, and fixeth himself upon this resolve, that he will leave himself to the sovereign dispose of Gods Providence, and if he ⟨p. 64⟩sees meet so to permit, let them do their pleasure, and glut their rage upon this clay house, till they can do no more, but when they have done all, the Truth they shall never pluck from me, but I will live and dye by it; and if thus to do must be accounted to be mad, and to play the fool, let every true Christian be resolute to be yet more mad, and still to play the fool more, for the sake of Christ and the Truth.

2. That if he sells the Truth to buy his peace with the world, he lays down too great a summe for it, and shall certainly purchase to himself the greater misery, when God sold him the Truth, it was under the straitest and most solemn engagement never to sell it again; this was one of the articles in the contract which past between them and how shall be do this great wickedness, and sin against God? he knows that by keeping of it (let the worst come that can) he shall but purchase to himself a created malice, which can