Heavenly merchandiseHeavenly merchandize

1. By way of Motive: And here I might preface this commendation, by blowing upon all other Commodities whatsoever, and telling you what poor, empty, unprofitable trash they are in comparison with this: what childish Baubles and Rattles all the Worlds Honours are; What Shells and Husks, and Chaff are all its Riches; What Shadows and insubstantial things are all its pleasures; that he who labours for them, doth but labour for the East-wind; he that lays out Money for the procuring of them, doth it for that which is not bread; he that purchaseth and possesseth them, inherits nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit: & he that hath taken the greatest pains, and been followed with the best success inquest of them, after all his toil, travail and expense, sits down in the conclusion as unsatisfied as ⟨p. 68⟩ever, and when I have said it, I might make it all good (and a great deal more) as by the testimony of the Word of God, which is full and clear in this point, so by the confession of a great multitude of Men, who have found it to be so by unhappy experience; and let not this consideration be neglected. But let me acquaint you, that Truth needs no foil to set it off, it having sufficient worth and excellency in it self, to commend it to the Children of men; though they observe it not by reason of inadvertency, who if they did consider his Field, would surely buy it: and to help you to this discovery, and to engage your Minds, and Hearts to it.

1. By way of Motive: And here I might preface this commendation, by blowing upon all other Commodities whatsoever, and telling you what poor, empty, unprofitable trash they are in comparison with this: what childish Baubles and Rattles all the Worlds Honours are; What Shells and Husks, and Chaffe are all its Riches; What Shadows and insubstantial things are all its pleasures; that he who labours for them, doth but labour for the East-wind; he that layes out Money for the procuring of them, doth it for that which is not bread; he that purchaseth and possesseth them, inherits nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit: & he that hath taken the greatest pains, and been followed with the best success inquest of them, after all his toil, travail and expence, sits down in the conclusion as unsatisfied as ⟨p. 68⟩ever, and when I have said it, I might make it all good (and a great deal more) as by the testimony of the Word of God, which is full and clear in this point, so by the confession of a great multitude of Men, who have found it to be so by unhappy experience; and let not this consideration be neglected. But let me acquaint you, that Truth needs no foil to set it off, it having sufficient worth and excellency in it self, to commend it to the Children of men; though they observe it not by reason of inadvertency, who if they did consider his Field, would surely buy it: and to help you to this discovery, and to engage your Minds, and Hearts to it.