wis, from that which is craffe, invincible, pure negationis; And fo : 2. Idle lazy persons are to be reproved, who are so supine, and carelesse, as will not stirre a foot to purchase Christ. The wisemen came from the East to worship Christ, and the Queen of Sheba from the uttermoft parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Solomen: these shall rise in judgment against this lazy generation; who will be at no paines, and at no cost for the purchase of a Saviour. Mannah falls round about your tents, You have bread in the morning, and bread in the evening, will not you take paines to gather it? You have a Mart, and a market for your foules; These places of concourse are open (which is no small mercy) and will you not come at them? Men goe many miles for a gainful bargain, and are ye so fick of the lazies as you will not step over the threshold to hear a Sermon?--Non nifi fublato reperitur gemmula saxo. This pearle is not to be had by such as fold their hands in their bosomes, nor fuch as lye at Tavernes, and Alehouses, nor such as in contempt of the Gospel willfully absent themselves from the publick ordinances, for fear left the plain dealing of the Minister should touch them to the quick. 3. Covetous persons are to be reprooved, who will not foregoe an Ox, a farme, not a penny profit in the trade for Jesus Chrift. Mammon is their god, and therefore they'le give no entertainment unto Jesus Christ. Gold and filver, corne, and wine, lands and sumptuous buildings are their God. Take away these, and they will reply with Mica, ye have taken away my Gods, and what have I more? You may read the absurd Contents of the foolish Gadarens petition, that Jesus Christ would depart out of their coafts: They prefer'd their fwine before a Jefus. Judas betrayed Chrift for 30 peeces of filver: And the young man in the Gofpel prefer'd treasures on earth before treasures in heaven. Demas for the love of the world turn'd Apostate. If a man will allow himselfe in covetousnesse, hel'e be any thing as opportunity offers: Hel'e fell his conscience for Mammon: Hel'e tack about for his best advantage. A man that was never drunk with wine nor beare, yet may be drunk with the cares of the N world Heb. 13.5. Ufe 2. For Examination. Do you Exalt ments. world (as our Saviour expresseth) Luk. 21.34. A Christian's conversation must be without covetousnesse. 4. Profane persons are to be reproved, such as are of Efan's humor, Heb. 12.16. who for one morfell of meat fold his birth-right. A profane perfon will not foregoe a lust for Christ: The drunkard will not leave his cups: The uncleane person will not leave his strumpet nor the swearer his oaths for Chrift. And why! because they are enemies to Chrift: Christ and Belial, Chrift and profanenesse of spirit, Chrilt and lufts cannot be reconciled. The second Ufe is for Examination, whether we are willing to fell all for the purchase of Jesus Chrift: By way of character ll'e propound three queries. 1. Doe we exalt and preferre Chrift above all besides? If so it will appeare by our judgments, affections, and converfation. 1. Doe you exalt Christ in your judgments; Have you a spirit 1 Query. of difcerning, to difcerne more beauty, wisdome, riches, purity and vertue in Christ, then in all the world besides ? observe what a high 1. In your judg-commendation the spouse gives of Chritt upon experimentall knowledg Cant 5.10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest amongst 2. In your affecti tenne thousands: Chrift was white for his innocency, and ruddy for his sufferings. 2. Doe you exalt Christ in your affections, doe you love Christ with an entire love, doth his love constraine you, 2 Cor. 5. 14. Doe you set your joy upon Christ? when Chrift came in the power of his Ministery, 'tis said there was a great joy in that City, Atts 8.9. That Christian who hath a white stone and a new name! Ohow is his heart ravisht with an exuberant joy? And doe you place your defire upon Christ? Pfal. 73.25. whom have I in Heavin but thee? theres none whom I defire befides thee. 3 Your life and 3. Doe you exalt Chrift in your life and conversation? Then sverfation: doe we price Christ highest, when we live to him, and the life of Christ is fashioned in us, when Christs image is stamp's upon our spirits, when we square our lives according to the will of God, when we fet up Chrift commander in chiefe in our foules, its evident that we exalt Chrift, and fet the highest price of him. a Query. Ave we willing to dente our ferves. The second Query is, Whether we are willing to deny our selves for Chrift? Who ever will come after Chrift must deny himselfe, Matth. 16.24. What ever is selse must be denied for Jesus Chrift. Selfe opinions, selfe applaudings, felfe reasonings, selfe righteousnesse, felfe interest, Ends, and Aymes, must all be renounced for Je fus fus Chrift. A proud man must denie his proud felfe. A paffionate man muft denie his paffionate felfe: A schollar must deny his learning, a wife man his own wisdome, a strong man his strength; All must be denied when they stand in competition with, or opposition unto Jesus Christ. One querie more I'le propound, and it is very seasonable. Are you willing to undergo any affliction, to fuffer any hardship for Je.. 3 Query. ius Chrift? As a man must deny himselse, so he must take up hiscrosse. Are we willing The Apostle teis the Philippians, Phil. 1 29.To you it is given in the be- to suffer for halfe of Christ not onely to believe on him, but also to suffer for his fake, Crafte A fuffering faith is the gift of God. Are you refolved to take Chrift upon his own conditions. Will you follow the lamb where ever he goeth, through thick and thin, even through a showre of blood, when you are called thereunto. Elibu makes it the marke of an Hypocrite 176.36.21. to choose iniquity rather then affliction. Whereas when it comes to this Dilemma, either I must choose affliction, or finne, then must my refsolution be to choose the greatest affliction in the world, rather then to wound my confcience with the leaft fin, Hee's a believer of the right stamp indeed who is of Pauls refolution, Alts 21.13. willing not onely to be bound, but to die at ferusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus. Put your selves upon triall by these three forementioned queries. : i : tion. Vse 3. The third Ufe is for Exhortation: I beseech you in the Bowels of Jesus Christ (as you regard the eternall good of your pretious For Exhortafoules) to be Merchant Venturers for the pearle of price: Oh that I could prevaile with you to foregoe and fell all you have for the purchase of Jesus Christ. But you will demand what must we fell and foregoe? I answere 1. Thou must foregoe thy lufts, bid adieu to thy beloved finnes, put to death those brats of Babilon, flaughter thy corruptions: Foregoe thy Thou must deale with thy fins, as Samuel dealt with Agag, hew them bufts. in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal; Make no Apologies for finne, plead not Antiquity, pleasure,profit, custome, interest, &c. All these are but forry fig-leaves to cover thy nakednesse. If thy nearest Relations stand in opposition to Christ, thou must foregoe them too. For fo Christ determines. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me, is not worthy of me, and be that loveth Sonne or Daughter more then me, is not worthy of me, Matth. 10.37. N2 2. Thou 2 Foregoe your Pleasures. Profits. 2 Thou must foregoe thy pleasures for Christ, so did Mofes and Nehemiah bid adieu to Court pleasures: Many promife to redeeme their time and take Christ: But as Elimelech would not take the condition to redeeme it at the hands of Ruth, lest he marred his own inheritance: Ruth.4.6. so when the condition comes thou must foregoe these and these pleasures and be serious, and grave in all thy carriages, then many fly off, and will not take Christ upon such termes. But without question Christ is the onely pleasure; And the waies of wisedome are the onely waies of pleasantnesses Prov. 3. 17. no joy, no pleasure to be compared to the joy in a believers foule, arising from the beames of Gods reconciled countenance darted upon it. 3. Thou must foregoe thy profits for Jesus Christ. When Chrift invited they all with one consent began to make excuse. But none of 3. Foregre thy these were fit guests for Christ. Be it a great Farme, a goodly Revenue, and it stand in competition with Christ, thou must let all goe. You cannot properly be said to buy Christ, (for himselfe and his graces are free rich gifts) yet much good you may doe with your monyes. You may buy Bibles, good bookes, maintaine faithfull Ministers, feed the hungry bellies, and cloath the naked backs of many poore afflicted members of Jesus Chrift. Liberties. 4. Foregoe thy Liberty, ease, and quietnesse for Christ. With 4. Foregoe thy Ferome deny wife, Mother, children and all for Chrift. Put it to the Question whether would you rather be with the Apostles in prifon finging sweetly, and enjoying communion with God, then with Apostate Demas ranging in the wide world. Thou maist have liberty of body and an imprisoned spirit, and thou màist have an imprisoned body, and inlargement of spirit. There's a black cloud hanging over the whole kingdome, and we know not what the womb of one day may bring forth. Doe not feeke thy own ease, and quietnesse amidst publick calamities, let Baruchs fayling be thy warning peece, fer. 45.5. And Seekest thou great things for thy felfe? , Seeke them not. 5. Foregoe honours and preferments for Chrift. It was Ignatius his saying, Antiquitas mea,& nobilitas mea Jesus Chriftus; would you know, who have the best noble blood running in their veines, you may find Acts 17.11. These were more noble then those of Thesalonica, in that they received the word wish all readinesse of mind, and searched the the Scripture daily, whether those things were so. No honour to holi- 6. And lastly, thou must foregoe thy life (when thou hast a calling) for Jesus Christ. Think not thy blood too deare for him who 6. Foregoc thylife ventur'd his blood for thee; In this cause by loofing thy life, thou when Christ calls shalt lave it. All are gayners, none loofers that die in Christ and for it. for Christ. But examine thy selse, if thou canst not foregoe a luit, a pleasure, a dignity, a liberty for him; If thou canst not bear a scoffe, and a reproach for Christ, how wilt thou be able to refift unto blood, to endure the fiery tryall? I may expoftulate with the Prophet, fer. 12.5. If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst they wearied thee, then how wilt thon doe in the swelling of Fordan? If lesser afflictions cast thee down low, will not greater quite overwhelme thee? consider of those things in thy most serious composed thoughts. ufe 4. The 4th Use, and last is for direction. The Question will be askt For Direction. what meanes must bee used for the purchase of this pearle? In the 1. Direction. winding up of all, I'le prescribe a few principall means, and forth- Come to the mar with conclude. kets. 1. You must come to the markets whilst they last, and whilst the shops are open. To day is the market, and the Ministry of the Gofpell thewes forth the most pretious wares. Now then come here and buy. Mary found Christ in the midst of the Doctors, and the blind man lay in the way where Christ came by. Jacobs fons must goe to Ægypt to fetch corne. The five Virgins are bid to goe to them that fell, Matth. 25.9. The Minister tenders these commodities. Sabboths are market daies, and the publick assemblies market places: fit then at the feet of your teachers, come frequently to the meanes of grace. This coming is accepted as a kind of price (though not meritorious) paid to purchase Christ, Though grace be free,and we cannot bring mony in our hands, yet come come, come tis thrice ingeminated, Ifay 55. 1. 2. Direction. 2. When you are gone from hence give your selves to reading, Give your selva meditation and conference. Read and search the Scripture, bring to Reading and all Meditation. |