THE MERCHANT. A SERMON PREACHED AT PAUL'S Cross on Sunday the 24. of August, being the day before Bartholomew fair. 1607.  
BY DANIEL PRICE Master of Arts, of Exeter College in Oxford.   Oxford crest 
At Oxford, Printed by joseph Barnes. 1608.   

TO THE HONOURABLE Company of Merchants of the City of London.  
HOnourable, worshipful, & beloved, at the last I am come to the execution of my first intention to the dedication of this Cross labour. It was long since prepared for you, and now at the length presented unto you, the Lord give all of you a spiritual blessing by it. Some honourable, and many favourable gales of wind have at length brought home this Merchant unto you, though in my labour in conducting thereof, I have ventured my credit to the wide sea of common opinion. I confess it is not the Merchant Royal coming to Solomon, laden with gold, and silver, ivory, and apes and Peacocks: But yet is such a Merchant as Solomon in all his riches was not so great as he. It is a holy and heavenly Merchant careful in search, happy in success whom neither the tediousness of the way, nor difficulty of the straits could hinder, but that he passeth through the world's Ocean, with speed, and gain, and glory, Christ being his Pilot, faith his stern, hope his anchor, Conscience his card, good works his lading, happiness his landing, and his haven heaven.  
At that great Mart whereas I was commanded this business I fitted the time with this Text, I hope this Text fitted some of you at that time, and my prayer unto God shall be that you may be fitted by this unto the attaining of your eternal salvation, and so I commend these labours unto you, and yourselves and them unto God.  
From Exeter College this 20. of April. 1608. Yours in the Lord jesus DANIEL PRICE.   
Matth. 13.45.46. 
The kingdom of heaven is like to a Merchant man, that seeketh good Pearls, who having found a Pearl of great price, went & sold all that he had, and bought it.  
RIght Honourable, Right Worshipful, & the rest right well-beloved in the Lord, ye are all here present before God, to hear all things that are this day commanded by God, the Lord bless you all, and increase the number of Christian, faithful, diligent, & obedient hearers. It is not long since that (being commanded to this place) in a more private audience, 
Hol. 1.2.3.  I proposed unto you a Text that contained the sum of the Law, and Gospel, nature and grace, sin and righteousness, life and death, judgement & mercy, affliction and conversion, adversity causing man to return to God, and repentance causing God to turn unto man; which subject I had now followed but that this time and meeting, and the expectation of so great an assembly do challenge this day, some other discourse: And therefore I have, (as you hear) provided a text of traffic, and trading, of buying, and selling, of merchandise, and marting, of gaining, and bargaining, an example of a good merchant, of good merchandise, of good policy, of good piety, of a royal exchange, nay more, of a holy & heavenly exchange; The kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant man, etc.  
Our Saviour in this Chapter by seven parables setteth forth the state of the kingdom of heaven, by the seed, ver. 3. of the tars, vers. 24. of the mustard seed, vers. 31. of the leaven, vers. 33. of the treasure, vers. 44. of a net, vers. 47. and here of a merchant in this 45. herein showing the Ministers of the Gospel their liberty, left to them in performance of their calling, not only nakedly to lay open the truth, but also to use helps of wit, invention and art, the good gifts of God, which may be used in Similitudes, Allusions, Applications, Comparisons, Proverbs, and Parables which tend to edification and illustrating of the word, that so the weak may be comforted, the rude may be informed the drowsy may be awakened, the hard-hared may be suppled, the perverse overwhelmed, and so by all means God himself may be glorified, & the Hearers bettered. S. Paul, the Doctor of the Gentiles professeth of himself that he became all, unto all men, that he might by all meres, 
1. Cor. 9.2.  win some of all. More truly may it be spoken of Christ who was the Schoolmaster of this master of the Gentiles he became all unto all men, not only as he was sent Dives divitibus, pauper pauperibus, flens flentibus, esuriens esurientibus, sitiens sitientibus, Rich unto those that are rich, poor unto those that are poor, weeping to those that are weeping, hungry to those that are hungry, thirsty to those that are thirsty, 
Ambroseir 4. Luc.  as S. Ambrose speaketh, medicus ad aegrotos, redemptor ad vendites, ad errantes via, ad mortuos vita, a Physician to those that are sick, a ransomer to those that were sold, the way to those that did wander, the life to those that were dead; as S. Bernard, but because he is truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Cor. 15.  even all in all as S. Paul speaketh, 
a 1. Cor. 15.28.  and even all to all in that he seeketh to draw all men, by the very similitudes drawn from their trades of life. So he called the wise Astronomers of the East by a star. 
b Math. 2 10  He drew the Fishermen unto him by a draft of fish, 
c Luk. 5.6.  the Samaritane that came to draw water at jacobs' well he drew by drawing for her the waters of life. 
d joh. 4.14.  To Marry in the garden he appeared like the gardener? 
e Ioh 20.15  To the travelers his disciples he appeared like a traveller. 
f Luk, 24, 16  So also frequently in the Gospel he teacheth many by many exemplary similitudes, the rich man by the rich man's care & greedy gathering, the Vine dresser by the vine dressers digging, and hedging, and dressing, The Labourer by the Labourers hire and working, the builder by the builders laying good foundation, the husbandman by the husbandman's sowing, the fisherman by the fisherman's casting nets and drawing: and here the merchant man by the merchants buying and selling, Quibus exemplis Doctores Evangelij monentur, by which examples the teachers of the Gospel are admonished as Musculus observeth, to become all unto all, not only as S. Paul, 
Mus. in 4. Matth.  qui omnium ingenijs se acomodovit, who did apply himself to the capacities of all hearers whatsoever, or howsoever different as Piseator observeth, but even as my Text master verbum vitea & vita verbi the word of life, 
Piscator.  and the life of the word who spoke as never man spoke, by framing themselves to all men's knowledge and nature as he did by allegories, stories, parables, & what not. Which may for ever serve to stop the mouths of those traducing and ignorant Sceptics who vilify the ingenious endeavours, of the best deserving labours in God's vineyard, when they be fitted for the day, times, place, persons, or other circumstances, with stories of husbandry from Columella, axioms of philosophy from Aristotle, 
Pet. Mart in 1. Cor. 15. Him Com. in Tit. 1.12. Pis●. in Tit. 1 ●●. Cal. in. Cor 15.33.  aphorisms of Physic from Galen, maxims of Law from justinian, so using Demosthenes & Tully for force of speech, Plato for Similes, Lyvie for historian eloquence, Virgil for descriptions, Tacitus for wit, Seneca for excellence of humanity, & Plutarch for morality. Sure I am that profound Austin in his questions, learned Jerome in his expositions, pathetical Chrisostome in his amplifications, mellifluent Bernard in his meditations, pitthie Cyprian in his persuasions, sweet Ambrose in his allusions, eloquent Nazianzen in moving affections do make good use of these writings, knowing that Quodcunque scriptum est etc. whatsoever is written before time is written for our learning, as for example in this Text wherein (as in all parables Christ applieth them to heavenly uses so more especially in this) he implieth thus much, that if a Merchant in his worldly vocation doth so continually follow his trade in seeking, finding, buying, selling, & exchanging; how much more should a Christian labour in his profession, and in his conversation to run his race, to fight his fight, to finish his course? And if the merchant do so much travel for the attaining of a pearl, how much should a Christian labour for the precious pearl of his salvation?  
The K. of heaven is like unto a merchant man etc. which is (as you see Ho, Worshipful & beloved) a parable for the Author most blessed, for the matter most gracious, for the example of the merchant most famous, for the merchandise most glorious, for the gain most desirous, more to be desired then gold, yea then fine gold.  
The kingdom of heaven is like to a man, not to every man but to a merchant man, not to every merchant but to a merchant that seeketh pearls, neither to one that seeketh all kind of pearls, but to a merchant that seeketh good pearls, neither to one that only seeketh but findeth, and having found selleth, and having sold buyeth, and having bought exchangeth many good pearls for one, nay all his good pearls for one goodly pearl, a pearl of great price, and so you see that the kingdom of heaven is compared to a wise diligent, seeking, finding, buying, selling, exchanging merchant.  
The K. of heaven is like to a merchant etc. Beloved the action of this merchant is not for any small, but for great gain, not for any carnal, but for spiritual glory, not for any transitory, but for an eternal treasure. The K. of heaven is like to a merchant etc. What trade more honourable than the merchant, what merchandise more honourable than the Kingdom of heaven? Ye are many of you come hither as buyers, as sellers, as merchants, and therefore at this time what argument more suasible, more plausible, more forcible, more available than this the K. of heaven is like to a merchant? like to a seeking, finding, buying, selling, exchanging merchant.  
Divisio In these words I will observe these two general points 1. the difficulty of obtaining the kingdom of heaven intimated in that it is compared to a merchant, the most diligent, careful, assiduous, industrious, laborious, and indefatigable of all other kinds of life. 2. The earnestness required in pursuing this kingdom expressed in the seeking, finding, buying, selling, exchanging al.  
Subdivisio. In the 1. obseru. 1. the thing compared. The kingdom of heaven. 2. The thing to the which it is compared. Is like to a Merchant man. In the 2. observe 1. the wisdom in seeking, who seeketh good pearls, 2. his success in finding, Who having found a pearl of great price, 3. his dear purchase in obtaining, went and sold all that he had and bought it.  
These be the limits of my passage, the land marks of my merchant, the particulars to be entreated of at this time and the proper circumstances of text. The Lord bless me in speaking, and you in hearing, & give us all a true understanding in all things in Christ jesus. First of the first.  

1. The thing compared.  In Scripture we had read of many and sundry kingdoms; of the K. of Satan, the K. of the world, the K. of Antichrist, the K. of Christ, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of Satan being that tyrannical regency, by which the Prince of darkness ruleth in the children of disobedience. The K. of Antichrist whereby the Pope the ille ipse iste Antichristus doth by his false doctrine, blind and afterwards bind the children of darkness to be obedient to him: The kingdom of the world is properly that human government by which one or divers do by God's ordinance, direct and govern the children of men. The K. of God, or of Christ, or of heaven, is that spiritual government begun in every of the elect in this life, by the glory of grace, and fully accomplished in the life to come by the grace of glory. There is much difference between the regiments of these kingdoms, the government of Satan's kingdom Tyrannical, of Antichrist Papistical, of the world Political, of heaven spiritual. Nay there is much difference even amongst the kingdoms of men, as they be subdivided in the K. of the world. Aventinus in his bello Turico could observe that the Empire of Germany was regnum regum, a kingdom of kings, because there were so many princes in that dominion that the kingdom of France was regnum asinorum, 
Aventi. bell. Ture.  a kingdom of asses because of the many taxes and grievous burdens they endured that the K. of Spain was Regnum hominum, a kingdom of men, because they are so obedient to their prince. That the K. of England, was Regnum Diabolorun a kingdom of Devils, because the subject, had so oft proved Traitors and betrayed & deprived their Princes. If the kingdom of men differ so much, how much doth the kingdom of God differ from men. The K. of this world, from the kingdom of the world to come, the kingdom of earth, from the kingdom of heaven? For this kingdom is that whereof Christ is the king, the Christians the subjects, the laws the word, the officers the Preachers, the vicegerents the governors, the enemies of this kingdom, sin, sathan, death and damnation, the weapons of this kingdom prayer, faith hope, and charity. The place of this kingdom, this world, and the world to come, the continuance of this kingdom for ever & ever. It is a prepared 
a Mat. 25 44  kingdom. It is an eternal kingdom, 
b 2 Pet 11.  it is a blessed kingdom, 
c ●uc. 14.15  it is a heavenly kingdom. 
d Mat. 24.34  It is a powerful kingdom, a glorious kingdom, an everlasting kingdom, for his is the kingdom the power and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen.  
In scripture it is diversly taken, 
Cal. in Mat 2.3. Mar. in. Math. 18. 1. Beza in Math. 5.20.  sometimes pro restitutione ad Beatam vitam, as Master Calvin; sometimes pro Ecclesiae renovatione, as Marlorat, sometimes pro immortalitate Dei filijs promissa, as Master Beza; here it is taken pro Ecclesia, as the Common Gloss, pro Ecclesia militanti, as Carthusian, pro Evangelij predicatione as Lyra, pro Notitia scripturarum, as Aquinas, most properly for the Gospel as the current of Interpreters do run; for this is that light of the lantern of Jsrael, the knowledge of the Aphorisms of Christ, the wisdom of the Cross, the Beacon of the soul, the Cubit of the Sanctuary, the Glad tidings the power of God to salvation, and the Encyclopaedia of all knowledge; 
Hugo.  because Quicquid in eo docetur veritas, quicquid praecipitur bonitas, quicquid promittitur foelicitas est; Quia Deus veritas est sine falacia, bonitas sine malitia foelicitas sine miseria. Whatsoever is taught herein is truth, whatsoever is commanded is goodness whatsoever is promised is perfect happiness etc.  
It is a mystery 1. Cor. 4.1. a mystery hid from the beginning of the world. Eph. 3.9. the revelation, of this mystery Rom. 16.25. It is a new covenant jer. 3.31. It is the administration of the spirit. 
Clem. Alex. 1. stromat.  2. Cor. 3.8. Clemens Alexandrinus observeth in the 1 of his Stromaton that the law was a schoolmaster to the Hebrues & philosophy a schoolmaster to the Grecians before Christ, but after the coming of Christ, the law and Philosophy became handmaids of the Gospel, and the Gospel was the only schoolmaster to the Jews & Gentiles, to the Grecians and Barbarians, bond, and free, Law & Philosophy being subject to the Gospel, as Agar & Ishmael to Sara. And therefore well may the Gospel be called the K. of heaven, because it is the means to bring Christians to the K. of heaven: so that the doctrine I observe out of these first words is this. Doct. That the knowledge of the Gospel is to a Christian heaven upon earth. The reason of this I draw a minore, Reason. as the Schools speak, if the law were so sweet & pleasant & delightsome unto man, how much more should the Gospel? Now of the Law David thus speaketh, 
Psal. 19.8.  the Law of the Lord is powerful converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth light unto the simple. The statutes of the Lord be right, & rejoice the heart. The commandments of the Lord be pure, & give light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, and endureth for ever. The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether, more to be desired then gold, yea then fine gold, sweeter also than the honey and the honey comb. Psalm. 19.8. How much more the Gospel that was not delivered with thundering or lightning, or trembling, or with the Trumpets sounding, or with the earth quaking, but was delivered by God, received by Angels, proclaimed to shepherds, preached by fishers, & yet so ioiefully delivered, received, proclaimed, preached, as that all the host of heaven, the sweet singing choir of Cherubins, at the receiving of it sang that Angelical and Evangelical hymn, Gloria in excelsis, Glory be to God on high, in earth peace, good will towards men. No man I hope doubteth of the supremacy, & supereminency of the Gospel, having such comforts and joys, and pleasures, as it is received by men, and such exceeding authority as it is received from God written by the finger of God, revealed by the will of God, inspired by the spirit of God, pronounced by the mouth of God, and proclaimed by the power of God, the knowledge of the gospel, being the knowledge of C. the knowledge of C. being life eternal, and life eternal being the K. of heaven. This made a father thus to speak, Nihil in hac vita dulcius sentitur, nihil avidius sumitur, 
jugo li. 30. de Anima.  nihilita mentem ab amore mundi separat, nihil sic animum contra tentationes roborat, nihil it a hominem excitat ad omne opus bonum. Nothing in this life is more sweetly affected, nothing more earnestly desired, nothing doth so fortify the soul, against the assaults of temptation. Nothing doth so excite a Christian, and assist him, in the performance of any good work. Use. The use of this doctrine is to incite all that are the sons of the most high, to the due embracing of this heavenly blessing, of this holy, and happy knowledge. And surely every man should be so much the more earnest in seeking this kingdom, as the hinderers are violent in opposing themselves against our spiritual desire in this, for we shall find the flesh ready to infect, the world ready to withdraw, the wicked ready to disturb those that desire to be Citizens of that Celestial Jerusalem, it shall much move the true Christian to the pursuit of this glory, if he do but consider the common backsliding, and hypocritical professing of many who do serve to affect this knowledge, having a name as the Church of Sardis, having a name that they are alive, when they are dead. 
Ana●harsis  Anacharsis told the Athenians, that they used their money to no other end, but to number with all, so sure may it be said of many, that they use the gospel, but only for a show, only for a name. They can cry, Templum Domini, Templum Domini, and yet willbe ready to persecute Dominum templi, they seem to be as Aaron, but are as Abiram, to be as Simon Peter, but be indeed as Simon Magus, to be as Paul a Doctor of the Gentiles when they be but as Saul, a persecutor of the Christians, to carry the name of juda, & the mind of judas. The name of Cephas, the mind of Cayphas, and so are become as backsliding Ephramites, or as rebellious Israelites, or as revolting apostates, turning the grace of God into wantonness, by their bare and naked & earth creeping hypocritical profession. Beloved, beware of such, and set your desires be hearty in purity of mind, christianly in conversation of manners, and entirely without feigned dissembling. Let every one of you covet these spiritual things, it shall not be any usurpation if every Christian, in a spiritual ambition, seek this kingdom, and desire to be entitled with the name of a king, for as Greg. observeth, Optime Sancti viri sacrae scripturae testimonio reges vocantur quia praelati cunctis motibus carnis, 
Greg.  modo luxuriae appetitum infranant, modo aestum avaritiae temperant, modo gloriam inclinant, modo suggestiones obruunt modo ignem furoris extingunt. 
Gregory,  Worthily are holy men called by the name of kings, by the Testimony of the holy Scripture because of resisting the motions of the flesh, sometimes bridling their luxurious appetites, sometimes tempering the heat of their covetous desires, sometimes humbling their glory, sometimes repressing the suggestions of the flesh, sometimes extinguishing the fire of their anger. Let men remember that God hath made them spiritual kings, and therefore they walk worthy of their calling, swaying their thoughts, ruling their wills, ordering their affections, correcting their corruptions, and managing all their actions, that so by the looseness of their lives, the blindness of their minds, the rebellion of their affections, they become not servants unto sin, so shall every of you obtain that kingdom where the K. is Verity, the Law Charity, the honour equity, the peace felicity, the life eternity, even the K. of heaven, which is here compared to the Merchant, My second observation  
The kingdom of heaven is like to a Merchant man.  
Obseru. 2 If that complaint were true, which Erasmus took up in his time against merchants, it is a marvel why I should compare the K. of heaven, to a merchant, when so few merchants are like to the kingdom of heaven. His words are these. Negotiatorum genus nihil habet sacram praeter unum pecuniae lucrum, cui se totos seu deo consecrarunt; hoc pietatem, hoc amicitiam, hoc honestum, 
Erasm.  hoc famam, hoc divina pariter & humana omnia metiuntur. The trade of merchants account nothing good or holy, but only the only lucre of money, for the attaining of which they have dedicated, & consecrated themselves as unto God, by this they measure piety, amity, honesty, credit, and fame, and all humane, and divine things. I am sure he spoke by the figure of some, in the name of all, for the stories, and customs of jews and Gentiles, Grecians and Barbarians, Infidels & Christians, do acknowledge the necessity, dignity, & excellency of merchants, 
Praise of the March.  & they have approved the merchant of all men, to be the most diligent for his life, the most assiduous in his labour, the most adventurous on the sea, the most beneficial to the land, the glory of his country, and the best pillar of his common wealth. The word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated by some mercator, by some Negotiator. Caesar maketh a difference between Mercator, and Negotiator, 
Hesich. Caesar. Cō. junius.  & junius affirmeth it videntur differre in hoc quod mercator domicilium, & familiam habet negotiator peregrinatur incertas sedes permutans. The words differ in this; that mercator hath a house & family, negotiator is, he that still travaileth, voiageth, venttreth, changing his seats tike the true Christian, who is ever travailing to change his country, knowing that here he hath no abiding city, but doth seek on to come.  
The Common Gloss showeth, why this kingdom is for our instruction compared to the merchant. 
Gloss. Ord.  Quia debemus omnes intelligendo certe, & operando bene negotiari. Because we ought by right understanding & by good practising to negotiate. There be 2. things to be observed in the merchant, the profit, 
2. Things. Profit. Danger.  and the danger of the Trade, of the profit we shall find what great commodity came of Solomon, by the Triennial coming of the Navy of Tharshis, that brought unto him gold, and silver, I vorie, and apes, and Peacocks, even all things, for profit, and for pleasure 1. Kings. 10.22. where the holy Ghost doth show, that this trade was the occasion of the enriching of Solomon, And surely it doth mutually enrich all kingdoms, making the proper commodities of one country common to another Witness our gold from India, our spices, from Arabia, our silks from Spain, our wines from France, & so many other commodities from other countries, whereby the merchant is the Key of the land, the treasurer of the kingdom, the venture of his soils surplassadge, the combiner of nations, & the adamantine chain of Countries. of the danger David speaketh in the Psalm, They that go down to the sea in ships and merchandise in great waters, these men see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep, for at his word, the stormy winds arise, which lift up the waves thereof, they are carried up to heaven, and down again to the deep, their soul melteth within them, and all their cunning is gone Psal. 107.22. etc. Which peril and danger of them was the cause that Pittacus held that sea adventurers, were neither among the living, nor the dead, but did hang between both, 
Virg. Aen.  Navigantes neque inter vivos nec mortuos, for if once the winds did arise, una eurusque notusque ruunt, The east and the west, the north and the south winds blow, then be the keel never so strong, the ribs never so stiff, the chleets & clampes never so fast set on, yet if the tempest arise all is endangered, if a joint crack all is hazared if a plank shoot up all is gone. Quamuis Pontica pinus siluae filia nobilis, 
Horat. Od.  though the frame should be of pine tree, nay though it should be as noble a Navy as that of Tyrus in Esec. though the boards were of fir trees of Shenir, the masts of the Cedars of Lybanus, the oars of the Oaks of Basan the banks of the Ivory of Chittin, the sails of the embroidered linen of Egypt. Though they of Sidon, & Arvad, were her mariners, the wise in Tyrus her Pilots, the Ancient of Gebal her Calkers, yet they, their riches, and Mariners, and Pilots, and Calkers, and Merchants, & men of war, may be overthrown, perish, sunk, dispersed and come to a fearful ruin. So that of all men I may say with David, these men see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. And surely so it is with the state of the godly, in this life in most danger, subject to the greatest affliction, they are in the waves of the world, yet they above all others, see the works of the Lord and his wonders, in the deepest of their misery his power in delivering them, his favour in preserving them, his mercy in comforting them, his love in caring for them, his care in protecting them, though with Paul they be in perils in the City, perils in the wilderness, perils amongst false brethren, perils among his own, perils in the sea, as he was most fearfully, the winds being contrary, the sailing jeopardous. The voyage with hurt and much damage, not of the lading, & ship only but of their lives, the fearful wind Euroclydon arising, that they were tossed with an exceeding Tempest, and that they saw neither sun nor stars apearing for many days. Yet at length, a calm a sunshine, a jubilee shall come, he turneth away the storm and the waves thereof are still, them are they quieted and are glad, and he bringeth them to the haven where they would be. Doct. 2 The doctrine I observe out of the word Merchant, is this, that the state of a Christian is not an idle vain speculation, but must be a careful, painful, diligent, walking in his vocation. Reason. The reason of this doctrine, is proved a Contrario by the Antithesis between the state of the Godly, & ungodly, under the name of the fool. The fool foldeth his hands, and eateth up his own flesh. Better is on handful, saith he with quietness, than two handful with labour and vexation of spirit. 
Prov.  But contrariwise, the wise Merchant, the true Christian, he seeketh, he taketh pains, he laboureth, he endeavoureth to follow hard to the mark, per Saxa per ignes currit mercator ad Indos, as the Poet speaketh no pains, 
Horatius.  no peril no danger, no cost, no temptation no opposition can confront him.  
Use. The use then of this doctrine, is to take heed of perswaiding ourselves, that ease & quietness is the best trade. Lepidus the heathen was taxed for a sluggish & idle fellow that sitting lazy in the sun shine, cried out utinam hoc esse laborare! And so surely they that think Christianity an idle kind of life, god shall laugh them to scorn, we all have a goal, for which we must run, we all have proposed to us a garland for which we must wrestle, we are all to have a Crown, for which we must strive, we are all Mariners, and we must sail in danger, before we come to the haven of happiness, we are all travailers, and we must toil before we come to the Period of our journey, which is Paradise, we are all labourers, we must endure the heat and burden of the day before we receive our hire in heaven, we are all soldiers, our Trophies be not celebrated till the victory be achieved, we are all Merchants, we cannot find the Pearl of great price, until we have sought for many good pearls. O then run, wrestle, strive, sail, toil, labour, fight the good fight, finish the course, seek to be like to the good Merchant. The K. of heaven is like to a Merchant man.  
Use. 2 The second use of this Doctrine is more particular, belonging only to those that be Merchants, that seeing the Merchant here is so studious, careful, diligent, and earnest in good pearls, that every one of them seek by all means to become heavenly Merchants to seek, and labour, and endeavour to obtain this Merchandise, to lay up his treasure in heaven, where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt, & where thieves break not through and steal, that as their trade of life is more honourable than others among men, so God should be more honoured of them then of other men.  
When jonas did flee from God, & was detected by the voice of God himself, in the lot, the Mariners raise as great a Tempest in the ship about jonas, as was raised in the sea about the ship, and in that amazedness they discharged this peal of gunshot upon him, what is thy fact, thy travel, thy Country, thy people, whence comest thou? Nay more than all this, what is thy occupation? Showing in this exquisite inquisition, even in their last interrogatory, that every one should have some means, some art, some trade, some calling to live.  
If many about this Honourable City should be asked this question, you should find an infinite number that walk in the Counsel of the ungodly, and stand in the way of sinners, and sit in the seat of scorners, able to answer no otherwise than Satan did to God, that they live by compassing the earth to, and fro, and by walking in it. They are vagrants, I may say vagabonds, wandering persons, as the Planets in the Zodiac, never keeping a fixed place. Of no endowment, employment, art or trade, or calling, or mystery, unless they profess the mystery of iniquity. Philip of Macedon took notice of two so lewdly disposed, & took this order with them, 
Plut.  alterum è Macedonia fugere, alterum persequi jussit, he made one of them run out of the Country, and the other to drive him.  
Another sort there be as bad as these Conjurers, Charmers, Tellers of fortune, Robbers by land, Pirates by sea, cozeners, Harlotts, Brokers, Usurers, who by cousenadges, Impostures, frauds, tricks, and circumventions, do set at sale, honesty, truth, conscience, oaths, their soul and own salvation. The sum of that I would speak in this point if the time did serve is this, that every man ought to look well, to the lawfulness of his calling. 
1. Cor. 12.  God hath given divers gifts but the same spirit, he hath given diversities of spirits but the same Lord, he hath given to the warriors a spirit to fight, to Counsellors a spirit to direct, to judges a spirit to discern, to magistrates a spirit to govern, to ministers a spirit to convince, to instruct, to reprove, to direct, to Merchants a spirit to trade, to trasique, to buy to sell, to exchange, but of every one of them in their vocation, he requireth that as he is holy, so they should be holy. Wherefore beloved, seeing the Merchant in my Text, is by the singer of God particularly pointed at in this place, give me leave in one word, to remember you, that as your calling is honourable, and here your comparison is honourable, in that you are compared to the K. of heaven. O remember beloved, that if ye so much care, and labour, and travel for earthly things, how much more ought ye to care for spiritual things? I know not what reason many learned men have to condemn Merchants, and merchandise so much, that Tully in his book de Republica, should affirm of the Phoenicians, that being Merchants, 
Tully. Cor. Agryp  they by their Merchandise brought in covetousness, pride, luxury, and all kind of wickedness into Graecia. 
Higher in. 3. Ser.  That St. Hierome on the third of jeremy, calleth the Arabians, who much traded in merchandise, the thieves of the world. 
Canhag. Grecian.  That the Carthagineans would not suffer them to be common with their Citizens. That the Grecians would not let them enter their City, but caused them to keep their markets without the suburbs, as Cornelius Agrippa observeth, that Plato admitted them not into his Common wealth. 
Cor. Agryp  That Aristotle detested them and their life, 
Plato. Art. Laws. Cicero.  that the ancient laws did not admit any merchant to bear any office, or to be admitted into the Counsel or Senate, that Cicero affirmeth their getting of money to be most odious, giving this reason nihil proficiunt nisiquodammodo mentiuntur, that they get their living by lying. I hope the merchants of our time, deserve not to be so thought of, many of these merchants were jews, Gentiles, Heathens, Infidels, Pirates, Robbers, I hope none such are to be found among you, for you are Christians, I hope there be some such merchants amongst you, 
Theophr. zuingl. Theat. mum di. Apolonius  as those of whom Theophrastus testifieth Thuriaci exercentes mercaturam absque omni dolo vendunt omnia. Some such as Apolonius, who having long used Merchandise at the last became a Physician of the poor & needy & bestowing all his time and store in providing necessaries, for poor, aged, lame, blind people. Some such as that famous founder of that worthy house of the Prophet's St john's Coll in Oxford by whose godly care & liberal maintenance, 
St Th. Whit  many Reverend, Learned, and religious, have been raised up in the Church, and common wealth, I mean St Thomas White, who no doubt hath received the blessing of the promise to be clothed in white array, to receive a white stone, and in that stone a new name, which no man can read, but he that receiveth it: some such merchants to be found among you as that worthy Burser of the Exchange, the beautifier of your City, and founder of that little Academy Gresham house, by whose love to learning & eternal honour to himself, 
St Th. Gres  he hath built a place, and provided for ever a large pension for the Readers of Divinity, Law, Physic, Logic, Rhetoric, Philosophy. Nay I doubt not, but there be many amongst you who having sought with this Merchant good Pearls, the glory of God, and the blessing of his Church, and Common wealth, have had your hands in the building of hospitals, spittle houses, bridges, Schools, & maintaining of poor Scholars at the University. If there be such wise, careful, merchants amongst you, than I can assure you, you are free with the Christian Merchant in my Text, that seeketh good Pearls. And I would to God that every one that heareth me this day, were such a Merchant, I can assure you it would be no hindrance to your trade, if as the world is the sea so our bodies were the ships, our Consciences the Pilots, our heart the compass, our faith the stern, our hope the Anchor, our prayers the Merchandise, our good works the oars, our Country to trade in jerusalem, our haven heaven, that at length with the good Merchant seeking good Pearls, we might find that goodly Pearl.  
And so I come to the 2. part of my text, which seeketh good pearls, etc. 
2. Gen. par● Tully.  Hear is a personal distinction, a Merchant that seeketh good Pearls, Tully observeth a diversity of Merchandise and Merchants, and useth the word negotiator aerarius, ferrarius, vinarius as we say a Merchant Taylor, Merchant venturer, Merchant Vintner, Merchant Jeweller, as here a Merchant that seeketh good Pearls. A Lapidary, a Jeweler, for every Merchant seeketh not pearls, but they that have know ledge in pearls. In the 21. of the Revelation, 
Revel. 21.  we shall find that the spirit of God setteth forth the heavenly jerusalem with all the glory, and lustre, and splendour, that it is possible to be thought for the length, and the breadth, and the building, & compass, and the walls, and the gates, and the streets, and the foundations, that the City had 12. gates, and at the gates 12. Angels, and the names of the 12. Tribes of the children of Israel, and the wall of the City had 12. foundations, & in them the names of the 12. Apostles, that the 12. gates were 12. pearls, and the 12. foundations were garnished with all precious pearls, being the same kind of pearls, which were in the high Priests breastplate, Exod. 28.15 or those wherewith the K. of Tyrus was decked. Ezec. 28.13. as the 70. Interpreters observe. Many Allusions, allegories, comparisons, similitudes, and paralismes, are drawn out of these 12. stones, and applied to the 12. patriarchs, 12. Prophets 12. Apostles, 12. Tribes, and at the jest, 12. times 12. interpretations of these 12. stones, but I will not follow them.  
Our merchant seeketh good pearls. I might here stand upon the colour, splendour, lustre, nature, effect and form of pearls: The learned know their colour to be divers, their splendour to be gracious, their lustre glorious, their nature and effect miraculous, their orbicular form most perfect, & surely many great wonders hath God made known unto men, in precious pearls, but the time I have to spend is precious and I must not linger longer in these. By good pearls in my text, Auendanus understandeth virtutes animi, Albertui legem & Prophetas, 
Avend. Albertus, Hierome.  Hierome caelestia dona, and others diversty do expound these words, but the proper doctrine arising naturally, is this, that it is a Christians part to seek the best things. The reason of this doctrine is drawn ab universali, all things do desire that which is good, 
3. Doct. ib universali.  & therefore of all, a Christian ought to desire it, and to endeavour to obtain it. Not that which is good in opinion only, for so good may be evil, and evil good, not good in imagination only, for so light may be darkness, and darkness light, sweet may be sour, and sour sweet. But good indeed bonum qua bonum. The difference that men have made of Good is infinite. St Austen in his 15. book de Civitate Dei out of Varro collecteth 288. opinions that men had concerning the summitie of goodness. 
Aug. 288. opinions Concerning good  So much men have differed, some in missing of their good in reason, some in religion, some impropriating the name of good to bad, of bad to good.  
The philosopher's vanity excepted, none were more vain and vile in this then the Heretics, of all ages who professed that their religion was only true and good, the rest were most abhorrent and false. 
Arians Soc  The Arians as Socrates recordeth, affirmed that their religion was only good and all others false. 
Ebion Epi. Heres. 30. Nest. Theo.  Ebion as Epiphanius recordeth being a Samaritan yet would be called a Christian, Nestorius as Theodoret witnesseth, seeking to cover religion with the name of truth, when it was false and lewd. 
The Turk Sozom. Ec. hist. lib. 6. c. 38.  The Turks as Sozomen recordeth, coming lineally from Agar willbe called Sarazens of Sara. The scripture hath taught us that there be some that cry Templum Domini Templum Domini, and yet would destroy Dominum Templi. jer. 7.4. That there be some that call themselves the seed of Abraham that be malicious pharisees joh. 8.39. That there be some that call themselves jews, that are but the Synagogue of Satan. Apoc. 3.9. That there be some that had Abraham to their father, & yet are not Israe. lights. Ronvere. 9.7. That there are some that have the name of jesuits, yet have no part of the faith of truth or profession of jesus. Some also I fear that are called Christians that have no part or portion in Christ. Thus hath Satan masked folley in the habit of wisdom, fasshood in the habit of truth, vice in the habit of virtue, sin in the habit of godliness, lewdness in the habit of goodness and as Polidor Virgil hath observed of the Romish Church in electing their Popes if any were fearful they would call him Leo, 
Pol●virg.  If any cruel, Clemens, if any wicked Pius, if any covetous Bonifacius, if any most vile Innocentius. So hath good been essteemed bad, and bad good, and so many have deceived themselves in the seeking of good pearls.  
Use. The use of this doctrine, is to warn all true Christians, that they follow not the ignis fatuus of lewdness under the name of goodness.! O beloved how many there be whose hopes and desires, & labours, and endeavours do only lead to the attaining of vice & transitory, earthly, momentary, false, affected pleasures, and delights! Which as Meteors, or Comets, have their local being for a time, but after vanish and dissolve. Take the counsel of David seek peace, seek that which is good, 
Psal. 37.  and dwell for ever more in the Land of of the living, so shall you be sure to seek good pearls.  
And so I come to the words following, and having found one pearl of great price, etc. the secunda secundae of my Text, 
secunda. secundae.  The anchor of our trust, & the author of our truth, in the 7. of Matthew promiseth, that if we ask, seek, knock, we shall receive, find, it shall be given unto us. Who then would not ask, seek, knock, ask with the mouth, knock with the hand, and seek with the heart? The Merchant here having sought, findeth, seeking many, findeth one, seeking good pearls, findeth one goodly Pearl, unionum unionem margaritarum margaritam, a pearl of great price. In pretio pretium nunc est. 
Aug. charity, Avend.  Some of the Fathers understand this pearl to be Charity, and Love, which is indeed the Lapis Chimicus, of all other virtues, or as one speaketh, the Godmother of all the rest, as if the rest remained unbaptized, moral virtues, for without this, faith is idle, hope a vain presuming, holiness hypocrisy, zeal fury, and this of all others is the mother of sanctify, the daughter of grace, the mistress of truth, the Glass of religion, the marriage Garment, and the key of Paradise, above all the rest of the virtues Mayor his, 1. Cor. 13. the bond of perfection, Col. 3.14. the fulfilling of the Law, 1. Tim. 1.5. The new and old commandment.  
Containing all other virtues, as the Philosopher witnesseth, sicut causa universalis particulares vel exagonum tetragonum. Others expound this unans margaritam, to be celestis vitae dulcedinem, the sweetness of the life everlasting, the glory of the blessed, their ever lasting pleasure, their Crown of honour, their laurel of felicity, their inward and outward joy, their divine Paradise, their heavenly jerusalem, their fullness of bliss, the eternal comfort, the peace of God which passeth all understanding, when the Lord will gather his faithful together, and will wipe away the tears from their eyes, and will crown them with glory, cloth them with gladness, satisfy them with exceeding sweetness, and make them partakers of eternal happiness, when they shall see the Courts of the Lord of hosts, having Palms in their hands, Diadens on their heads, Haleluiah in their hearts. Having riches without measure, life without labour, light without darkness, health without sickresse, joy without ending, & eternal solace without any intercessing.  
Or as Hierome understandeth this pearl of great price to be Sacramentum Passionis & Resurrectionis C. the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, 
Hier. Soer.  wherein every Christian doth acknowledge, how great blessings, we receive by the death, and resurrection of Christ, in that he that was liberty, was tied to make us free, he that was justice, was condemned to acquit us, he that was life, was executed to save us, & he that was the beauty, the glory, the wisdom, the power of his father, was defiled, derided, obscured, despised to preserve us from eternal demnation.  
Or some others interpret it to be C. jesus as St Austen, 
Aug. C. Ies.  who expounds Margaritam here to be C. jesus our blessed saviour, the only begotten son of God, the brightness of glory, the express character of his father, the first begotten of all creatures, the day sprung from an high, the seed of Abraham, the son of David, the light of the Gentiles, & the glory of his people Israel, who is become our wisdom, & righteousness, and sanctification, 
Caietan.  and redemption, Sapientia in intellectu, justitia in voluntate, Sanctificatio in opere, redemptio in statu, wisdom in our understanding, righteousness in our will, sanctification in our work, and redemption to our whole man. Anchora spei, Navis fidei, terrae sal, caeli Sol, & animae salus, the Anchor of our hope, the ship of our faith, the salt of our earth, the sun of our heaven, the salvation of our souls, C. jesus who was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received to glory.  
The doctrine Jobserue is this, that the true faithful man never resteth until he have found the true heavenly soul saveing wisdom. Reason. The reason of this Doct. is drawn a fine from the end of his acquisition, for this wisdom is the period, the point the complement, and perfection, and consummation of his desires, this is that bdellium and Onyx stone found in the river of Paradise Gen. 1.12. here is true wisdom found Prov. 1.13. here is the beloved found Cant. 5.8. here the virgins have found the sweetness of his ointment Cant. 1.2. here the spouse hath found him whom her soul loveth Cant. 3.1. here Peter & Andrew have found the Master joh. 1.4. Here is true wisdom, here is the place of understanding, man knoweth not the price thereof, for it is not found in the land of the living, the Depth saith it is not in me, the sea also saith it is not in me. Gold shall not be given for it, nor the wedge of the gold of Ophir shallbe weighed with it, Nor the precious Onyx stone, nor the Saphir, not the Crystal, nor the Coral, nor the Gabish, nor the Topas of Aethiopia, job. 28.18.19. For it is unionun unio Margaritarum Margarita, a pearl of pearls, a Margarite of Margarites, a pearl of great price.  
Use. The use of this doctrine is to move us all not to be sl●we and negligent in labouring for so dear, so rare so precious a pearl, seeing we know whosoever seeketh shall find it. If this pearl were riches, than the covetous man would seek for it, if honour then the ambitious would follow it, if glory then the proud man would affect it, if pleasure then the voluptuous would have canvased for it, and yet beloved you see it is spiritual riches, spiritual glory, spiritual honour, spiritual pleasure,! O let not this pearl be cast before swine, seeing it is certain security, secure tranquillity safe iucunditie, happy eternity, and eternal felicity! O then be ye wise, now o ye merchants of the world seek it, esteem it, respect it, love it, find it, buy it, yea rather than miss of it, sell all you have to buy it, as it followeth. He sold all that he had and bought it.  
The Israelits when they did offer to the Temple, 
Tertia. secundae.  all did offer, but they did not offer all, Exod 35.22. The young man in the gospel was ready to follow Christ but loath to forsake all, Luk. 18.22. Anamas and Saphira were willing to bring a part to the Apostles, but they were loath to bring all, Ast. 5.3. So that the word all, marreth all, it is a hard, harsh, difficult, odious, tedious word, to sell al. The Philosophers in scorn of being entangled with the world's pleasures, did contemn all, Socrates went farther than any, and did utterly despise all, Crates went farther than he, and did cast away al. In the Gospel Zacheus did restore all, Luk. 19.8. The disciples did forsake all, Math. 19.27. S. Paul did vilely value al. Phil. 3.8. and here the Merchant selleth all, & all this casting away, despising, restoring, forsaking vilely valuing all, and selling all, is but a giving of all, & indeed a gaining of all, for by this Socrates despising all became Crates to cast away all, & Crates by casting away all did become Polycrates to find all, 
sa. Nat Histor.  for whosoever shall forsake houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother or children, or wife, or lands for Christ's sake, shall receive an hundred fold more, and shall inherit everlasting life. 
Tertull. in Apolog.  We read that Democritus put out his eyes for sear by sight to be tempted to incontinency, of Thracius, that he cut down his vines for fear of being drunk with wine of them. 
Gell. Noc● Art. 1.19. Lactant. Orig. Eu● hist l. 6.8.  That Zeno put of his life as a garment, to put on immortality. That Origen made himself an Eunuch for the kingdom of heaven. That the jews did offer their Jewels, Exod. 35.22 Abraham was ready to offer his Isaac, Gen. 22.19. That Matthew did leave his custom, Math. 9.9. Peter & Andrew did leave their nets, Matt. 4.26. These did these things for g●ine but all these did not gain all, because they all did not give al. Over Merchant doth despise all, contemn all, forsake all, cast away all, offer all, leave all, s●l all, to but this one only pearl.  
Doctrine The Doctrine I here do observe is this, that the Christian Merchant is willing to forsake all his pleasures, all his delights, all his folly, all his vanity, all his sin and iniquity to obtain Christ: the reason of this doctrine is drawn ab utili, for a greater Commodity, 
Ab utili.  who would not change? now look how much difference there is betwixt heaven and earth, so much is the gain in the exchange.  
Another reason may be drawn à necessario, that necessarily he that will obtain Christ, must forsake all: 
A necess●rio.  for Christ will not part stakes, he will not take the moiety of the heart, he cannot abide Isaac & Ishmael in one house, the Ark and Dagon in one Church, holy & profane fire in one Censor, Christ and Antichrist in one Temple. For the Apostles ground is that there is no fellowship between righteousness & unrighteousness, no communion of light with darkness, no agreement between the Temple of God and Idols, no Concord between Christ & Belial. 2. Cor. 6.14. Now the Pearl that he buyeth is Christ, he selleth all and buyeth this. The word bought here as Mr. Calu. observeth doth not signify any Compensation that man should yield to God for attaining eternal life, 
●●lu  for C. proclamation as it were in the beginning of a fair is, Ho every on that thirsteth come to the waters of life, and ye that have no silver come, buy and eat, buy I say wine, & milk, without silver & without money, Esay, 55.1.  
S. Ambrose upon the 6. of Luke observeth this, 
●●nbr. ●●k. 6.  Christus vult se vilem aestimari ut ab omnibus ematur, ne quis pauper deterreatur. And surely beloved well is it that C. is not to be bought of us. For such is the unthriftenesse of Christianity, that if we have any good, any goodness, any spiritual treasure, any precious pearl, any portion of land in the land of the living, we are ready to sell it, either to the devil, the world, or the stesh, those common purchasers. And I am sure it Christ were to be bought and sold, we should rather sell him, then buy him.  
When God came into the world to save man, man went about to destroy God; when God came to buy man, with the dearest drops of his blood, man went about to sell God, for 30. pieces of silver, he that came into the world to sanctify it with his justice, to enrich it with his grace, to instruct it with his doctrine, to redeem it with his blood, to confirm it with his example, he is sold for 30. pieces of silver, more vilely valued then the basest beasts, that they sold in their market. I fear me that there be now as cunning buyers, & sellers, as skilful Merchants as ever there were, even such as would sell Heaven, Angels, Saints, Seraphins, nay God himself.  
Who liveth amongst us and knoweth not our merchant Divines, who being ephraimitical Temporizers will sell the liberty of a good conscience, for favour & preferment? who knoweth not our Merchant Lawyers who not only sell their labours but the laws and Justice itself? Who knoweth not our Merchant Physicians who sell ignorance, unskillfulnes, great words, & unsufficient drugs? Who knoweth not our Merchant usurer who (against so many places of scripture, the judgement of all the ancient fathers, the Canon, and Civil laws, the constitutions of all good Common wealths, the reasons of heathen Philosophers, the counsel of the schoolmen, and the opinion of all our Divines except they be usurers) knoweth that usury is condemned, as uncharitable, and Antichristian, and yet this biter, sets his soul at sale, & receives quarter rend for his salvation? Who knoweth not our merchant monopolists who by gross engrossing & by art & cunning do arise the price of commodities which by ordinary course would be much cheaper, & so against the laws & custons of all Common wealths, they are the pilling, polling, Caterpillars of the Common wealth? For if ever of any it were true, it is of them vivitur ex rapto. Here might I put up a Siquiss for cruel Ahabs', churlish Nabals, De populating Landlords, incloasing Cormorants, Simoniacal Patrons, and Church-robbing Nebuchadnezers. O those monsters of men, contemners of God, impious, sacrilegious Church-robbers, irreligious julianists, which do rifle and spoil Churches of the ornaments, and other riches, lands, & revenues, which were given unto God to maintain his house & household. That whereas Churches in Chrysostom's time were Regijs aulis clariora, now Canescunt turpi templa relicta situ. That whereas sometimes the jews brought more to the founding of the Tabernacle then Moses would; now Christians take from the Temple more than ever jews, Gentiles, Heathens, Pagans, or Infidels would, That whereas sometimes they were houses of prayer, now they are become dens of thieves, that whereas sometimes the price of a dog or the hire of a whore, might not be brought into the Temple, now the price of the Temple is brought to maintain dogs, and whores etc. And Temples made stables, Shipcoates, store houses for wool, hogsties, Barnes, maulthouses, Alehouses, nay worse than all this, if this be not the abomination of desolation what is? O Lord thus have they defiled thy Temple, and made jerusalem a heap of stones. Lord take thy own cause in hand thou didst drive the buyers and sellers out of the Temple. O what hadst thou done if they had been buyers and sellers of the Temple?  
I know notwithstanding the general, & just complaint against the corrupt custom of many Simoniacal Patrons, that the Lord hath reserved for himself a remnant who in honour of learning and care of the glory of God have made choice of scholars from the University (to enjoy the spiritual preferments, whereof they were Doners.) who might otherwise long have waited at the pool until Angels had put them in. I must confess God's favour to myself in this, and the worthy mind of an honourable Patron; 
Thomas ●●erley of ●●iston  the Lord reward him and his, according to their own desire. Precedents of this kind be miracles in our age, wherein the abomination of desolation hath got the upper hand. Let it for ever be worthy the observation, I say worthy the observation to the terror of these devils, that Nabuchadnezar, Balthasar, Antiochus, Helidorus, Pompeiius Magnus, Marcus Crassus had unhappy success and most of them died miserably by reason of their sacrilegious Church robbing: and it was well observed 500 years since spiritualium venditores semper egestate confundi, that the pinchers of spiritual things are at last pinched with extreme penury; if ever by simony or sacrilege they come to any true profit let me for ever be branded with the name of a false Prophet. Cursed be such seeking, finding, buying, selling, purchasing, when God and his Church are rob.  
Beloved we have not learned C. so and therefore let every of us make this use to beware of the execrable things not to set ourselves at sale, to commit iniquity, to set at sale our truth, honesty, conscience, oaths, souls, and salvation, by bribery, forgery, perjury, hypocrisy, simony, or sacrilege: the name of such things should not be hard amongst us as becometh Saints; the practice hereof is the mystery of iniquity, and the practisers hereof they be the devils tradesmen.  
I should now make some application of that hath been said unto the purpose, and time present, but the time present, doth not afford me time, to stay here upon, and it is but in vain to add precept upon precept, and line upon line, seeing you observe neither rule, nor line It will be the more to your condemnation, if I should stand upon any further application. For how shall I think to speed in gaining of you when so many, so heavenly, so powerful messengers, have been sent to you that have nailed your sins often to this Cross with the hammer of the word and yet they be as many, as mighty, as bloody, as filthy, as crying, as fearful, as ever they were. Notwithstanding my exhortation in a word shallbe first to them, 
●xhor.  that at this time are assembled at this great fair, or Mart, or Market, that they by lying, swearing, forswearing, sell not themselves to Satan, but that they make a Conscience of their words, works, oaths, asseverations, protestations, that in a greediness of gain they call not God to witness, for the prices of their wares against their truth their oath, Conscience, and knowledge. O beloved, sell not soule● & salvation, lose not the substance for the Accident, heaven for earth, that which will never perish, for that which doth perish. Lastly, my exhortation in a word is to this City in general. O London thou that sittest like a Queen, all thy Citizens being as so many Merchants, thy Merchtans as so many Princes nay, as so many polished corners of the Temple. Remember them, that for all their port, and state▪ and dignity, & riches, They are unworthy to enjoy the lest of these blessings, unless they be like to that good Merchant here that seeketh good pearls, their carelessness, haughtiness, oppression, wickedness, are but the worms and moths of their greatness, & these worms & moths will corrupt them, and their greatness. Neither they, nor thou, shalt sin with impunity, the mightiness of thy state, singularity of thy government, climbing of thy walls, aspiring of thy Towers, multitude of thy people, cannot make thee secure against the wrath of the Lord. Thought thou were a City of Palm trees as jericho or the joy of the world, as jerusalem, or the glorious & populous City of earth, as Babylon or the mart of the Nations, as Tyrus, whose Merchants were Princes, and their Chapmen the nobles of the world, yet the time may come, that thou mayst say, I was a Queen I sit now as a widow, because I have not remembered the day of my visitation. The L. may stain the pride of thy glory and bring to contempt all thy honourable. in all the stories, either rude, or polite, profane or divine, I find no City more honoured for Merchants & Merchandise, than Tyrus in the prophecy of Ezec. They of javan Tubal & Meshech were her Merchants. 
Ezech. 27.  They of Togarmah and Dedan were her Merchants. They of Aram & Damascus were her Merchants. They of juda and of Israel were her Merchants. They of Sheba and Ramah were her Merchants. They of Haram & Cameh and Eden of Sheba, Asher, and Chilmad were her Merchants, & they did bring fair horses and mules, & unicorns horns and Peacocks, and Emeralds, purple and broidered work, and fine linen, and pearl, & Coral, and wheat, and wine, and honey, and oil, & bawm, & Cassia, & Calamus the chief of all spices, of all precious stones, & gold, & raiments of blue silk, & broidered works, & rich apparel. So that by her Merchandise she was replenished and made glorious in the midst of the sea. And yet for all this, in the end of the chapter, the L. threateneth this fearful desolation to Tyrus for her abominable sins. Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy Merchandise thy mariners, thy Pilots, thy Calkers, and all the occupiers of thy merchandise, & all the men of war that are in thee, and all the multitude which is in the midst of thee shall fall in the midst of the sea, in the day of thy ruin. Thy suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of the Pilots, & in their mourning they shall take up this lamentation, what City is like unto Tyrus so destroyed, and the merchants among the people shall hiss at thee thou shalt be a terror and never shalt be any more. Beloved it is a terrible, fearful unspeakable judgement. But you see greatness of sins will shake the foundations of the greatest city upon the earth, and though their heads stood among the stars, yet he is able to bring them into the dust and double; multitude of offences will consume multitudes of men, & you know many thousands thousands have been swept away in your City. The days can speak & the years can witness, how the plague hath been a leidger for many years amongst you.  
O my beloved in the bowels of C. jesus. at the length remember that the fear of the Lord is your safest refuge, righteousness your strongest bulwark, sobriety and sanctimony of life your wales of Brass, Piety your best pearl, C. jesus your best jewel. O then seek, search, labour, endeavour, find, buy this pearl, this peace, merchandise in this till he come that will come to judge the quick and the dead! The Lord make you rich in his wisdom, & make you all wise in Christ Jesus. Amen, Amen.  
FINIS.