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University of California • Berkeley
The "Mercbancfife of a People HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
A
SERMON,
Preached in part at the
TubHc^LeUure in *Bofton,
July I. I 7* ^
In part at a private Meeting for Chanty to the Poor,
March 6. 1726. And now publifhed as
A Than/tO/ering to GOD for repeated furprifing Bounties
from LONDON for Ufcs of Piety and Charity.
By Benjamin Colman> D. D.
And Paftor of a Church in Bojlo*.
2 Cor. ix. 9. He bath differed abroad, he hath given to the Poor, bis Rigbtewfrcfs remaineth fo
B O S T O N) n e
Printed by J. Draper, in Ncwbury-^rect, x 7 3 6.
To the HONOURABLE
Samuel Holden, Efq;
of LONDON:
S I R,
ejenerous Things You have been
doins from Ycar to Ycar for ™y Co»»-
rr^^ f'01' many of the Churches of Cbrift in if> whom You have, cnrich'd with Means of /;?oW Knowledge and pratti* cal Religion • and for the^ ^/>«/ P<?or in it, both Minlfters and Others, who have tailed of ycur Bounties and their Souls have blefled You ; have led me into this open Acknowledgment, to the Glory of God, from whofc Hands we would receive what You and Others have fent us from Time to Time, an Odour of a facet Smell, a Sacrifice 'acceptable, wdl f leafing to God.
Sir,
ft . -DE-DIC A TION.
Sir, I hold my Self highly indebted to the Go* verning Providence of a gracious God, which led me in my Youth from my Native Land to lee That of our Fathers Sepulchres ; and in my Way thither was pleas 'd to ftrip me of the Little I had, that I might be invited by the excellent Saint your dear Mother, who took in the Stranger, and for a Ccurfe of Years together regarded him as a Son, while her Soul longed after Tou at Riga.
What the Holy God was then doing I could little know at the, Time, but He has made me to per- ceive fince, " That He led me into Mr. Parkhurjt's Houfe, and from thence to Bath, to bring me into a more immediate & extenfive Acquaintance with Terfbns of DijHnEHon for Learning and Religion^ for my greater Ufsfulnefs in the Times that have palled over me, and to be the Hand thro' which his pur- pofed Benefactions to our College, to many of our Towns and Churches, and to many poor Mcmbws of Chrift in thefe Parts, {hould flow.
By the Help of God, I humbly hope that I have wittingly done the Part of a faithful Almoner, as well in advlfing when I have been writ to, as i» tbferving the Directions of Thofc who have intruded me ; which is all the Honour I may pretend to in the A dtninif ration of this Service, which is abundant by wemj Thankfgivings to God • ibme of which You have feen and read, as from the Hand of worthy Mini- Jtersj fo One efpccially from the Angelick Pen of a * Gentlewoman, who in the School of Affliction made a Proficiency in Grace and facred 5«*»<*,even beyond all that the School of the Prophets among us has been able to boaft ! and as foon almoft as She had wrote , what I fent You, lay down and died in perfect Peace.
* Mrs, Gfrrijb of
DEDICATION, iii
I know Sir You are no Stranger to the "Profujton of Bounties which for a Courfc of many Years our College received from the moil pious and munifi- cent Thomas Hollts, Efq; whofc worthy Heir has ibon followed him to the Grave, after he had made a good Addition to the Foundations laid by his Uncle, and adorn'd us with a rare Orrery ; and now we have the Tydings of the Death of John Hollis, Efq; the worthy Brother of our great Benefactor, and a Heir with him of the lame Grace j who was alfo a Father to poor Orphans here, as well as at Home.
And if it were permitted me, I would now have nam d Another, a younger Gentleman, whom God has Inrlch d with till Bohnt ifulnefs US-Ward ; ofwhofe Liberality our Churches and our Poor have hereto- fore largely tailed • and this Year brings me the Joy of an Order from him for fchooling, cloathing, feeding and lodging of twenty Indian Children at Hcjfatonnoc, a Tribe who have lately received the Gofpel with a marvelous Joy, and are now under the Paftoral Care of the Reverend and Learned Mr. John Sargent.
You will eafily think, Sir, how placid the Sur- frlfe of fuch a Benefaction is, and tho7 I fee not how the Donor of fo public a Charity can be kept fecret, any more than a City Jet on a Hill can be bid ; yet the Thing ought to be told to the Glory of God, and in this open Manner I would let tne hidden Donor know the Senfe we have of the Gocdnefs ef GOD to us thro7 Him, and our Prayers for Him, that his Fathir which fatk in fieref will reward him
iv DEDICATION.
j Sir,, that I mean a Dedication of the fol- lowing Dlfcourfe to this namelefs Benefactor alfo, who would account it an Honour to be nam'd after Tou ; Whem God has fet in the Chair among your Brethren the DiJ] enters, and honoured You before the Greateft Men at Court as well as in the City, for Wiidom, Modefty and Integrity.
That your Days may be multiplied, even crofs to your own Wijhii of a fpeedy Entrance on a bet- ter Life ; for your greater and longer Ufefulnefs in your Generation, and your more abundant Reward in the Day of Chrift ; and that a gracious God may alfo pleafe to multiply Grace and Peace unto our Other Benefattors, is the hearty Prayer of,
S I R,
Your moft Obliged Friend,
and very Humble Servant,
Boflon, Mttj jv
^Benjamin Colman.
To the Gentlemen of the Town of
, who ufually attend the weekly Lecture,
And to T£0/£ in particular who attend the J>uarterly Meetings for Collections for the P#$r in QornhilL
Gentlemen,
H E N the following Difcourfe was
prea.ch'd tor^ a p^rc.^fic at thc
\V :» />«^/zV Letture, and a part in your more private Meeting, You were then ad- drefs'd in the Clofc of thofe Sermons in the following #W/, which I think good WOT^ to bring to your Remembrance, and alfo to lay before Others.
" I fpeak unto a Trading Town, and I thank God c unto a Peep/* us'd to Charities and //'for*/ Things.
[[ Need I provoke you to Emulrtu* by what is
B " written
ISOlJAD («)
" written of the Men of Tyre ? And God forbid
<c that they fhouid rife up in 'Judgment again ft Usy €C and condemn us. Shall not your Merchandize and <$ your Hire be Holinefs to the Lord, when theirs was " fo, when the C, off el came among thfm I Surely " we have carried our ProfeJJion as high., and our Ob- " Illations are at leaft as great as Thole of Tjreand cc Sidon.
. c: One natural Benefit of Trade and Commerce rc to any People is^ that it enlarges their Hearts "to do generous Things. God grant that every " Thing of that Nature done among us, or ly O- <c thers for us, may be fo done as to carry in their " Front the glorious Infcription of HOLINESS TO Cf GOD. So let it be in your fccret Gifts and Dif- <f tributions, fo in your private and more bounti- €c ful Subscriptions and Celk&ions, whether they be <c for God's Peor or for his Worfliip. And I wifli u the Tropofals which were lately printed for the <c yearly Gathering a fmall Stock or Pund in parti- <c cular Congregations for pious and charitable Ufes, <c might find Acceptance in our Churches, and prove a happy Means of fulfilling my Jext among
" us.
" But there is one Thing, the Work and Duty " of the prefent Day, which 1 may not omit, if I cc would be juft e'trier to my Text or to my Country ;
" which is That your Merchandise and Hire muf
" be for Them -which dwell before the Lcrd, to eat fuffi- cc ciently and for durallt Clothing. How ftiall it be *c called Holinefs to the Lord without this ? You *: muft make Confcience of fupporting your Mini- *' fterr, who ferve in the Santtuary and at the Altar " of God, Money /<*/A, you all wife vour Mer-
" chandife
( iii )
" chandife^ and you are unjuft to Chrlft and his Mi- c< fters, (that is to lay unholy) if you do not ra//e " their Support. It is impoffibie that They ihould cc eat fufficiently, or haveC/0/£/»g for their Families, <c if their Support rife not while all your Trade <c and Hire rifts after fo prodigious a Manner. t( This is to your poor Minlfters, like a bundredlit- <c tie Streams uniting on them, and bearing them " away as with a -F/W ,• or like a fweeping Raitt <( that leaves no food. You muft up inftantly or it '* will wajh away the Field of God., his Worjhiphom " oft the Face of the Land. You muft mmiftec (( more of your rifing Hire to the Temple of God, " or let drop any Pretence to my Text.
" This Matter belongs in the firft place to the " Government over us3 who have had it under Con- ce fidcration in their prefent SeJJion * and pioufly *' re/olved, That it is the Indifpenfable Duty of the " leveral Towns, Trecinfts and Parishes of the Pro- <f vince, to make fuch Additions to the Salaries or <c Maintenance of their refpe&ive Minlfters, as may <c honourably fupport and encourage them in theic " Work : The Court did therefore moft earneftly fe recommend a fpeedy and chearful Compliance " with this their Judgment, to the feveral Congrega- *' tlons and Religious Ajfemblles within the Province.
" To Them it indeed belongs nextly and more <c immediately, whofe Frofeffion in a Church-State " is this Hollnefs to the Lord • and it is the Duty of c the refpedive Members in every Congregation to c fee to.it that their Merchandlfe and Husbandry be fo, and that ?/>^V P^/or^ have Af^f fuffichnt and Clothing. For with what Face and
7 a 5»
B ^ <c Confciencc
<c Confctence fhall every One of you rife a Tenny cf or a Shitting in your Hire andMerchandife, Year cc after Year, and not rile alfo in the Support of " your Minlfters ? I leave it to the fie tin of every cc Merchant and every Labourer to judge in this « Thing, f
f I have but one JtforJ more to add in this •
<c Audience^ and that concerns the College ; to mind
" you that the many great and prudent Benefactions
" made of late Years to that Society, have (I truft)
" this Inscription of Holinefs to the Lord upon them.
" The Bounties ©f the pious Mr. Hollis in particular,
f: his humble Offerings to Chrijl and his Munifi-
cc cence to us, his Lettures and devoted Students
* wear This on their Forehead. ce Tfo LORD raife
c up of our Sons for Trophets, and of our Toung Men for
c Na&arite*. That our Son* may be as Plants of Righ-
* ttoufnefs $ and our Garners full, affording aU Manner
cc ef Store \ Happy the People that are in fucb a Cafeyyea
*' happy is that People wbofe Ged is the Lord.
The Addrefs to Tcu, with which the Sermon clos'd in your private Meeting, was in thefollowingWords,
" Finally, Should our Merchandife and Hire be <c Holinefs to tJoc Lord ? it gives a fpecial Countenance " to, and puts great Honour on, yourprefent Meeting* cf This Evening Lifture is on a double Account holy
f Since that Day many or moft of our Churches have matJq considerable Additions to the Support of their Mtnijhrs, but in very few Places I think in a }uft. Proportion to the Fall of Money, and the Rife of Goods. So that every New Tear or twp €aHs for a new P.rouljwn ; fuch is our miferable finking Condition ; ala< without Profpeft of any Remedy \ May the Dews of Heaven come down more abundantly tin the Placet that coniider of it !
c tO
(v)
u to God ; as in Refped of the Religious Exercife " oflforjhip fo alfo in Refped of our intended O/- " leffionfor tbePoor. The Defign ^.Intention of our pre- <c fent Meeting is entirely (acred to Chrlfl & to his <c P00r.We come to caft ourMites into the LordsTrea- (C fury for the Ufe of thzWidow & the Fatherlefs. Let *c us feek the Divine Grace that we may fo worjhip, cc and fo £zt>e3 as becometh Holinefs • in holy Man- " ner, with holy Frames, from holy Principles, for holy Ends, to the Increale of holy Fruits in our Hearts & Lives, to the Glory & Praife of God.
cc
"
cc Write now., if you pleafc, Holinejs to tie Lord on thefe Doors (|, here opened to us for the fake of " Charity and Devotion • which two will never fail, " no not when Faith and Hope (hall ceafe,, within cc the Ho/y of Holies. The 7?;V/& are invited hither,
c not for their own fo much as for the Poors fake. Cf 73&^ Low els of the Poor are refrefaed by Thee, Kr other, €c in your calling the Rich to your Hottfe : It is to feafl
c the poos, the maimed, the lame and the blind,and Thou " Jhalt be recom fenced at the Refurretfio* of the Juft.
<c This Meeting is a Witnefs that our Widows and " the Fatherlefs are not negleded in the daily Mi- e riiftrations. By Inclination you are led, and fome c of Teu more efpecially are by * Office bound, un- c to this Service. And God is not unrighteous tofor- >e get this Labour of Love, which you are Rowing to 6 his Name, in miniflring to his Saints.
" We have had a hard and long Winter t, which " fome may think has impoverifhed the Town, but
|J Deacon WUi*m<?s in Cornbill. * The Deacons of the Churches; t March <J« i 7 a <5,
« God
(vi)
" God has carried us thro7 it., and provided for the " Poor. Yet they muft needs be left the more bare " and neceffitous.,and laden with little Debts it may fc be, which you Brethren are now met to fayy with <c a willing Mind ,* that they may begin a New <c Tear with Thank/giving to God on your behalf.— <c I need not urge you to what you are fo r$ady of u your felves. You are met for this very End, to €C fray us to accept the Gift, and to continue in this Fel~ " lowfhip of miniftring to the Saints. Like Titus 3 <c I am defired mmy Turn to minifter unto thefnifli- fc ivg in you the Grace, which God has long fincei tc begun. And God Is able to make aU Grace to abound
c toward you, that ye always having Alfafficicncy in all " Ihings, may abound to every good Word and Work — . €t Now He that minijtreth Seed to the Sower, both mlni- fc fter Bread for your Foodyand multiply your Seed f own y
c And increase the Fruits of your Right eou(ne(sy being en~ cc riched in every Thing to all Bountifulnefi, which " caufetb thro us Thanksgiving unto God.
^r*) flP^ ^*h fS3^ /Z&i f&\ ^\ f&*. *&^ fEfa &\ /Zfa ^%^. /f&$ ( '^^"^\^^^\^^\^^^"^^^Sl}
^J? «3va-7« j ^.3^Q'< ^^3X^7^ x^?^ a^*.-^ V^7t *Jg^3W7» a^g^3 vVjTy 4ii3^
OUR
3j&erchandife and Hir&
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
Ifaiah xxiii. 18*
'And her Merchanc/ife, and her Hire fbaft be Holinefs to the Lord.
TR E is the City here Ipokenof; and a very good and great Word it i* that is here fpoken of her. It is a Prophecy of the Convcrfion of the Ty- nans by the preached Gof- pel } and how they (hould ufe their Wealth in the Day when God Ihould convert them. And what is here written concern- ing them is for our learning, being a Dire'&ion and Precept to us, that our Merchandife and Hire Ihould be Holinefs t$ the LorJ.
ft*
2 Merchandife and Hire
Tyre was a Gentile City of great Antiquity > and Re- nown for Trade and Wealth, fcituate on the Me- diterranean «£?./, near to the Lot of the Tribe of After. It was built by fome Colony of the Zidonians, and is therefore in our Context called the Daughter of Zidon.
In David and Solomon's rime we find the Tynans faithful Allies and Friends of IJrael. And as one well obferves, a Trading Cities feldom prove dan- " gerous Enemies to their Nei'bours $ for they ac- " quire and maintain their Grandeur, not by the " Conqueft of others,,but byCommerce with them.
The Inhabitants of Tyre were now grown the m©ft skilful in Sea Affairs of any in the World. A- bout the ninth Year of Hez,ekiab, Salmane&er the ^Jjyrian invaded and befieged them both by Sea and Land. By Sea they beat the AJJyrian and Hanician Fleet of fixty Sail, with twelve Ships only This gave 'em a Name for War as well as Riches, and made ?em the Terror of the Ocean. The AJJyrian Army then block'd 'cm up by Land ; for Old Tyre was built upon the Cent in enty and the »<?M> City after- ward upon an Ifland ; which Siege they bare for five Years, and were at laft delivered by the Death of Salntanez,er. Upon this Succefs they were pufFd up with new Pride, and grew hau'tier than ever, which provoked the Holy God to utter the Burden and Prophecy againft them, in the Chapter before us, wherein is foretold, i. The miferable Overthrow of the Tyrians by Nt-buchadneZt&ar and the Chaldean Army ; and 2. Their Reftoratien, like their Nei'bours the Jews^ after feventy Years ; when they fhould recover their ancient Liberty, Trade & Ricbts again — This is the Danger and Mifery of Places cf Qomme rce, that as they grow rich and ofulwt they
alfo
to the Lord. $
alfo grow fcnfual, propbane and Infolent, unjuft and unrighteous ,• and io forfeit the Bleffings of Provi- dence, and Incur its dreadful Judgments j as Tyre did.
Nebuchadnezzar found it a hard peice of Work to conquer Tyre *. He began its Siege about two Years after the Deftrudion of JcrufaUm and the Captivity of Judah. It held him thirteen Years be- fore it was taken, when he took a terrible Revenge and utterly ras'd it. An Account of this is given us by the Prophet Ezektel, Chap. xxix. i/. 18. Son of Man, Neluehadnezzer King of Babylon caufcd his Army to ferve a great Service again ft Tyre ; every Head- was made I'M and every Shoulder was peeled • jet had, he no Wages nor his Army for Tyre, for the Strvice that he (erved agalnfl it. The fhort Account of this Mat- ter is, " That the Tyrlans h'ndmg him too hard for them by Land, while yet they were Mailers by Sea, they built themfelves a new City on an Ijland about half a Mile diftant from the Shore, into which they removed the moft and beft of their Effects ,- Io that when Nebuchadnezzar enter'd the old Clrjy after his long Seige and hard Service of thirteen Years, he found no Riches, no Spoil in the Place, to repay him for his vaftExpence or to reward his Soldiers • the Inhabitants having pafs'd with their Scores into the ntw City, which was afterwards a moft mighty Maritime Power and Mart of the Nations, ftill caN led TYRE; riling as a Phtsmx from the Aflies of
her Dam. It is probable, fays the noble Hlfto-
rian, that after the King of Babylon had deftroy'd the Old 7ou>n, thole that rctir'd into the mw one came into 7'erms and fubmitted to him • and fo
* See the learned Dr. Prieleaux's Connexion of the Old and
New Teflt.-aent*
C continued
4 Merchandise and Hire
continued in a ftate of Reftraint and Servitude to the B ibylonians and Perjians for Seventy Years ; al- the/ they were not captivated and difperfed, were not earned away to kabylon andCkaldea, as the Jews
were.
\
Such was the Accomplifhment of the Burden of Tyre utter'd by Ifaiab\ So it was laidwafte, at which all her Sbifs are call'd to hoivl. This was the End of the joyous City, whofc Antiquity -was of ancient Days, her own Feet carry7 d her an>ay \ her Pride and High- xefs of Spirit, the Sin of rich and thriving Places did it I for it preiently runs a Place intolrreligion, Senfuality and Unrighteoufnefs. The fame Pride, thai caft down the Angels ; and deftroy'd Sodom ia her Fulneis of Bread, leaving the polluted Cities as the Iwagc on Earth of everlafting Burnings • laid Tyre, tbe crowning City, defblate • whole Merchants were Princes , and ber "Traffickers rbe honourable of the Earth: The LORD OF HOSTS did it tofttin tbe Tride of all Glory.
Thefe things are written for our Warning • for a warn'ng to the Maritime Powers of Europe, to Eng- land and Holland in particular, on \vhvmtheEnds of tht World are ewe. ^Q criminal is the Pride of Life in the Eyes of a Holy God, and odious ! 'Sec it in the Judgment of Tyre, as the moft eminent In- ftance, E^ckiel xxviii- ink. " SVw of Man, fay to tbe Prince of Tyre, Thus faitb tbe LORD GOD, Bccaufe thine Heart is lifted up, And thou h&Jt fa id, I am a God, (a kind of Ncvtune, God of the Seas) I fit in tbe Seat of God, in the mid'} of the Seas : Tet thottart a Man and 9tot a God, tb&J thou fet thine Heart as tbe Heart of God : Beheld tbou art wi/er than Daniel (who had it feems fuch a Name and Fame for Wifdom, thro' the King- doms and Provinces of the £*/, that it might pa^s
tor
ffolinefs to the Lore?. y
for a Proverb among them, cc as -wife as Daniel) and, with thy H'ifflom afidUnderJtanaing thou haft gotten thee. Riches, Gold and Silver into thy Treasuries, and thy Heart Is lifted up ; (art a. golden God in thy own Eyes, ma- king thy Gold thy Hope, and faying to it, " Thou an my Confidence ! ") Therefore thus faith the Lord God, Be- hold I witt bring Strangers upon thee, the fernble of the, Nations, and they foatt draw their Sivords againft the Beauty of thy Wifdont, and they fiall defi 'le thy Rrigh^ nefs ; they fliall bring thee down to the Pit, and thou jl alt die the Deaths of the Slain in the midft of the Ssas : thott Jbsilt be aMan and no God in the Hand of him that flayetb thee.
All this God bro't on proud and hau'ty fyre for her Sins. But in the Clofeof the Chapter, where my fcxt is found, we have " a firne fix'd for the Con- tinuance of her Judgment, and a Prophecy of the Re- covery of her ancient Glory, " v. if. 2jre {hall be forgotten feventy Tears, according to the Days of one King • after theEnd of feventyTears Jh*ll fjre {ing as an Harlot : by the Days of one King we mult underftand the Succeffion of one Family of theMonarchs of Babylon, NebtichadnezJ'&ar, his Son and Grandfon ^ and by her Jinging again as an Harlot,\ve muft underftand, " her if Return to her State of former Vrofperity, Mer- " chafidife and Traffic , and her ufing all Arts and cc Means (as (he had done before) to draw Trade cc and Cuftomers to her : Like as an Harlot that <c has been fometime under Reftraint and Correc- " redion for her Leudnefs, when {he is at Liberty " again returns with a violenrBent to her old Arts * of Temptation * j Such -was Tyre when at the End of 70 Years (he recovered Freedom, Trade and Riches. She did all fhe could to allure the Com- merce of the Nations to her again ,* the fyrians were as much fet upoa worldly Gains, were as in-
___^^__j_^^_^^^M_MJ^^^^^,^»^M»^»
* See Henry in loc.
C ordinat*
<£ Werchanc/ife and Hire
ordtnatein their Dcfire and Love of Wealth, and in taking all Methods to get it, as they had been before ; and rejoyced in their Acquifitions as hereto- fore. This is the Harlotry here imputed to her, an Inordinate Luft after Riches,, and Pleafure in it ; which in Scripture is called ipiritual Fornication. And accordingly the Prophet goes on to brand and expofe fjre for her Love of Money, v. 16. cc fs.ke an Harp and go about the City, thou Harlot that haft been forgotten ! make facet Melody, Jing many Songs that thcu way ft be remembred. Nothing can be more elegant than this predicting" the various Artifices and even dijhoncft Vraflices, whereby the City of fyre regain- ing herLiberty, would return into her -wonted Com- merce with all the Nations,, and entice the Merchants of the Earth into their ufuai Dealings with her. So jbe turn d to her Hire, and committed Fornication "with all the Kingdoms of tbs World upon the Face of the Earth, V. 17.
But then in the laft Verfi of the Chapter, which is my fext, there is one Word of Good concerning tfjre • one Word of Grace refpefting her ,• and thtt is — " That having recovered her rich and opulent State,* flme would come wherein She fhould make a better Ufe of It than flie had done formerly $ (he fhouid in Procefs of Time come to uje it nllgloujly, to the Honour of God and In h'ls Service ; u Her Mer- chand'ife and her Hire would then be Hollnefs to the 'Lord : And this is explained in the followingWords, It fall not be treafured and laid up ; neither as Mifers hoard up their Bags, nor as the proud and vain lay but and lay up their Moneys in Fineries & Jewels • but " her Merchandise foall be for them that dwell be- fore the Lord, for the Support and Maintenance of -Rtl'gion and the Mini/ers of it ,• for them to eat fuf~ ) and for durable Clothing.
What
Holinefs to the Lorcf. j
What more could we hope to hear of Jerxfalcm the Holy City, at any time ! or of any other City of God in Gofpel Times ! — What more than this, " Her Merchandise and her Hire flail be HOLINESS TO THE LORD ? The High Yrief of God, in his Attire of Holinefs and Glory, on the great and folewn Day, wore no more fared I*ffrifti$n than this was ! yet this (hall be written on the Merchandise of Tyre I marvellous Word \ written for the Generati- ons to come, and that the People to be created JhouU pralfe the Lord.
But when was this to be ? and wherein fliould it be fo ? — Why, In the Day when Tjre, and other Nations, fhould come, i. Not to treafure up their Gains, from a Spirit of Covetouihefs, or of Ambi- tion and Pride, or of Confidence in their Riches ; but 2. when their Gains by Trade ftiould be devo- ted to God's Honour and employ'd in his Service, in Works of Piety and Charity • for the Eftablifhment and Support of the H**fe and Worfiif of God, and for the Relief of his Poor : for fufficient and durable Food and Clothing for the Pajhrs and the Poor of Chrift's Flocks.
But, was there e'ver fuch a Time as this, for New Tyre ? and when was it ? — I anfwer, There were fuch Times • and two Periods may probably be re- ferr'd to ;
Firjl, The Time ofjudah's Return out of Babylon^ when tho' the/eventy Years of fyre were not quite expired, yet new fjre had attained more than fifty Years Growth, and was able to furnifti the Jews toward and affift them in their rebuilding of the City and their /econd femfle. The fjrians adually did this, partly in Obedience to the Editt of Cyrus, to whom they were fubjeft, and partly from Intereft
and
S Wlerchanc/ife and Hire
and Inclination, having been Fellow-Sufferers with and in the Captivity of Judah, Accordingly we read in the Book of Ez>ra, ot Mtat and Drink, and Oil given to them of Zldun and o* fjre, to bring Cedar-^Trees from Lebanon to the Sea of Joppa i according tv the Grant by the Hand of Cyrus King of Perfia. Chap. iii. 7. So early was the Merchandiie of new 3j*e Holinefs to the Lord, for the rebuilding of his f*mfle, and for the furnifhing of his Priefts and Worfl^perr. And it is greatly to be obferVed to the Honour of tne Syrians, 1 hat as the Fathers in old fj re had a fpe- cial Hand in Materials for building the/r// Tem- ple, fb had their Pojterity in the fecond.
"Butfecondfy, The Prophecy in my fext looks to be fure to fome Time long after the Return of the J< ws from fitibylon • even to the Days of the Mjfiah and the Converfien of fome in fjrt by the freached Go/pel* The Prophecy plainly iuppoies that fjre would for a /ow^Term of Years return into her old Courie and Way of living, and continue Pagan; tho; in a Way ef&ttfch it might be friendly to the Jews their Nei'- bours. In this there was little or no Religion ,• their Idol Gain and worldly Wealth was ferved in It. But in the Day of the Converfion of the Nations to the Chriftiaa Faith3 fyre alfo received the Gof- pel. And then it was that her Merchandife and Hire became Holinefs to the Lord, being ufed by a Number of Gods choicn and called there in the Services of true Religion *nd Godlinefs, the Support of his Worfhip, Minifters and Poor.
In Nehemiafrs Time we read of the Men of Tyre ^wetting at Jerufakm, and we may iuppofe from that Time to the Day of Cbrift many a Gift and Offering from Tyre to the Altar of God at Jerufa- lem • wherein the Words of David in the xlv T faint might be fulfilled., as they doubtlefs were in his own Day • [[ The Daughter of Tyre flail be there with a Gift. In
Holiness to the Lord. 9
In drift's Time we find many of Tyre and Zldon better difpofed to have received Him and his Gofpel than the Men of Ifrael ; for if his mighty Works bad been done among them they would have repented in Duft and A^es.
In the Days and Mis of the dfoflles we find Cbriftians&t Tire, Chap. xxi. 3, f. with whom Paul tarried fevtn Days, and who thro7 the Spirit warn'd him of his Danger and Sufferings if he went up to Jeruftlem $ and when he departed from them they brot him on bis Way with their Wives and Children, fo reverend and fervent was their Love to him for the Gofpels lake, till be was out of the City, where they kneeled down on the Shore and prayed, and took Leave one of another. After this Chriftianity flourifticd in this trading City, and then her Merchandise became , in part; to the Worfhip and Glory of Chrif-
So that we plainly find in my Text, i. A Pro- phecy of the Converfion of the Tynans. 2. How they fhould then u[e their Wealth • that it would be con- fecrated toGod in piousUies^ and holy to his Worihip. 3. This Spirit and Example of the Tyrians is for the Learning and Imitation of other Places, Cities and Countrys, among the Gentiles. Let the Chriftians of Tyre teach us, that where ever the Gofpel is re- ceived, in the Love aud Power of it, it will bring forth this good Fruit ; the Merchandife and Hire of the People will be Holinefs to the Lord. " So " Cbnftians ihould ufe their Eftates in the Service
of God, and unto pious Ufes, and count thatbeft " laid tfp,which is fo laid out. Both the Merchan- <c dife of the Men in Tr*de9 and the Hire of the fc Men of Labour, ftiould be devoted to God. The *c Tytbe was fo under the Law, and there is a Due (and (urely an equal one) under the Gofpel.
New Tyre has the Honour of teaching us this un* der the New Tt/awent j and in all Places of the
World
cc
i 6 Merchant/I fe and Hire
World, thro' all Ages, the Gofpel is to be thus ho- noured. As it is written, Zech. xiv. 20. In that Day there jhall be upon the Bells of the Horfes Holinefs unto the Lord • yea, every Pot In Jerujalem and injudah {hall be Holinefs to the Lordof Hofts.
And here let me faufe and obferve to you. The * Advantage that trading Places have beyond others by their Merchandife and Commerce ; and th^ Obligation they are under to improve their Advantages, for getting and propagating the faving Knowledge and Worfnp of God. This was Tyres Happinefs andBenefit by'her Situation (otTrajpc* She was much the more known tolfrael, and knew fo much the more of her God and Worship, than other Places, Her Merchandife put her in the Way hereof. Many a Man of Tyre went a trading to Jeru[alem, and heard of the true God, his Law to and his Works for Ifrael, and faw his San ff nary, the Order and Worfliip of his Houie.
Many of the Jews alfo were led to Tyre by their Trade, where they accidentally fpake of the Lerd God of their Fathers, his Worfhip, Laws andWorks. Other Places it may be took up ftrange and odd Notions of that feparate People, as a fingular fort of Folk -y but the Tyrians faw they were a wife and un~ derfttnding People, had Statutes and Judgments rr.oft righteous, and excelled other Places in Sobriety and Juftice as well as in Devotion. And who knows what Influence this might have on that Degree of Union, which there w&sbetweenjerttfalem and Tyre in the Days of David and Solomon ? i Kings v. 6. My Servants JhaH be with thy Servants.
But this ?we know, That Christianity has been greatly ferv'd by Trade and Merchandife , by means whereof a greatPart of the World has beengofpelifed.
For
Holinejs to the Lore/. it
For the Knowledge of Chrift has been propagated by Trade far and near. The Earth and Sea have thus help'd the Church, and as Daniel foretold it would be,Many have run to and fro (erofs theOcean) and Knowledge has been increafed. God has us d the Loadftone and the Mariners Art in the Service of Chriftj and the Ends of the Earth have feen his Salva- lion.
And to add yet one more Benefit of Commerce ; it enlarges Peoples Hearts to do generous Things, for the Support of Divine Worfliip and Relief of the Poor. We always fee moft of this in Places of Trade. And fo it has been from the firit Days of Tyre, of whom we read, " The Laughter of Tjrcfiatt be there 'with a Gift : She/r/ and more free of her Gifts than others. This is moft natural to Places of Commerce; Something to give and a Heart to give. May it be always found fo in frW/V/gplaces ! but efpccially we wifh them a Heart to make the beft Gift, Themfelves with their Eftates, and this in the belt Manner • as the Churches of Macedonia are celebrated for ever for doing, 2 Cor. viii. i, — f.
The Riches of tvhofe Liberality abounded In their deep
P0tr*rrf,praying the Apoftles with much Entreaty that they would accept the Gift, and take upon them the Fellow- fjip of mini firing to the Saints ; fir ft giving their own Selves totheLord, and then to the Apoftles by the Will of God. cc VVhenCon verts joyn themfelves to the Church then they come with a Gift, devoting their Seed *n<l Subftanee together with their Perlbns, Gifts and Powers, to his Service and Glory.
It is high Time I now come to the Dotfrine which my Text leads me to enlarge on, which is,
Cf That the Merchandise and Hire of a People, their Trade and worldly Bufinefs, their Gains and Riches, fhould be Hotincls to tbs Lord.
D The
is Mercha'todie ^n Hire
The Enquiries under this Dottrlne muft be r. Into the Meaning of the Phrafe., Hollnefs to the Lord. 2, When the Traffic and Wealth of a People may be fo called ? ;. Why it muft be fo ?
I The Meaning of this Phrafe, Hollnefs to theLord muft be look'd into. And thtfirft time that we find it us'dj than which there could not have been found any more eminent, was the Divine Order concern- ing the High Prlefts Veftments, his Garments for Glory and Beauty, wherein be was to approach before the Lord, and minifter unto Him upon the moft fohmn Occafions : Exodus xxviii. 56, 37, 58. Tbw (halt make #Plate ofpureGold, and grave upon it like the Ingr wings ff a Signet, Hollnefs to the Lord : And thoti (halt put it on a blue Lace, that it may be upon the Mitre, upon tbt Fore-front thereof • upon Aaron's Forehead, that he may lear the Iniquity of the HolyThlngs whi-h the Children of Ifraeljhall hallow In aft their Holy Gifts -, And It flail be always upon his Forehead^ that they may be accepted be~ fore the Lord.
Now we may obferve in this firft Appointment of this Title & Infcriptlon,that it plainly was meant to fignify, i. The infinite Holinefs of the God of Ifrael, and of Chrlfl the great High Prleft of our Pro- fejfion. 2.TheHolincfs of thePr left hood and Mini/ferial Office, their fpecial Conficratlon to holy Miniftrati- ons., and their fpecial Obligations to be Holy to the Lord. ;. The Hollnefs of God's Worfiif, and that all his People muft takeCare to be very holy in all their Approaches to Him, in all the Inftltutions of his Worihip. Pfalm xcix. The Lord Is great in Zlon,and hl^h above all People : Let thempralfe thy great and ter- rible Name, for It Is Holy ; Exalt the Lord our God, and at bis holy #/# j for the Lord wr God is Holy.
So
Holinefs to the Lor£
So that in this Title Holinefs to the Lord we have l. the Holinefs of God : 2. a Confecration to Him, or theScparation of a Perfbn or Thing to boly Ufes : 3. Mtu*l Ufe and Imploymcnt therein ; and 4. in a fpeciai Relation to his
i. Holinefs to the Lord fuppofes, and in the higheft manner declares, as In fining Capitals of Gold3 the infinite, unutterable, incomparable, inconceivable Holinefs of Jehovah, the only true God; that He is the Holy One, and alone Holy, glorious in Holinefs, the thrice Holy • and there is none Holy like Him or be- fide Him. This is his Glory in both Teftaments *, in his Temple above and in that below : <c / faw the. Lord fitting upon a Throne, high and lifted up, and his Train filled the Temple : Above it flood the Serapbims, covering their faces, andQwe cried unto Another andfaid, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hofls ! the whole Earth is full of bis Glory. And if the blefted God were not Himielf thus Hely, why and how fhould Perfons and Things be called Holiness unto Him.
2", It fpeaks a Consecration of Perfons and Things to God, a feparation of them to his more immediate Service and Glory, to be of holy Ufe according to his Will. So Aaron and the 'Priefrhoed were of old feparated and devoted to God, and therefore had this Name written on them, Holinejs to the Lord. So the Sabbath is confecrated Time, and in the Hebrew called Holinefs to the Lord, Exod. xxxi. 15*. In like manner the very Fruit of the frees in the fourth Tear were boly to praife the Lord withal: Levit. xix. 24. The Hebrew Word is Holinefs ; being given to the Triefts and to the Poor. And the fame is faid of the Veffels of Silver and Gold, Brafs andiron, in Jerigo.
3< eve y. , 9,
D ^ Jolh.
7 4 Merchandise 'and Hire
Joftl. vi. 19. Thus Ifrael "was Hollnefs to the Lsrtl (Jer ii. j.j by the Covenant ofdrftmcijion, their Dedication to God therein ; and in like Manner do all Chrifttan People by their Baftlfmal Dedication to G©d wear the fame Words, as on their Fonheads.
But moreover, ;. Hollnefs to God imports the 't&ual Ufe and Improvement of Perfons and Things in the Service of God and to hlsGlory. When Aaron put on his Mitre it was actually to officiate before the Lord. He was then in a more fpeeial manner to intend, defign and act for., the fan&ifying God's Jslame in holy M migrations. Defaffo there was Hollnefs to the Lord in his right Difpofkions, and Difcharge of his Office : Elfe the Priefthood and \Voiftuppers profaned the Hollnefs of the Lord which l>e loved. Mai ii. n. Otherwife, In their fet Office ( fc in the Diicharge of their Office to which they were fet apart ") they fanttlfed themfelves in Holinefs. 2 Chron. xxxi. 18. Then, and then only, were they Hollnefs to the Lord, in Deed and in Truth. And fo are we to Cbrift, if we are holy in Heart and Life • if we live to Him In all holy Confer fat f on 9 as in pur bdptlfm we have bound our Selves.
4. And laftly. This Motto, Hollnefs to the LorJ, lias a more particular Regard to thtM^orjhip of God, his Minfjtry&vd Sanffuary, his Ordinances and In ft I- tutions. So Ifrael as Worfhippers, and Aaron as a Prieft, and the Sabbath as the Day of weekly Wor- {hipj and the Firft-fmlts as offered in Worfhip,were Dignified with this Style of Holy to the Lord. So when u>e by the Grace of Gbd devote, ufe and ifri- ploy our Souls and Bodies, our Gifts and Powers^ pur Time and Eftate, in the Services of Religion, and for promoting his Worfliip, they become Holl~ 'weft 19 the Lord » We become in our ferfcns as
"fJo linefs to the Lcrtf. 1 5
es of the living God, and God is fanttifed in us as in them that draw nigh to Him • and our Powers of Mind and Body, with the Fruit of our Bodies, our Time and Eftate, our Inttreft in the World and our Influence among Men, are as fo manyOfferivgs to jGod at his Altar, which confecrates the Gifts.
Having thus enquired into the Meaning of the Phrale Hotincfs to the Lord, I come now to enquire,
II. When the Traffic *nd Wealth, Merchandise and Bufinefs of a Peribn or People may be fo called ? To which I anfwer in three general Heads,
i. When Men ferioufly devote, dedicate & con- fecrate, firft Themfelves and then of their worldly Subftance, a due Part, to the Glory and Service of God. 2. When what is fo confecrated to God out of our Eftates is abtually ufed and implcyed in hisSer- yice, according to his Will, In Afts of Piety and Cha~ rity. 3. Always provided that what we fo devote and ufe is acquired honeflly & righteoufly inGod'sFear and Way, and is given by us with a fpfritual Mind and Heart.
I Then is our Merckandtfe and Trade, Wealth and worldly Bufinefs, Hollnefs to the Lord y when we fe- rioufly devote, dedicate and confecrate, a due Part of our Subftance, together with our Selves, to the Glory tnd Service of God.
Firft, I muft fay our Selves, for the Perfon muft be facred and dedicated to God before his Eflate will be fo,- the Perfon is firft holy and then hisG//>, This is the Order of Nature and of Grace * : for which
* a Cor, viii. j. Matth, xxiii. 17.
is
I 6 Merchandise and Hire
is greater, the Gift or the Giver ! how much lefs is a Mans Eftate before God, than the Man himfelf ? according to the Apoftles juft Eftimation of the Ma* eedonlans and their mini firing to the Saints, c Who fir ft gave their own Selves to tke Lord. God looks to a Mans Heart and Soul in all his Offerings to Him, whether of Praife or Alms. It is the Perfon who wears upon his Forehead the Infer iption, Holme fs to the Lord. If the Perfon be unholy before Him, Us Sacrifice Is an Abomination. He profanes and pol- lutes his own Gift , asCain did his Offering, bring- ing it with a wicked Mind. If we have not given our Selves, our Hearts to God, we may give all eur Goods to feed the Poor, or give it to the Church, (for Them that dwell before the Lord) and yet there will be nothing of Holinefs in the one or in the other [|.
Yet the Eftate muft go with the Perfon, as it is in Marriage ; and it has pleafed God to efpoufe un- to Himfelf the Soul that gives it felf to him j / Z am married to y OH } faith the Lord.
The /r/ Offering from Man that we read of, ac- ceptable to God, was the Perfon with a part of his Eftate • I mean Abets Offering. C//» alio bro't of the Fruit of the Ground, but God had no Refptfl to his Offering becaufe he had not firft given hlmftlftQ Him. Abraham having refigned up Himfelf to the Divine Will and Call, gave his Tytbe of till unto tfa frleft of the moft Hlph God ; the famous Type of his Lord and' Saviour, after whofe Order Chrift is a Trleft forever; and he was blejfed by him. So Jacob vowed, firft that the Lord foould be his God, and then a Tenth of all that God fhould give him. So David having firft render'd his Heart to God in Flames of
Cor. xiii. 4. * Jererji. iii. 44.
Pevotioq
Holinefs to the Lore?. 17
Devotion, then gathered »jaft Stores which he con- fecrated for a Temple to theName of the Lord ; and his Princes followed his Royal Example., i Chron. Xxix. 1 6. 17. " O Lord our God, all this Store that we have prepared cometh of thine Hand, and It if all thin* ewn : I know alfo my God, that Thou triefl the Heart and haft Pleafure In Uprightness : As for me In the Uf- rightnefs of my Heart have I willingly offer d all thefe Ih.ngs, &c. Here was rhe Offering 0f the Man af- ter G<d's own Heart. And we find in the Gofpel when the young Man came and offered Himfelf to Chrift, our Lord demanded of him alfo the Ufe of all his Eftatf, and he went away forrowfuL It is added, for he bad great Toffejjions * : He might then, one would think,have been the more ready to have given freely to the poor out of it: Or3 did he think his Riehes of more Price than bimfelf? poor Soul ! it feems as if he would not have offer'd himfelf to Chrift, had he tho't himfelf half fb good as hisPof- feflions 1 his going away forrowfnl fhew'd that he was not fencer e in the Offer of Himfelf. On the contrary Zaccheus being a fmcerePenitent, gave half his Goods to the poor, and Chrift accepted of his Per-' fony and laid to him, " Salvation is come to thy Houfe t-
So the frfl Chrlflians \\ when they had given up Them/elves to Chrift in Baptifm, gave in all their Goods into a common Stock. It was on an extraor- dinary Occafion, and under an extraordinaryEffufion of the Holy Spirit. The Churches Needs call'd.for it, and the Spirit of God dire&ed to it. Ananias and his Wife had only given their Names, not their Hearts ; and keeping hack part of thePrice died for theSaen*
• Matth. xix. 22. f Luke xix. 9. || Afts iy. 34,
V
,
lege
i S Merchanc/ife and Hire
lege, and their Lying to the Holy Ghoft. On the con- trary, the Macedonians, whofe Praife is in all the Churches for Evermore, having given both their Names and Hearts to Chrift, gave liberally of their Eftates for the Relief of the poor Saints, even beyond their Ability. Thus was their Merchandise Hohnefs to the Lord. Neither will the Eftate do without the Perfon, all his Heart and all his Soul ; nor the Perfon do (if that could be) without the Eftate, for it will go with the Heart and Love. — But I prevent my felf on the fecond Anlvver to the En- quiry I am upon :
II. Our Merchandiie and Wealth isHolinefi to the Lord, when what is confecrated and devoted out o£ our Eftate, is adually u/ed and impioyed in the Ser* vice of God, according to his Will. " When thou voweft & Vow, defer not to fay $ why fiould God be an- gry at thy Voice * ? Vow and fay to the Lord thy God I let all that be round about Him bring Prefects unto Hint that ought to be feared. Prefcnt thy Self, and then remember that thou haft implicitly and virtually, if not mod explicitly and exprefly, vowed to him bis Dues out of thy Eftate. Bring fhefc Prefents to Him as long as thou liveft, in their returning Sea- fons, Better it is that thoufiouldeft not ww, than that thou foouldeft <vow and nut pay.
It is to be feared that manyC/;r//?/^»j do not eno' apprehend and confider, that their worldly Eftatt enters into their general Von>y and is always a Part of it, in their Self -Dedication to God But God's Part is holy to Him whether we confider it or no j and if we re-nder Him his Part, the whole is lan&i- fied unto us. There is not Holtnefs to God written
! Ecclcf. v. 4) f> & P&lin
on
to the Lore?.
on our Perfons, Faculties and Powers, nor on our Eftate, till both one and the other are ufed to holy Ends and Purpofes, in actual Miniftrations to the Glory of God. But if we are actually honou- ring God with our whole Man, Soul and Body, the Powers of the one, and the Endowments of the other, the Sfirit of the Living God dwells and rules in us, and has graven en us, as in Letters of Gold, Holinefs to Himfelf. And if we are honouring the. Lord with our Sub fiance, and with the Firft-fruits of our Increafe, we may read with Pleafure the fame I* fir if* tion on our Eflates, & others may fee it on us, 2 Cor. iii. 2. Te are our Epiftle written In our Hearts, known and rtad of all Men : 71? are manifeftly declared to be the. Epiftle of Chrift, miniftred by us, written not with Ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God $ not in Tables of Stone, but inflefoly Tables of the Heart \
Now if it be ask'd, Wherein a Part of our worldly Eftate is to be uid to the Glory of God t it is eafily anfwer'd in the two general and known Inftancet, Works of Piety and Charity. The frjt is the very Thing in my Text, and the other is like unto It, and never to be feparated ,• the /r/ is a more direct Ex- preflion of Love to God, the other to our Neibour • on which two hang all the Law and the Prophets, and confequently the whole of Holinefs to the Lord is contained in them.
:#
Firfi then, Our Wealth and worldly Bufincfs is Holinefs to the Lord, 'when with a true and right Heart it is ufed and imployed in Works ofPitty to- ward God, for the Support of his Worflrip. When it is for them that dwell before the Lord to eat fitfficiently, and for durable Clothing. That is to fay, When Men make Conference of giving unto God a due Pro- portion out of their Eftates for the Support of Re-
E
so Merchanc/ife and Hire
ligion and the Maintenance of God's Mlnlfters, to feed and clothe them, and that fufficiently and ho- nourably ; eno' to eat of plentifully, and to clothe their Families decently, and leave fomething to them when they die . The Tithes of old were
fuch aProvifion for the Levites. And as they that ferved at the Altar liv'd of it, fo has the Lord ordained that they -who preach the Gofpel JhoM live of the Gofpel, i Cor. ix. 14. The Bread of Mlnlfters is the Bread of God, and we muft allow Him to be a good HoufhoUer, & to keep a good Table. He does not feed his Houlhold by Miracles, but by his reler- ved Dues out of the Eftates of his People. He will have it done by their Hands,that they may do Him Duty and Homage, and pay him Tribute. There is always a part of your Moneys, whereof he fays to you, cc Wbofe Image and Sttperfcription is this ? and you muft anfwer, It is Gods. Then render to Go A the Things that are his. Matth. xxii 21. Do it by mi- niftring out of your Eftates to his Houfe and Wor- ihip, according to the Ability which he gives you.
When People expend prudently and pioufly for the letting up, and carrying on, the Worjhip of God where they live, or in other Places j or in fending the Gofpel to People deftitute thereof, and perifh- ing for lack of Knowledge ; and in making Provi- fion for a more private Inftru&ion of Children in fuch Places • theirWealth in thisU/e of it becomes Hollncfs to the Lord. It comes into a Relation to di- vine Worfhtp, even as Aaron and the Holy Things of old belonging to the Tabernacle. - . But unto fuch Works of Piety for the Support of God's Worjhip, we muft add
Secondly, Works of Charity and Mercy, which are as much in themfelves, and render us as much, Ho-
ltne/4
Holinefs to the Lorcf. 21
llnefs to theLord, as the other. Thcfe belong to the fecond Table of the Law, as thofe to the frft- Pity to the poor and needy, in Obedience t^ God & Con- formity to Him, is Piety and Sanftlty in his Sight. They are the Lord s Receivers as well as his Priefts, and we have them always with us. And the pious foor are among his fplritual Prie/ts, rich in Faith, chofen of God and catted. He that gives to them, for their comfortable Eating and Clothing, with a right and charitable Frame of Spirit, lends to the. Lord, And honours Him with his Subftance. Thefe are fpiritual Sacrifices with which God is well fleafed. There is Worfhip and Incenfe, an Odour of * fweet Swell in them, as well as in Offerings at the Altar of God. The Alms of Believers go up for a Memo* rial before God, with their Prayers ; as did thofe o£ Cornelius. The Great High Prieft, at the Gulden Altar within the Fail, prefents the one and the other in the Cloud of Incenfe 3 his own Merits & Interceffion. He, the Holy One of God, was Holinefs to the Lori above all the Sons of Men ,• and his Miracles of Mercy were like his Prayers and Devotions beyond number, and alike honorary to God. God will have his foor fed, as well as his Mlnlfters. And why not ? are they not together Heirs of his K'n^dom ? and has hCfnot put them together again and^again, the Levite and the Poor *, in his Peoples rejoicing before him on hisfolewn
But give me leave more particularly to prove, by three or four Arguments, that Works of Chanty to the poor are proper Holinefs to the Lord.
I. They are Obedience to the Law of God which is moft holy. The Wort of God is the Rule of Holi-
! Deut. xvi. Jfi, 14, *jm. u. 13,
E z R«ft|
22 Merchancfife and Hire
nefs, and one of its grand Rules and Laws to us i$ jllws-dteds, and a6j:s of Charity. Theie arc an e- roinent Branch of that Holimfs which the Lord re- quires, £ech vii 9. Thus faith the Lord, Shew Mercy every one to his Brother. Only let what we do be done in Obedience to God, for his Glory, and with a pure Kefped: to his Will, not to befeen of Men ; ha- ving true Compajfion one of another, loving as Brethren, fit if #1, courteous, tender-heart ed\\ $ otherwise there is no Hollnefs to the Lord, nor Reward frpm our Fa- ther that is in
2. T£> give to the poor out of our Eftates is Holt- Ttefs to the Lord, becaufe it is ourConformity to God and, Cbrift in their Bounties and Mercies to tfje indigent anel wiferable. Conformity to (he Holy God is Hollnefs, but Covif*]Ji',n and Mercy to the poor is Confor- mity to God ,• "who maketh his Sun to rife and bis Rain to fall on the evil and on the good ,• Be ye therefore per- feft as your Father in Heaven is perfett. Mat.v. 45^48. So Cbrift approvedHimfelf to be the Holy One in the Days of his Flefh, by filling up his Life with Ads Of God-like Chtrity andMercy. They cried after Him, laid themfclves in his Way, and he heakd them all. This was Hvlinefs to his father, and in the Sight of Men., and we Ihould lay up in our Hearts his me- iporable Words, Ads XX. 35-. It is mere blejjed to give than to receive.
* A right and charitable Difpofition is the Fruit tf the Holy Spirit in us, & therefore can be no other than Holinefs to the Lord. " The Ftuit of the Spirit is Love t. There is much of the Spirit of God in Bpwels pf Pity to one another. " If there be any
Matth. vi. i. i Pet. Hi. 8. Ephef. iy. 32. f Gal. V. 32. Phil. ii. j. Col. iij, is.
Holinefs to the Lord. 23
Fettowflrip of the Spirit, If any Bow eh and Mercies. Communion of the Holy Ghof, and thcCommunion of Saints j.s experienced & exhibited in thefeBowels, which we are therefore exhorted to put on, as the Elctf of God, holy and beloved ^ and becaufe this Cha- rity is the Bond of~Perfettnefs. Sec the Argument and Demon/lration of the Apome James on this Head, Jam. ii. iy, 16. If a Brother or Sifter be naked, an£ deftitute of daily Food $ and one of you fay unto them9 Depart in Feace^be you 'warmed & fitted : notwithftand* ing ye 'give them not thofe Things which are needful to the Body ; -what doth it profit ? q. d. WhatFruit,what Evidence of any true Holinefs is there, in a Soul or Life deftitute of the Fruits
4. Is the Sabbath and its Worfoif Holinefs to the Lord ? So are Charities and Mercies. There is fuch uStnttity in theie, that they belong to & are a Part pt the S*ntfipf*tio* of the Sabbath. Yea fuchRegard is had by God to an A& of Mercy to our poor Nei'bour, that He has made his own Worfhip to vail and give place thereto for the Time *. cc Go ye and learn this, I witt have Mercy and ntt Sacrifice. Which of you having an Ox orAfs fallen into a Pit, will not ftraightwty full him out on the Sabbath day ? And if a good and devout Man muft fhow this Mercy to Jiis Brute-Creature on the Sabbath day, the Holinefs of God dire&ing him io to do • how much more muft fcot A&s of Companion and Mercy to our poor and needy Brethren, and to the neceffitous Members of Jefus Chrift, be efteemed by the Lord of the Sabbath to be Holinefs to himfelf? The Zealfot God'sHoufe and Day eat up our Holy Saviour, but more his Zeal for an A& tf' Mercy to a poor Woman ; Luke xiii. I o3— 17. He was teaching in one of the Synagogues on
* Mat A. xii. 7. Luke xiy. 5.
the
Merchandise and Hire
the Sabbath-day, and behold there was a Woman which bad A Spirit of Infirmity eighteen Tearsy and was boweA tevether, and could in no wife lift upberSelf: An A when Jefus faw her. he called her to him and f aid to her, WQ- wan thoti art loofed of thine Infirmity ! And he laid his Hands on her^ and immediately (he was made ftralght^mel glorified God. Tell me now which was molt Holi- vefs to the Lord, the Sermon of Chi lit on that biefled Sabbath, or this his Ad: of Healing the poor Wo- man ? truly both alike.
Moreover, Offerings out of our Eftates, and C<?/- le&ions for the poor, do both belong to the Jewyk of God and to his Sahbaths. St Luke tells us of a Treasury \\ of God in the Temple of Old, and that on a Time as Cbrift was looking on the rich Men that caft their Gifts into the Treafury, he faw alfo a cer- tain foor Widow who threw in two Mites, and faid, " Of aTruth She has caft in more than they aU. bo from Heaven the Lord Jejus ftill looks with Approbation and Pleafure, on the free-will-Offerings of his Wor- ihipers in his Houfe of Prayer, on Lord's Days and at other appointed Times ,• che pocnr as well as the rider. — . And fo near a Kit* are God's Worfrip and Contributions for the poor, that they are joyned by the Lord in Affinity., and equally declared to be Ho* linefs to Him, in that sJpoftolical Conflitution and Di- re&ion *3 " Now concerning Gjlletfions for the Saints y as I have given Order to thcChurches of Galatia, fo do ye • Upon the fir ft Day of the Wetk let every one of you lay Ij him in Store, as God hath proffer d him, &C Your Prayers andHearing the Word this Evening f are not more Holinefs to 'he Lord than your Cotteftion is. The
jj Luke xxi. i, 2, 3. f At a quarter Meeting for Charity the Lord £ d*y Evening, March 6. 1716.
fame
ffolinefs to the Lord. ±$
fameGod has fa;d to us, " Remember the S Math-day to keep it holy, and hath alfo faid, c t o do Good and to communicate forget not3 for with fucb Sacrifices God Is
$. And laftly, The Promifes made byGod to thofc that are merciful and bountiful to the poor, do a- bundantly declare that there is Holincfs to the Lori in true Ads ot religious Charity and Mercy. He that is Holy would not be fb well pleafed with our Charities to ths poor and needy, if there were not tnuchHjlinefs. in them. He has therefore blejjed the tnercirulj and laid that they fall find Mercy. He is not uniigtotcous to forget this Work and Labour of Lo~Jt. Net that there is any Merit or Defert herein, but there is of his own Holinefs in it. If it were not fo, dims would never come up for a Memorial before Him. Nor would they be fb remembred,mention'd and rewarded in theDay of Judgment, as Chrift has told us they will be ; " Then (hall the King fay to them en his right Handy Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared J or you from the feundation of the World j for I -was hungry and ye gave me Meat, thirfty and yt gave me Drink, a Stranger and ye took me In3 'naked and ye clothed me, &c. Thefe high and ever- lafting Rewards of the Charities of baints^provethem to be Holtvcfs to the Lord. Bleffed and Holy is he that tas Part in theie Promiles *.
And thus we have feen that the altualUfe & Im~ frovement of ©ur Eftates in the Service of God, in Works of Piety and Charity, renders them Holinefs to the Lord. — But there muft be fomething added by way of Caution and Limitation, and that is
f Marth. v 7. Heb. yi- Jo. Aft$X. 4. Matth. xxv. 3 *• Key. xx. 6.
HI. Always
a 6 Mefchanc/ife and Hire
HI. Always provided that what we fo devote and ufe is acquired honeflly and rtghtewjly in the Fear of God and* in his Way ; and is given by us 'with a fpi- rltutl Mind) Heart and Affection.
i. What we have and give muft be gotten in God's Way, which is the Way of Hollnefs. If we go out of that we fin, and whatever we get in finful Ways is neceflarily unholy before the Lord, and abominable in his Eyes. Now that what we get may be ac- quired in God's holy Way,
Flrfly Our Dependence muft be oti God for his Bkjfing to make our lawful Endeavours profpcrous ; For it is the Bleffing of God that makes rich, and it Is He that gives usPower to get Wealth • it is therefore frofbane and unholy to a&in our worldly Bufinefs but with a Dependance on the Governing and over- ruling Providence of a wife and Sovereign God : James iv. 14. Go to now you that fay, To Day or to Morrow we will be here or there, do this or that, and make Gain ; Whereas ye ought to fay, IftheLord will we (hall do fo. Let Jacob teach us how to begin and go thro' the World: Gen. xxviii. 20. If God will be with me In the Way I go, and give, me Bread t9j eat and Rtlment to fttt en.
Secondly, We muft daily commit our worldly Af- fairs toGod in Prayer, and more efpecially atTirnes our more important Concerns and Interefts. Our Lord has taught us to bring thefe before God in our Prayers : We pray for them in that Directory or Form for Prayer which he has given us, the fourth Petition in it. We pray cc that of God's free Gift Cf we may receive a competent Portion of the good <f Things of this Life, and enjoy his Bleffing with ^ them, It is greatly for the Glory of God, and
foe
Holinefs to the Lord. 27
for our temporal Intereft and daily Comfort that we daily pray for God's gracious Direction to us in, and for his Bleffing on our worldly Bufmefs : *c Jhat the Lord thyGod way bkfs Thee in all the Works of thy Hand. So Ifaac pray'd for his Son, " God give Thee of the Dew of Heaven, find the Fulnefs of ths *Earth, and Plenty of Corn and Wine. And fo Jacob prayed for himfelf, sc If God will be with me in the W'ay I £P5 a*d give me Dread to eat. And fo Mofes for the Tribe of Lev!, cc Blcfs, Lord, bis Subjtance : The lefs it is, the more»W to pray over it • for theBlef- fing of God can make a little go far. The wife^wr has taught us whai to pray for, " Feed me -wlthFocd convenient for me. He is unholy & prophane whole Prayer is not to God his Heavenly Father, fvr tbefe Things *. And they are fan ft I fed to us by Prayer, which makes them Hollnefs t& the Lord.
Thirdly, We muft keep from every finful & wicked. Way in our worldly Acquifitions and Enjoyments, and govern our Selves by the holy Laws of Ju'Hce and Righteottfnefs, Sobriety and Temperance, and uni- vcrfal Obedience to the Divine Law. Elfc all is un- holy and unclean, and we forfeit God's Bleffing and provoke his Curie, It is only fincere, hearty, univerfal and perfevering Obedience to the holy Commandments of the Lord our God, that will render us holy and acceptable in his Sight. Deut. XXViii. I, 23 3. If tbou (halt hearken diligently to thtVolce *c of the Lerd thy God, to obferve and do all his Com- fc manJmcntS) attthefe Blejfings (hall come on thee, .
*c BleJJed foalt thou be in the City and bleffed in theField ! " bleffed the Fruit of thy Body and theFrult of thyG round ! Jc — bleffed thy Basket and thy Store J blefjed fialt thoti
Deut. xiv. 19. Gen. xxvii. 28. xxviii. 20. Deut. xxxiii. l. Froy. xxx. 18. Match, vi. 32. i Tim. iv. 5.
F be
28 Merckancfife and Hire
" be 'when thou comeft in, and bleffed when thou *c out.
Fourthly, In Cafe a Perfon have acquired Riches in any unjuft and unrighteous Manner, by Deceit and Fraud, or by Extortion and Opprejfion ; he muft make his Peace with God by Repentance, with deep Humilia- tion before Him for his Wickednefs • and if it be in his Power he muft make Reftltutlon $ which if he cannot do to thtPerfbns wronged let him do it to the foor, befeeching God to pardon him for Cbrift's fake and accept his Offering ; and then his Merchandise and his Charities mall be yet Hellnefs to the Lord,not~ withftanding his paft Unrlghteoufnefs and Sin. See the Cafe of Zaccheu*, Luke xix. 8. And Zacchtus food and fald before the Lord, (c Behold, Lord, the half ic °f my Goods give I to the poor' and if I have taken " any Thing from any Man by falfe Accufatlon, I reft or t cc him four- fold : And Jefus fald unto him, This Day is *c Salvation come to this Houfe.- " When true Faith, Repentance and new Obedience comes to aHoufe, Salvation comes to it, however great the Sins of ic had been before. Zaccheus had been a Publican and an Extortioner, exacting more than was his right. <c Thofe Publicans had the Ear of the RonianGover- nours, and by a falfeAccount of Perfons andThings could eafily be injurious. This Chief among the Publicans was alfo anfwerable (it is to be feared) for many Abufes of Power by thofe that were under him But he here flood a Penitent before Chrift, confeffing and feeking Mercy. A Change of Heart and Way, and fruits meet for Repentance, appear in his Words. " A very large Proportion of thefe cc ill-gotten Goods he fct apart for Works of Piety cc and Charity. He could not refund to the Men in Trade and Merchandife, whom he had wrong'd in the Seat of Cuftom ; They were gone hither and
thither
Holinejs to the Lorcf. 2?
thither, and he knew 'em not nor was like to fee fome of 7em any more : to thole he could find he reftored four-fold, theRefidue he reftored tothePoor; and Chrift accepted him as a humble Believer and true Penitent, a Sen of Abraham. — Thus what we get muft be in God's Way, the Way of Holintfs. And then
2. We muft ufe it with a fpiritual Heart and Mind. As, (to add unto much that has been already faid) We muft daily praife and blefs God for dully Bread, for all ourReceipts and Increafe ; we muft give Him the Glory and render Him our Thanks ; " O God, I am not 'worthy of ths lea/} of all the Mercies, and of all the Truth, 'which thou haft flowed unto thy Servant \ for with my Staff If ajjed over this Jordan } and now I am he some two Bands, This was Holinefs to the Lord.— We muft earneftly dejlre and ferioufly refolve, by the Grace and Help of God, to [ewe Him in Righteouf- nefs and Holinefs before him, and with gladnefs of Hearty with all the Good Things that a bountifulGod ftiall ice fit for us3 that the Lordfljall be our God, and we will live devoted to him, and lay out our felves to glorify him, and make it our Meat and Drink to do
his mil. This will be Hollnefs unto Him The
Abundance of all Things which the Lord our God may give us richly to enjoy muft be Co far from charming our vain Minds and chaining them down to the Things of Earth and Senfe, that we muft indeed make Ar- guments and Motives of them, to raife ourHearts un- to and/* them on theThings that are unfeen,y/>H~ tual and heavenly. cc From Men of the World which
cc have their Portion in this Life -As for me, I will
c behold thy Face in Right eoufnejs ! I foal I be fat is fad
e when I awake in thy Likenefs. C( Many there be that
fC faj) Who will jhew us any Good ? Lord, lift Thou up
I! the Light oftkj Countenance upon us / Thou haft put
F 2 << Gladneft
go Merchandise and Hire
(C Gladnefs In my Heart, mwe than in the 'Time that tkeir c: Corn and their Wine Increased *. . Again, We
mult be ready, thro' Grace, to part with, andfubmit to the Will of God in the lofs of all worldly Things ; learning In what fatter State -we are therewith to be con- tent, both how to be abafed and to abound^ to be full and to be hungry. Let this be our Frame and Temper in the Acquifkion andUfe of our worldly Eftate, and .G od will write Holinefs unto Himfelf on us and it.
Only it mult be added, to the Glory of Chrift, That our Per fins and our Efiate are Holinefs to the Lord only by Faith In his Holinefs and Right eoufnefs9 who is our Great High-PrieJt within theHolj of Holies, ever living to make Inter ceffion for us, in whom and for whofe Sake it is that repenting believing Sin- ners are accepted as Holy in the Sight of God. Aaron within theyail was the eminent^/u? of Jefus entring *by his own blood. He is of God made to us Holinefs, and we the Holinefs of God in Him. Hey the Holy One of God was made /» for us, that we Sinners may by Faith in Him become Holinefs to the Lord. With the Heart Man believeth in Him untp Righteouf- •jiefs, and God is f an ft i fed therein while his Mercy abounds unto the Chief of Sinners. Coming to Him, we are built up a fpiritual Houfe^ a holy Priefthood. As He went to the Crofs, he faid, cc For thtir Sakes I janffify my Self, that they 'may be ftn&ifed. He was ftp xr ate from 5/Xtnat we niaY corne boldly to the Throne *f Grace (|. Bear this in Mind, That no Saint is Hp- linels to theLord from any lnhercntHQ\ii\t($ in him, nor /or any Works of Rigbteoufnefs done by hint, but for the peried and glorious Holinefs of Chrlft Beckon 'd to him.
* Pfalm Iv. 6. xvii. ult. Phil. iv. rr. J! Hebrews x. Jp,— »aj i Cor- v. :i- J Pet. ii. 4, 5. Heb. vii. 26. Phil. iii. 9.
And
•
mm
Holiness to the Lord. 31
And having thus faid, When theTraffic& Wealth of a People is Hoiinefr to the Lord, I come (as was propofed) in the third and laft place to enquire,
III. Why it muft be fo ? Why our Mtrclandife and Hire fhould be bro't, with our Selves, under a holy Consecration to God, and Uft for Him.
I might eafily enter into, and enlarge on, many Reafons of this Duty, which are alfo Motives to it, and muft pray you to give 'em a juft Confederation, and fo make th explication of all that has been faid every one to himielf.
I.It is the bigheft End & be ft Ufe of Man and of all that belongs to him, his fr(t and /^/End, to be Holy 1o God. " The Earth is the Lord's, and theFidneft there- of, the World and they that dwell therein. The Hea- vens, with all their bright Inhabitants, ferve to no higher End. " Angels are miniftringSp irits, fent forth te mini ft tr to the Heirs of Salvation from this Earth of ours. Thofe Watchers and Holy Ones on High ufe and imfley all their Powers and Riches, in Boun- ties to the poor and needy Children of Men, the poor Saints below. And can we do better than They to ferve the Ends of Holiness, and the Glory ofGod ? fc Whether they be Thrones,or Dominions or Principalities y or whether we be higher or lower in Rank andE- ftateon Earth, all are created by Him and for Him $ t& Whom be Glory for ever *.
2-Thi s is therefore the prefer it ed, cemwanded Ufe of our worldly Riches,that they be holy to God. "This is the Witt of God in Chrifl Jefus concerning us, and Our
* Pfalna >xiv. a. Heb, i. 14. Daniel iv. 13. Col. i. 16
SanAificatioa,
•
3 2 MerchanJife and Hire
San&ification. God cannot will letter concerning ns? than that we and all that belongs to us be My to Him. This is hh good and acceptable, his royal anel ferfett Witt. Let us put our Amen to it and fay, " Father, thy Will be done on Earth as It is in Heaven [|
**"•
;. It is the greateft Honour and 'Dignity put on us, and our worldly State, that we and that \>t Holinefs to the Lord. cc This Honour have all the Saints, and only They ; pralfe ye the Lord \ The Glory of God is his Holiness. He is the High and Lofty One, whole Name is Holy *. A Ray from his excettentGlory fhines on Angels above,, and on Saints on Earthed makes them Stars in his Firmament. This was the peculiar Honour of Ifrael, " Te Jhall be a holy "People unto Me. God has not a brighter Stone in his ownCrown than his Holinefs, nor a brighter Crown for the Head of Creatures than to make them holy.
But it is remarkable, and the World may well
wonder at the Bcaft, That the vaineft and -proudeft Creature on Earth affe&s this facred & lofty Style, His Holinefs ! He takes the Name of God in vain, in the moft horrid and monftrous manner, and the Lord will not hold him guilt lefs. The Man of Sin calls himfelf HisHolinefs 1 was ever any thing more ab(urd, and yet more natural ? Only the Man of Sin durft take the molt bleilcd and incommunicable Name. The jealous God will confume that wickedOne. Nothing on this fide Hell can be further from the Holinefs of God. t The Scarlet Whore, drunken with the Blood of Saints, impudently and biafphemoufly calls hcrfelf His Holinejs ! Monftruw, lnformey ingens!
\\ i Thef. v. 1 8. iv. 3. Rom. xii. 2. Jam. ii. 8. i Pet. ii. 9, * Ifai.lvii. 15. Dan. xii. 3. Deut. ii. 21. t 2 Thef. ii.
\Holinefs to the Lore/.
No, the Honours of Heaven go with the poor In Spi- rit, the meek and lowly and merciful. All the Riches and Dignities of Kings are below thefe poor of Chrift's little Flock, to Whom it is the Pleafurc of the Father to give the Kingdom.
4. Our worldly Goods will be vilely abufed to the Difoonour of God, and the Hurt of our Selves and o- thers, if they be not holy to God. They are the Mammon of Unrlghteoufnefs for want of this,and gen- der to all UngddUmft. They become a Provifion for the Flcfato fulfil tbcLufts thereof '; the Fuel of Pride and Vanity, Gluttony and Drunkennefs, Lewdnefr and Uncleannefs. Or thro' Co'vetoufnefs they be- come Idolatry. The Love of Money Is the Root of all Evil, Sin and Sorrow, to our Selves and others ; ruinous to our own Families,and alfo to our Nei"- bours, by Diftioaefty and Unrighteoufnefs, Deceit and Fraud, Extortion and Oppreffion. For where Charities and Mercies fail, and Works of Piety,the forenamed odious Vices grow up in their ftead, of- fcnfive to God and Man , Roots of Rltternefs, bearing Gall and Wormwood, all manner of Corruption and Iniquity,Calamity and Mifchief. But let ourMer* chandife and Hire be holy to God> and all this is pre- vented, and our Goodnefs extendeth to the needy and the excellent of the Earth, In whom jheuld be all our De- light • and we become Eyes to the blind, and Feet to the lame, and Fathers to the poor, and abundant Mlcf- fings in our Generation *.
$•. The Merchandife and Hire of Perfons and Places fhould be Holinefs to the Lord, that the Lord their God may blefs them In att the Works of their Hands.
* P&Un xyi. 2. Jobxxix. u, it. Philem. v. 7.
The
34 Merchanctife and Hire
The Way of Holinefs is the Way of BkJJlng. Goi has promifcd to blefs hisPcople in this his required Way. It is He chat gives us To-wer to get Wealth. Read his Promifes to an Obedient holy People, Deut. xxviii. " All thefe HkJJings flail come upon thec, —Bleffed fialt thou be in the City and in the Field ^C. He has threatned to curfe an unholy People in the famelnftances. If he blow upon 'em they are blafled. God juftly iwpoverifoes the Places that rob him of his Offerings and Alms. To with-hold his Dues tends to Poverty. But prove me now y faith the Lord,if I do not pciur out a, Blejfing, when you pay to Me and mine my Part out of your Eftates f. " Alas ! fays *c an excellent Divine, that Men have generally fo cc little Faith in God's Providence or Promifes ! " Few believe Him when he fays, " Let there be <c Meat In my Houfe that there may be eno7 in your " own ! few can truf God as to the Gains of Piety ? and Charity.
6. Our Mcrchandife and Hire ftiould be holy to
God, that fo his ffiritualBleJflng may ctme on our Seuls.
This lies efpecially in a fpiritual Mind, and hea- venly Affedions,and theComforts of Grace : Thefe arcthcperfeft Gifts from the Father of Spirits, and are more (infinitely morej than ail prefent Riches. God gives the Power to eat our Bread, and ufe it bolily. To him that has this Heart, he will add more Grace. He (hall increafe with the Increafings efGod. Thus the liberalSoul is made fat inSpimuals, and ht that watereth is watered wain. And well re-
O
paid is he that/iw>e.f in worldly Things, and reaps in Spiritual : Like the Woman of Samaria who gave Chrift a Uttle common Water,and received of Him.
f Deut. xxviii. 15, 16, 17* Hag, j. 9, Proy. *i. 24, Mai. iii. 8, *2*
a
jHolinefsto the Lord.
a Well of living Water, within her Self, ff ringing up into everlafting Life. i
7. Let your Merchandife and Hire be Holinefs to the Lord, And you fly all have Riches in Heaven. So our Lord propofed to the yeung Man that came to him. The Promifc is, (C He that (oweth to the Spirit , Jhall of thsSpirlt reap Life Everlafting. The Promifes of this Nature are multiplied (| in the Book of God, becaufe our carnal Minds are fo averfe to the Be- lief of them. But will Chrift fail us in aPoint that he has fo often repeated ? He has faid, " Thy Father cc which fees In fecret will reward thee openly. Thou. " foalt be recompenfed at tke Refurreliion of the Juft* " Make to your felvcs Friends of the Mammon of Un~ Cff right coufncfS) that when ye fail they m*y receive you. " into everlafting Habitations. Provide Bags which u wax not oldy a Treasure in Heaven that faileth nof9 cc where no Thief approacheth, nor Moth corrupteth. . * Thefe are true Sayings of God, He is faithful ihat hath.promifid. Both in our Devotions and Cha- rities we mould have Refpect unto the Recompenfe of Reward : Knowing (fays the Apcftle) that in Heaven ye have a better and mere enduring Subjtance • Cafl net away therefore your Confidence which hath great Recom* •pence of Reward.
You muft be juft to God and your Selves, and make theie Riafons of your Duty fo many Motives: to it.
You fee i. That the meanefc Things may be of good and great Ufe to the Glory of God - and the moil contrary Things be made to turn to our Salva- tion. We may (o ferve God and our Selves o£
* John iv. 14. Prov. xi. 25. Gal. yi. 8, [I Luke xiv. 14 xvi. 9. xii. 33, Heb. x. 24.
Merchandise and Hire
as to make it a Friend to Him and our Souls. We may extract Holiness out of the Dirt and Clay of this World, the thick Claj wherewith fo many load themfelves and bury themfclves. God 'fits as a Refiner and does this for us. Grace turns all it touches into Gold. It is a Stone thatattrads arid fixes the very Iron to its Pole, which is Hollnefs, Heaven and God. AsPfylofcpby has found out the richer! Virtues in the meanett Herbs and Plants, fo pivinity teaches us how to improve^and ufe the mean Things of this World to the rnoft fpiritual and heavenly Ends : And when we ferve God and our Souls of earthly Things, then are they indeed wifely and rightly ufed.
2. Let us be humbled for the 111 Ufe we have wade, of our worldly Bufinefs and Gains, our si I? ufe of them unto Unbolinefs and Sin. What is more" Enmity to God and our Selves than this ? Mens worldly Af- fairs engrofs and eat them up \ eat out the Heart of that little Religion they profefs. The Cares of the World .find the Deceitful fie ft of Riches choke the Word. Men go, one to hlsFarm and another to his Merchzndife. God, and the poor, and their own Souls are forgotten and negleded by them. They trup In uncertain Riches, and renounce thtlMngGed* They fall in- £O Temptations, and Snares, and many foelijl) and hurt- ful Lufts^hich drown them inDcftruttlon and Perdition. They are filled, and they fill the World, with allUn- r'igititeoufnefs, Fornication, Wickednefs, Covet ON fnefs t \Vhat a fhamcful Abufe is this of the Bounties of Providence ! and a turning his Glory Into Shame !
3. See the Honour &nd Happiucfs of a religious People. They and all that belongs to them are Hellnefsto the,
\ Luke viii. 14. Matth. xxii-5. J Tim.vi.p, 17. Rcm. f.
Holiness to the tord. 37
Lord. Bleffed & holy is He that hath part in this. They are in God's Church here in the Image of Jefus, the great High Prieft of their Profeffion. They are a holy Priefthood,* fpiritttal Heufe, the Houfe- hold of Faith. What can Angels be, and what can Heaven be more than this, Holinefi to the Lord ? Jefos is this, within the Holy cf Holies, at the right Hand of God. He calls his cholen into Ftlbw/kif -with Him, and with his Angels. His People are a King- dom ofPrie/ts, a holy Nation. There are Garments of Glory and Beauty provided for them, wherein fhortly to enter the Holieft of all So the Afoftle falutes
and fuperfcribes • , * " To the Church of God
fc which is at Corinth, (anttifiedin Jcfus Chri ft, called €f to be Saints • with all that in every Place call upon the cc Name of fefus Qhrifc our Lord, bcth theirs and ours / cc I thank my God always on your behalf, for the Grace of fc God that is given youby Jefus Chrift.
4. andlaftly, I befeech you brethren, by the Mer- cies of God, that you prefent your Selves, Children, Families, Sub fiance, Gifts, Talents, all you are and have, as living Offerings to God, holy and accepta- ble thro Jefus Ghrifl. How fhould an unholy Perfon offer to vGod in a holy manner ? The Perfon is more than his Eftate. Chrift feeks not yours but you. The Soul is his, and all Souls are fo. There are the Riches of Souls, their noble Faculties and Powers with every natural and acquired Gift ; and what fliould be thy Gift to God but The.fe \ thy whole Self ; Body, Soul and Spirit, which is your reafonable Service. Prov. xxiii. 26. My Son, give me thy Heart.
Next to thy *£/fare thy Children : Give theft to God as thy beft Riches, thy richeft Jewels. They are holy to Him by Covenant, as the Family of Abra-
Ccr. i. :. i Pet. ii, 5, 9. Exod, xix. 6.
ham
g 8
and Hire
haw was. This Bkjfing is come upon us Gent.L thro Faith in that BleJJ'ed Seed, In Whom the Familis* of the Earth are blejfid : and thro' Whom the Offerings »f the Gentiles are acceptable to God, being fan&ified by the Holy Ghoft. What can a Man give to God in Ex- change for his Soul and the Souls of his Houfe ? will he give his EJtate, and think it will be accepted ? I trow not.
God values our Hearts and Spirit's above all our Silver or Gold, our Herds and Flocks. If a Man would give all tkeSubftance of his Houfe injtead of Love , the Loves of his Soul and the Souls ok his Houfc, it would be contemned. Thoufands of Rams were a Jo?s-neck in lieu of the Lwe of one Soul.
"We owe the firft and greateft Piety and Charity to our Selves and at Home. We and ours are mad* for ever, if we are holy to the Lord : But we are profane and miferable without it.
The rich and the foor equally owe Them / lives to God, and are equally able to render it. The Lord Is the Maker of them both, and they are alike acceptable to Him. The one muft be rich in gotd Works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate ; and the other rnuft be rich in Faith, Heirs of the Kingdom.
It is a holy Thing to givs unto fucb as the fc, from .Faith and Love 'which is 'in Chrift Jejus.
1 will read you, the be ft Offering that any Man can make to God ! read it and bUt&e it, and I have done: Gen, xviii. -19. I know Abraham, that he will command his Children and his Houfoold after himy and they Jhall keep the Way of the Lord ; — that the Lord way bring upon Abraham that which He hath fpokcn cf him.
FINIS.
ERRATUM.
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