6.

The Text opened and explained.

to acquire or gam Warldly Riches, it is more than probable that I would have a very attentive Audi ence, far beyond what I fear and fufpect you fhall prove, and I doubt not, but alfo with more alacrity and carnefines ye would follow my Ducions, chan when I am to treat of Spiritual. Treafures; for fuch is the genius of our corrupted minds, that we rather fway to favour the things of the Flefb, than the things of the Spirit, which is both our Sin and our Shame, and fhould be our Sorrow but let me tell you, O Christians, it is not temporary fading Riches, nor the Merchandize of Silver or Gold, or fuch corruptible vain things, that I am to treat of, but of Merchan dize more excellent, moré neceßary, and more juftly proportioned both to the worth and capacity of the immortal Soul viz. of Celeftial Riches which Chrift came from Heaven to purchafe for us, and which He is afcended up on high again, to hand down to us. Eph. 4. 7,8 9, 10. Now in Profecution of this D&ine, I will, as the Lord fhall help, open up and enlarge upon thefe following Heads.

1. I will offer Jome preliminary Propofitions, which nearly concern this Subject.

2, I will tell you offveral forts of Specisual Wares that Christ exp fes to Sale, and which all have need and access to buy.

3. I will offer fome Rules and Directions for ma naging aright your Trade with Jefus Chrif.

4. I will make fome practical Improvement of the Do&rine, by an Ufe, 1,Of Reproof. 2. of ExborFation, 3 Of Caution,

СНАР.

The Chriftian Merchant trading to Heaven. 1

Prop. I.

СНА Р. 1,

Some general Propofitions &c,

SECTION I

THE GOD of Heaven and Earth at the Beginning did Copiously beltow upon Man a vaft and confiderable Stock, He bleffed and doted him with innumer able excellent Enjoyments with many fingular Privi. ledges He also marvelous ly adorned him with pecu

liar Endowments both of Soul and Body, whereof to Effay a Difcourfe or Defcription, were but to ftraiten the Remembrance of the Divine Benefi tence, and to obfcore the Glory of His Goodness and Wisdom: O what a va Stock, I fay, bad our firft Father Adam concredited unto him, fufficient to have enriched him and all his Pofterity, beyond what the most exquifite Tongue or Pen can exprefst bad he not in his poffeffion, what the vilible World could furnish for his ufe and pleasure had be not

at his free Devotion all the prefent Felicities that could contribute for the intire fatisfaction of his rea fonable uncorrupted Appetites what a Paradife of Pleafares was the place of his abode and he fully replenished with every thing dele&able

a Prince Paramount was he among the rest of b Neighbour Creatures ? did they not own him, an pay homage to him as a foveraigu Lord; the

mighty having impreffed them with a relpect and dread of him. But what thould I lay of External Pleasures and Poffetfions, they being but the fmallet Moyetie of his great Stock: for far above all the fe herein lay bis truel Treasure,that he was admirably framed after the Image of his Maker, having the lineaments of His communicable perfections & vir tues vively drawn and stamped on bis Immortal Soul; O what a ftore of Graces were heaped upon him whereby be was enabled to ferve God, and to ferve himself of thefe Gifts of God,and whereby he was rendered capable of loving God, and being beloved of God, as alfo of entertaining the brightful Difplays of the Divine Prefence; was not his Un derfanding made a Lamp of pure Light, without a fhadow of Darknefs whereby he faw GOD HimTelf, he faw GOD in himself, he faw himself be loved of GOD, and faw himself happy in all these Sights: Was he not endowed with a Jaft re&ti tude and readiness of Will, capable with a fweet facilitie fully to follow the Report and Direction of his enlightened Mind, even to a perfect and perpetual obfervance of the Holy Law of God, Was there not a lovely and amicable Harmonie among the Aftions, fo that not one of them needed to jarr or jangle with another? and was there not a due and defirable fubordination of the Inferiour eps petites, fo as to be regularly and rationally fwayed by

Mindly Influence of the bigher powers and facul

test yea & were not the very Members of the Body in a lervicable readinels and capacity to attend the motions, and perform the pleatures of this fe excel. lot Soul: but moreover was not Man for his curis ous Structure and eminent intellectual Qualities, an admirable compend of all the Beauties & Perfeci. ons of the World, and therefore not unntly flyied Mixpónosμ: And further above all thele which we partly glanced at before, was he not as it were an Embleme of the Divine Nature (as far as com municable to meer Man) looking like GOD in Knowledge, Righteouinels, Holinels and Wildoni,

8ECTION II
ION

Some Inferences from this Propofition,

Infer, F the Creature was fo excellent & hap py, as bath been faid, furely the Creator maft faperexcell who is God over all bleffed for es ver; if Man was lo Amiable who at his beft eftate had but fome scattered Beams of borrowed Beaus ty,how much is the Glorious Sun of Righteousness to be admired that communicats thefe blessfull Orient Rays? God is to be admired in Man, God is to be admired by Man, becaufe of the admirable Fas brick that God put Man into,Pfal.139.13. 14-15,16. 2. Infer. How much is Man obliged to God, for exalting him in Perfections and Dignity above all other fubiunarie Beings? God raised Man from the Doft to a Sphere of Elevation above others his Fel low creatures, yea and in fome refpect into a

a Prince Paramount was he among the rest of his Neighbour Creatures did they not own him, and pay homage to him as a foveraigu Lord; the

mighty having impreffed them with a relpect and dread of him? But what thould I fay of External Pleafures and Poffellions, they being but the fmalle it Moyetie of his great Stock: for far above all the fe herein lay his truel Treasure,that he was admirably framed after the Image of his Maker, having the lineaments of His communicable perfections & vir tues vively drawn and stamped on bis Immortal Soul; O what a store of Graces were heaped upon him whereby be was enabled to ferve God, and to ferve himself of thefe Gifts of God,and whereby he was rendered capable of loving God, and being beloved of God, as alfo of entertaining the brightful Difplays of the Divine Prefence; was not his Un derpanding made a Lamp of pure Light, without a fhadow of Darkness whereby he faw GOD Himfelf, he faw GOD in himself, he faw himself beloved of GOD, and faw himfelf happy in all thefe Sights: Was he not endowed with a Joft rectis tude and readiness of Will, capable with a fweet facilitie fully to follow the Report and Direction of his enlightened Mind, even to a perfect and perpetual obfervance of the Holy Law of God, Was there not a lovely and amicable Harmonie among the Affections, fo that not one of them needed to jarr or jangle with another? and was there not a due and defirable fubordination of the Inferiour ape petites, fo as to be regularly and rationally fwayed by

Modly Influence of the higher powers and facul