Commerce

“Divers countries have divers conimodiiies, a7id one needeth what another produceth J one abotmdeth with wines, some have spices, others have skins, atid co7mnodities of other kinds j and all this is so ordered that by conunerce a?id traffic there might be society maintained among mankind. So God in his church hath given to 07ie gifts, to another graces, to each one somewhat which is not possessed by his fellow, to inaintain a holy society and spiritual co7nmerce among themselves.’ Brethren who will not commune with one another upon spiritual subjects are as traders who shut up their shops and will neither buy nor sell. Too wise to be taught, and too idle to teach, they live isolated lives, like the man in the iron mask, without joy to themselves or benefit to others.

We shall all be beggars together if we shut ourselves up like hermits, and cry “every man for himself.” We have seen a little of this “protection” in spiritual goods, and we witness that it tendeth to poverty. Fellowship is pleasant, mutual help is profitable; let us not look every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Time was when they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and that was the best of times. Let us hold mutual discourse upon our experiences, make pleasant exchange of our knowledge, and aid each other by our gifts. Among idolaters we read that “the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smoothed with the hammer him that smote the anvil,” and surely such co-operation ought to be even more evident among the servants of the true God. We wish it could be said of all church work, “They helped every one his neighbour, and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.’ “When shall all rivalry cease, and every Christian seek to advance the interests of his brethren? We want no more” exclusive brethren,’’ whoever they may be; but we need communicating brethren, whose fellowship is with the Father, and with the Son, and with all the saints.