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{Since the Heavenly Trade Is the Best Trade…
Exhortation and Counsel to Earthly Traders
Counsel Five: Get Advantage from Decays to Further Heavenly Trade
Advantage: Decays Help Loosen the Heart from Things Below}
Worldly losses have an advantage through grace to loosen the heart from the world. Afflictions on people’s estates are like a bitter substance on the breast that tends to wean the hearts of God’s children from them. Love of the world has been the sin of this age, and shipwreck of worldly things is the likeliest way to cure it. This disease is best conquered by fasting. Absence of lovers is sometimes the way to starve affections, and poverty with distress is God’s usual method to chastise people’s wanton affections to this world. Afflictions, when sanctified, are fire from the sanctuary to purge away the dross of our affections (Malachi 3:3).1262
1262“He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness” (Malachi 3:3 NASB).
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