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{Proof That the Heavenly Trade is the Best Trade
The Person with Whom Heavenly Traders Deal}
The heavenly trade is the best trade because of the person of the Trader with whom these merchants deal. Much of the comfort, safety, and advantage of people’s trades lies in those with whom they deal. If these are able, honest, and friendly, it is conducive to the prosperity of those with whom they deal.201 Much mischief comes to traders when sellers cheat, are cruel, take advantage of a buyer’s circumstances, or when buyers are false and deceitful and do not keep their word. But heavenly traders cannot be exposed to these hazards from those with whom they deal. Indeed, wisdom’s merchants have to deal with many people in the pursuit of their heavenly trade, both taking in and letting out.202 But there is one great Merchant [God] with Whom they principally deal Who determines the management and results of their whole trade in this merchandise. They interact with God, saints, and angels,203 but all is done through a Mediator. The goods they receive are from His portion. They deal with God through Christ. All their wisdom to trade and the rules by which to act come from Him. The good and advantage of all their trading is secured204 by Him. They may be concerned with many people and things and all to which duty and providence calls them. Like the chemist, they are to extract some good from everything with which they deal, and like the bee, gather honey from weeds. However, this good they get from people and things is not from them, but conveyed through them by the Great Purchaser with Whom they deal. To these heavenly traders and heirs of salvation, good comes from everything and is delivered to them according to the promise: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NASB). In due time this good will be conveyed by these means, emptied out to believers by the hand of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, properly and strictly, heavenly traders have to do with just one Great Merchant [God] for the goods they take in or lay out. All other things and people are only ways and instruments that God has appointed through which His blessings will be delivered. This is what makes wisdom’s trade so good: the advantage of it does not depend on those secondary agents. They have only to do with only One [God], Who is most excellent, great, good, able, and faithful to fulfill both His promises and the expectations of those who deal with Him.
201This is still true even in an age of big corporations. Corporate policies that encourage friendly and helpful customer service by employees and have good warranties are a benefit to the buyer.
202The editor does not translate these phrases as buying and selling, in recognition of the fact that Christians do much out of charity and fellowship.
203This does not mean that believers converse with or pray to angels, merely that we know that they are God’s invisible and silent ministers to us.
204secure: to certainly obtain something and put it beyond danger of being lost. (Unfortunately, this word has a number of specialized meanings in different branches of the US military and elsewhere that do not apply here.)
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