Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A33215
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A paraphrase with notes upon the sixth chapter of St. John with a discourse on humanity and charity / by W. Claget.
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Clagett, William, 1646-1688.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing C4389; ESTC R24224
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72,589
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201
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Saviour Lay not up for your selves Treasure upon Earth where Moth and Rust doth corrupt and where Thieves break through and steal But lay up for your selves Treasure in Heaven where neither Moth c. And Be not afraid of them that kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him And that in this Chapter Labour not for the Meat which perisheth bat for that which endureth to everlasting Life which the Son of Man shall give unto you Which Rules seeming at first sight to discharge us of all Care for our Life and Welfare in this World St. Chrysostom thought it needful to observe upon the last of them that our Lord did not intend to countenance Laziness who himself said It is more Blessed to give than to receive And that St. Paul admonisheth a Man to work with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth But since these Exhortations run as if we were to be absolutely unconcerned about this Life no question but that care of Eternal Life is prescribed in comparison to which our Cares for this World should seem nothing at all Therefore when we desire our appointed Food we should think how much more it is our Interest to hunger and thirst after Righteousness and that Meat which endureth to everlasting Life And when we most of all feel the hopes and fears of things that go no farther than this World we cannot entertain a better Thought than this that if we are so much concerned for this Life how careful ought we to be not to miss of Eternal Salvation Which kind of Reflections are the more necessary for us the more deeply we are engaged in this World For we do not only labour for the meat that perishes that is for just enough to serve the Necessities of Life but we would be at ease beside and live in reasonable Plenty and enjoy what is convenient for the Pleasure as well as the Sustenance of Life and there are very few that know when to make an end of multiplying Riches when once they are got into the way of Encrease But are we thus concerned for an end of infinitely greater Moment Or rather do not these very worldly Cares reprove our negligence about better and greater things while perhaps we do no more towards our Salvation than to avoid the grossest Sins of all but take little thought how to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The whole Strain of our Saviour's Discourse in this Chapter naturally leads to such Considerations as these And if we mind them in good Earnest they will by the Grace of God moderate our Affections and Cares about this World in the first place and then leave all that Concern for present and transitory good things which we cannot be without as a perpetual Admonition to be much more thoughtful for our everlasting Salvation and to make it the greatest business of our Lives by Prayers and good Works to lay up for our selves Treasure in Heaven and to lay the stress of our Comfort whilst we are here in the joyful hope of being raised up at the last day to live for ever Amen A POSTSCRIPT SInce these Papers were almost Printed off I met with Dr. Godden's Sermon upon St. Peter's Day in which he endeavours from some Passages in this Chapter to infer the substantial Change of the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist into the Body and Blood of Christ But upon the most Impartial Judgement that I can make of his Performance I do not find that he offers any colour of Argument for his Conclusion which I have not prevented And therefore instead of stopping these Papers for the sake of his Sermon I think it fair enough to say to him and to the World that I can see no reason obliging me to do it A DISCOURSE OF HUMANITY AND CHARITY GAL. VI. 10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all Men especially unto them that are of the Houshold of Faith By W. CLAGET D. D. LONDON Printed for J. Robinson at the Golden Lion and T. Newborough at the Golden Ball in St. Paul's Church-yard 1693. A DISCOURSE OF Humanity and Charity GAL. VI. 10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all Men especially unto them that are of the Houshold of Faith FROM these Words I might well take occasion to discourse upon three distinct Subjects First Of the several Acts or Expressions of Charity which are here all comprehended under doing good although by the 6th Verse it should seem that the Charity of communicating in the good things of this World was principally intended in this place Secondly Of the Objects of Charity concerning which the Text expresly affirms that they are all Men in general but especially the Houshould of Faith And Thirdly Of the Rewards of Charity which are intimated in the Text by the reference of those words As we have therefore opportunity in the foregoing Promise vers 9. In due season we shall reap if we faint not For this shews the Opportunity here mentioned to be the time that we have for sowing our good Works and that if we use it they will yield a Harvest of Rewards which we shall certainly reap in due season But in so narrow a compass of time I must not undertake to enlarge upon these three Particulars and therefore omitting the First I chuse to insist upon the Second and to conclude with some few Reflections upon the last And thus the first thing to be considered is the Exhortation to doing Good with respect to the general Object Let us do good unto all Men. Now because it is impossible that we should be actually beneficent to every Man in the World otherwise than by our Prayers for All Therefore the plain meaning of the Exhortation is this that we should exclude no Man out of our Charity who needs our Help and comes within the Compass of our Ability to do him good Which tho it be a Duty so much for the Interest of Mankind that one would think no body should be against it yet as the World goes it seems to need the Charity of us All in standing up for it against all false Principles and bad Examples that are advanced in opposition to it I must be content at this time to speak for it without reflecting upon any Opinions or Practices that are against it And therefore I proceed forthwith to represent this part of the Apostle's Exhortation To do good unto all as a Duty under Obligations common to all Men and under Obligations peculiar to Christians I. The Obligations of the first sort are Common Humanity and Natural Piety 1. Common Humanity For the sense of that Nature which is common to us All does oblige us to bear