A55752:1165
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...
London: printed by J.T., 1658
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is the duty of every man not to seek his own things, but the things of Jesus Christ.
It is the duty of every man not to seeke his owne things, but the things of Iesus Christ.
It is not only the duty of every man, but it is best for every man to do it. It is a thing that you are all persuaded of, that you ought not to seek your own things: and therefore to spend time in proving the point were a needless labour, our business will be to persuade you to the duty; And to that end, we will use no more motives, but those in the text. The one is taken from our selves and the other from Christ.1
It is not only the duty of every man, but it is best for every man to do it. It is a thing that you are all perswaded of, that you ought not to seek your own things: and therefore to spend time in proving the point were a needlesse labor, our business will be to perswade you to the duty; And to that end, we will use no more motives, but those in the text. The one is taken from our selves and the other from Christ.1
- 1Reas. 1. From our selves.
There is this reason from your selves, why you should seek the things o• Jesus Christ: because God hath commanded you so to do. You know this is the command, ⟨p. 376⟩Thou shalt love the Lord above all and thy neighbour as thy self. Christ is to be loved above all, above your selves. Now for the most part when we hear such a command as this; we look upon it as a legal precept, which only shows a man his sin, and to be as a Schoolmaster, a precept that no man can keep. But you must know that it is not so: for every command is to be kept by every regenerate man. It is said that not the least tittle of the Law shall perish, heaven and earth shall pass away first. The meaning is not that no man can be saved, nor no man is in Christ, but he that keeps every jot, and little of the Law: but we must endeavour to keep even the very least tittle of Gods commands with all our might: