The Duty of All Christians Urged, Title page – To the reader
THE DUTY OF ALL Chriſtians, URGED, In a Diſcourſe On I Cor. XV. 58. Delivered in a Congregation at NEWPORT, On Rhode-Iſland.
By NATHANAEL CLAP.
I Theſ. iv. 1.
Further more then we beſeech you, Brethren, and exhort you the Lord JESUS, that as ye have received of us how we ought to walk, and to pleaſe GOD, ſo you would Abound more and more.
NEW PORT: Re printed by the Widow Franklin.
To thoſe who Deſired the Publication of the following Diſcourſe.
My Chriſtian Friends,
BY Deſiring to Read what you had Heard, About the work of the Lord, you lay your Selves under Farther Obligation To Abound in that Work.
Let all ſee that you Do ſo, both in your Converſation & in your Preparation for all the Inſtitutions of CHRIT.
This will Rejoice your ſure Friend,
July 12.1720. N. CLAP.
The Duty of all Chriſtians URGED.
I Corinthians XV. 58.
—Always Abounding in the Work of the LORD.
BY Peruſing this Chapter, you may, Find, The Holy Apoſtle Paul is Therein, Propounding and Confirming that. Great Article of the Chriſtian Religion, The Doctrine of the Reſurrection From the Dead.
Among the Coronthians were ſome People, that had ſo Indulged themſelves in their Abominable Senſualities, that they had exceedingly Extinguiſhed all Profitable Apprehenſions, about unſeen Eternal Things. They had wonderfully Stupified their Conſciences, by Gratifying their Senſual Appetites; and were become in a manner meer Senſitive Creatures.
THEY had ſunk almoſt below the Exerciſe of Reaſon: So that they laid aſide all ſuitable Notions, about Natural Religion: Therefore, No wonder, if they Suppreſſed all Thoughts about Revealed Religion. They would ſay, Let us Eat and Drink, for tomorrow we ſhall Die. As if they had ſaid, This Life is the only time, for us, to take our Pleaſure in. After this Life, there will be nothing for us, to Enjoy. And we know not how ſoon this Life will end, therefore let us take as much Pleaſure, as we can, while we Live.
THENCE, It is no wonder, if there were abundance of Diſorders among them: And abundance of Pernicious Practices with Erroneous Opiniens.
AMONG other things, the Doctrine of the Reſurrection from the Dead was not only Doubted or Scrupled, but was Denied and Renounced by ſome of them: Some ſaid, There is no Reſurrection of the Dead.
THEREFORE the Apoſtle ſpends the greateſt part of a long Chapter, to prove the Reſurrection of the Dead: And one of his chief Arguments to prove it, is, The Reſurrection of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. And of this he could Produce the cleareſt and fulleſt & moſt inconteſtible Evidences. For He was ſeen not only by one or two, but by all the eleven Apoſtles, and by five hundred People at once, & a great part of them were Living then, to Declare what they had ſeen. Yea, He himſelf could ſay, that he had ſeen the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; And therefore it was Undeniable that He was Riſen from the Dead.
BUT inaſmuch as the Lord Jeſus Chriſt was Riſen from the Dead, and had ſent His Miniſters to Preach, that He was Riſen from the Dead, and that People ſhould Believe in Him for Eternal Salvation, and for Deliverance from the power of the Grave, it was therefore unreaſonable, to Queſtion, whether there would be a Reſurrection from the Dead: unleſs all their Preaching were Vain.
BUT having Proved, that there would be a Reſurrection from the Dead, and a Day of Judgment, wherein there would be a Reward given to all according to their Works, He Improves, in our Text, what he had Proved.
THEREFORE, That is, for as much as, there will be as Reſurrection of the Dead; and Conſequently, a time of Retribution for all the Godly; They ſhall be Graciouſly and Gloriouſly Recompenced;
BE Stedfaſt; That is, be fully ſettled in the Belief of the Truth of the Goſpel, and particularly, in the Doctrine of the Reſurrection, which is a Principal Article of Chriſtianity.
BE immoveable, That is, be firmly fixed againſt all Oppoſition, from any of the Cavils and Aſſaults, that may be endeavoured by Wicked Sinners, to ſhake your Faith, in this great Doctrine of Religion.
THEN it Follows,
BE always Abounding in the Work of the Lord, That is, conſtantly ſtrive to do & to grow better & better. And be more and more Diligent about the Work Preſcribed and Accepted by the Lord.
FOR as much as ye know that your labour ſhall not be in vain in the Lord. That is, the Lord will Certainly, Graciouſly and Gloriouſly Reward all your Sincere endeavours, about His Work, at the Great and the Laſt Day. For ſo far will the Saints of God be, from finding that they have Laboured in Vain, while they have been about the Work of God, that they that have Laboured Abundantly ſhall be Rewarded Abundantly. The Recompences of their Endeavours will be Wonderful as well as Eternal. The Lord will take Effectual Care that they ſhall not loſe their Labour.
WE need only further conſider, that the things in this Epiſtle are Directed unto all Chriſtians; For ſo is the Epiſtle Directed in Chap. 1. Ver. 2. —To all that in every Place, call upon the Name of Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.
AND then the Doctrine to be Conſidered by us all, muſt be this,