John Welch

“ Secondly, Christ Jesus, our blessed Redeemer, is charity, for he thought it no shame nor scorn, being equal to God, exalted above the sacred quire of angels, to become man, and undergo the persecution of the tyrannical Jews, at last to suffer his precious blood to be shed, and his flesh nailed to the cross, and all this to save his people from the punishment of eternal death. Thirdly, The Holy Ghost is charity, for whosoever hath the faith of Christ, hath the Holy Ghost to be his comforter. ”

“ Let us, with devotion and piety, make use of the holy Scriptures for the help and nourishment of our souls, in which we shall find the life of our Saviour Jesus Christ to be most pure and holy, we fall find him lowly, meeck, humble, courteous, wise, prudent, profitable, charitable, and indeed with a million more of special graces and virtues, in which he doth strengthen the weak, comfort the afflicted, heal the lame, cure the blind, make the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear, and the dead to walk, and the infernal devils to tremble. ”

“ Let us leave off pride and envy, covetousness and drunkenness, swearing and whoredom, and let our daily practice be in the divine worship of God with pure devotion and unfeigned piety, let us relieve the poor without grudging, for charity is the brightest glory both in heaven and earth. ”

“ I know no purer religion than this is, first to love God above all, and your neighbour as yourself, and according to the saying of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for every one to do unto another, as he would they should do unto him. ”

“ Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye devour widows houses, even under a colour of long prayers, wherefore ye shall receive the greater damnation, Matth.xxiii. 13, 14. Then, since it is so, that hypocrites are so much hated of God, let us endeavour to love one another with an entire and sincere affection.
In the first place, Let our souls, hearts, and minds be to love God, and to fear God; as he is the great Judge both of heaven and earth. ”

“ Then, as new-born babes do thirst for the milk to nourish them, so will our souls long and thirst after the waters of righteousness, to taste of the tree of life, and to have our names recorded in the book of God, for his chosen ones, yea his beloved ones, according to the Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians ch. ”