you abstain from sin out of fear or out of dislike Are you at peace with no sin or do you not hide some iniquity as a sweet morsel under your Tongue Is there not some practice that you are not willing to know is a sin for fear you should be forced to leave it Do you love the Commandment that forbids your sin or do you not wish it ouâ—… of the Bible as that evil man wished God had never made the Seventh Commandment Again how do you stand affected towards Holiness Do you love it Do you choose it Do you hâ—…nger and thirst after it desire it more than any Temporal good Have you chosen the way of Gods Precepts and had rather live holily than be allowed to live in your sins Do You in your very hearts prefer a Godly strict Life in communion with and conformity to God before the greatest prosperity of the World do you chose Holiness not out of bare necessity because you cannot go to Heaven without it but out of love to it and from a deep sense that you have of the surpassing excellency and loveliness and beauty of it If it be thus with you you are the persons that the Lord Jesus hath marked for his Sheep And now come ye blessed all that have this mark upon you come and understand your happiness you are marked out for preservation and let it go how it will with the rest that I know it shall go well with you that fear the Lord that fear before him You are the separated ones the sealed ones upon whom the Angel hath set the Seal of the Living God and so you are redeemed unto God from among men being the first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb and have your Fathers Name written in your Fore-heads Hear O beloved Flock I may give you the salutation of the Angels Hail you are highly favoured of the Lord Blessed â—…re you among men though you are but poor and despised and like little Benjamin among the thousands of Judah you carry away the blessing and the priviledge from all the rest God hath done more for the least of you than for the whole World of Mankind besides put all their mercies together Fear not little Flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Blessed are you of the Lord for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven All that the Scripture speaks of that Kingdom of Glory that Kingdom of Peace of Righteousness that Everlasting Kingdom It speaks it all to you Behold your Inheritance see that you believe What know you not your own selves you are the Sons of God Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven Joint Heirs with Christ the Lord of Glory Do you believe this Take heed you make not God a Lyar his Word is nigh you have you noâ—… the Writings in your hands Do I speak any thing but what God hath spoken Shall I tell you of the thing which shall be hereafter Why thus it shall be The Son of man shall come in his Glory and all his holy Angels with him Then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory and he shall separate you as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he â—…hall set you at his own right hand Then shall the King say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Do you believe yet Do you throughly believe If so then my work is done then I need not bid you Rejoyce noâ—…bid you be Thankful only believe Do this and do all Belieâ—… and joy will rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glorâ—… Believe and you will be fruitful and shew your Faith by yoâ—… works Believe and you will Love for Faith worketh by lovâ—… In a word keep these things upon your hearts by daily anâ—… lively consideration and this will bring Heaven into yoâ—… souls and ingage you to all manner of holy conversation anâ—… Godliness This will morâ—…ifie you to the World the graâ—… enemy which I advise nay I charge you to beware of Wheâ—… Saul had gotten his Kingdom he left off taking care for thâ—… Asses O remember yours is the Kingdom what are yoâ—… the better that you have all this in your Bibles if you do noâ—… weigh it by frequent and serious consideration and pondâ—… these sayings in your hearts Beloved I have written thâ—… things to you that your joy may be full And now Peace leave with you I am Christs Embassador to you an Embasâ—…dor of Peace his Peace I pronounce unto you In hiâ—… Name I bless you Farewel in the Lord I am The fervent Well-willer of your Soâ—… JOS. ALLEINE Devises June 29. 1666. LETTER XXVII Oâ—… the Second coming of Christ. To the Faithful and Beloved the Servants of God iâ—… Taunton Grace and Peace Loving and most dearly Beloved THough I trust my Bonds do preach to you yet methink that doth not suffice me but the conscience of my duty and the workings of my heart towards you are still calling upon me to stir you up by way of remembrance notwithstanding you know and be established in the present Truth And if Paul do call upon so great an Evangelist as Timothy to Remember that Jesus was raised from the dead according to the Gospel why should not I be often calling upon my self and upon you my dearly Beloved to remembeâ—… and meditate upon and closely apply the great and weighty Truths of the Gospel which you have already received and in truth I perceive in my self and you another manner of heat and warmth in the insisting upon the plainest principles of Christianity and the setting them home upon mine own heart and yours than in dwelling upon any more abstruse Speculations in the clearest handling of which the Preacher may seem to be too much like the winter nights very brighâ—… but very cold But now my Brethren I shall not with Paul call upon you so much to remember the resurrection of Christ as the Return of Christ Behold He cometh in the Clouds and every Eâ—…e shall see him Your eyes and mine eyes and all the Tribes of the Earth shall mourn because of him But we shall lift up our heads because the Day of our Redemption draweth nigh this is the day I look for and wait for and have laid up all my hopes in If the Lord return not I profess my self undone my Preaching is vain and my suffering is vain and the bottom in which I have intrusted all my hopeâ—… is for ever miscarried But I know whom I have trusted We are built upon the foundation of that sure Word we are not built upon the sand of Mortality Nor do we run so as uncertainly but the Word of the Lord abideth for ever upon which Word do we hope How fully doth this Word assure us that this same Jesus that is gone up into Heaven shall so return and that he shall appear the second time unto Salvation to them that look for him Oh how sure
presence of God for you May his memory ever live in our hearts though mine should die Oh remember his Love more than Wine remember in what a case he found you and yet nothing could anihilate his heart nor divert the purpose of his Love from you He loathed not your Rags nor your Rottenness he found you in a loathsome vomit and filthiness in a nasty and verminous tatters think not these expressions too odious no Pen can describe no heart can imagine the odiousness of sin in his sight in which you lay and rolled your selves as the filthy Swine in the mire yet he pitied you his Bowels were moved and his Compassions were kindled when one would have thought his wrath should have boiled and his indignation have burned down to Hell against you he loathed not but loved you and washed you from your sins in his own Blood Ah monstrous and polluted Captives ah vile and putrid Carkases that ever the holy Jesus should take the hands of you and shouâ—…d his own self wash you and wrinse you merhâ—…nks I see him weeping over you and yet it was a more costly Bath by which he cleansed you Ah Sinners look upon the streaming Blood flowing out warm from his blessed Body to setch out the ingrained filthiness that you by sin had contracted Alas what a horrid filthiness in sin that nothing but the blood of the Covenant could wash away and what a love is Christs than when no Sope nor Nitre could suffice to cleanse us when a whole Ocean could not wash nor purifie us would open every vein of his heart to do the work look upon your crucified Lord do you not see a sacred stream flowing out of every Member ah how those holy hands those unerring Feet do run a stream to purge us Alas how that innocent Back doth bleed with cruel scourgings to save ours how the great drops of blood fall to the ground from his sacred Face in his miraculous sweat in his bitter and bloody Agony to wash and beautifie ours how his wounded hearts and side twice pierced first with love and pity and then with Souldiers cruelty do pour out their healthful and saving Flouds upon us Lord how do we make a shift to forget such a love as this ah mirrors or rather monsters of ingratitude that can be unmindful of suâ—…h a Friend do we thus requite him is this our kindness to such an obliging friend Christians where are you affections to what use do you put your faculties what have you memories for but to remember him what have you the power of loving for but that you should love him wherefore serves joy or desire but to long for him and delightfully to embrace him may your souls and all their Powers be taken up with him may all the little doors of your souls be set open to him Here â—…ix your thoughts heâ—…e terminate your desire here you may light your Candle and kindle your fire when almost out Rub and chafe your hearts well with the deep consideration of the love of Christ and it is a wonder if they do not get fome warmth The Lord shed abroad his love in your hearts by the H. Ghost Oh that this love might constrain you Brethren what will you do now for Jesus Christ. Have you never a Sacrifice to lay upon his Altar come and I will shew you what you shall do let your hands be in the blood of your sins fall foul with them search them out with diligence search your hearts and your houses whatever iniquitâ—…es you find there out with them put them far from your Tabernacles if you crucifie them not you are not Jesus his Friends Godforbid that there should be a lying Tongue or any way of deceit in your Shops That his service should give place to the World in your Families Far be it from any of you my Brethrâ—…n that you should be careful to teach your children and servants the way of your Trades and Callings and neglâ—…t to instruct them in the way of Life Is weekly Caâ—…echising up in every one of your Families The Lord convince any of you that may be guilty of this neglect Oh set up God in your Houses and see that you be not slovenly in Closet performances beware of serving the Lord negligently serve not the Lord with that which cost you nothing look to it that you content not your selves with a cheap and easie Religioâ—… Put your flesh to it be well assured that the Religion that costs you nothing will yeeld you nothing keep up the life of Religion in your Family and Closet duties Fear nothing like a customary and careless performance of Gods service Judge your own selves whether lazie wishes idie complaints and yawning Prayers are like to carry you through the mighty difficulties that you must get through if ever you come to Heaven When you find your selves going on in a liftless liveless heartless course and have no mind to your work ask your selves is this to take the Kingdom of Heaven by violence or can I hope to win it without see that you sacrifice your selves to the Lord that you deliver up your selves to him that now you live to Christ himself As Christ hath made over his life and death to you so let it be your care to live and die to him labour to forget your selves and look upon all your enjoyments as Christs goods upon your time parts strength as his Talents look upon your selves onely in the quality of Servants and Stewards that are to husband all these for your Lords advantage and as those that must give an account And pray for me that I may take the Counsel that I give I â—…ss the Lord I want nothing but the opportunity of being â—…ceable unto you and to enjoy you but I hope the Lord will make my bonds for you to be useful to your edification that is the White I aim at if I may glorifie God and serve your Souls best by being here I shall never wish to come out though I confess liberty of its self is very precious Finally Brethren Farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you I The ready Servant of your Faith and Joy JOS. ALLEINE From the Prison at Juelchester Octob. 14. 1663. My dear Brother Norman salutes you tenderly desiring you to be patient to stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh LETTER XII For daily Self-Examination To the most Beloved People the Flock of Christ in Taunton Salvation Most dear Brethren I Would my time were as long as my heart that I might open my self to you but I was not without some discontent diverted when I was setting my self to have Written at large to you Now I am pinched however I could not leave my dear charge altogether unvisited but must needs salute you in a few Lines Brethren how stands it with you doth
Yours while I am J. A. LETTER XIX 1. Try 2. Rejoyce To the most loving and best beloved the Flock of Christ in Taunton Grace and Peace Most endeared Friends MY heart is solicitous for you your Spiritual and Eternal welfare is the matter of my desires and designs Let not my Beloved think they were forgotten by me because you heard not from me the last Week sleep departed from my eyes to write to you at large but in the morning I concluded it best to defer the imparting of it to you for a season that you might have it a better way Can a woman forget her Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb yea they may forget but Christ will earnestly remember you still Natural Parents may be so far unnatural spiritual Parents may be so far carnal as to forget their own Children I would have you count nothing as certain but Christs love and care This you may build upon You need not fear lest time and distance should wear out the remembrance of you with him your names are inâ—…olled in the everlasting Decrees of Heaven and a whole Eternity hath not been able to wear them out Do any of you question whether you are so happy as to have your names recorded above I shall bring it to a speedy issue Do â—…ou question whether Christ hath taken your names whether you are upon his heart Let me ask you Is Heaven upon your Hearts Is the Name of Jesus deeply engraven upon your Souls Is his Image and Superscription there If you can find that Heaven is the main of your cares that your hearts are set upon it as your home and your Countrey and that it is your great business to seek it and secure it then never doubt if your Hearts be chiefly upon Heaven your Names are unquestionable written in Heaven Again hath Christ recorded his name in your Hearts Is the Name of Jesus the Beloved name with you precious above all next to your hearts Is there no other Name under heaven so dear and sweet to you What room â—…ath Christ in you If any thing be deeper in your hearts than he is you are unsound As the Father hath given him so do your hearts give him a Name above every Name Is Christ uppermost with you in your estimations and affection Then rejoyce and leap for joy your Names are most pâ—…ecious with Christ if his Name be above all dear to you Once more hath Christ drawn out his own similitude upon You Is Christ within you doth he dwell in your Hearts Then be sure you have a room in his heart The Image of Christ is in holiness Is this that which your very hearts are set upon Do you thirst for Holiness Do you follow after Holiness Do you prize it above all prosperity and worldly greatness Do you hate every sin and long to be rid of it as your most irksome burden and use all Gods means against it as far as you know them If it be thus with you Christ hath set his stamp upon your hearts and so you may be sure he hath set you as a Seal upon his heart Rejoyce then O Christians and bless your selves in the happy priviledge that you have in being under Christs care Fear not little Flock Stronger is he that is with you than he that is against you What though Satan should raise all his Militia against you adhere to Christ in a patient doing suffering his pleasure and he shall secure you The Lord will not forsake you because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people God hath entrusted you with his Son You are his Care and his Charge Many will be lifâ—…ing at you many will be plucking at you but fear not you shall not be moved none shali pluck you out of Christs hand he hath all power Mat. 28. 8. Can Omnipotence secure you He is all Treasures Col. 2. 3. Can unsearchable Riches suffice you In a word he is all fullness Col. 1. 21. Can all content you Can Fulness fill you if so you are blessed and shall be blesied Beloved We loose unutterably for want of considering for want of viewing our own Priviledges and Blessedness O Man is Christ thine and yet dost thou live at a low rate and Comfort Is thy Name written in heaven and yet dost thou not rejoyce Shall the Children of the Kingdom the Candidates of Glory the chosen Generation the Royal Priesthood be like other men O Christians Remember who and whence you are consider your Obligations put on a better pace â—…stir your selves run and wrestle and be strong for the Lord of Hosts and earnestly yet peaceably contend for the Faith once delivered to his Saints What shall we make nothing of all that God hath said and done for us O Christians shall he that hath gotten an inriching Office boast of his Booty or he that hath obtained the Kings Patent for an Earldome glory in his Riches and Honour And shall the Grant of Heaven signifie little with thee Or Christs Patent for thy Son-ship and Partnership with himself be like a Cypher Shall Hamon come home from the Banquet with a glad heart and glorying in the greatness of his Riches the multitude of his Children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him above the Princes And shall we turn over our Bibles and read the Promises and find it under Gods own hand that he intends the Kingdom for us that he will be a Father to us that he gives and grants all his infinite perfections to us and yet not be moved Beloved Christians live like your selves let the Word see that the Promises of God and Priviledges of the Gospel are not empty sounds or a meer Crack Let the Heavenly cheerfulness and the restless diligence and the holy raisedness of your Conversations prove the reality excellency and beauty of your Religion to the World Forget not your Prisoner Labour earnestly for me in your Prayers who am night and day labouring and suffering for you I can never bless God enough for his most tender indulgent care for you which appears so wonderfully in his Fatherly Protection and his Fatherly Provision See that you receive not the Crace of God in vain Remember with trembling that of our Lord To whom much is given of him much shall be required With my most dear loves to you all I commend you to your Father and my Father your God and my God remaining Yours in all manner of Obligations JOS. ALLEINE From the common Goal at Juelchester January 20. 1663. LETTER XX. The Felicity of Believers To the most beloved People the servants of God in Taunton Salvation Most endeared Christians I Have longed and waited for a little breathing time wherein I might write unto you but I have been oppressed hitherto with so many cares and such a throng of business that till now and scarcely now I have had no time of respiration
to work a mutual affection between me and you I remember the tears and Prayers that you have sent me hither with and how I saw your hearts in your eyes How can I forget how you poured out your Souls upon me And truly you are a People much upon my heart whose welfare is the matter of my continual prayers care and study And oh that I knew how to do you good Ah? how certainly should never a son of you miscarry if I knew how to save you Ah! how it pities me to think how that so many of you should remain in your sins after so many and so long endeavours to convert and bring them in Once more Oh? my beloved once more hear the call of the most high God unto you The Prison Preaches to you the same Doctrine that the Pulpit did Hear O People hear he that hath an ear let him hear The Lord of Life and of Glory offers you all Mercy and Peace and Blessedness Oh why should you die whosoever will let him take of the Waters of Life sreely what miss of life when it is to be had for the taking God forbid O my Brethren my soul yerns for you and my bowels towards you Ah! that I did but know what Arguments to use with you who shall chuse my words for me that I may prevail with sinners not to reject their own Mercy how snall I get within them How shall I reach them Oh! that I did but know the words that would pierce them that I could but get between their sins and them Beloved Brethren the Lord Jesus hath made me most unworthy his Spokesman to bespeak your hearts for him And oh that I knew but how to wooe for him that I might prevail these eight years have I been calling and yet how great a part do remain visibly in their sins and how few alas how few souls have I gained to Christ by sound conversion Once more I desire with all possible earnestness to apply my self to you I have thought it may be a Sermon out of a Prison might do that which I could not do after my long striving with you but have left undone come then O Friends and let us reason together Many among you remain under the power of Ignorance Ah! how often have I told you the dangerous yea damnable estate that such are in Never make excuses nor flatter your selves that you shall be saved though you go on in this I have told you often and now tell you again God must be false of his Word if ever you be saved without being brought out of the state of ignorance If ever you enter in at the door of Heaven it must be by the Key of Knowledge you cannot be saved except you be brought to the knowledge of the Truth A people that remain in gross ignorance that are without understanding the Lord that made them will not have mercy on them O why will you flatter your felves and wilfully deceive your own selves when the God of Truth hath said you shall surely die if you go on in this estate Oh for the love of God and of your souls I beseech you awake and bestir your selves to get the saving knowledge of God you that are capable of learning a Trade to live by are you not capable of learning the way to be saved yea I doubt not but you are capable if you would but beat your heads about it and take pains to get it And is it not pity that you should perish for ever for want of a little pains and study and carâ—… to get the knowledge of God Study the Catechism if possible get it by heart if not read it often or get it read to you cry unto God for knowledge improve the little you have by living answerable Search the Scripture daily get them read to you if you cannot read them Improve your Sabbaths diligently and I doubt not but in the use of these means you will sooner arrive to the knowledge of Christ than of a Trade But for thee O hardned sinner that wilt make thy excuses that thou hast not time nor abilities to get knowledge and to sit still without it I pronounce unto thee that thou shalt surely perish And I challenge thee to tell me if thou canst how thou wilt answer it before the most High God when he shall sit in Judgement upon thee that thou wouldest be contented to undergo a seven years Apprentiship to learn how to get thy living and that thou mightest have got the knowledge of the principles of Religion in half the time but thou wouldest not beat thy head about it Many are swallowed up in meer prosaneness Alas that there should be any such in a place of such means and mercieâ—… but it cannot be concealed Many of them proclaim theâ—…r sin like Sodom and carry their deadly â—…prosie in their forâ—…-heads I am ashamed to think that in Tâ—…unton there should be so many Ale-house-haunâ—…ers and Tiplers so many lewd Gamesters and Rioters and debauched livers so many black mouthed Swearers who have Oaths and Curses for their common language so many Raylers at Godliness and Prcfane Scoffers so many lyars and deceitful Dealers and unclean and wanton Wretches O what a long list will these and such like make up if put together it saddens me to mention such as these O how crimsen is their guilt how often have you been warned and yet are still unreformed yea loose and profane Yet one warning more have I sent after you from the Lord to repent Return O sinners what will you run into everlasting burnings with your eyes open Repent O Drunkards or else you shall be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Repent O swearers else you shall fall into condemnation James 5. 12. Repent O lyars put away lying and speak every one truth to his neighbour else you shall have your part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 20. 8. Repent O company-keepers forsake the foolish and live but a Companion of the wicked shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. Repent you Deceivers of your unrighteous dealings or else you shall have no Inheritance in the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. The Lord that made us knows my earnest desire for your conversion and Salvation and that I speak not this to you out of any evil will toward you for I will lie at your feet to do you good but out of a sense of your deplorable estate while you remain in your sins I know there is mercy for you if you do soundly repent and reform and bow to the Righteousness and Government of the Lord Christ but if you go on and say you shall yet have peace I pronounce unto you that there is no escape but the Lord will make his wrath to smoak against you he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his
to hath continually provided for you to the full How should I love and bless the Lord for this his great Grace towards you while I live Now I beseech you my Brethren that you consider the Kindness of the Lord for the Lord your God is he that careh for you and that you love the Lord your God and fear him for ever for he is your Life and the Length of your Daies And as Job had a holy fear of his Children least they should have offended So my most dearly Beloved I am jealous of you with a Godly jealousie lest any of you should receive this Grace of God in vain I must not cease to put you in mind that God doth look from no small matter from you Remember my most endeared Charge that the Lord doth look for singular things from you that there be not a barren Tree nor a Dwarf Christian among you where the Lord doth strow much he looks to gather much and where he soweth much he expects to reap accordingly Whose account my Beloved is like to be so great as yours O look about you and think of the Master coming to Reckon with you for his Talents when he will expect no small increase Beloved what can you do How much are you grown What spoil have you made upon your Corruptions What progress in Grace Suppose Christ should put the awakening question to you What do you more than others Beloved God doth expect more of his People than of any others in the world besides And well he may For First He hath beftowed more on them than on others Now where much is given much shall be required Can you think of that without trembling He hath bestowed on them singular Love more than on others Thou only have I known of all the Families on Earth He hath a distinguishing Love and favour for his People and he looks that his love should be a constraining Argument to Obedience Again he hath laid out a singular care on his People more than on others He cares for no man for nothing in all the World in comparison of them He reproveth Kings for their sakes He will give Nations and Kingdoms for their Ransome So precious are they in his sight and so dearly Beloved that he will give men for them and People for their Life He withdraweth not his Eyes from the Righteous he will not indure them out of his sight The Eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous and first the eye of his more accurate Observation God can winck at others as it were and overlook what they do with little notice but he hath a most eurious Eye upon his People he marketh their steps booketh their words he weigheth their Actions and pondereth all their goings And should they not walk more cautiously and charily than any alive that are under so exact and curious an Eye Secondly the Eye of special Care and Protection Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him I will guide thee with mine Eye And should not they be infinitely tender and careful how to please the Lord who have his singular Care laid out on them In short God hath bestowed on them singular Priviledges more than others These are a peculiar Treasure to him above all People a Kingdom of Priests an holy Nation a singular separated People they dwell alone they are diverse from all People When the whole world lies in wickedness these are Called and Chosen and Faithful Washed and Justified and Sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God The rest are the Refuse These the Jewels These are taken and they are left Shall not Gods Priests be Cloathed with Righteousness and shall not Princes Live above the rate of Peasants Secondly He hath intrusted them with more then others Not onely with the Talents of his Grace for the increase whereof they must give a strict account but also with the Jewel of his Glory How tenderly should they walk that are entrusted with such a Jewell Remember your makers Glory is bound up in your fruitful walking Thirdly He hath qualified them more than others He hath put into them a Principle of Life having quickned them together with Christ. He hath set up a light in their Minds when others lie in Darkness He hath given them other Aids than others have even his Spirit to help their Infirmities when others lie like Vessels that are VVindbound and cannot stir Fourthly He hath provided for them other manner of things than for others These are the little Flock to whom it is his good pleasure to give the Kingdom great are the preparations for them The Father hath prepared the Kingdom for them from the foundations of the World the Son is gone to Heaven on purpose to prepare a place for them The Spirit is preparing them and making them meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light and should these be like other People Brethren beloved God and Men do expect you should do more then others see that that you be indeed singular For 1. If you do no more for God than others he will do more against you then others You onely have I known therefore will I punish you The barren Tree in the Vineyard must down whereas had he been in the Common he might have stood much longer God looked for Grapes from his Vineyard on which he had bestowed such care and cost more than ordinary but when they bring forth wild Grapes he will lay them waste in a worse manner than the Forrest When Christ came to the Fig-tree seeking fruit and met with none he curst it from the root whereas had it been a Thorn or Bramble it might have stood as before 2. If you do no more than others you must look for no more than others If you should put off God with a common obedience you must expect to be put off with common mercies 3. Except you do more than others God will be dishonoured more by you than others I have been too long with you but I am earnestly desirous you should be sensible of Gods extraordinary expectations from you And truly as God looks for more from his own than others so he looks for more from you than others even of his own because that he hath done more See that you be shining Christians that you be strong in the grace of God that you press towards the mark But I must conclude I give my loves among you all being able to add no more but that I am Yours in fervent Loves and Longings JOS. ALLEINE From the Prison at Juelchester Jan. 2. 1663. LETTER XXII Christian Care Faith Self-denial To the most Beloved People the Servants of God in Taunton Salvation Most endeared Christians THe reason why my Letters have not of late come so thick as formerly to you is not because I forgot to love you and to care for you but because I have been busily taken
am apt to pass the bounds of a Letter yet I promise my self now an easie pardon for so loving a trespass With my dear Loves to you all I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace Though I have done writing yet not praying I will promise where my Letter ends my Prayers shall begin Farewel dear Brethren Fare you well in the Lord I am An unworthy Embassador of Jesus in Bond JOS. ALLEINE From the Prison at Juelchester Octob. 29. 1663. LETTER XXXIII For Perseverance To my dear Friends the Servants of Christ in Luppit Salvation Beloved Christians HAving taken up a Resolution to Write to and to endeavour to confirm all the Places where I have gone up and down Preaching the Kingdom of God You were by no means to be omitted You were the People that were last upon-my heart before my taking up and had I not been made a Prisoner I think I had in a few hours after the time of my Apprehension been with you Now I can no way but by Prayers Letters and Councels visit you and so have sent these to let you know that you are upon my Heart and that your Welfare is dear unto me I bless the Lord to hear that his Work doth not cease among you It is the Joy of our Bonds Beloved to hear that the Word is not bound and that Satan hath not his design upon the People of God who doubtless intended by these Sufferings to have struck Terrour into them and to have made their Hands weak Know dear Christians that the Bonds of the Gospel are not tedious through Grace unto us that Christ is a Master worth a suffering for that there is really enough in Religion to defray all our Charges to quit all the Cost and Expence you can be at in or upon it That you may Build upon it that you can never be losers by Jesus Christ that Christs Prison is better than the Worlds Paradise that the Divine Attributes are alone an All-sufficient Livelihood that the Influences of Heaven and shines of Gods Countenance are sufficient to lighten the darksomest Dungeon and to perfume and sweeten the noisomest Prison to a poor Believer that if you can bring Faith and Patience and the Assurance of the Divine Favour with you to a Prison you will live comfortably in spight of Earth Hell These are Truths that the Prisoners of Christ can in a measure Seal unto and I would have you to be more soundly assured of and established in Brethren we are of the same mind in a Prison that we were os in the Pulpit that there is no life to a life of Holiness that Christ and his Yoak and his Cross are worthy of all acceptation that it is the best and wisest and safest and gainfulllest course in the World to stick close to Christ and his Ways and to adhere to them in all hazards Come on Beloved Christians come on stack not your pace but give diligence to the full assurance of Hope unto the end and be ye followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Strengthen the hands that hang down and the feeble knees If you faint in the day of Adversity your strength is small Chear up my Brethren look what a Crown what a Kingdom here is What say you Is not here a worthy Portion a goodly Heritage Were it not pity to lose all this for want of Diligence and Patience Come dear Christians and fellow Travellers I pray you let us put on Pluck up the weary Limbs our Home is within sight Lift up your Eyes from the Pisga of the Promises You may see the Land of Rest. Will any of you think of returning into Egypt God forbid A little patience and Christ will come Behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the Earth and hath long patience till he receive the early and later Rain Be ye also patient stablish your Hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh He is not a Christian indeed that cannot be content to tarry for his Preferment in another World Cast upon it my Brethren that your Kingdom is not of this World that here you must have Tribulations and that all is well as long as we are secured for Eternity Exhort one another daily strive together in Prayer unite your strength therein and pull a main Mercy will come sooner or later however we will be content to wait till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ah how surely will he come He will render Tribulation to them that trouble us and to us that are troubled rest with him Onely believe and wait What not watch with him one hour Why the Judge is even at the door And how blessed will you be if you do but continue and hold fast till he come Watch therefore and stand fast quit you like men be Zealous and let your hearts be strong God is your Friend and you may trust him He is able to bear you out and bear you up faint not therefore but be stedfast unmoveable abounding in the works of the Lord. Speak often one to another provoke to love and to good Works Let the Bay of opposition against Godliness make the Torrent of your Zeal break over with the more violence But it 's time to end I have been bold to call upon you you see and to stir you up by way of remembrance May the Spirit of the most high God excite you encourage you enflame you may these poor lines be some quickning to you may the good-will of him that dwelt in the Bush dwell with you My dear loves to you all pray sor the Prisoners Farewel dear Brethren farewel in the Lord I am Yours in the Bonds of the Lord Jesus JOS. ALLEINE Octob. 11. 1665. LETTER XXXIV To a Back-sliding Fellow Student Sir WHom this will find you or when or where I know not but I have shot this arrow at a venture Once you were an Associate with me in Corpus Christi where I remember your blameless Conversation and your zealous affection for and adhesion to the ways and people of God May you be still found in the same paths of holiness without which no man shall see God The vows of God are upon me which I confess I have been to slack to pay that I would put you in remembrance and in all Brotherly tenderness advise you to remember from whence you are sallen I was informed before your leaving of England of many unhappy miscarriages which the great reproach of your holy profession you had been too manifestly guilty of I am not without some hope that the Lord may have since recalled you and brought you back to himself and yet not without more fear lest if the power of corruption were so strong as to precipitate you with such violence at such a time as that was and in such a place as England as Oxon where you had so many encouragements and inducements examples and faithful friendly
trembling Do you ever think to escape these mighty enemies to conquer the power and avoid the plots and snares of those potent adversaries without most painful diligence O cry to Heaven for help watch and pray fear lest a promise being left of entring into rest either of you should come short of it My dear Neeces you have many do watch for your souls to devoor them but I doubt too few except my self do watch for your Souls to save them therefore I look upon my self who am now upon the matter your only Monitor to be the more concerned to awaken my self to your help and to look after you and to watch for you left by any means you should miscarry by the deceits and temptations wherewith you are encompassed I would not have you over-careful for the things of this lise though I commend your laudable care and diligence that you may not be burdensome to any man but I commend to you a better aâ—…d more necessary care and that is that which the Aposâ—…le speaks of the Virgins care The unmarried saith he careth for the things of the Lord. Ah let this be your eare seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and then all these things shall be added you have Gods sure promise for it If the Lord give me to live and prosper you shall see and know that I am not a friend only in words to you but however that shall be see that you embrace the Counsels of God from me Oh make sure of Heaven betimes walk humbly with God beware of a proud heart and a lofty spirit abhor your selves else God will not be pleased with you condemn your selves that God may acquit you The leven of pride will sowre the whole lump and mar all your Profession and Religion and render your Persons and Prayers and all an abomination to the Lord if it prevail in you Oh therefore be not high minded but fear and by prayer and watchfulness restrain and root up this wretched corruption of pride which is a sin so natural to you that you had need to use an infinite care and caution to keep it under As to my self these may acquaint you That I have been often at the very gates of death I have lost all my limbs but prayer hath redeemed me from my extremities and God hath blessed the use of the Bath to me Oh praise the Lord praise him for my sake and give glory to the God of my Life Love him honour and glorifie him whose favour and friendship hath filled my Soul with comfort and given a resurection to my body I can now walk alone and feed my self but am altogether unable to write which is the reason why these come to you in another hand Dear Cousin you may think me too tedious but you must pardon me if I erre in my love and zeal for your welfare And now I shall trespass no more but with my own and dear Wives love to you I commend you to God and rest Your loving and careful uncle JOS. ALLEINE LETTER XXXVIII Do all in reference to God and his Glory Dear Friend I Have received yours of the 19th of September but it came to me in the time of my sickness in which I was much a stranger to writing it conâ—…nued upon me five months and to this day so much weakness remains in my arms that I am not able to put off or on my own clothes Your Letter was exceeding welcome to me not only as reviving the remembrance of our old friendship but also as bringing me news of some spiritual good that you received by me which is the best tidings that I can receive for what do I live for but to be useful to souls in my generation I desire to know no other business than to please and honour my God and serve my generation in that short allowance of time that I have here before I go hence and shall be seen no more Shall I commend to you the Lesson that I am about to learn But why should I doubt of your acceptance who have so readily embraced me in all our converses The Lesson is To be entirely devoted unto the Lord that I may be able to say after the Apostle To me to live is Christ. I would not be serving God only for a day in the week or an hour or two in the day but every day and all the day I am ambitious to come up towards that of our Lord and Master To do always those things that please God I plainly see that self-seeking is self-undoing and that then we do promote our selves best when we please God most I find that when I have done all if God be not pleased I have done nothing and if I can but approve my self to God my work is done I reckon I do not live that time I do not live unto God I am â—…ain to cut off so many hours from my days and so many years from my life so short as it is as I have lived unto my self I find no enemy so dangerous as my self and O that others might take warning by my hurt O that I had lived wholly unto God! then had every day and every hour that I have spent been found upon my account at that great day of our appearing before God then I had been rich indeed in treasure laid up there whither I am apace removing then I had been every day and hour adding to the heap and encreasing the reward which God of his meer grace hath promised even to the meanest work that is done to him Col. 3. 24. I verily perceive I am an external loser by acting no more as for God for what is done to my self is lost but what is done for God is done for ever and shall receive an everlasting reward Verily if there be another world to come and an eternal state after this short life it is our only wisdom to be removing and as it were transplanting and transporting what we can from hence into that Countrey to which we are shortly to be removed that what we are now doing we may be reaping the fruit of for ever more The world think themselves wise but I will pawn my soul upon it that this is the true wisdom Well let us be wholly swallowed up in the concerns of Religion and know no other interest but Jesus Christs I cannot say I have already attained but this is that my heart is set to learn That in all that I do whether sacred or civil actions still I may be doing but one work and driving on one design That God may be pleased by me and he glorified in me that not onely my Praying Preaching Alms c. may be found upon my account but even my eating drinking sleeping visits discourses because they are all done as unto God Too often do I take a wrong aim and miss my mark but I will tell you what be the rules I set my self