with you and who can but love where they have received so much love and continually do as I have from you the Lord requiâ—…e your love which is great and if compared with his but little with his which is infinite this is a love worthy of your ambition worthy of your adoration and admiration This is the Womb that bore you from eternity and out of which have burst forth all the Mercies Spiritual and Temporal that you enjoy This was the love that chose you when less Offenders and those that being converted might have been a hundred sold more serviceable to their Makers Glory are lâ—…ft to perish in their sins May your souls be filled with the sense of this love But it may be you will say how shall I know if I am an object of Electing love least an unbelieving thought should damp your joy know in snort that if you have chosen God he hath certainly chosen you Have you taken him for your blessedness and do you more highly prize and more diligently seek after conformity to him aâ—…d the fruâ—…tion of him than any than all the goods of this World If so theu away with doubts for you could not have loved and have chosen him unless he had loved you first Now may my Beloved dwell continually in the thoughts the views the tastes of the love Get you down under its shadows and taste its pleasant fruits Oh the Provisions that love hath made for you before the Foundation of the World Ah silly dust that ever thou shouldest be thought upon so long before thou wast that the contrivances of the infinite Wisdom should be taken up about thee that such a Crawling thing such a Mite a Flea should have the consultations of the Eternal Diety exercised about thee verily his love to thee is wonderful Lord what is man thou tellest us he is Dust and Vanity a Worm nothing less than nothing how then dost thou love him oh wonderful be astonished yea Heavens at this be moved ye strong foundation of the Earth Fall down yeaâ—… Elders strike up ye Heavenly Quires and sing yet again Glory to God in the highest for all our strings would crack to reach the Notes of love praise and admiration that this love doth call for Oh that ever emptiness and vanity should be thus prized that Jehovah should make account of so worthless so useless a thing as man that ever baseness should be thuâ—… preferred that ever nothing should be thus dignified thaâ—… ever rottenness should be thus advanced a Clod a shaddow Potsheard should be thus glorified Oh Brethren study beseech you not to require or retaliate there 's impossibility and blasphemy in such a thought but to admire and imâ—…tate his love Let love constrain you let love put you upoâ—… doing and prepare you for suffering forget not a love sâ—… memorable undervalue not a love so unvaluable I would have you all the captives of love may the cords of love draâ—… you towards and knit you to your Redeemer may the â—…vided streams be united in him Alas that our souls are sâ—… narrow that the Waters are so shallow with us how little how very little would our love be if he had it all infinitâ—… less than the Glow-worm to the Suu or the Attome to the Universe and have we any of this little to spare for him oh that we might love him with our little Ah! that all oâ—… little powers were ingaged for him Brethren here is no exâ—…cess oh love the Lord ye his Saints he is worthy for whoâ—… you shall do this Do but think what love hath done for yoâ—… and think if you can what it means to do for you This is thâ—… love that yarned upon you when in your Blood no eye pitying you This is the love that took you up when you werâ—… robbed and wounded and left for dead and poured in Winâ—… and Oyl into your wounds This is that love that reprieved and spared and pardoned when the Law had condemneâ—… you and Justice would have had you delivered up anâ—… your Self-condemning consciences gave up all for lost coâ—…cluding there was no hope This is the love the expensivâ—… love that bought you from the power of darkness from the eternal burnings the devouring fire in which you must otherwise have dwelt Do you not remember how you were hungry and it fed you naked and it cloathed you strangers and it took you in sick and it visited you in Prison and it came unto you you were dead and are alive you were lost and are found And me thinks I see how love runs to meet you and falls upon your necks and kisseth the Lips that deserve to be loathed and rejoyces over you and makes a Festival and as it were a Holiday in Heaven to you inviting Angels to rejoyce And if the friends do rejoyce how much more doth the father for saith he These my Sons were dead and are alive were lost and are sound Oh melting love ah Brethren how strange is this that our recovery should be Heavens triumph the joy of God and Angels That this love should feast us and feast over us and our Birth-day should be kept in Heaven that this should be the round at Heavens Table and the burden of the Song above For this my Son was dead and is alive and well what remains but that you should be another manner of People than ever yet you have been more holy more humble more even more resolved more lively more active where is your Zeal for the Lord of Hosts will slender returns suffice you in answer to such a love God forbid But necessity calls me off from going any further May the love that chose you and redeemed you for ever dwell in you and overshaddow you and bear you safe to the Kingdom In the Holy Arms of Divine Love I desire to leave you May you live under its daily Influences and be melted and overcome with its warming Beams with its quickning piercing powerful Rays My most dear love to you all See that you live not in a dull fruitless liveless course Be patient be watchful instant in Prayer fervent in Spirit serving the Lord I am very healthful and chearful through grace See that none of these things move you that befal us Fare you well my dear Brethren farewel in the Lord I am From the Prison at Juelchester October 25. 1663. Yours in the strongest Bonds of Affection and Affliction Joseph Alleine LETTER XI Remember Christ Crucified and crucifie Sin To the Faithful and Well-beloved People the servants of Christ in Taunton Salvation Most dear Christians I Am by Office a Remembrancer the Lords Remembrancer for you and your Remembrancer in the behalf of Christ. My business is with the Apostle to stir up your pure minds by way of Remembrance And what or whom should I remember you of but your mindful Friend your Intercessour with the Father who hath you always in remembrance appearing in the
they may not fall down till Israel do prevail Let us fear lest there be some evil among us that God being angry with us doth send this farther tryal upon us Pray earnestly for me lest the eye of the most jealous God should discern that in me which should render me unfit for the mercy you desire And let every one of you search his heart and search his house to see if there be not cause there Let not these disappointments make you to be nevertheless in love with Prayers but the more out of love with sin Let us humble our selves under the mighty hand of God and he shall exalt us in due time And for the enemies of God you must know also that their foot shall slide in due time Let the Servants of God encourage themselves in their God for in the things wherein they deal proudly he is above them therefore fret not your selves because of evil doers commit your cause to him that judgeth righteously Remember that you are bid if you see oppression of the poor and violent perverting of Judgement and Justice in a Province not to marvel at the matter verily there is a God that judgeth in the Earth and you have the liberty of appeals rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him and fret not your selves because of the men that bring wicked devises to pass take heed that none of you do with Peter begin to sink now you see the waters rough and the winds boysterous these things must not weaken your Faith nor cool your Zeal for they are great arguments for the strengthning of it What clearer evidence can there be for the future judgment and perdition of the ungodly and Coronation of the Just in another life than the most unjust proceedings that are here upon Earth shall not the Judge of all the Earth see right to be done We lee here nothing but confusion and disorder the wicked receiveth according to the work of the righteous and the Innocent according to the work of the wicked The Godly perish and the wicked flourish these do prosper and they do suffer What can it be ever thus no doubtless there must be a day when God will Judge the world in righteousness and rectifie the present disorders and reverse the unrighteous Sentences that have been passed against his servants And this evidence is so clear that many of the Heathen Philosephers have from this very Argument I mean the unrighteous usage of the good concluded that there must certainly be rewards and punishments adjudged by God in another World Nor yet lose your Zeal now is the time that the love of many doth wax cold but I bless God it is not so with you I am sure your love to me is as true Friends should be like the Chimneys warmest in the Winter of Adversity and I hope your love to God is much more and I would that You should abound yet more and more Where else should you bestow your Loves Love ye the Lord ye his Saints and cling about him the faster now ye see the world is striving to separate you from him How many are they that go to knock off your fingers O methinks I see what tugging there is The World is plucking and the Devil is plucking Oh hold fast I beseech you hold fast that no man take your Crown Let the Water that is sprinkled yea rather poured upon your love make it to flame up the more Are you not betrothed unto Christ Oh rcmember remember your Marriage Covenant did you not take him for Richer for Poorer for better for worse now prove your love to Christ to have been a true conjugal love in that you can love him when most slighted despised undervalued blasphemed among men Now acquit your selves not to have followed Christ for the Loaves now confute the Accuser of the Brethren who may be ready to suggest of the best of you as he did of Job Doth he serve the Lord for nought And let it be seen that you loved Christ and holiness purely for their own sakes that you can love a naked Christ when there is no hopes of worldly advantage or promoting of self-interest in following him Yet beware that none of you do stick to the wayes of Christ and Religion upon so carnal an account as this because this is the way that you have already taken up and you count it a shame to recede from your Principles I am very jealous lest some Professors should miss of their reward for this least they should be accounted Turn-coats and Hypocrites therefore they will shew a stoutness of spirit in going on since they have once begun and cannot with honour retreat Would you chose holiness and strictness if it were to do again would you enter your selves among Gods poor people if it were now first to do Would you have taken up the Profession of Christ though you had foreseen all this that is come and coming This will do much to evidence your sincerity But I forget â—…hat I am writing a Letter being prone to pass all bounds when I have thus to do with you The Lord God remember and reward you and your labours of love The Eternal God be your refuge and put under you his everlasting Arms. The Peace of God that passeth all understanding keep your hearts Christs Legacy of Peace I leave with you and rest with my dear affections to you all Your Embassador in Bonds JOS. ALLEINE LETTER XXIV Councel for Salvation To the most beloved People the servants of God in Taunton Salvation Most endeared Christians MY continual solicitude for your State will not suffer me to pass in quiet one week without Writing to you unless I am extraordinarily hindred Your sincerity stedfastness and proficiency in the grace of God is the matter of my earnest desire and that which I should account my self happy in I have a longing desire to see the Faces of you all and besides mine expectation shall I trust speedily have the opportunity to see you at the approaching Assizes which I shall greatly rejoyce in notwithstanding our coming may be otherwise attended with many Inconveniencies In the mean time I send you a few Prison Counsels As 1. To improve for Eternity the Advantages of your present State Though you are at many disadvantages with respect to the publick Ordinances yet you have many wondrous and most happy Priviledge which Spiritual Wisdom would make no small improvement of Oh what a mercy have you that you may serve God while you will in your Families That you may be as much as you will with God in secret Prayer and holy Meditation and Self-examination I beseech you consider what a Blessing you have above others that have your Health and a Competency of the Comforts of this life and are free from those continual pains or Heart-eating Cares that others are disabled by from looking after God and their Souls as you may do Oh consider what a blessed Seed-time
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
Graces Experiences Communion and Prisonartainments may shine most brightly to all beholders I wish your Prison may be a Paradice of Peace and a Patmos of Divine discoveries Lord Jesus set to thy Amen I am Sir Your unworthy Brother and Companion in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus JOâ—… ALLEINE Jan. 10. 1664. LETTER XL. Directions to the Ministers of Somersetshire and Wiltshire for the instructing of Families by way of Catechising Sir THis Letter cometh to you like the men of Macedonia to Paul crying to you Come and help us O how insufficient do we find our selves for the praises of God! what reason have we to call upon our selves and to call upon all our Friends and yet we foresee that all will be too little a Sacrifice at last and to slender a return to the most High God God who hath made us such wonders of Mercy and such signal instances of his Divine Power and rich Grace You are not ignorant of our Estate how the Sentence of death had passed upon us how our flesh and our hearts failed and friends an Physicians gave up their hopes but God that raised the Dead was pleased to make us the Monuments of his wondrous mercy O that the same God would make us the special instruments of his praise and glory Of a Truth Sir we perceive our hearts are too little our Tongues are too short our expressions are too low either to conceive or utter what we owe to the great God O help help bless the Lord O our souls bless the Lord O our friends O that all that have wrestled with God for us might joyn hand in hand to make some suitable returns to the God of our lives and may bring in every one his Sacrifice and all contribute to make one common stock of Praises that many thanksgivings may abound to God on our behalfs O what hath Prayer done for us while we live we must honour Prayer and admire the power of Prayer we owe our limbs and our lives to prayer O that a goodly crop of praise may grow up unto God as a return for his Mercies that the seed of prayers and showers of tears may procure sheaves of joy and songs of deliverance But O what shall we render wherewithall shall we come before the Lord or bow our selves to the most high God O where shall we find a fitting sacrifice Verily we will give our selves and our all to him But alas what are we and what is this little that we call our All Therefore have we found in our hearts to write to you and others that we might excite you to the Divine praises with us And O that the Lord might be loved the better and glorified the more for our sakes Will you tell us wherein we may shew our love to him wherein we may best please and serve him O that you would herein assuredly you would most highly gratifie us O that we might do some singular thing for God for certainly they aré not common things that he hath done for us We pray you call upon those that fear the Lord to help us in celebrating his loving kindness O how it pleaseth our very hearts to think that God should be loved and honoured the better for us that we may be instruments if it be but for the blowing up of one flash nay the kindling of one spark of Divine love in the heart of his Children towards him Sir you cannot pleasure us in any thing so much as in thâ—…s to love and admire God and spread his praise more and more that what is wanting through our weakness may be made up in your abundance But we have need to crave your pardon for our length but the love of Christ constraineth us and we hope you will pass by an error of love While we have been devising what to do for our God we thought we could no way better him than by providing such as you are to set up his great Name with us We love and honour you not only as you are a Member but a Minister of Christ Jesus our Lord and therefore deserve to be doubly dear unto us And because we could think of no more pleasing a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving we have stirred up our selves and friends with us to send to you a Prophet in the name of a Prophet this poor token of love which though but small yet we trust will be a sweet savour unto God and will be accepted with you being our two Mites cast into God's Treasury But look not upon your self as obliged to us hereby but put it upon the account of Christ to whose precious Name we dedicate and from whom although he be so much already before hand with us yet we expect a recompence at the Resurrection of the Just. And being further desirous to promote the work of God in our low and slender capacities we have been bold to provoke your self with other our Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry to set about that necessary and much neglected work of Catechising not a little pleasing our selves in the sweet hope that by your means we may be instrumental to spread the sweet savour of the knowledge of our God in every place and being well perswaded of your readiness to forward so blessed a work we have stirred up our selves and our friends to expend a considerable sum of money to furnish Ministers with Catechisms a hundred whereof we have sent unto you beseeching you to use your best prudence and utmost diligence for the spreading of them and for others improvement by them that our labour and charge in so good a work prove not at last of no effect Sir we shall humbly propose unto you but not impose upon you But let us be bold with you in Christ to lay our requests before you as touching this concernment they being indeed what judicious friends and brethren have thought fit to propound 1. That that people be publikely and privately instructed about the high necessity and great usefulness of this duty 2. That the Catechisms be freely given to all that will promise to use them 3. That you would be pleased to acquaint your self with all the Schools that are within your Verge and that you would do your utmost to engage the Teachers thereof to teach their Scholars this Catechism and that you would furnish all their Scholars that are capable and willing to learn 4. That you will endeavour from house to house to engage the Master or Mistress of every Family for the forwardsng of this work 5. That you will appoint set-times wherein to take an account of the proficiency of all such as have promised to learn and that if it may be they may be engaged to learn weekly a proportion according to their Capacities 6. That you would favour us so far as to let us know as speedily as you may of the receit of these lines and if we may presume so far upon you we pray you to indulge us some assurance under your hand that you will to your power promote this happy design and that by our Lady-day next you will acquaint Mr. Bernard what progress is made Sir our souls will even travel in Birth for the success of this undertaking and therefore we request you for the love of God and by the respect which we are perswaded you bare to us that you will labour to comfort and encourage us in our endeavours for God which you can no way in the World do so well as by letting us see that there is some blessed fruit of our cost and pains and that we have not run in vain nor laboured in vain If there be any of these Catechisms remaining in your hands that you cannot dispose of by our Lady-day be pleased to send them to Mr. Bernard or to Mr. Rositer in Taunton If you should need any more give us speedy notice and you shall not fail to be furnished with what number you desire Thus upon the bended knees of our thankful souls we commend our poor sacrifices together with your self to the eternal God and remain Christs devoted Servants and your Friends JOS. BERNARD and JOS. ALLEINE FINIS
and leave them in eternal darkness they shall go to the generation of their Fathers they shall never see light like sheep they shall be laid in their Graves and the upright shall have Dominion over them in the morning But for my Brethren I am jealous that none of you should come short of the Glory of God I am ambitious for you that you should be all the heirs of an endless life the living hopes of the Saints the inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fades not away Ah my Brethren why should not you be all happy I am jealous for you with a Godly jealousie lest a promise being left you of entering into his rest any of you should come short of it O look diligently lest any man fail of the Grace of God Alas how it pities me to see this Rest neglected How it grieves me that any of you should fall short of mercy at last That any of that flock over which the holy Ghost hath made be in part overseer should perish when Christ hath done so much for you and when his under Officers through his Grace for we are not sufficient of our selves have done somewhat to recover and save them Ah dear Brethren I was in great earnest with you when I besought you out of the Pulpit many a time to give a Bill of Divorce to your sins and to accept of the match and the mercy that in the name of God Almighty I did there offer to you Alas how it pitied me to look over so great a Congregation and to think that I could not for my life I could not perswade them one quarter of them in likelihood to be saved how it moved me to see your diligence in flocking not only to the stated Exercises but to the Repetitions and to most hazardous opportunities for which you are greatly to be commended since the Law forbad my publick Preaching and yet to think that many of you that went so far were like to perish for ever for want of going further I must praise your diligent attendance on all opportunities Blessed be God that made a willing ministry and a willing people for I remember how I have gone furnished with a Train How I went with the multitude to the House of God with the voice of joy and praises with the multitude that kept Holy-days The remembrance of which moves my soul but O my flock my most dear flock how fain would I carry you farther then the external and outward profession O! how loath am I to leave you there How troubled to think that any of you should go far and hazard much for Religion and yet miscarry for ever by the hand of some unmortified lust as secret pride or untamed passion or an unbridled tongue or which I fear most of all a predominate love of the World in your hearts Alas must it be so and is there no remedy but I must carry you to Heavens-gate and leave you there Oh that I should leave the work of your Souls but half done and bring you no farther than the almost of Christianity Hear O my people hear although I may command you upon your utmost peril in the Name of the Lord Jesus that shall shortly judge you I beseech you I warn you as a Father doth his Children to look to the setling and securing of your everlasting condition and for life take heed of your resting in the outter-part of Religion but to be restless till you find the through-change of Regeneration within that you are quite new in the frame and bent of your hearts for here is the main of Religion in the hidden man of the heart for Christs sake for your Soul-sake look to it that you build upon the Rock that you be sure in the Foundation work that you do unfeignedly deliver over your selves to the Lord to be under his command and at his dispose in all things see that you make no exceptions no reserve that you cast over board all your worldly hopes and count upon parting with all for Christ that you take him alone for your whole happiness Wonder not that I often inculcate this If it be well here it is well all if unsound here the error is in the foundation and you are undone Brethren I see great tryals coming when we shall see Professors fall like leaves in the Autumn unless they be well setled therefore is it that I would so fain have you look to your standing and to secure the main And for you whose Souls are soundly wrought upon O make sure whatever you do get and keep your evidences clear How dreadful would your temptations be if you should be called to part with all for Christ and not be sure of him neither get a right and clear understanding of the terms of life which I have set before you in that form of Covenanting with God in Christ that I commended to you I would that none of you should be without a Copy of it be much in observing your own hearts both in duties and out-crying mightily to God for assurance If you cannot discern your estate your selves go to some body that is albe and faithful and fully open your Case your Evidences and doubts and be extraordinary strict and watchful in your whole course and I doubt not but you will quickly grow up to assurance I cannot tell how to make an end methinks I could write all the day to you but my straights of time are great and my Letter already too long yet I cannot conclude till I have given you my unfeigned thanâ—… for your most kind and gracious Letter Surely it shall be in store with me and laid up among my Treasures that God is pleased so to unite your hearts to me and to make use of me for your edification is matter of highest joy unto me as also to see your stedfasâ—…ness in Christ your unshaken resolutions notwithstanding all the Tempters wiles Go on my dearly Beloved and the Lord strengthen your hands and your hearts and lift you up above the fears of men My most dear Brother Norman salutes you with manifold Loves and Respects earnestly wishing that you may wear the Crown of perseverance as also Brother Turner The Lord strengthen establish settle you and after you have suffered a while make you perfect I leave my Brethren in the everlasting Arms and rest From the common Goale at Juelchester June 13th 1663. Your Embassador in bonds Joseph Alleine LETTER IV. A Call to the Unconverted To the Beloved People the Inhabitants of the Town of Taunton Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Most endeared and beloved Friends I Do most readily acknowledge my self a Debtor to you all and a Servant of all and therefore I have sent these few Lines to salute you all My Lines did fall in a fair place when the Lord did cast my lot among you for which I desire to be thankful God hath been pleased
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
holiest than the richest and greatest in the world and is your greatest delight ordinarily and when you are your selves in the thoughts of God and in your conversings with God in Holy Exercises Is Christ more precious than all the world to you and are you willing upon the through consideration of the strictness and holiness and self-denyińg nature of his Laws yet to take them all for the rule of your thoughts words and actions and though Religion may be dear do you resolve if God will assist you by his Grace to go through with it let the cost be what it will happy the man that is in such a case This is a Christian indeed and whatever you be and do short of this all is unsound But you that bear in your souls the marks of the Lord Jesus above mentioned upon you I should lay no other burden but to hold fast and make good your ground and to press forward towards the mark Thankfully acknowledge the distinguishing grace God to your souls and live rejoycingly in the hopes of the glory of God the hopes that shall never make you ashamed live daily in the praises of your Redeemer be much in admiring God and study the worthiness excellency and glory of his Attributes let your souls be much taken up in contemplating and commending his glorious perfection and blessing your selves in the goodly portion you have in him live like those that have a God and then be disconsolate if you can If there be not more in an infinite God to comfort you than in a Prison or poverty or other affliction to deject you our Preaching is vain and your Faith is vain Let the thoughts of God be your daily repast and never be satisfied till your heart◅ run out as freely naturally constantly unweariedly after God as others do after the World a little force upon your hearts for a while to turn them into this holy Channel may quickly come so to habituate your minds to holiness that they may na◅urally run that way But it is time to shut up Farewel my dear Brethren the Lord God Almighty be a protection to you and your exceeding great reward Farewel in the Lord I am Yours in the Bowels of the Lord Jesus JOS. ALLEINE From the common Goale at Juelchester Sept. 11. 1663. Just now I received your melting Letter to which I am not able now to return an answer but shall with speed your very great affections for me cannot but move me and make me ready to repeat again the first words of my letter above The Lord inable me to return something to you for your great loves I am sensible I have come very short of my duty to you but I must needs tell you my Bowels are moved with your loves which I hope I shall greatly prize once more Farewel My dear Brother Norman remembers you with much love desiring that you may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye should snine as lights in the World LETTER VIII How to shew love to Ministers and live joyfully To the most Loving and dearly Beloved my Christian Friends in Taunton Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Most endeared Brethren I Have received your moving melting letter and could not look over such tender expressions of your working affections without some commotions in my own I may confidently say I spent more Tears upon those lines than ever you did Ink your deep sense of my labours in the Ministry I cannot but thankfully acknowledge and take notice of yet withal heartily and unseingedly consessing that all was but the duty which I did owe to your precious and immortal Souls which God knows are very much short of my duty The omissions imperfections defects deadness that accompanied my duties I do own I must and will own and the Lord humble me for them But all that was of God and that was all that was good be sure that you give to God alone To him I humbly ascribe both the Will and the Deed to whom alone be Glory for ever My dear Brethren my business as I have often told you is not to gain your hearts or turn your eyes towards me but to Jesus Christ his Spokesman I am will you give your hearts to him will you give your hands your names to him will you subscribe to his Laws and consent to his Offices and be at through defiance with all his Enemies This do and I have my Errant Who will follow Christs Colours who will come under his Banner this shall be the man that shall be my Friend this is he that will oblige me for ever Do these Letters come to none that are yet unsanctified to no loose sinner to no ignorant finner to no unsound professor Oh that there were none such indeed oh that I had left no such behind me but would they do me a kindness as I believe they would oh then let them come away to Jesus Christ at this call lie no longer O sinner in thy swill be no more in love with darkness stick no longer in the skirts and outside of Religion demure no longer dispute not and waver no more halt no further but strike in throughly with Jesus Christ except nothing reserve nothing but come off throughly to the Lord and follow him fully And then happy man that thou shalt be for thou will be made for ever and joyful man that I shall be for I shall save a Soul from death The earnest and pittiful beggings of a poor Prisoner do use to move some Bowels hear O Friends will you do nothing for a Minister of Christ Nothing for a Prisoner of Jesus Christ methinks I hear you answer yea rather what will we not do he shall never want while we have it he shall need no office of Love but we will run and ride to do it Yea but this is not that I beg of you will you gratifie me indeed then come in kiss the Son bow to the Name of Jesus not in a Complement with Cap and Knee but let your Souls bow let all your Powers bend Sail and do him homage Let that Sacred Name be Graven into ◅he substance of your hearts and lie as a bundle of Mirth between your Breasts Let me freely speak for him for he is worthy for whom you shall do this thing worthy to be beloved of you worthy to have your ve◅y hearts worthy to be admired adored praised served glorified to the uttermost by you and every Creature worthy for whom you should lay down all leave all Can any thing be too much for him can any thing be too good for him Or too great for him come give up all Resign all lay it at the Feet of Christ Jesus offer all as a Sacrifice to him see that you be universally the Lords keep nothing from him I know through the goodness of
God that with many of you this work is not yet to do but this set solemn resignation to the Lord is to be done more than once and to be followed with an answerable practice when it is done See that you walk worthy of the Lord but how in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost let these two go together So shall you adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour and experience the Heavenly felicity of a Christians life While Holiness is made the But of others Persecution do you make it the white the mark of your prosecution that you live it up as much as others cry it down O watch and keep your Garments about you the plain but comely clothing of humility the seamless Coat of Christian unity the strait and close Garment of strictness mortification and self-denial the warm Winter-garment of love and charity this Garment will keep you warm in the Winter love will not be quenched by the Waters nor cooled by the nipping Frosts of persecution and opposition Cleave fast to Christ never let go your hold cling the faster because so many are labouring to knock off your fingers and loosed your hold Hold fast your Profession hold fast your Integrity hold â—…ast the beginning of your confidence stedfast to the end If you do but keep your hold and make goud your ground and keep your way all that the World can do and all that the powers of darkness can do can never do you harm Keep your own Vinyard with constant care and watchfulness and be sure that there be no Inroad made upon your consciences that the Enemy do not get between you and home between your souls and God and then let who or what will assail you without you need not fear let this be your daily exercise to keep your consciences void of offence keep fair weather at home however it be abroad But I would not only that you should walk holily but that you should walk comfortably But I need say the less to this because the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost do lie together On the provision God hath made for your continual joy and comfort dear Brethren do but understand your own blessedness happy men that you are if you did but know and consider it who would count himself poor and miserable that hath all the fulness of the Godhead for his sound in this deep can you find any bottom take the heighth of the Divine Perfections if you can till then you cannot tell your own felicity Take a servey of Immensity tell me the longitude or latitude of infinite goodness and mercy of the Eternal Diety if you can do this you may guess at your own happiness Oh Christians live like your selves live worthy of your Portion of your Priviledge and your glorious prerogatives I am in haste and it is time for me to end however that you may walk worthy of your glorious hopes and may live answerably to the mercies you have received from above is the great desire of From the Prison at Juelchester September 18. 1663. Your Souls fervent well wisher in the bonds of affliction and tribulation JOS. ALLEINE LETTER IX Easie Sufferings To the most Loving and Beloved my Christian Friends at â—…aunton Salvation DEarly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown for whom I am an Embassadour in Bonds what thanks to render to God in your behalf I know not for your fervent charity towards me and all the servants of my Lord for all your labours of love for all your diligence and boldâ—…ess and resolution in owning the despised way and hared serâ—…ants of the Lord Jesus in an evil day The Lord is not unrighteous to forget this Is not this upon record with him and â—…aled up among his Treasures surely the Lord will have mercy upon Tauntou I have no doubt but that the God of â—…our Mercies hath yet a choice blessing in store for you be not weakned by my Bonds Glory be to God in the Highest that he hath accounted me worthy not only to Preach the Gospel to you but also to confirm it by the paâ—…ing with my much valued liberty so dear a People so sweeâ—… Relations comforts conveniencies which I enjoyed in all aâ—…dance when I was with you When I look back upon all the circumstances of the late Providence I must say as they of Christ upon his Miracles He hath done all things well it is all as I would have it I am fully satisfied in my Fathers good pleasure Verily there is no little honour and happiness no little peace and priviledge in these Bonds Verily all is true that I have told you of the All-sufficiency of God of the fulness of Christ of the satisfactoriness of the promises of the peace tranquility content and security that is to be had in a life of Faith Surely methinks I should be content to seal to these things at a much dearer rate than this but my gracious Father will not put me to the hardest Lesâ—…on at first oh what reason have I to speak good of his name what else should I do all my days but love and fear and preach and praise so good a God when I look back upon the gentle dealings of God with me I often think he hath brought me up as indulgently as David did Adoniâ—…ah of whom it is said His Father had not displeased him I have received nothing but good at the hands of the Lord all my days and now he doth begin to afflict I see so much Mercy in this very Goal that I must be more thankful for this than for my prosperity Surely the name of the place is The Lord is here Surely it may be called Peniel Be strong in the Lord my Breâ—…hren be patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draws nigh In nothing be terrified by your adversaries Now let those that fear the Lord be often speaking one to another I hear that Satan is practising to send more of you after me I desire and pray for your liberty but if any of you be sorced hither for the testimony of the Gospel I shall embrace you with both arms Fare you well my most dearly Beloved be perfect and be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you My Brethren in Bonds salute you with much affection rejoycing to behold your order and the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ share my heart among you and know that I am The willing Servant of your Faith and Joy JOS. ALLEINE From the common Gaole at Juelchester Sept. 28. 1663. LETTER X. The Love of Christ. To my Beloved in the Lord the Flock of Christ in Taunton Grace and Peace Most Loving and best Beloved MY heart is with you my affections are espoused to you And methinks I could even say with the Apostle you are in my heart to live and die
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
the main work go on do your souls prosper This is my care beware that you Flag not that you faint not now in the evil day I understand that your dangers grow upon you may your Faith and courage and resolution grow accordingly and much more abundantly to overtop them Some of your enemies I hear are in great hopes to satisfie their lusts upon you well be not discouraged my dear Brethren but bless the Lord who of his abundant Mercy hath so remarkably preserved you so long beyond all expectation Let it not be a strange thing to you if the Lord do now call you to some difficulty forsake not the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is I plainly see the Coal of Religion will soon go out unless it have some better helps to cherish it then a Carnal Ministrie and lifeless Administration Dear Brethren now is the time for you that fear the Lord to speak often one to another manage your duties with what prudence you â—…an but away with that Carnal prudence that will decline duty to avoid danger Is the Communion of Saints worth the venturing for Shut not up your doors against Godly Meetings I am told that it is become a hard matter when a Minister is willing to take pains with you to get place â—…ar be this from you my Brethren What shut out the Wor d suppose there be somewhat more danger to him that gives the Minister entertainment Is there not much more advantage accordingly did not Oâ—…ed Edom and his House get the blessing by entertaining the Ark there or do you think God hath never a blessing for those that shall with much Self-denial entertain his Messengers his Sainâ—…s his Worship are you believers and yet are affraid you shall be loosers by Christ do you indeed not know that he that runs most hazard for Christ doth express most love to Christ and shall receive the greatest reward away with that unbelief that prefers the present safety before the future glory I left you some helps for daily Examination I am jealous least you should grow slack and slight and carâ—…less in that duty Let me ask you in the name of the Lord doth never a day pass you but you do solemnly and seriously call your selves to an account what your â—…arriage hath been to God and Men speak conscience Is there never an one within the hearing of this Letter that is a neglecter of this duty dotâ—… every one of your Consciences acquit you Oh that they did oh that they could tell me would not some of you be put shrewdly to it if I should ask you when you read or thought over the questions that were given you for your help and would you not be put to a blush to give me an answer and will you not be much more ashamed that God and conscience should find you tardy not that I would necessarily bind you up to that very Method only till you have found a way more profitable I would desire you yea methinks I cannot but deeply charge you to make daily use of that Awake conscience and do thou fall upon that Soul that thou findest careless in this work and never let him be at rest till thou canst witness for him that he is a dâ—…ily and strict observer of himself and doth live in the constant practice of this duty What shall neither Gods charge nor your promise nor profit hold you to your work yet I may not doubt but some of you do daily perform this duty The Lord incourage you in it yet give me leave to ask you what you have gained are you grown more universally consciâ—…ncious more strict more humble and more sensible of your many and great defects then you were before If so blessed are you of the Lord if otherwise this duty hath been performed but slightly by you What can you say to this question doth your care of your ways abate or doth it incrâ—… by the constant use of this duty If it abate remember from whence you are fallen and repent as good not do it at all as not to the purpose My Pen is apt to run when I am writing unto you I beseech you that my Letters may not be as so much waste Paper to you may they be provocations to your duty and Medicines to any corruptions that they mâ—…et with Oh that they might find out mens sins and excite their graces I have run much farther than I thought I should have done but now I am called upon and must shur up The Lord God be a Sun and a Shield to you My most dear Love to you all fare you well in the Lord I am Your Embassador in Bonds JOS. ALLEINE From the common Goal at Juelchester Octob. 20. 1668. LETTER XIII Motives and Marks of Growth To the most Loving and best Beloved the servants of Christ in â—…aunton Grace and Peace Most dear and tender Friends WHose I am and whom under God I desire to serve to build you up in Holiness and comforts hath been through grace my great ambition This is that which I laboured for this is that which I suffer for and in short the end of all my applications to you and to God for you How do your souls prosper are they in a thriving case what progress do you make in Sanctification doth the House of Saul grew weaker and weaker and the house of David stronger and stronger beloved I desire to be jealous of you with a Godly jealousie lest any of you should lose your ground in these declining times and therefore cannot but be often calling upon you to look to your standing and to watch and hold fast that no man take your Crown Ah! how suâ—…ely shall you reap in the end if you faint not take heed therefore that you lose not the things you have wrought but as you have begun well so go on in the strength of Christ. and give diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end 't is your thriving I tell you I drive at Do you need Motives 1. How much are you behind-band Oh the fair advantages that we have lost what time what Sabboths Sermons Sacraments are upon the matter lost how much work have we yet to do are you sure of Heaven yet are you fit to die yet surely they that are in so much Poverty under so many great wants had need to set upon some more thriving courses Secondly Consider what others have gained whilst we it may be sit down by the loss Have we not met many Vessels richly laden while our Souls are empty Oh the rich Booties the golden Prizes that some have won while we have folded the hands to sleep have not many of our own standing in Religion left us far behind them Thirdly Consider what a spending time there is coming Affliction and Tribulation seem to be not far from you had you not need to be well stocked against such a day go to the Ant
thou sluggard she layeth up her meat in the Summer Happy man that can say to his Soul on good grounds what he vainly spake Thou hast much good laid up for many years Who will not Victual the Castle against the Siege and the Ship against the Voyage Fourthly Consider you will find all little enough when you come to die the Wise among the Virgins have no Oyl to spare at the coming of the Bridegroom distress and temptations and death will put all your Graces to it How much ado have many poor Saints had at last to put into this harbour David cties for respite till he had recovered a little more strength Fifthly Consider how little it will avail you to thrive in your Estates and not thrive iâ—… your Souls Poor Gehazi what did he get by it when he gained Naamans Talents and came off with his Leprosie Sixthly Consider how short your time for gathering in probability is the Israelites gathered twice so much Manna against the Sabboth as they did at other times because at that time there was no Manna fell Brethren you know not how long you have to lay in for Seventhly Consider Gods expectations are great from you he hath been lopping and pruning you and now he looks for more fruit he hath had you for some time under his more severer Discipline and therefore expects you should be better proficients he hath tried new means with you and is come to you with a Rod and he will be angry with a witness if he do not find you now to mend Times of Afflictions use to be gaining times to Gods People God forbid that you alone should be losers Do you ask for marks how you may know your souls to be in a thriving case First If your appetites be more strong Do you thirst after God and after grace more than heretofore do your cares for and desire after the World abate and do you hunger and thirst after righteousness whereas you were wont to come with an ill-will to holy duties do you come to them as a hungrie stomach to its meats Secondly If pour Pulses beat more even Are you still off and on hot and cold Or is the a more even spun thred of holiness through your whole course do you make good the ground from which you were formerly often beaten off Thirdly If your natural heat do grow more vigorous and your digestion more quick Do you take more notice of God in every thing than heretofore and let none of his works nor words pass without some careful attention and observation do you ponder upon and pray over his Word and his Providences Fourthly If you do look more to the Compass and latitude of Religion and mind more than ever the carrying on together the dâ—…s of both Tables Do you not only look to the keeping if your own Vineyards but do you begin to look more abroad and to lay out your selves for the good of others and are filled with zealous desires for their conversation and salvation do you manage your talk and your Trade by the rules of Religion Do you ear and sleep by rule doth Religion form and mould and direct your carriage towards Husband Wife Parents Children Masters Servants do you grow more universally consciencious Is piety more diffusive than ever with you doth it come more abroad with you out of your Clossets into your Houses your Shops your Fields doth it journey with you and buy and sell for you hath it the casting voice in all you do Fifthly If the duties of Râ—…ligion be more easie sweet and delightful to you Do you take more delinht in the Word than ever are you more in love with secret Prayer and more abundant in it cannot you be content with your ordinary Seasons but are ever and anon making extraordinary visits to Heaven and upon all occasions turning aside to talk with God in some short Ejaculations are you oâ—…en darting up your souls Heaven-wards Is it meat and drink for you to do the Will of God do you come off more freely with God and answer his Calls and open at his knocks with more Alacrity and readiness of mind Sixthly If you are more abundant in those duties which are most displeasing to the Flesh. Are you more earnest upon the duty of Mortification are you more strict and severe than ever in the duty of daily Self-examination and holy Meditation do you hold the Reigns harder upon the Flesh than ever do you keep a stricter watch upon your Appetites do you set a stroâ—…r guard upon your Tongues have you a more jealâ—…s eye upon your hearts Seventhly If you grow more viâ—…e in your own eyes Pride is such a choaking Weed that nothing will prosper near it Do you grow more out of love with mens esteem and set less by it are you not marvellous tender of being slighted can you rejoyce to see othâ—…rs preferred before you can you heartily value and love them that think meanly of you Eightly If you grow more quick of sense more tender of sining more sensiâ—… of Divine influences or withdrawings Are you more affraid of sin than ever are your sins a greater pain to you than heretofore are your very infirmities your great afflictions and the daily workings of corruption a continual grief of mind to you Ninthly If you are acted more by love to God and Faith in these Promises Fear is a slavish principle do you find that you are acted less by fear and more by love do you look more frequently to the things not seen than ever and doth the World abate in your esteem do you go more out of your selves do you live upon Christ as the Spring of your life and make more use of him upon all occasions than ever do you prize the Promise more and hug and imbrace them with greaâ—…er dearness and live more upon them Tenthly If you grow of a more publisk Spirit A selfish spirit is unworthy of a Christian are the common concernments of Gods Glory and the prosperity of the Church much upon your hearts will it no way content you to dwell in plenty peace and safety your selves except you may see peace upon Israel do the wounds in Gods Name and Glory go deep into you are the sins of others your sorrows Time and room and strength fails to add means too as I inteuded I have trespassed in length already may these be helps to you to put you forward and to help you in discerning your growth I must conclude abruptly and commend you to God with my dear loves to you all I take leave and can only tell you that I am Yours in the Lord Jesus JOS. ALLEINE From the common Goale at Juelchester Octo. 31. 1663. LETTER XV. Perswasion to Sinners and comfort to Saints To my dearly Beloved the Inhabitants of the Town of Taunton Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Most dearly Beloved I Have been through mercy many years with
forth this day in the Name of God Your first and last thoughts are of greatest consequence and therefore I advise you to begin and end with this when ever you lie down say in your selves I will make use of my Bed as an ordinance of God that a servant of his may be refreshed and fitted for his work when ever you rise up think I will spend this day for God and follow the business of my calling because I am so appointed by God Zech. 10. 12. And they shall walk up and down in his Name saith the Lord c. Beloved I design the sweetness and comforts as well as strictness of your lives Live to God as you are directed and you shall marvellously prosper in both I am not sure yet whether or no I shall see you at the Assizes which I earnestly desire to do I leave all things to our Fathers wise disposal and commending you to God I divide my loves among you and so rest From the Prison at Juelchester Nov. 14. 1663. Yours in the bonds of the Lord Jesus JOS. ALLEINE LETTER XVII Motives to set our selves to please God To the most Loving and best Beloved the servants of Christ in Taunton Grace and Peace Most dear Christians YOur Prisoner in the Lord saluteth you with all dearness your are the care of my heart the desire of my Eyes the joy of my Bonds and the sweet of my liberty I am much satisfied in the wise disposal of our Heavenly Father whether he see it good for me to be a Bond-man or a Freeman so I may but serve your souls to the greatest advantage Methinks I begin to feel in my self more than ever the benefit of your Prayers the influences of Heaven through the riches of Free-grace to which alone be the Praise being more fully sensible and sweet upon me I hope the Lord will restore us one to another in his time much better than we parted in the mean time see that you stand fast in the hope of the Gospel The Lord taketh infinite care for you see that it be your care the care of your very hearts to please the Lord Set your hearts to it as the business of your lives and the very end of your beings to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing Set home on your selyes such considerations as these First It is the very business you were made for and sent into the world for to please your Maker For his pleasure you are and were Created Why should the Lord repent that he had made you Gen. 6. 6 What treacherous and damnable falshood is this that when the Lord hath given us Breath and Being and sent us into the World on purpose on his service we should like false and wicked servants set up for our selves why should your Creator say he hath made you in vain Secondly If you set your hearts to please the Lord you are sure you shall please him It is not so with men all the care in the World will not suffice to please some men How often do Princes forsake their greatest Favourites so that if you set to please men you are not sure to attain your end at last yea rather you are sure not to attain it But if the Lord doth see your very hearts be set to please him he will accept you though you come short 2 Cor. 8. 12. Read that sweet passage 2 Chron. 6. 75. Thirdly It will be a certain sign of your sincerity when the pleasing of the Lord is your greatest business Phil. 1. 20. To such the Promise runs Isa. 56. 4. 5. It is a distinguishing evidence truly to seek and prize Gods favour more then Corn Wine Psal. 4. 6. 7. Fourthly This will set all in order and bring all your business to a Head when you have set down this as the one thing necessary that you are resolved to please the Lord this will regulate your whole lives and bring all your business into a little compass A Christian hath but one thing to do in all conditions and that is to carry it so in his present state as that he may please God A man-pleaser O how many hath he to please what an endless work hath such an one to do Fifthly Consider but how careful the Man-pleasing Parafite and time serving Hypocrite is to please mâ—… and shall not we take as much care to please our God oh how doth the flattering Courtier study the humour of his Prince be you as careful to study and to be acquainted with the mind of God What will not men do to screw themselves into the favour of the Mighty oh that you were but as diligent and urwearied and punctual in your endeavours to get and to keep the favour of the Almighty Sixthly Consider whose favour or displeasure is of that consequence to you as the Lords is of What if men should be angry with you have they the Keys of Hell and of Death no no fear them not Can they undo your Souls can they send you to Hell Alas they cannot See that you dread his displeasure that can Alas what will their favour avail you if they be pleased can they stand between the wrath of God and you can they pardon your sins save your souls secure your Eternal concernments where is all their favour or good will when they or you come to die It will not be worth a Rush when most needed Therefore beloved Brethren whatever you do keep in with God Resolve upon it He must be pleased though all the VVorld be displeased Let it be enough to you to have his good will let this be the One thing that you bend your selves to seek and if you set to seek it you may be sure to find it The Messenger stays for me and so I must here shut up my Letter as Jude doth his Ye Beloved building up your selves in your most holy Faith Praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal life Unto his Grace I commend you all and shall add nothing but to share my loves among and so rest Your Embassador in Bonds JOS. ALLEINE Juelchester November 22. 1663. LETTER XVIII The Worth of Holiness To the Beloved People the Flock of God in Taunton Grace and Peace Most dear Friends and Brethren I Am now a Prisoner of the Lord for you Gentiles and therefore have sent these few Lines to beseech you by these Bonds which I gladly endure for your sakes to hold forth and hold fast the profession of your Faith without wavering The Lord make you stedfast in the Holy Doctrine wherein you have been taught I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole Counsel of God O remember that by the space of eight years I ceased not to warn you every one and kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but have taught you publickly and from House to House warning every man and
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
is the thing how near is the time how glorious will his appearing be The thing is sure the Day is set God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the World by that man whom he hath ordained the manner of it is revealed Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints The Attendants are appointed and nominated The Soâ—… of Man shall come in his Glory and all his holy Angels with him The thing you see is established and every circumstance is determined How sweet are the words that dropped from the precious Lips of our departing Lord What generous Cordials hath he left us in his parting Sermons and his last Prayer and yet of all the rest those are the sweetest I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there you may be also What need you any further witness you have heard him your selves assuring you of his return Doubtless he cannot deceive you you have not only known but seen and felt the truth of his promises And will he come tremble then ye sinners triumph yâ—… Saints clap your hands all ye that look for the consolation of Israel O sinners where will you then appear how will you look upon him whom you have pierced whom you have persecuted whose great Salvation you have neglected and despised Wo unto you that ever you were born unless you should then be found to be New-born But you O Children of the most high how will you forget your travel and be melted into joy This is he in whom you have believed whom having not seen ye loved But how will love and joy be working if I may so speak with pangs unutterable when you shall see him and hear his sweet voice commending applauding approving of you and owning you by name before all the World Brethren thus it must be the Lord hath spoken it See that you stagger not at the Promise but give Glory to God by believing Again the time is near Yet a little while and he that shall come will come Behold I come quickly saith he And again The Lord is at hand Sure you are that death cannot be far off O Christian thou dost not know but the next year nay possibly the next week thou mayest be in Heaven Christ will not long endure thine absence but will have thee up to him till the time of his general appearing when he will take us up altogether and so we shall be ever with the Lord. Soul believest thou this If thou dost indeed what remains but that thou shouldest live a life of love and praise studying to do all the good thou canst till thou come to Heaven and waiting all the days of thine appointed time till thy change shall come O my Soul look out and long O my Brethren be you as the Mother of Sisera looking out at the Windows and watching at the Latices saying why are his Chariot-wheels so long a coming Though the time till you shall see him be but very short yet love and longing make it seem tedious My Beloved comfort your hearts with these Words look upon these things as the greatest reallities and let your affections be answerable to your expectations I would not have told you these things unless I had believed them for it is for this hope that I am bound with this Chain The blessing of the Holy Trinity be upon you I am yours and will be The God of Peace be with you I rest Your Embassador in Bonds JOS. ALLEINE From the Prison at Juelchester August 5. 1663. LETTER XXVIII Of the Love of Christ. To his most endeared Friends the servants of God in Taunton Salvation Most dearly Beloved MEthinks my Brests are not easie unless I do let them forth unto you Methings there is something still to do and my Weeks work is not ended unless I have given my Soul vent and imparted something to the Beloved flock that I have left behind And Oh that my Letters in my absence might be useful to you Assuredly it is my joy to serve you and my love to you is without dissimulation witness my twice lost liberties and my impaired health all which I might have preserved had it not been for my readiness to minister to you But what do I speak of my love it is the sense of the infinite love of God your Father that I would have to dwell upon you Forget me so you remember him Let me be very little so he be very lovely in your eyes Let him be as the Bucket that goes up though I be as the Bucket that goes down Bury me so that you do but set the Lord always before you Let my name be written in the dust so his Name be written deep up all your Souls O Lord I am thy Servant truly I am thy servant Glorifie thine own Name by me and thou shalt have my hand to it that I will be content to be hid in obscurity and to disappear through the overcoming lustre and brightness of thy Glory Brethren understand mine Office I Preach not my self but the Lord Jesus Christ and my self your Servant for Jesus sake Give him your hearts and I have my Errand I am but the Friend of the Bridegroom and my business is but to give you to understand his love and to gain your hearts unto him He is an Object worthy of my Commendations and of your affections His Love is worth the writing of and worth the thinking of and worth the speaking of O my Brethren never forgeâ—… I beseech you how he loveth you He is in Heaven and you are on Earth he is in Glory and you in Rags he is in the shining Throne aâ—…d you in dirty flesh and yet he loveth you His heart is infinitely tender of you even now while he is at the right hand of the Majesty on High How feelingly doth he cry out at the hurt of his poor Members on Earth Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Oh of what quick sense is the sense of our dear Lord unto us when we are touched on Earth he feels it in Heaven Brethren Christ is real in all that he speaks unto you He is not like a flourishing Lover who fills up his Letters with Rhetorick and hath more care of the dress of his Speech than of the Truth Who ever gave demonstration of the reallity of his love at so dear a rate as Christ hath done Men do not use to die in jest Who will impoverish himself to enrich his Friend and divest himself of his honour to advance him and debase himself to admiration below his own degree to contract affinity with him and all this but to make him believe that he loves him Brethren possess your very hearts with this that Christs love doth go out with infinite dearness towards you Even now while he is in all his Glory he earnestly remembers you still This is the High Priest that now is entred into the Holy of Holies doth bear your names
particularly remembring every poor believer by name He bears your names but where upon his Brest-plate upon his heart saith the Text Exod. 28. 29. Ah Christians I may salute you as the Angel did Mary Hail you that are highly favoured Blessâ—…d are you among men Sure your Lot is fallen in an happy place what in the bosom of Christ yea and verily you may believe and doubt not I may apply that of Gabriel O Daniel thoâ—… art greatly beloved unto you you are beloved indeed to have your Names written upon the very heart of Christ now he is in Glory Oh let his Name be written then on your hearts Do not write his Name in the Sand when he hath written yours upon his own Brest Do not forget him who hath taken such care that while he is he may never forget you having recorded your names not onely on his Book but on his Flesh and set you as a Seal upon his heart He hath you upon his heart but why For a memorial before the Lord continually so saith the Text. Beloved your Lord is so far from forgetting you in all his Greatness and Glory that he is gone into Heaven on purpose there to present you before the Lord that you may be always in remembrance before him O Beloved Glory yea and Triumph in his love Doubtless it must go well with us Who shall condemn It is Christ that died and rose again and is now making Intercession His interest is potent He is always present Our Advocate is never out of Court Never did cause miscarry in his hand Trust you safely in him Happy is that man for whom he shall undertake to speak Oh the Riches of Christs love he did not think it enough to die for you His love and care doth not end with his natural life on Earth but he ever liveth to make Intercession for us His love is like his life ever ever knowing no remission in degree nor intermission of time no cessation of working but is ever ever in motion towards us But when shall I end if I suffer my soul to run out its length and my running Pen te enlarge according to the demensions of this boundless Field of Divine Love If the Pens of all the World were imployed to write Volumes of love if the tongues of all the living were exercised in nothing else but talking of this love If all the Hearts that be were made up of love and all the powers and affections of the mind were turned into one to wit the power of love yet this were no less than infinitely too little either to conceive or to express the greatness of Christs love O my dearly beloved may your souls be swallowed up in this love Think and think while you will you can never think how much you are beloved See that ye love again by way of Gratitude though not of Requital what though your souls be but narrow and your powers but little yet love him with all you have Love him with all your hearts and all your strength To the Meditations and to the Embraces of Divine love I leave you thinking it now not worth while to tell you of my Love Remaining Yours in the bonds of your most dear Lord Jesus JOS. ALLEINE August 11. 1665. LETTER XXIX Warning tâ—… Professors of their Danger To the Beloved â—…ople the Inhabitants of the Town of 〈…〉 Grace and Peace Most dear 〈…〉 MY 〈…〉 my beloved is mine and I am his but 〈…〉 â—…ave no joy so great as that you are mine and I 〈…〉 â—…ou are Christs My Relation to Christ is aboâ—… 〈…〉 life and my peace my riches and my righteoâ—… 〈…〉 my hope and my strength and mine Inheritance 〈…〉 â—…ycing In him will I please my self for ever and 〈…〉 will I glory I esteem my self most happy and rich and safe in him though of my self I am nothing In him I may boast without Pride and glory without vanity Here is no danger of being over much pleased neither can the Christian exceed his bounds in over-valuing his own riches and happiness in Christ. I am greatly pleased with the Lot that is fallen to me the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me and none shall stop this my confidence of boasting in Christ. But as my lot in him is above all so I will assure you it is no small content to me that my lot is fallen with you And though many difficulties have fallen to my lot among you for I have broken my health and lost my liberty once and again for your sakes yet none of these things move me I wish nothing more then to spend and to be spent upon the service of your Faith I bless the Lord for it as an invalnable mercy that ever he called me to be an Embassador of the Lord Jesus Christ to you-wards In this station I desire to approve my self to him and that I am withdrawn from my Work for a season it is but that I may return to you refreshed and inabled for my work among you You may not think that I have forgotten you and consulted my own ease and pleasure but if God prosper my intentions I shall be found to have been daily serving you in this retirement I will assure you I am very tender of preserving all that little strength that God doth add to me entirely for your sakes being resolved not so much as once to broach the Vessel till I draw forth to you I bless the Lord I am in great tranquility here in this Town and walk up down the Corporation without any Questioning me Only it hath pleased the Lord to add to my Affliction since my coming by taking away my dear Father the day of whose glorious Translation was the day after my arriving here But I bless the Lord I do believe and expect the return of the Redeemer with all his Saints and the most glorious Resurrection of my own dead Body with all Believers and this makes me to rest in Hope and fills me with unspeakle more Joy than the death of my self or any other Saint can with grief And now I make it my business to be rendred serviceable to you and do by this return you my hearty thanks for your earnest Prayers and Intercessions to God in my behalf for it is he that must do the Cure I seem to my self to be retired to this place as a Vessel rent and shatter'd and torn in the Service that it come to recruit in the Harbour And here I am as it were rigging and repairing and Victualling to put sorth again in the Service which I shall do with the first Wind as soon as I am ready What is my life uâ—…less I am serviceable And though I must for the present forbear my wonted Labour yet I shall not cease to exhort you and call upon you while I am absent from you to stand sast and to grow up in your holy Faith Be warned my dearly Beloved that you fall not
magnifie the Lord with me aud let us exalt his Name together he hath remembred my low estate because his Mercy endureth for ever O blessed be you of the Lord my dearly Beloved O thrice blessed may you be for all your remembrances of me before the Lord you have wrestled with the Lord for me you have wrestled me out of the very Jaws of Death it self O the strength of Prayer Surely it is stronger than death See that you even honour the power and Prevalenâ—… of Prayer Oh be in love with Prayer and have high and venerable thoughts of it What distresses diseases Deathts can stand before it Surely I live by Prayer Prayer hath given a Resurrection â—…o this Body of mine when Physicians and friends had given up their hopes Ah my dearly Beloved methinks it delights me to tell the story of your love how much more of the love of God towards me I have not forgotten O my dearly Beloved I have not forgotten your tender love in all my distresses I remember your kindness to me in my Bonds when once and again I was delivered up to a Prison for your sakes I remember with much delight how you refreshed and comforted me in my Tribulations how open your hearts were and your hands were not straightned neither for I was in want of nothing I may not I must not forget what painful Journies you took to visit me when in places remote the hand of the Lord had touched me and though my long sickness almost incredible expensive to me yet your Supplies did not a little lighten my Burthen And though I put it last yet I do not mind it least that you have been so ready in returning Praises to God in my behalf your thanksgiving to God my dear Brethren do administer abundant cause to me of my giving thanks unto you And now my heart methinks is big to tell you a little of my love to you surely you are dear unto me but though it be sweet to tell the story of love yet in this I will restrain my sâ—…lf For I fear least as the wise man saith of the beginning of strife so I should find of the beginning of love that it is like the letting forth of the Water and the rather I do â—…orbear because I hope you have better Testimonies than Words to bear witness here unto you But if I sing the song of love O let Divine Love overcarry the praise I found my self in straights when I began to speak of the natural love between my dear people and an unworthy Minister of Christ to them and it seemed that all that I have said was much too little but now I have to speak of the love God it seems to be by far too much O infinite love never to be Comprehended but ever to be admired magnified and adored by every Creature O let my heart be filled let my Mouth be filled let my papers be filled ever ever filled with the thankful Commemoration of this matchless love O turn your eyes from other objects O bury me in forgetfulness and let my love be no more mentioned nor had in remembrance among you so that you may be throughly possessed and inflamed with the love of God This my Beloved this is that love which is ever to be commended and extolled by you See that you studie this love fill your souls with wonder and feast your souls with joy and be ravished with rich contentment in this Divine Love Take your daily walk and lose your selves in the Field of Love Drink O Friends yea drink abundantly O Beloved fear no excess O that your souls may be drencht and drowned in the love of Christ till you can every one say with the ravisht Spouse I am sick of love Marvel not that I wander here and seem to forget the bounds of a Letter this love obligeth me yea rather constraineth me Who in all the Earth should admire and commend this love if I should not I feel it I taste it the sweet savour thereof reviveth my soul it is light to mine eyes and life to mine heart the warm Beams of this blessed Sun O how have they comsorted me ravished and refreshed me both in Body and Soul my benumbed Limbs my withered hands my feeble knees my bones quite naked of flesh do yet again revive through the quickning healing and raising influence of Divine Grace and Love Now my own hands can feed me and my own seet can bear me my appetite is quick my sleep comfortable and God is pleased to give some increase continually though by insensible Degrees and shall not I praise that love and grace that hath done all this for me yea what is this to all I have to tell you My heart is enlarged but I told you Paper could not hold what I have to speak of the goodness of the All-Gracious God in which I live I am forced to end least you should not bear my length My dearly Beloved I send my heart unto you divide my love amongst you all and particularly tender it to your Reverend and Faithful Pastour whose presence with you and painfulness and watchfulness over you and Zeal and courage for you in so dangerous a time is matter of my great Joy and Thanksgivings unto God The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all Fare you well in the Lord I remain Your unworthy Minister and servent Well-wisher in the Lorâ—… JOS. ALLEINE LETTER XXXI To the most Beloved People the Servants of God in Taunton Salvation Most dearly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown MY hearts desire and Prayer for you is that you may be saved This is that which I have been Praying and studying and Preaching for these many Years and this is the end of my Venturing and Suffering and Writing at this present time God that knoweth all things he knoweth that this is my wish Oh that I could but come at their Souls And that this is the prize and the gain that I run for that I might win souls I seek not other gifts give me your hearts let me but part between your sins and you suffer me but to save you give me leave to carry you over to Jesus Christ and I will not ask you any more I will serve you gladly I will suffer for you thankfully so I may but save you Do not wonder why I follow you so pressingly why I call upon you so frequently let not my importunity be grievous to you all this is but to save you Christ did not bethink his Blood and shall I think my Breath or Ink too dear in order to your salvation what pitie is it that any of you should miscarry at last under the power of Ignorance or by a prophane negligence or a formal and lifeless profession of strict Godliness Beloved I am afraid of you lest as to many of you I have run in vain I cannot but most thankfully acknowledge that considering the paucity of those
that are saved there are not a few of you who are the joy of your Ministers and the Glory of Christ. But it cannot be dissembled that far the greater number give little ground to hope that they are in the state of Salvation And must not this be a pinching thought to a compassionate Teacher to think that he cannot for his heart perswade men but that the most of them will wilfully throw away themselves Is it not a wosul sight to behold the Devils driving a great part of our miserable Flocks as they did once the Herd of Swine the Keepers themselves amazed looking on I say driving them violently down the hill till they be choaked in the Water and drowned irrecoverably in the Gulf of endless Perdition Ah mserable spectacle What through the wilful blindness of some what through the loseness and sensuality of others what through the halving and Cold and customary Religion of others how great a number of our poor Flocks is Satan like to carry utterly away from us after all that hath been done to save them Yet I cannot but call after them Hearken unto me O ye Children How long will ye love Vanity and follow after leasing and trust in lying Words As the Lord liveth you are lost except you turn Wherefore turn your selves and live ye Ah how Mercy woeth you How it waiteth to be gracious to you Hear O sinners hear See you not how the merciful Saviour of the World stretcheth forth his hands all the day long and spreadeth forth his Wings and calleth you as a Hen doth her Chickens hear you not the soundings of his Bowels He had no need of you Yet how do his compassions melt over perishing sinners his heart is turned within him and shall not this turn your hearts his repentings are kindled together and shall not this lead you to repentance Behold he standeth at the door and knocketh O man wilt thou keep â—…esus at the door and lodge Barrabas in thy bosom and prefer thy cruel Lusts before thy Compassionate Lord Oh his melting love to sinners He calleth after them Isa. 55. 1. He weepeth over them Luke 19. 41 42. He crieth to them Prov. 1. 21 22 23. How long ye simple ones will you love simplicity Will you not be made clean When shall it once be Why will you die Turn you at my Reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you Sinner art thou not yet melted Oh come in at his loving Calls Come out from thy sins Touch the Scepter of Grace and live Why shouldest thou be dashed in pieces by his Iron Rod Kiss the Son Why shouldst thou perish in the way Set up Jesus as thy King lest he count thee sor â—…is Enemy because thou wouldst not that he should Reign over thee and so thou be called forth and slain before him Oh how dreadful will this Case be to perish under the pittiful Eyes of his Mercy and to die by the hand of a Saviour Oh double hell to have thy Redeemer become thine Executioner And the hand that was so long stretched forth to save thee to be now stretched forth to slay thee And the merciful heart of Christ himself hardned against thee so as that he should call thee forth and with his own hand hew thee in pieces as Samuel did Agag before the Lord. But I have been too too long in prefacing to what I intended forthwith to have fallen upon Indeed I am apt to run out in matters that do so nearly touch upon your greatest Concernments Beloved I despair of ever bringing you to Salvation without Sanctification Or possessing You with Happiness without perswading you to Holiness God knows I have not the least hope ever to see one of your Faces in Heaven except You be Converted and Sanctified and exercise your selves unto Godliness This is that I drive at I beseech you study to further Personal Godliness and Family Godliness 1. Personal Godliness Let it be your first care to set up Christ in your Hearts See that you make all your worldly Interests to stoop to him that You be entirely and unreservedly devoted unto him If You wilfully and deliberately and ordinarily harbour any sin You are undone See that You unfeignedly take the Laws of Christ as the rule of your words thoughts and actions and subject â—…our whole man members and mind faithfully to him If You haâ—…e a true respect to all Gods Commandments you are sound at heart Oh study to get the Image and impress of Christ upon you within Begin with your hearts else you build without a foundation Labour to get a saving change within or else all external performances will be to no purpose And then study to shew forth the power of Godliness in the life Let Piety be your first and great business 'T is the highest point of Justice to give God his due Beware that none of you be a Prayerless person sor that is a most certain discovery of a Christless and a graceless person of one that is a very stranger to the fear of God Suffer not your Bibles to gather dust See that you converse daily with the Word That man can never lay claim to Blessedness whose delight is not in the Law of the Lord. Let â—…editation and self-examination be your daily exercise else the Papists yea the Pagans will condemn us That the short questions which I have given you as a help to self-examination may be daily perused by you is the matter of my passionate request unto you If ever you come to any growth in Holiness without the constant use of â—…his practice I am grosly deceived And therefore I would beseech yea even charge you by the Lord that you would daily examine your selves by these questions till you have found a better help to this duty But Piety without Charity is but the half of Christiaâ—…y or rather impious Hypocrisie We may not divide the Tables See therefore that you do justly and love mercy and let Equity and Charity run like an even Thred throughout all your dealings Be you temperate in all things and let Chastity and and Sobriety be your undivided Companions Let truth and Purity Seriousness and modesty Heavenliness and gravity be the constant ornaments of your speech Let patience and humility simplicity sincerity shine out in all the parts of your conversations See that you sorget sorgive wrongs and requiâ—…e them with kindness as you would be found children of the most high Be merciful in your Censures and put the most favourable construction upon our Brethrens carriage that their actions will reasonably bear â—…e slow in promising punctual in fulfilling Let meekness and inâ—…ocency Affableness Yieldingness and Curtâ—…sie comâ—…end your conversations to all men Let none of your Relations want that love and loyalty that reverence and duty that tenderness care and vigilancy which their several places and capacities call for This is throughout Godliness I charge you before the most high God
both to God and you that I am many ways obliged to love and serve you and surely when the Lord shall turn our Captiviâ—…y I will through his Grace endeavour to shew my self thankful wherein I may unto you I am the more sensible of your great love because I cannot be insensible how little I have deserved such a Mercy and how little I have been able to do to oblige you Able I say for I am sure I have been willing to be much more serviceable to you But now Letters and Prayers are all that I have for you of these I shall be ready to be prodigal Your love to me hath been very bountiful I may not forget the liberal Supplies that you have sent many of you even out of your poverty to me and not to me only but to the whole Family of my Brethren and Fellow-Prisoners who do all bless you and send by these with me their thankful respects unto you I fervently pray and do not doubt to speed that you may reap in Grace and Glory what you have sown to us in bounty Verily there is a reward for the Righteous Ah how sure is it And how great and how near is it Come on my dear Brethren and Fellow-Travellers Stir up your selves and set to your race See that you loiter not but speed apace in your holy course What â—…ire by the way or think of looking back when Heaven is the prize God forbid To him that soweth righteousness â—…here shall be a sure reward What though it should seem slâ—…w As long as it is so sure and so great never be discouraâ—…ed In the end you shall reap if you faint not Wait bâ—… a while and you shall have a blessed harvest The Lord speaks 〈…〉 the Christian as he to his Creditor in another case Have paâ—…ence with me and I will pay thee all Oh now â—…or Faith and Patience How safely how sweetly would these â—…arry us to our home and harbour through all difficulâ—…s Brethren beloved be ye followers of them who through â—…th and Patience inherit the Promises It is want of patience â—…hat undoes the world Patience I mean not so much 〈…〉 the bearing the inflicted evil as in waiting for the deâ—…erred good If the reward of Religion would be presently in hand who would not be Religious Who but the deceitsul world count it doubtful and distant and they are all for something in hand and so take up with a present felicity The Lâ—…ord deals all upon trust and upon that account is but little deaâ—…t with You must have patient and be content to plow and sow and wait for the return of all at the harvest when this life is ended They that like not Religion upon these terms may see where they can mend their Markets But you my Brethren be stedfast unmoveable abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Wait a little there is but a short life between you and the blessed inheritance of the endless Glory Ah wretched unbelievers how worthy are you to be shut for ever out of the Kingdom that did so undervalue all the Glory that God had promised as not to count to sufficient to pay them for a little waiting Beloved lift up your eyes and behold your Inheritance the good Land that is beyond the Jordan and that goodly Mountain The Promises are a Map of Heaven Do but view it believingly and considerately as it is darkly drawn there and tell me what think you of that worthy portion that goodly Heritage will not all this make you amends for your stay Why then act like Believers Never bethink the pains nor expences of Religion Let no man fear he shall come off a loser What though you are much upon the spending hand I might tell you God is beforehand with you however but I would have you principally to look forward It is much that God hath laid out upon you but who can tell what he hath laid up for them that fear him And will you miss of all for want of patience God sorbid 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 What shall the Husbandman have more patience for the fruits of the Earth than you for the precious fruits of your Faith The Husbandman hath no such certainty as you he hath but a probability of an harvest and yet he hath pâ—…ience he is content to venture He is at great pains and much cost he is still laying out and hath nothing coming in and yet he is content to wait for his reiâ—…bursement till the Corn be grown But your harvest is most sure as sure as the irrevocable Decree the infallible promise the immutaâ—…le Oath of a God a God that cannot lie that knows no place for Repentance can make it Again the Husbandman hath no such increase to look for as you Oh if he were but sure that every Corn would bear a Crown with what exaltation and joy rather than patience would he go through all his cost and labour Why Brethren such is a Believers increase Every Grain shall produce a Crown and every Tear shall bring forth a Pearl and every minute in pains or Prayers an age of Joy and Glory Besides the Husbandman hath long patience and will not you have a little patience It is not long patience thâ—…t God doth expect of you for behold the coming of the Lord draweth nigh Will the Garrison yield when relief is at hand Or the Merchant sit down and give up his hopes when within sight of the Harbour Or will the Husband man despond and give up all for lost when he sees the Fields even white for the Harvest Or shall he do more for a crop of Corn than you will do for a crop of Glory far be it Behold the Judge is even at Door The Lord is at hand He cometh quickly and his reward is with him He comes with the Crown in his hand to set upon the head of patience Therefore cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward The Prisoners of the Lord your Brethren in the patience of Jesus can tell you it is good suffering for such a Master We must tell you as they said to our Lord in another case He is worthy for whom you should do this God is beyond measure gracious to us hâ—…re He shines bright into our prison blessed be his Name He waters us from Heaven and Earth As we trust you forgot not the poor Prisoners when you pray so we would that many thanksgivings should abound in our behalf And Prayer being the only Key that can open our Prisons we trust that you will not slack nor let your hands be heavy but pray and not faint and doubtless Prayer will do it But I
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
I engaged so earnestly to call upon you as one that watcheth for your soul to arise speedily and to set roundly to your work Oh consider your danger and work out your Salvation with fear and trembling away with these lazie Prayers away with these cold and heartless Professions away with this drowsie liveless â—…less Religion bestir your self to purpose for your soul before it be too late search your conscience as with Candles be jealous of your self consider now is your time what you do you must do quickly the patience of God is waiting Christ is knocking the Spirit of God is striving and death is at the door Oh now take your opportunity and take heed lest a â—…thful heart and the cares of this World or a presumptuous confidence that all is well and safe already should at last shut you out of the Kingdom of God I cannot write distinctly to your Husband but I beseech you to call upon him to set his heart to these Counsels which I havee written to you I earnestly entreat him to make Religion his business and to look heedfully to it that the gain of the World prove not the loss of his soul. I desire him that Closer and Family Prayers and weekly Catechising of his Houshold and strict sanctifying of the Sabbath and reading of the Scriptures singing of Psalms repeating of Sermons and diligent attendance upon powerful Preaching may be his continual exercises that so his house may be a little Church and God may delight to dwell in his Family pray give me to understand what is done of these things for I have a zeal for your welfare and that you and your houshould should serve the Lord that you may enter into his rest and carry children and servants and friends and all to Heaven with you As to my own estate I have lost all my limbs and about this twelve Months useless and been agaâ—…â—…nd again under the sentence of death but was brought in 〈…〉 â—…-litter to Bath where God hath wonderfully restored me so that I can feed my self and go alone and speak with a little more freedom Oh love the Lord praise the Lord for me notwithstanding I continue weak and have not strength to write yet I could not tell how to die in silence from you but have made use of a friendly hand to send these counsels and calls after you which I beseech you to accept in the fear of God for it is not unlike that they may be my last to you that ever you may receive I now commend you to the Lord and with mide own and my dear Wivet love to you both Rest Your loving and careful Uncle JOS. ALLEINE Octob. 21. 1668. LETTER XXXV The Concernments of our Souls especially to be regarded Dear Cousin YOu may think you are forgotten with me because you have not heard so long a time from me but this may let you know That though God hath taken away your Father and suffered your Mother to be helpless to you Yet you have one friend on earth that careth for you The welfare of your immortal soul is dear to me and is the matter of my sollicitons care and prayer Dear Cousin methinks I feel a Godly jealousie of you within my heart lest you should lose your soul amongst a croud of worldly cares and business O remember the story of him in the Book of the Kings who relates that he had a Soldier committed to his keeping upon condition that he should lose his life if he did let him go But while thy servant went hither and thither the man escaped But the King replies presently Even so shall thy judgement be thy life shall go for his life Ah Cousin take earnest heed lest while you are going hither and thither minding many things 〈…〉 in a hurry of worldly affairs the enemy run not away with your soul. Oh beware that the World doth not secretly steal away your heart Consider that whatever your business be you must and will have an eating time and a sleeping time Oh be as sollicitous every day to keep your praying times which are a thousand times more necessary than a time to eat in or sleep Be sure that there doth not a morning or evening pass over your head in which you have not perfumed your Closer with solemn and fervent prayer And take heed it you love your salvation lest Saran beguile you with the bare outward performance of duties aâ—…d ouâ—…ward acts of Religion See to it that you do not rest in a Worldly Religion to give God your knee while the World carries away your heart You may praâ—… hear and read and all to no purpose except your very Soul be employed and engaged in these duties and the â—…ife vigour and strength of your affections be found to go after God in them If therefore you will have Christ and Heaven see that you renounce the world You must cast overboard your worldly hopes and take up with God with a naked Christ as your whâ—… happiness both for this life and that which is to come There is no hopes of your Salvation without a sound mortification to the world you must be mortified to your worldly expectations look not for much from tbe world promise not your self much from the world seek not great things for your self say unto God So I may have thee for my portion and thy Kingdom for my inheritance give or deny me what thou wilt poverty or riches any thing or nothing I will be contented with my Lot Say unto your soul So I may but have Christ so I may but carry it for the other world let this world go which way it will I must be converted or condemned I must be born again or else would I had never been born but of this present world there is no such necessity I may be poor and yet happy but wo unto me if I remain unsanctified I must have grace or perish for ever Dear Cousin if I live you shall find me a friend to your worldly prosperity but whether I live or die I charge you by the Lord that you be infinitely tender of your immortal souls everlasting concernments Will you not spin a fair thread of it if while you are pursuing after earthly things you lose your soul in the throng While I live I shall pray and care for you Farewel in the Lord. I am Your truly loving and careful uncle JOS. ALLEINE LETTER XXXVI Godly Counsels Dear Cousin THE welcome tydings of your safe arrival at Barbadoes is come to my ears as also the News of your escape from a perillous sickness for which I bless the Lord and desire to be thankful with you for I am not without a care for your well being but do look upon my self as really concerned in you I have considered that God hath beâ—…est you of a careful Father and that your Mother takes but little care for you so that you have none nearer than my self to