Bargain If we seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness in the first place and leave other things to him God will not stand with us for these outwards though we never ask them we shall have them as over measure God will throw them in as the Vantage And to this suits the experience of our dear Honorathius and indeed saith he speaking of God Honorathius finds that his only hiding place and refuge and a place of succour from the storms that fall upon him and hath had such helps at dead lift there that he is engaged for ever to trust theâ—…e For when he hath been lowest and in the greatest straights he hath gone and made his moan Heaven-ward with free submission to the rightful disposer of all things and he hath been so liberally supplied as makes him very confident the best way to obtain any Mercy or supply is to be content to be without it And he is perswaded nothing set Gods Mercies farther off than want of free suhmission to want them Certainly God will never be behind hand with us Let our care be to build his House and let him alone to build ours Fourthly That none ever was or ever shall be a loser by Jesus Christ. Many have lost much for him but never did never shall any lose by him Take this for a certainty whatsoever probabilities of outward comforts we leave whatsoever outward advantages we balk that we may glorifie him in our Services and enjoy him in his Ordinances more than otherwhere we could we shall receive an hundred fold in this life 'T is a sad thing to see how little Christ is trusted or believe in the World Men will trust him no farther then they can see him and will leave no work for Faith Alas hath he not a thousand ways both outward and inward to make up a little outward disadvantage to us What doth our Faith serve for Have any ventured themselves upon him in his way but he made good every word of the Promise to them let us therefore exercise our Faith and stay our selves upon the Promise and see if ever we are ashamed of our hope Fifthly That what is wanting in the means God will make up in the blessing This I take for a certain truth while a man commits himself and his affairs to God and is in a way that God put him into Now if a man have but a little income if he have a great Blessing that 's enough to make it up Alas we must not account Mercies by the Bulk What if another have a pound to my Ounce if mine be gold for his silver I will never change with him As 't is not Bread that keeps men alive but the Word of Blessing that proceedeth out of his mouth of God so 't is not the largerness of the means but the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich Oh! if men did but believe this they would not grasp so much of the world as they do Well let others take their course and we will take ours to wait upon God by Faith and Prayer and rest in his Promise and I am confident that is the way to be provided for Let others toyl to enlarge their income but alas they will find they go not the right way to work we will bless God to enlarge our blessing and I doubt not but we shall prove the Gainers Sixthly That every Condition hath its Snares Crosses and Troubles and therefore we may not expect to be without them where ever we be only that condition is most eligible that hath fewest and least I cannot object any thing against the proposal of Taunton but the meaness of the maintenance but if our income be but short we can I hope be content to live answerably we must fare the meaner that will be all the inconvenience that I know and truly I hope we are not of the nature of that Animal that hath his Heart in his Belly I know how Daniel thrived by his Water and pulfe and think a mean Diet is as wholesome to the body yea and far less hurtful than a full and libéral is and perswade my self it would be no such hard matter for us contentedly to deny our flesh in this respect But let us consider how little and utterly inconsiderable this inconvenience is in comparison of those we must reckon upon meeting with if God cast us into another place and whether this be not a great deal less than the trouble we shall have for want of comsortable and Christian Society for want of the frequent and quickening means we shall here have in wrangling and contending with the Covetous or else losing our dues in the Railings and scandalous and malicious Reports that are we see raised upon the best by the wicked in most places in their contentions about their right to the Sacraments in our intanglement in the cares and troubles of this life c. all which we should be here exempted from Upon these and the like considerations I find my heart very much inclined to accept of their offer at Taunton I beseech thee to weigh and throughly consider the matter and tell me impartially thy thoughts and which way thy Spirit inclines â—…or I have always resolved the place I settled in should be thy choice and to thy content The least intimation of thy will to the contrary shall overballance all my thoughts of settling there for I should account it the greatest unhappiness if I should thus settle and thou shouldst afterwards be discontented at the straightness of our condition But I need not have Wrote this hadst not thou fully signified thy mind already to me I had never gone so far as I have Well the Lord whose we are and whom we serve do with us as it shall seem good unto him We are alwayes as mindful as is possible of thee here both together and apart Captain Luke desired me to intreat thee to meet him one two hours in a day for the Commemoration of Mercies upon the twenty third day of every Month. Send word to me of their Resolution at Taunton in two Letters least possibly one should miscarry though never a one did yet I dare not think of settling under sixty Pound at Taunton and surely it cannot be less I have Written as well as I could on a sudden my mind to thee I have been so large in delivering my Judgement that I must thrust up my Afâ—…ctions into a Corner Well though they have but a corner in my Letter I am sure they have room enough in my heart But I must conclude The Lord keep thee my Dear and cherish thee for ever in his Bosom Farewel mine own Soul I am as ever thine own Heart JOS. ALLEINE Oxon May 27. 1659. LETTER II. Prepare for Suffering To my dearly beloâ—…ed the Flock of Christ in Taunton Grace and Peace Most dear Christians MY extream straights of time will now force me to bind my long loves in a few
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
you and should be willingly so many years a Prisoner for you so I might eminently and effectually further your salvation I must again yea again and again thank you for your abundant and intire affections to me which I value as a great mercy not in order to my self if I know my own heart but in order to your benefit and I may thereby be a more likely Instrument to further your good Surely so much as I do value your love which is not a little yet had I rather if I am not unacquainted with my self be forgotten and forsaken of you all and buried in oblivion So that your eyes and hearts might be hereby fixed on Christ and sincerely engaged to him Brethren I have not be spoken your affections for my self O that I might win your hearts universally to Jesus Christ though I had lost them for ever O that I might be instrumental to convert you to him though you were diverted from me I am perswaded that I should much rather choose to be hated of all so this might be the means to have Christ honoured and set up savingly in the hearts of you all And indeed there is nothing great but in order to God nothing is much material or considerable as it is terminated in us It matters not whether we are in Riches or poverty in sickness or health in honour or disgrace so Christ may be by us magnified in the condition we are in Welcome Prison and poverty welcome scorn and envy welcome pains or contempt if by these Gods glory may be most promoted What are we for but for God what doth the Creature signifie separated from his God why just so much as the Cypher separated from the Figure or the letter from the Syllable we are nothing or nothing worth but in reference to God and his ends Better were it that we had never been than that we should not be to him Better that we were dead than we should live and not to him Better that we had no understandings than that we should not know him Better that we were Blocks and Bruis than that we should not use our reason for him What are our Interests unless as they may be subservient to his Interest or our esteem or reputation unless we may hereby glorifie him do you love me I know you do but who is there that will leave his sins for me I mean at my requests with whom shall I prevail to give up himself in strictnese and self-denial to the Lord who will be intreated by me to set upon neglected duties or reform accustomed sins O wherein may you rejoyce me in this in this my Brethren in this you shall befriend me if you obey the voice of God by me if you be prevailed with to give your selves up throughly to the Lord would you lighten my burden would you loosen my bonds would you make glad my heart let me hear of your owning the ways and servants of the Lord in adversity of your coming in of your abiding and patient continuing in the ways of holiness O that I could but hear that the prayerless Souls the prayerless families among you were now given to prayer that the profane sinner would be awakened and be induced by the Preaching of these Bonds which heretofore would not be prevailed with to leave their drunkenness their loose company their lying and deceit and Wantonness by all the threatnings of God that could be pronounced against them nor all the beseechings wooings and entreaties that I was able to use with them will you not be made clean when shall it once be how long shall the patience of God wait for you how long shall the Lord Jesus stretch out his hands toward you O sinners cast your selves into his Arm Why should you die why will you forsake your own mercy will you perish when mercy wooes you confess and forsake your sins and you shall find mercy will you part with Christ and sell your souls to perdition for a little ease and delight to your flesh or a little of the gain of unrighteousness or a little Ale or vain mirth or loose company why these are the things that part between sinners and Christ. I know many are spun with a finer thred and are not so far from the Kingdom of God as the prayerless ignorant Sabbath-breaking intemperate sort are But I must once again warn you of staying in the suburbs of the City of Refuge O what pity is it that any should perish at the Gates that any should escape the pollutions of the world and do many things yea and suffer it may be too and yet should fall short of the glory of God for want of a through work of grace Oh you halting Christians that halt between Christ and the World that are as Ephraim like a Cake not turned dow-baked Professors that have Lamps without Oyl that cry Lord Lotd but do not the will of our Father which is in Heaven how long will you stay in the place of the breaking forth of Children and stick between the womb and the World your Religion will carry you among the profane despisers of Godliness but do own the people of the Lord and do love the Ministers and ordinances therefore all is well I tell you Godliness is a heart-work it goes deep and spreads far unless the frame of your hearts and the drifts of your course be changed unless you be universally conscientious and unreservedly delivered up to the Lord for all times and conditions whatever be the cost you are none of Christs how far soever you go in common workings and external performances Hear then O people and let not profaneness swallow you up let not an almost Christianity deceive you or ignorance carry you blindfold to perdition Oh the thousands and ten thousands that have been undone by one of these Ah how often have you been warned against them least you should split against these dangerous Rocks O Jerusalem Jerusalem said Christ and O Taunton Taunton may I say from him 〈…〉 who can tell how often would Gods 〈…〉 â—…thered you and you would not many very many 〈…〉 would not But will you now will you yet come in I 〈…〉 forbear once more even out of the Prison to 〈…〉 or sinners and make one tender of mercy more O 〈…〉 to the waters of Life wash you make you clean read 〈…〉 diligent observation the melting passages Prov. 1. 22. to the end Isa. 1. 16 21. Isa. 55. 6 10. Oh obdurate sinners if none of these things move you But for you whose very hearts are set against every sin and are deliberately resolved for God and Holiness â—…re all the worlds delight you that have experience of a thorow change and are brought to have respect to all Gods Commandments who will have none but God for your happiness none but Christ for your Treasure that must and will have him come what will come blessed are you of the Lord O happy Souls
that none of you be found a swearer or a Lyar a lover of evil company or a scoffer or malicious or covetous or a drunkard or a glutton unrighteous in his dealing unclean in his living â—…r a quarreller or a thief or backbiter or a railer for I denounce unto you from the living God that destruction and damnation is the end of all such Prov. 13. 20. Jam. 5. 12. Rev. 21. 8. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. 2. Family Godliness He that hath set up Christ in his heart will be sure to study to set him up in his house Let every family with you be a Christian Church every house a house of Prayer every houshold a houshold of saith Let every housholder say with Joshua I with my House will serve the Lord and resolve with David Psalm 121. 2. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Let me press upon you a few duties which I have been long harping upon but Alas I speak it to your shame with many too too many of you to little purpose in general First Let Religion be in your Families not as a matter by the by to be minded at leisure when the world will give you leave but the standing business of the house Let them have your prayers as duly as their meals is there any of your familieâ—… but have time for their taking food wretched man canst thou find time to eat in and not time to Pray in Secondly Settle it upon your Hearts that your Souls are bound up in the Souls of your Family They are committed unto you and if they be lost through your neglect will be required at your hands Sirs if you do not you shall know that the charge of Souls is a heavy charge and that the Blood of Souls is a heavy guilt O man hast thou a charge of Souls to answer for and dost thou not yet bestir thy self for them that their Blood be not found in thy Skirts Wilt thou do no more for immortal Souls than thou wilt do for thy Beasts that perish What dost thou do for thy Children and Servants Thou providest Meat and Drink for them agreeable to their Natures and dost thou not the same for thy Beasts Thou givest them Medicines and cherishest them when they be sick and dost thou not so much for thy Swine More particularly 1. Let the solemn Reading of the Word Isa. 34. 16. John 5. 31. and singing of Psalms be your Family Exercises Psalm 118. 15. See Christ singing with his Family viz. his Disciples Mat. 26. 30. Luke 9. 18. 2. Let every pâ—…rson in your Families be duly called to an account of their profiting by the word hâ—…rd or read as they be about doing your own 〈…〉 This is a duty of consequence unspeakable and would be a means to bring those under your Charge to remember and prosit by what they receive See Chirsts Example in calling â—…is Family to an account Mat. 16. 11. 13. 15. 33. Often take an account of the Souls under your care concerning their Spiritual estates Herein you must be Followers of Christ Mat. 13. 10 36 51. Marâ—… 4. 10 11. Make enquiry into their conditions insist much upon the sinfulness and misery of their natural estate aâ—…d upon the necessity of Regeneration and Conversion in order to their Salvation Admonish them gravely of their sins incourage beginnings Follow them earnestly and let them have no quiet for you till you see them in a saving change This is a duty of high consequence but I am afraid fearfully neglected by some that are Godly Doth not Conscience say Thou art the man 4. Look to the strict sanctâ—…fying of the Saâ—…bath by all of your Hâ—…holds Exod. 20. 10. Lev. 23. 3. Many poor Families have little time else O improve but your Sabbath-days as diligently in labouring for knowledge and doing your Makers work as You do the other daies in doing your own work and I doubt not but you may come to some proficiencie 5. Let the Morning and Evening Sacrifice of sâ—…lemn Prayer be daily offered up in all your Families Psal. 92. 1 2. Exod. 30. 7 8. â—…Lâ—…ke 1. 9 10. Beware they be not found among the Families that call not upon Gods Name sor why should there be wrath from the Lord upon your Families Jer. 10. 25. O miserable Families without God in the World that are without Family Prayer What have you so many Family fins Family wants Family Mercies what and yet no Family Prayers How do you pray with all Prayer and Supplication if You do not with Family Prayer Say not I have no time What hast thou all thy time on purpose to serve God and save thy Soul and is this that for which thou canst find no time Find but a heart and I will find time Pinch out of your meals and sleep rather then want for Prayer Say not my business will not give leave This is thy greaâ—…est business to save thy self and the Souls committed to thee Besides a whet will be no let In a word the blessing of all is to be got by Prayer Jer. 29. 11 12. 2 Sam. 7. 29. And what is thy business without Gods Blessing Say not I am not able Use thy one Talent and God will increase it Mat. 25. 24. c. Helps are to be had till thou art better able But if there be no other remedy thou mai'st join with thine abler Neighbour God hath special regard to joint Prayeâ—… Jam. 5. 14. to 19. Acts 12. 5. to 12. 2 Cor. 1. 11. and therefore you must improve Family advantages for the performing of it 6. Put every one in your Families upon private Prayer Observe whether they do perform it Get them the help of a form if they need it till they are able to go without Direct them how to Pray by minding them of their sins wâ—…nts and mercies the materials of Prayer This was the practice of John and of Jesus Luke 11. 1 2. 7. Set up Cathechizing in your Families at the least once every Week It was my parting dying request that you would set up and maintain this duty in your Families Have You done it all accordingly Cannot your consciences witness cannot your families witness you have not Well I thought my parting words would have done something with you I hoped the fervent request of a dying Minister would have prevailed for such a small matter with You. What to this day without solemn Câ—…techising in your houses Ah what a discouragement to your Teacher is this Brethren shall I yet prevail with you Will you reject me now also O let me perswade you before you take off your eyes from these Lines to resolve to set upon the constant exercise of this Duty Surely I have done and suffered more for you then this comes to will you deny me I beseech you let me find if ever God do bring me again to visit your houses that the â—…ords of a suffering Minister have some
power with you I have sent you an help on purpose what shall all my perswasions be but speaking in the wind and all my pains but labouring in the fire Beloved you have no dread of the Almighties Charge That you should teach these things diligently to your Children and talk of them as you sit in your houâ—… c. Deut. 6. 6 7 8 9. and 4. 9 10 and 11. 18 19 20. train them up in the way they should go Prov. 22. 6. the Margin Hath God so commended Abraham that he would teach his children and his houshold Gen. 18. 19. and that he had so many 〈…〉 servants Gen. 14. 14. the Margin hath given such a promise to him thereupon and wlll not you put in for a share neither in the praise nor the Promise Hath Christ honoured Cathechising with his presence Luke 2. 46. and will not you own it with your practise Say not they are careless and will not learn What have you your Authority for if not to use it for God and the good of their Souls You will call them up and force them to do your work and should you not at least be as zealous in putâ—…ing them upon Gods work Say not they are dull and are not capable If they be dull God requires of you the more pains and patience but so dull as they are you will make them learn how to work and can they not learn as well how to live Are they capable of the misteries of your trade and are they not capable of the plain principles of Religion well as ever you would see the growth of Religion the cure of ignorance the remedy of prophaness the downfal of error fulfill you my joy in going through with this duty I have been too long already and yet I am afraid my Letter will be ended before my work be done how lâ—…th am I to leave you before I have prevailed with you to set to the work to which you are here directed will you pass your promise will you give me your hands Oh that you would you cannot do me a greater pleasure Ask what you will of me See if I will not do as much for you Oh that your Families might be a joy to me as that twice noble Ladies to John who professes he had no greater joy then to find her Children walking in the truth Beloved why should you not give the hand one to another and mutually engage each to other for more vigorous and diligent endeavours in promoting Family Godliness I must tell you God looks â—…or more than ordinary from you in such a day as this He expects that you should do both in your hearts and in your houses somewhat more that ever under these his extraordinary dispensations My most dearly beloved minc own bowels in the Lord will you satisfie the longings of a travelling Minister will you answer the calls of Divine Providence would you remove the Incumbent or prevent the impending Calamities would you plant Nurseries for the Church of God would you that God should build your Houses and bless your substance would you that your children should bless you that your Father should bless you Oh then set up piety in your Families as ever you would be blessed or be a blessing let your hearts and your Houses be the Temples of the living God in which â—…is worship according to all the forementioned directions may be with constancy reverently performed Pardon my proâ—…xity and importunity in so earnest pursuing of you I am yet afraid I have done too soon and shall end without my Errand The Lord God perswade you To him I turn me for I am well assured he can prevail with you O Father of Spirit that hath set me over thy Flock to match for their Souls as one that must give an account I have long studied thy Will and taught in thy Name and do unfeignedly bless thee that any have believed my Report I have given unto them the Words which thou gavest me and they have received them I have manifested thy Name unto them and they have kept thy Word And now I am no more with them but I come unto thee Holy Father keep them through thine own Name for they are thine As they have kept the Word of thy Patience so keep thou them in the hour of Temptation They are but a flock a little and a helpless flock but thou art their Shepheard suffer them not to want Do thou feed them and fold them Let thy Rod and thy Staff comfort them and let not the Beasts of prey fall upon them to the spoiling of their Souls But what shall I do for them that will not be gathered I have called after them but they would not answer I have charged them in thy Name but they would not hear I have studied to speak perswasively to them but I cannot prevail Then I said I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain yet I cannot give them over much less may I give thee over Lord perswade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem. Lord compel them to come in and lay the hanas of mercy upon them as thou didst on lingring Lot and bring them forth that they may escape for their lives and not be consumed Lord I pray thee open their eyes that they may see and lay hold upon their hearts by thy Omnipotent Grace Do thou turn them and they shall be turned O bring back the miserable Captives and suffer not the enemy of mankind to drive away the most of the flock before mine eyes and to deride the fruitless endeavours of thy Laborers and boast over them that he can doâ—…e with them though he seek to ruine them than all the beseechings counsels and charges of thy Servants that seek to save them Lord if I could find out any thing that would pierce them that would make its way into their hearts thou knowest I would use it But I have been many years pleading thy cause in vain O let not these endeavors also be lost O God find out every ignorant every prophane sinner every prayerless Soul and every prayerless family and convince them of their miserable condition while without thee in the World Set thy Image upon their Souls set up thy Worship in their Families Let not pride ignorance or slothfulness keep them in neglect of the means of knowledge Let thine eyes be over the place of my desires for good from one end of the year to the other end thereof Let every House therein be a Seminary of Religion and let those that cast their eyes upon these lines find thee sliding in by the secrâ—…t influence of thy Grace into their hearts and irresistably engaging them to do thy pleasure Amen Amen LETTER XXXII He that endureth to the end shall be saved To the most loving and best beloved the Servâ—…ts of Christ in Huntington Grace and Peace Most dear Christians I Do thankfully acknowledge
of the way to give thee a meeting but such is my weakness hitherto that I am forced to put off those hopes till the Spring when if God give me strength to ride I intend to see thee before mine own Home I thank thee for all the dear expressions of thy fervent love Methinks I see it and feel how it runs through all the veins of every â—…etter nay every Line I needed not so chargeable a Testomony as thy golden Token with which I was somthing displeased because I thought thou needest more than my self but the love thereby expressed is most dearly welcome to me What thou talkest of Retribution and of Justice doth not so well relish with me because the Phrases seem improper to the love profest between us I never lookt for any return from thee but love which is the paying of all thy Debts my expences have indeed been vast and almost incredible but surely goodness and mercy hath followed me and do follow me in every place and in every change of my condition so that as to temporals I have lack of nothing and as for spirituals I abound and superabound and the streams of my comforts have been full and running over the joy of the Lord hath been my strength at weakest and in the multitude of my thoughts within me his comforts have refresh'd my Soul I have found God a satisfying portion to me and have sat down under his shadow with full delights and his fruit is most sweet to my taste he is my strength and my Song for I will talke of him and write of him with perpetual pleasure Through grace I can say methinks I am now in my Element since I have begun to make mention of him I am rich in him and happy in him and my soul saith unto him with Divid Thou hast made me most Blessed for evermore and happy is the hour that ever I was born to be made partaker of so blisful a Treasure so endless a felicity so Angelical Prerogatives as I have in him O sweet are his converses how delightful it is to Triumph in his Love Suffer me to be free with thee where should I pour out my Soul if not into thy bosom did the poor woman call upon her friends and neighbours to rejoyce together with her at the finding of a lost Groat and shall not I tell to thee the keeper of the Secrets of my Soul the friend of my inmost Bosom what a friend is the Lord to me though an unworthy sinner shall not I run and tell thee what a treasure I have found And here methinks the story of the Lepers comes not unaptly to thy mind who said one to another when they had eat and drunk aâ—…d carried away silver and gold and raiment and went and hid it We do not well this day is a day of good tydings and we hold our peace It is sit that I should be cloathed with shame I acknowledge before God who trieth the hearts I am unworthy everlastingly unworthy but it is not fit that he should lose his praise nay rather let him be the more ador'd and magnifi'd and admir'd for ever and ever and let my Secrets say Amen Bless the Lord O my Soul bless the Lord O my Friend let us exhalt his Name together he is my solace in my solitude he is my standing comforter my tried friend my sure refuge my safe retreat he is my Paradise he is my Heaven and my heart is at rest in him and I will sit and sing under his shadow as a Bird among the Branches and whither should I go but unto him Shall I leave the faâ—…ness of the Olive and sweetness of the Fig-tree and of the Vine and go and put my trust under the shadow of the Bramble No I have made my everlasting choice this is my rest for ever he is my well Beloved in whom I am well pleased Suffer me to boast a little here I may Glory without Vanity and I can praise him without end or measure but I have nothing to say of my self I find thou dost overvalue me and magnifie me above my measure set the Crown upon the head of Christ let nothing be great with thee but him give him the glory but thy love pleaseth me only I have this exception that thou art in love with thine own Idol as Austin somewhere speaks to a friend of his that did too much magnifie him and magnifiest a Creature of thine own fancie and not thy poor Orestes God that knoweth all things knoweth my poverty how little how low and how mean I am and how short I come of the attainments of the Saints who yet do themselves come so exceedingly short of the Rule that God hath set before us I often think of the Complaint of the devout Monsier I feel my self very poor this week and very defective in the love of God if you would know wherein you may pleasure me love God more that what is wanting in me may be made up in the abundance of your love in this my Pylades in this thou maist most highly pleasure me love God a little the better praise him a little the more for my sake let me have this to please my self in that God is alittle the better loved sor me and that I have blowed up if it be but one flash nay but one spark of Divine Love in the bosom of my dearest friend towards him But why my Pylades why is thy stile towards me changed why hast thou lost the old and wonted strain of our former pleasing familiarity this I could not but observe with some disgust is it because thy heart is changed but this is a question in which I cannot ask any resolution I am satisfied and at rest in thy love but what this alterations means I know not art thou willing by degrees to grow strange it cannot be thou seest however that I cannot change my voice Besides I find some jealous passages in thy last lines unto us but canst thou think that T. B. can be put into the ballance against my old friend my own my Covenant Pylades or can a friend of words come into any competition or comparison with thine experienced love I cannot entertain the thoughts of this without some disdain But thy needful cautions are acceptable to me I desire to foresee and provide for manifold changes and storms I know I am not yet in the harbor O pray with me that I enter not into Temptation for I am very weak in Spirit as well as in body God knoweth But there is no end with me somewhere or other I must break off and thou wilt say it is time to shut up for once only know that I am thy daily Orator and will be whilest I am and yet once more I must have room to add my thankful acknowledgement of thine and thy costly kindness and so with our most dear affections to you both I commend you to the God of
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
unthankful And what though they do hate us Their love and good-will were much more to be feared than their hatred and a far worse sign Brethren keep your selves in the love of God here is Wisdom O happy souls that are his Favourites For the Lords sake look to this make sure of something look to your sincerity above all things in the World let not any of you conclude that because you are of the suffering party therefore all is well Look to the Foundation that your hearts be soundly taken off from every sin and set upon God above as your Blessedness Beware that none of you have only a name to love and be no more than almost Christians For the love of your Souls make a diligent search and try upon what ground you stand for it heartily pities me to think that any of you should be in so deep and hazard so much as these must do that will now cleave to the hated ways of the people of God and yet lose all at last for want of being thorow and sound in the main work I mean conversion and Regeneration None so miserable in all the world as an unsound Professor of Religion now is for he shall be hated and persecuted of the World because he takes up a Profession and yet rejected of God too because he sticks in a Profession but when once you bear the marks of Gods favour you need not fear the Worlds frowns Cheer up therefore Brethren be strong in the Lord and of good courage under the Worlds usage Fear not in our Fathers House there is bread enough and room enough this is sufficient to comfort us under all the inconveniences of the way that we have so happy a Home so worthy a Portion so ready a Father so goodly an Heritage so sure a Tenure Oh comfort one another with these words let God see that you can trust in his Word let the world see that you can live upon a God I shall share my Prayers and loves among you all and commit you to the Almighty God the Keeper of Israel that never flumbereth nor sleepeth be your Watchman and Keeper to the end Farewel I am From the common Goal at Juelchester July 24. 1663. A fervent well-wisher of your Temporal and Eternal Happiness Joseph Alleine LETTER VI. Look out of your Graves upon the World To my most dearly Beloved Friends the chosen of God in Taunton Grace and Peace Most endeared Christian MY heart is with you though I am Absent as to my Bodily presence from you and therefore as I have often already so I have now written to you to stir up your pure minds by way of Remembrance and to call upon you for your stedfast continuing and vigorous proceeding in the ways of God Dear Friends and fellow Souldiers under Christ the Captain of our Salvation consider your calling and Station and approve your selves as good Souldiers of Jesus Christ as men of resolution and courage be discouraged with no difficulties of your present Warfare As for humane affairs it would have you to be as you are Men of Peace I would have you Armed not for resisting God forbid but for Suffering onely as the Apostle hints You should resist even to the uttermost striving against Sin Here you must give no quarter for if you spare but one Agag the life of your Souls must go for the life of your sins you must make no Peace for God will not smile on that Soul that smiles on Sin nor have any Peace with him that is at peace with his Enemy Other Enemies you must forgive and love and pray for which I again desire you to mind as one special duty of the times but for these Spiritual Enemies all your affections and all your Prayers must be engaged against them yea you must admit no Parley It 's dangerous to dispute with Temptations Remember what Eve lost by Parleying with Satan you must flie from Temptations and put them off at first with a Peremptory denial If you will but hear the Devils Arguments and the Fleshes Pleas and fair Pretences it is an hundred to one but you are insnared by his Sophistry And for this present evil World the Lord deliver you from its Snares Surely you had need watch and be sober and use your spiritual Weapons dexterously aâ—…d diligently or else this World is like to undo you and destroy yoâ—… I have often warned you not to build upon an External happiness and that you should promise yoâ—…r selves nothing but hardship here Oh still remember your station Souldiers must not count upon Rest and Fulness but Hunger and Hardness Labour to get right apprehâ—…sions of the World Do not think these things necessary one thing is needâ—…ul You may be happy in the want of all outward comfâ—…s Do not think your selves undone if brought to Want or Poverty study Eternity and you will see it to be little material to you whether you are Poor or Rich and that you may have never such an opportunity for your advantage in all your lives as when you put all to hazard and seem to run the Vessel upon the Rocks Set your enemies one against the other Death against the World no such way to get above the World as to put your selves into the possession of Death Look often upon your Dust that you shall be reduced to and imagine you saw your bones tumbled out of your Graves as they are like shortly to be and men handling your Skulls and enquiring whose is this Tell me of what account will the World be then what good will it do you put your selves often into your Graves and look out from thence upon the World and see what Judgement you have of it then Must not you shortly be forgot among the Dead your places will know you no more and your Memory will be no more among men and then what will it profit you to have lived in fashion and repute and to have been Men of esteem one serious walk over a Church-yard as one speaks might make a man morâ—…ified to the World Think upon how many you Tread but you know them not no doubt they had their Estates their Friends their Trades their businesses and kept as much stir in the World as others do now But alas what are they the better for any for all this know you not that this must be your own case very shortly Oh the unhappiness of deceived man how miserably is he bewitched and befooled that he should expend himself for that which he knows shall for ever leave him Brethren I beseech you lay no stress upon these perishing things but labour to be at a Holy indifferency about them Is it for one that is in his wits to sell his God his conscience his soul for thiâ—…gs that he is not sure to keep a week nor a day and which he is sure after a â—…ew sleepings and wakings more to leave behind him for ever go and talk with dying
men and see what apprehensions they have of the World if any should come â—…o such as these and tell them here is such and such prâ—…ferments for you you shall have such titles of honour and delights if you will now disown Religion or subscribe to iniquity do you think such a motion would be embraced Brethren why should we not be wise in time why should we not now be of the mind of which we know we shall be all shortly woe to them that will not be wise till it be to no purpose woe to them whose eyes nothing but Death and Judgement will open woe to them that though they have been warned by others and have heard the Worlds greatest Darlings in Death to cry out of its vanity worthlessness and deceitfulness and have been told where and how it would leave them yet would take no warning but only must serve themselves to for warnings to others Ah my Beloved beware there be no worldly Professors among you that will part rather with their part in Paradise than their part in Paris that will rather part with their Consciences than with their Estates that have secret reserves in hearts to save themselves whole when â—…t comes to the pinch and not to be of the Religion that will undo them in the World Beware that none of you have your hearts where your Feet should be and love your Mammon before your Maker It is time for you to learn with Paul to be Crucified to the World But it is time for me to remember that 't is a Letter and contain my self within my limits The God of all Grace stablish strengthen and settle you in these shaking times and raise your hearts above the fears of the worlds threats and above the ambition of its favours My dearest loves to you all with my servent desire of your Prayers May the Lord of Hosts be with you and the God of Jacob your refuge Farewell my dear Brethren Farewel and be strong in the Lord I am From the common Gaole at Juelchester June 31. 1663. Yours to serve you in the Gospel whether by Doing or Suffering JOS. ALLEINE LETTER VII First Christian Marks 2. Duties To the Beloved my most endearing and endeared Friends the Flock of Christ in Taunton Salvation Most dearly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown I Must say of you as David did of Jonathan Very pleasant have you been unto me and your love to me is wonderful And as I have formerly taken great content in that my Lot was cast among you so through grace I rejoyce in my present Lot that I am called to approve my love to you by suffering for you for you I say for you know that I have not sought yours but you and that for doing my duty to your souls I am here in these Bonds which I do cheerfully accept through the grace of God that strengtheneth me Oh! that your Souls might be quickened and enlarged by these my Bonds that your hands might be strengthened and your hearts encouraged in the Lord your God by our sufferings See to it my dearly Beloved that you stand fast in the power of the Holy Doctrine which we have Preached from the Pulpit preached at the Bar preached from the Prison to you It is a Gospel worth the suffering for see that you follow after holiness without which no man shall see God Oh! the madness of the blind World that they should put from them the only Plank upon which they can scape to Heaven Surely the Enemies of Holiness are their own Enemies Alas for them they know not what they do What would not these foolish Virgins do at last when it is too late for a little of the Oyl of the wise Oh for one dram of that Grace which they have scorned and despised But let not any of you my dear People be wise too late Look diligently lest any man fail of the Grace of God Beware that none of you be cheated through the subtlety of Satan and deceitfulness of your hearts with counterfeit grâ—… There is never a grace but hath its counterfeit and there is nothing in all the World that is more common or more easie than to mistake common and counterfeit Grace for true and saving and remember you are undone for evermore if you should die in such a mistake Not that I would shake the confidence of any sound Believer who upon often and through searce into the Scripture and his own heart and putting himself upon Gods tryal hath gotten good evidence that his Graces are of the right kind Build your confidenee sure See that you get the knowledge of the certain and infallible marks of Salvation and make sure by great observing your own hearts that these marks be in you and then you cannot be too confident But as you love your souls take heed of a groundless confidence Take heed of â—…ing confident before you have tried Dear Brethren I would fain have you all secured against the day of Judgement I would that the state of your souls were all well setled Oh how comfortably might you think of any troubles if you were but sure of your pardons Were your Salvation out of doubt no matter though other things were in hazard I beseech you whatever you neglect look to this I am afraid there are among you that have not made your peace with God yet that are not yet acquainted with that great work of Conversion such I would warn and charge before the living God to speed into Christ and without any more disputes or delayes to put away their iniquities and to come in and deliver up themselves to Jesus Christ that they may be saved It is not your Profession nor performing external duties nor partaking of external Priviledges that will save you No no you must be converted or condemned It is not enough that you have some love and liking to Gods ways and people and are willing to venture something for them all this will not prove you sound Christians have your hearts been changed have you been soundly convinced of your sins of your daâ—…nable and undone condition in your selves and your utter inaâ—…lity to lick your selves whole again by your own duties have you been brought at least to such a sight and sense of sin as that there is no sin though agreeable to your constitution though a support to your gain but you do heartily abhor it and utterly disallow of it are you brought to such a sense of the beauty of holiness and of the Laws and ways of God as that you do desire to know the whole mind of God and would not excuse your selves by ignorance from any duty and that you do not allow your selves in the ordinary neglect of any thing that conscience charges upon you as a duty are your very hearts set upon the glorifying and enjoying of God as your greatest happiness which you desire more than Corn and Wine and Oyl had you rather be the
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
you have for Eternity Now be wise and improve your happy Season your day of Grace Prepare for Death make all sure Press on towards the Mark lay up in store for your selves a good Foundation against the time to come In the morning sow your Seed and in the Evening withdraw not your Hand Treasure up much in Heaven What profit is it that you have more than others more Liberty more Comfort more Health more Wealth than others except you love God more and serve him better than others Now ply your Work and dispatch your Business so as that you may have nothing to trouble You upon your Death-Beds 2. To Consider also the Temptations and Disadvantages of your State Study to know your own weaknesses and where your danger lies that you may obviate Satan and prevent your miscarrying There is no Condition but hath its Snares See that you acquaint your selves with his Devices least you be beguiled by him and caught in his Trap through your own unwariness You that are well Provided for in the World had need to watch your selves least you fall in love with present things least you be lifted up least you trust in those Carnal props and put confidence in the Creatures least you warp and decline and baulk your duties through Carnal fear and the desire of preserving your Estates You that have little in the World are not without your temptations neither Oh take heed of Envying others Prosperity of murmuring and discontent of diffidence and distrustfullness of using indirect means to help your selves Be sure You make not the Worlds pressures upon you an excuse from your daily serving of God in your Families and in secret Set this down as your Rule and unchangeable Resolution that God and your Souls and your Families shall be looked duly and continually after go the world which way it will Consider what sins your Tempers Relations Callings do most expose you to Be not strangers to your selves Prove your selves upright in keeping from your Iniquities 3. To Converse often with your Dust. Brethren we are going we are going the Grave waiteth for us Oh forget not that Corruption is your Father and the Worm your Mother and your Sister These are your poor kindred that you must shortly dwell with when you come to your long home Remember the days of Darkness which shall be many Take every day some serious turns with Death Think where you shall be a few days and nights hence happy he that knew what to morrow meant for twenty Years together Believe it you will find it no little thing to die Think often how you are provided how you should receive the Sentence of Death Were you never within sight of Death How did it look What did you wish for most at that time What did then trouble you most Oh mark these things and live according Often ask your hearts VVhat if God should this night require my Soul 4. To serve your Generation with your might while you have time You have but a very little time to bring God any Glory here or to do your Friends any good now up and be doing Now or never live in the deep and constant sense of the very little time that you have for this world and the great work you have to do You are going whence You shall not return There 's no After-Game to be plaid VVhat But one cast for Eternity and will you not be careful to throw that well Most dearly Beloved I covet after your furtherance in Mortification and growth in Grace And Oh that I could but represent Death to you as shortly it will shew it self Or could but open a VVindow into Eternity to You How effectually would this do the work Then the Cripple would fling away his Crutches and betake himself to his Legs Then the slothfull would pluck his Hand out of his Bosome and shake off his Excuses and be night and day at his work Then the Laodicean would be recovered from his benumed frame then we should have no Halving in Religion no lazy wishing and complaining but men would ply the Oars to purpose and sweat at their work But Oh unhappy man how powerfully hath the world bewitched thee How miserably hath Sin unnmaned thee that thou shouldst look no farâ—…her than thou canst see and to be taken up with present things and forget so momentous concernments as are before thee But you my Brethren lift up your selves above the objects of sense may you be men for eternity and carry it like these that seek for glory honour and immortality I am apt to be too long with you I commend you to Divine Grace my dearest loves among you I am Yours in the Bonds of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus JOS. ALLEINE From the common Goale at Juelchester March 5. 1665. LETTER XXV To the loving and most beloved People the Servants of God in Taunton Grace and Peace Most dearly Beloved ALthough I am forced at the present to be at a distance from you yet I would not have you ignorant that the dear remembrance of you is always fresh with me and the care of your eternal welfare is always living upon my heart Therefore as my beloved Friends I warn you and cease not to stir you up by way of remembrance being jealous for you with a Godly jealouâ—…ie that no man take your Crown My dearly Beloved I know you have many enemies and above all I fear your bosom Enemies and as the Watchman of the Lord I give you careful warning and exhort you all not to be high-minded but fear Blessed is the man that feareth always Look diligently lest any of you fail of the Grace of God You have made much and long Profession of the Name of Jesus Christ Oh look to your foundations see upon what ground you stand Look to your sincerity You must every one of you stand shortly before the Judgement Seat of Christ and be tried for your lives Oh try your selves throughly first 'T is easie to mistake Education for Regeneration and common Conviction and Illumination for Conversion and a partial Reâ—…ormation and external Obedience â—…or true Sanctification Therefore I beseech you every one to examine whether you are in the Faith Prove your own selves Tell not me you hope you are sincere you hope you shall go to Heaven Never put it off with hopes but pray and try and search till you are able to say yea and know you are passed from death to life and that you know you have a Building not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Suppose I should ask you one by one where are your Evidences for Heaven Could you make out your claim can you bring me Scripture-proof can you shew me the marks of the Lord Jesus what mâ—…n you to live at uncertainties Brethren it is an intollerable ignorance for any of you in these days of glorious light not to be able to tell the distinguishing marks of a sound believer And
you abstain from sin out of fear or out of dislike Are you at peace with no sin or do you not hide some iniquity as a sweet morsel under your Tongue Is there not some practice that you are not willing to know is a sin for fear you should be forced to leave it Do you love the Commandment that forbids your sin or do you not wish it ouâ—… of the Bible as that evil man wished God had never made the Seventh Commandment Again how do you stand affected towards Holiness Do you love it Do you choose it Do you hâ—…nger and thirst after it desire it more than any Temporal good Have you chosen the way of Gods Precepts and had rather live holily than be allowed to live in your sins Do You in your very hearts prefer a Godly strict Life in communion with and conformity to God before the greatest prosperity of the World do you chose Holiness not out of bare necessity because you cannot go to Heaven without it but out of love to it and from a deep sense that you have of the surpassing excellency and loveliness and beauty of it If it be thus with you you are the persons that the Lord Jesus hath marked for his Sheep And now come ye blessed all that have this mark upon you come and understand your happiness you are marked out for preservation and let it go how it will with the rest that I know it shall go well with you that fear the Lord that fear before him You are the separated ones the sealed ones upon whom the Angel hath set the Seal of the Living God and so you are redeemed unto God from among men being the first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb and have your Fathers Name written in your Fore-heads Hear O beloved Flock I may give you the salutation of the Angels Hail you are highly favoured of the Lord Blessed â—…re you among men though you are but poor and despised and like little Benjamin among the thousands of Judah you carry away the blessing and the priviledge from all the rest God hath done more for the least of you than for the whole World of Mankind besides put all their mercies together Fear not little Flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Blessed are you of the Lord for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven All that the Scripture speaks of that Kingdom of Glory that Kingdom of Peace of Righteousness that Everlasting Kingdom It speaks it all to you Behold your Inheritance see that you believe What know you not your own selves you are the Sons of God Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven Joint Heirs with Christ the Lord of Glory Do you believe this Take heed you make not God a Lyar his Word is nigh you have you noâ—… the Writings in your hands Do I speak any thing but what God hath spoken Shall I tell you of the thing which shall be hereafter Why thus it shall be The Son of man shall come in his Glory and all his holy Angels with him Then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory and he shall separate you as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he â—…hall set you at his own right hand Then shall the King say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Do you believe yet Do you throughly believe If so then my work is done then I need not bid you Rejoyce noâ—…bid you be Thankful only believe Do this and do all Belieâ—… and joy will rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glorâ—… Believe and you will be fruitful and shew your Faith by yoâ—… works Believe and you will Love for Faith worketh by lovâ—… In a word keep these things upon your hearts by daily anâ—… lively consideration and this will bring Heaven into yoâ—… souls and ingage you to all manner of holy conversation anâ—… Godliness This will morâ—…ifie you to the World the graâ—… enemy which I advise nay I charge you to beware of Wheâ—… Saul had gotten his Kingdom he left off taking care for thâ—… Asses O remember yours is the Kingdom what are yoâ—… the better that you have all this in your Bibles if you do noâ—… weigh it by frequent and serious consideration and pondâ—… these sayings in your hearts Beloved I have written thâ—… things to you that your joy may be full And now Peace leave with you I am Christs Embassador to you an Embasâ—…dor of Peace his Peace I pronounce unto you In hiâ—… Name I bless you Farewel in the Lord I am The fervent Well-willer of your Soâ—… JOS. ALLEINE Devises June 29. 1666. LETTER XXVII Oâ—… the Second coming of Christ. To the Faithful and Beloved the Servants of God iâ—… Taunton Grace and Peace Loving and most dearly Beloved THough I trust my Bonds do preach to you yet methink that doth not suffice me but the conscience of my duty and the workings of my heart towards you are still calling upon me to stir you up by way of remembrance notwithstanding you know and be established in the present Truth And if Paul do call upon so great an Evangelist as Timothy to Remember that Jesus was raised from the dead according to the Gospel why should not I be often calling upon my self and upon you my dearly Beloved to remembeâ—… and meditate upon and closely apply the great and weighty Truths of the Gospel which you have already received and in truth I perceive in my self and you another manner of heat and warmth in the insisting upon the plainest principles of Christianity and the setting them home upon mine own heart and yours than in dwelling upon any more abstruse Speculations in the clearest handling of which the Preacher may seem to be too much like the winter nights very brighâ—… but very cold But now my Brethren I shall not with Paul call upon you so much to remember the resurrection of Christ as the Return of Christ Behold He cometh in the Clouds and every Eâ—…e shall see him Your eyes and mine eyes and all the Tribes of the Earth shall mourn because of him But we shall lift up our heads because the Day of our Redemption draweth nigh this is the day I look for and wait for and have laid up all my hopes in If the Lord return not I profess my self undone my Preaching is vain and my suffering is vain and the bottom in which I have intrusted all my hopeâ—… is for ever miscarried But I know whom I have trusted We are built upon the foundation of that sure Word we are not built upon the sand of Mortality Nor do we run so as uncertainly but the Word of the Lord abideth for ever upon which Word do we hope How fully doth this Word assure us that this same Jesus that is gone up into Heaven shall so return and that he shall appear the second time unto Salvation to them that look for him Oh how sure
upon those dangerous Rocks upon which so many Professors have been split There are three things which I beseech you carefully to beware of First Lest while Christ is in your mouths the world run away with your hearts There is many a seeming Professor that will be fòund a meer Idolater Many a Soul goes down to Hell in this sin in the midst of his Profession and never discerns it till it be too late Remember I beseech You that the Oxen the Farm Wife Merchandize all of them lawful Comforts did effectually keep men from a sound and saving closing with Christ as the vilest lusts of the worst of men Whatever you find your hearts very much pleased in and in love with among these earthly Comfoâ—…ts set a mark upon that thing and remember that there lies your greatest danâ—…r What you love most you must fear most and think ofâ—…en wiâ—…h your selves This if any thing is like to be my 〈…〉 multitudes of Professors that perish for ever by 〈…〉 â—…and of this mortal Enemy I mean the overvalâ—…ing of Earthly things The hearers compared to the thornâ—… Ground did not openly fall away and cast off their Profession as the stony ground did but while others withered away the blade of Profession was as green and fresh as ever and yet their inordinate aâ—…ection to the things of this life did secretly undo all at last Little do most Professors think of this while they please themselves in their estates while they delight themselves so freely in their Children in their Wives in their habitations and possessions that these be the things that â—…re like to undo them for ever How little is that Scripture thought of which speaks so dreadfully to worldly Professors Love not the World for if any man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him Are there not many among us who though they do keep up Prayer and other holy Duties yet the strength and vigour of their hearts goeth out after earthly things And these are their chief care and their chief joy Such must know that they are none of Christs and they were better to understand it now and seek to be renewed by Repentance then hereafter when there shall be no place for Repentance 2. Lest while Iniquity doth abound your love to Christ doth wax cold Remember what an Abomination Laodicea was to Christ because she grew so luke-warm and what a controversie he had with Ephesus a sound Church because she did but flacken and grow more remiss in her love A friend is born for adversity and now is the time if you will prove the sincerity of your love and friendship to Jesus Christ by following him zealously resolvedly sully now he is more rejected and opposed Thirdly Lest you keep up a barren and fruitâ—…ss Profession withâ—…ut Progression See to it my Brethren that you be not onely Professors but proficients Many Professors think all is well because they keep on in the exercises of Religion but alas You may keep on praying aâ—…d hearing all the Week long and yet be not one jot the further Many there are that keeâ—… going but it is like the Horse in the Mill that is going all day but yet is no further than when he first began Nay it oft times happens in the Trade of Religion as it doth in trading in the World where many keep on in trading still till for want of care and caution and examining their accounts whether they go forward or backward they trade themselves out of all Oh look to it my Brethren that none of you rest in the doing of duties but examine what comes of them Otherwise as you may trade your selves into Poverty so you may hear and pray your selves into hardness of heart and desperate security and formality This was the very case of wretched Laodicia who kept up the trade of religious duties and verily thought that all was well because the trade still went on and that she was increased in spiritual goods and in a gaining way but when her accounts were cast up at last all comes to nothing and ends in wretchedness poverty and nakedness Most dear Brethren I wish and pray for the prosperity of you all but above all I wish your Souls prosperity with which after my most dear Loves to you all having already exceeded the bounds of an Epistle I commend you to the living God Remaining Your fervent well wisher and Embassador in Christ JOS. ALLEINE Devises June 22. 1666. LETTER XXX An Admiration of the Love of God To the most Loving and best Beloved the servants of God in Taunton Salvation My most dear Friends I Love you and long for you in the Lord and I am weary with forbearing that good and blessed work that the Lerd hath committed to me for the surtherance of your Salvation How long Lord how long shall I dwell in silenâ—… How long shall my Tongue cleave to the Rooâ—… of my Mouth When will God open my Lips that I may stand up and praise him But it is my Fathers good pleasure yet to keep me in a total disability of publishing his Name among you unto him my Soul shall patiently subscribe I may not I cannot complain that he is hard to me or useth me with Rigour I am full of the Mercies of the Lord yea Brimful and running over And shall I complain Far be it from me But though I may not murmur meâ—…hinks I may mourn a little and sit down and wish O if I may not have a Tongue to speak would I had but Hands to Write that I might from my Pen drop some heavenly Councels to my Beloved People Methinks my feeble Fingers do even Itch to Write unto you but it cannot be alas my right-hand seems to have forgot her cunning and hath much ado with trembling to lift the Bread unto my Mouth Do you think you should have had so little to shew under my Hand to bear Witness of my Care for You and love to you if God had not shock my Pen as it were out of my Hand Buâ—… all that he doth is done well and wisely and therefore I submit I have purposed to borrow Hands wherewith to write unto my Beloved rather then to be silent any longer But where shall I begin or when should I end If I think to speak of the Mercies of God towards me or mine enlarged affections towards you methinks I feel already how strait this Paper is like to be and how insignificant my Expressions will be found and how insufficient all that I can say will prove at last to utter what I have to tell you but shall I say nothing because I cannot utter all this must not be neither Come then all ye that fear the Lord come and I well tell you what he hath done for my Soul O help me to love that precious Name of his which is above all my Praises O love the Lord all ye his Saints and fear before him
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
watchful observers you may now much more be carried away in such a place and among such company as now you may be likely to be in Sir I beseech you to be assured that nothing but the conscience of my duty hath engaged me now you have been so many years a stranger to me and are at so many thousand miles distance from me to write notwithstanding to you And I beseech you bear a little with me Is it wisdom after you have begun in the Spirit to end in the flesh you did run well who hath hindred you I remember your strict walkings your holy converse your many tears will you-lose the things that you have wrought have you found out another a nearer way to Heaven do you hope to get in at the wide Gate in the broad way need I to mind you that it had been better for you never to have known the way of Life then after you have known it to turn aside from the Holy Commandment can you ever enter into Gods Hill without you be of clean hands and a pure heart I know you are not ignorant That strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it and will you yet do as the most and decline the way of strictness and whole self-denial and give the flesh the reins what when God that cannot lie hath said If you live after the fleshe you shall die Do you not know that you do in vain name the name of the Lord Jesus Christ except you depart from iniquity I am sure you know it Oh Sir consider it improve it Oh have you so learnt Christ as to think â—…at the way of carnal liberty and loosness the way of evil company and fleshliness is the way to eternal life I am not for tying up Salvation to this or that Opinion but certainly let men be of what opinion they will without strâ—…ess self-denial and holy diligence they cannot be saved Mat. 16. 42. Mat. 11. 12. 1 Pet. 15 16. Once you could say with 〈…〉 I am companion to all them that 〈…〉 is it so now O Sir let not the wicked entice you Hath not God said A Companion of fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. That you must forfake the foolish if you desire to live Prov. 9. 6. Sir I have no more hopes ever to meet you more on Earth O that I might meet you in Heaven let us tread the same path of Holiness and then we shall doubtless meet there But surely you must deeply and timely repent of and return from your grievous back-slidings or else I desire never to meet in your Heaven But why should not we that have so often met in serious and holy Prayer together we that have so often met at the Lords Table together we that have so often eat together and fasted together meet in glory together I beseech your dear Sir if the Lord hath not already smitten you to the dust and broken you and reduced to the ways of holiness now consider your ways and turn your â—…eet to his Testimonies Oh remember that The back-slider in heart shall be filled with his own ways God hath said it and who shall reverse it If any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him And once again when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity shall he live In his Trespass that he hath trespassed shall he not diâ—… I know Prayers can reach you though at so vast a distance I shall add to them these Counsels and commit you to God remaining Yours real Friend in Christ JOS. ALLEINE Juelchester May 18th 1664. LETTER XXXV Good Counsel to his Wise. My most dear Theodosia THou seemest to have been long from me let nothing any longer detain thee but my Sisters necessity or Fathers Authority I am very sorry that thou should lose two Sacraments I am in a comfortable state of health through Divine goodness to which be glory for ever See that thou love and admire that Fountain of our life and peace and be ever mindful that 't is all thy business to love and serve and praise thy Creator and Redeemer I have no other business but this to write to thee about but this is all our business What be use to call business is but vanity and pastime and some by matter in comparison of this Remember and forget not that 't is thy chief end to glorifie God and enjoy him for ever Learn well that Lesson and know that it is the only thing necessary Every morning remember that thy serving and pleasing of God is the whole business of that day and therefore set out accordingly with an express design and intention to please God in thy eating drinking visiting conversing calling and duties of thy Relations throughout the day My most dear heart I have nothing in the world that doth concern thee or me so much to write of to thee as this is Oh that thou mayst still be laying up in Heaven still furthering thy account still adding to the heap and encreasing thy glorious reward nothing is done for God but thou shalt hear of it again Whatever is not done for God is but so much lost Those things which others do being led by their natural affections and desires those things do thou do with holy aims for spiritual ends and then God will put it on the account as so much done for him So it is my dearest God keeps a true account See that thou believe it and so plow in hope and sowe in hope pray and hear with an eye to the sure reward Let thy hopes be strong and lively and then thy hands will be strong and thy resolutions and affections will be strong My time is very precious and I would not lose any inch of it See thou to it that my time in writing this letter be not lost time Love God the more and set thine heart the straighter towards him and do but practice this one thing in every solemn action to look to thy ends and then I have got well and thou better by these Counsels My dearest I love thee in truth and tenderness but my love signifies little unless it serve thine eternal good I rest thine own JOS. ALLEINE LETTER XXXVI To his Wife Desires after Heaven My dear Heart MY heart is now a little at rest to write to thee I have been these three days much disturbed and set out of frame Strong solicitations I have had from several hands to accept very honourable preferment in several kinds some friends making a Journey on purpose to propound it but I have not found the invitations though I confess very honourable and such as are or will be suddenly embraced by men of far greater worth and eminency to suit with the inclinations of my own heart as I was confident they would not with thine I have sent away my friends satisfied with the reasons of my refusal and
love still abiding Thy fast and sure ORESTES Bath Octob. 12. 1668. LETTER XXXVII To a person of Quality to be constant Most Honoured Sir MAny charges have passed over both you and my self since my last Writing to you but I am glad to hear that in that great change of your condition you have made so wise and happy a choice Mine unfeigned desire to God is for your Temporal and Spiritual prosperity and that the blessings of both Worlds may be heaped up upon you Yet I should desire you not to expect too much here nor to count it a strange thing if you meet with disappointments Is it enough if you have the Lord for your portion and Heaven for your Inheritance though the World should not answer your expectations I doubt not but you will be likely as well as we to meet with manifold temptations the Lord make you when you have done all to stand Hold out a while in faith patience and self-denial and you shall be as sure as God can make you of the Crown Now arise and shine and hold forth the power of holiness in all your converse We have lived in times when Religion was the way to credit and esteem and then it was more difficult to discern sincerity of ones profession because men might be drawn to it upon worldly ends But now is the time when God will prove us if we will appear for him and own his ways when they are the common scorn of the World Oh Sir think it not hard if God do call you forth to own him in such a time as this when few of your rank and quality will bear you company but look upon it as a special advantage to prove your sincerity and your fidelity to the Lord your Maker The holy and blessed life of that noble Marquess Galeacius I should much commend to your reading and imitation Court not the World nor its preserments Moses his self-denying choice which the World would have branded for unparalled folly when he voluntarily left all the Court-preferments and pleasures the wisest Judge commends for the greatâ—… wisdom If Religion will make you vile resolve with thaâ—…â—…yal Worthy that you will be yet more vile Remember who accounted the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the Treasures of Egypt Verily it is a greater honour to you to be vilified for Christ than to be â—…ignified with the highest Titles that the greatest on Earth can conser and to be call'd Puritan or Phanatique for the bold and constant owning of the power of Christianity than to have whole Pages filled up with the honourable offices and marks of Dignity that Earthly Princes can bestow Now then is your time to get the true honour Few of your places and dignity will take this way to get it But he that can but use the prospective os Faith and look as far as the approaching Judgement will easily see the vanity of the worlds riches and flattering preferments and the everlasting glory and honour wherewith the dispised Saints shall surely be Crowned Fix your eyes and Meditations here and that will set you above the worlds temptations when by its offers or threatnings it would make you to warp and to let go your hold-fast of Eternal life Now is the time for you to make Heaven sure and when that is done you are prepared for the worst that can come I desire you to accept of my service and respects and my Wives which I do hereby present unto you and to your most deserving yoak-fellow whom I unfeignedly honour though I never saw her not so much for her noble blood which yet calls sor great respects as for her far more noble qualifications and priviledges of her second birth Pardon my boldness with you in troubling you so long I am Sir Your most Oblidged Friend and Servant JOS. ALLEINE Feb. 26. 1661. LETTER XXXVII Dear Cousin THough I have been in the valley of the shadow of death though I have had more than one foot in the Grave and have been in deaths often yet the love and remembrance of you ever liveth on my heart I have long had neither feet to walk nor hands to write yet I have borrowed hands as you see rather than I would stay any longer from warning and admonishing of you Dear Couzin that soul of yours that precious-immortal soul is of no light value with me I pray hard for its Salvation I have a Godly fear for you lest your soul should miscarry in a crowd of worldly business and of earthly cares Ah my dear Niece it comforts me that you are so setled for this world and are in want of nothing I bless the Lord for this but me thinks this doth not satisfie me Oh that I could be sure that you were once safe setled in Christ though you are I trust comfortably furnished with earthly things yet in this you are but half provided for have you a Treasure in Heaven have you laid hold on eternal life have you made sure work for everlasting have you past the straits of the New-Birth do you bear upon you the marks of the Lord Jesus If you shall pass by a sumptuous Fabrick and a great Lordship and should lay claim to all as your inheritance and please your self with the hopes of enjoying all this when you had nothing to shew no Writing no Evidence to produce as a ground for any such hopâ—… would not every one say this were a piece of strange vanity and imprudence much greater folly is it to promise our selves a part in Paradise and rest satisfied in a meer perswasion that we are the Heirs of Heaven when we cannot prove our Title from the Book of God nor produce from within our selves the sure and certain marks of the children of God Ah dear Couzin rouze up your self make conscience to deal plainly and freely with your soul say within your self I have hopes for Heaven but where are my grounds and my Evidences do I not build without a foundation do I venture my Salvation upon meer uncertainties What have I what do I more than others I pray I hear I read but may not a meer Hypocrite do all this I run not with others into the wretched practice of Lying and Couzening Whoredom and the like but what is this more than a Pharisee may have to say for himself can I prove by Scripture my claim to Heaven can I produce Chapter and Verse to justifie my self Oh Couzin fear least a Promise being left of entring into rest you should by any mistakes or self-deceits fall short through unbelief fear lest you should take Countâ—…â—…old or some common workings for saving Grace Oh there is a world of counterfeit Coin going multitudes perish by mistake and wake in Hell whilest they dreamt they were in Heaven the tempâ—…er is very subtile and will sure deceive if he can your heart is deceitful above all things and is willing to cheat you if it can Therefore am
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
watch for your Soul and to charge and admonish you in the Lord and to take care of you But yet Dear Cousin be not discouraged by these things but look to Heaven flie unto Jesus put away every known sin set upon the conscientious performance of every known duty make Christ your choice embrace him upon his own terms deliver up your self body and soul to him see that you have no reserves nor limitations in your choice of him give him your very heart cast away your worldly hopes and expectations make Religon your very business O Cousin these things do and you shall be sure of a friend in Heaven to take the care of you and if I may be any comfort to you you shall not fail while I live to have one friend on earth to take care for you You are gone far from me even to the uttermost parts of the Earth but I have sent these Lettters to call even thither after you yea not onely to call but to cry-in your Ears O what is like to become of your Soul Where is that immortal Soul of yours like to be lodged for ever Amongst Devils or Angels Upon a Bed of Flames or in the joys of Paradise Dear Cousin go aside by your self in secret retire from the noise of the World and say to your self Oh my Soul whither art thou going do not I know in my very heart that I must be converted or condemned That I must be Sanctified or I can never be Saved Oh my Soul what seekest thou what designs do I drive at what is my chief care which way do I bend my course Is it for this World or the World to-come Do I first seek the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteousness thereof Do I think Heaven will drop into my mouth that Glory and immortality will be got with a wet finger with cold Prayers and heartless wishes while the World carries the main of my heart Do I think to be Crowned and yet never fight to get the race and never run to enter at the strait gate and never strive to overcome Principalities and Powers and never wrestle No no say within your self Oh my Soul either lay by the hopes of Heaven for ever or else rouse up thy self put forth thy strength in seeking after God and Glory either lay by thy Worldly hopes or thy hopes of immortality away with thy sins or thou must let Christ go for ever think not to have Christ and the World too to serve God and Mammon it cannot be If thou follow the World as thy chief desire and delight if thou live after the flesh thou must die count upon it the Lord hath spoken it and all the World can never reverse it Thus reason the case with your own Soul and give not rest to your self night nor day till you are gotten off from the World broken off from the wilâ—…ull practice of every known sin and gotten safe into Christ. Dear Cousin I charge you by the Lord to observe these things pray over them weep over them read them again and again do not pass them over as slight and ordinary things your Soul is at stake it is your Salvation is concerned in them think not I am in jest with you Ah Cousin I travel in birth with you till Christ be formed in you Why should you die Oh repent and live lay hold on eternal life win Christ and you win all O be thankful to the Lord that now you are fatherless and friendless yet you have one Remembrancer to warn you to flie from the wrath to come God forbid that I should find you at last in the place of Torments for your not embracing the Godly Counsels To conclude in short I charge you as a Minister as a Father to you Take heed of these three things 1. Lest the gain of the World prove the loss of your Soul 2. Lest the snare of evil company withdraw you from God and so prove your final ruine 3. Lâ—…t a lofty and a worldly heart should thrust you out of the Kingdom of Heaven God abhors that the proud should come near him Oh labour whatever you do for an humble heart be little be vile in your own eyes seek not after great things be poor in Spirit without this Heaven will be no place for you God will be no friend to you Dear Cousin your lot is fallen as I fear in a place of great wickedness where your Soul is in much danger where your temptations are many and your helps for Heaveu but few where Godly examples are rare and many will entice you to sin and vanity O! if you love me or love your Soul look about you consider your danger fear lest you should miscarry for ever by worldly loss and vain company which proves to so many the fearful cause of their eternal perdition I can but warn you and pray for you but though you have none to oversee you remember the strict and severe eye of God is upon you to observe all your actions and that he will surely bring all your practices into his Judgement Your Aunt with my self commend our dear love to you and I commend you to the Lord and remain Your loving and careful Uncle JOS. ALLEINE August 19. 1668. LETTER XXXVII Dear Cousins THough you are removed far from me out of my sight and the Seas as a great Gulf are fixed betwixt you and me yet my Prayers follow you and my good wishes for your present and everlasting welfare like the wings of a Dove take speedy flight I look upon my self now God hath removed my Brother to be as in the room of a Father to you yea and of a Mother too for I know you have but little help from her My Dear Neece my heart is careful for you and therefore I cannot cease while I am in being in this World to warn and admonish you as my Children and to call upon you in the Name of the Eternal God to awaken your selves with all Godly fear and holy diligence lest by any means you should come short of the glory of God Let me mind you dear Cousins of the dangerous place your stand in and look about you with trembling Methinks I see Satan watching for your Souls as the Dragon did for the Seed of the Woman waiting to devour it as soon as she should be delivered Know you not that you must wrestle with Principalities and Powers Methinks I see Temptations surrounding you and belaguering you as the enemy about the Walls of the Treacherous party within you I mean carnal affections and corruptions comploâ—…tinge how to deliver up the Castle Know you not that your fleshly Lusts do war against your Souls and that your own hearts are not true to you but deceitful above all things Lord what need have you to bestir your selves and to flie unto Jesus to distrust your selves and to trust onely in him and his Righteousness Oh work your Salvation with â—…ear and
rejoyce in the Lord and again I say Rejoyce let your souls magnifie the Lord and your spirits rejoyce in God your Saviour Live you a life of praise you are highly favoured of the Lord your Lines are fallen in a pleasant place only stick you fast to your choice Beware lest any man beguile you of your reward watch and keep your garments about you lest you walk naked and men see your shame Many will be plucking to pull you out of Christs hands but the harder they pluck the harder do you cling and cleave to him and the better hold fast do you take of him blessed is he that overcometh And now the God of Heaven fill you all with himself and make all Grace to abound in you and toward you and that he may be a Sun to comfort you and a Shild of protection to you and shine with his happy Beams of Grace and Glory on you all Farewel in the Lord I am Yours in the Bonds of the Gospel JOS. ALLEINE August 28. 1663. LETTER XVI How to live to God To the Beloved People the Inhabitants of the Town of Taunton Grace and Peace Most endeared Christians TO tell you I love and long for you seems somewhat needless I cannot doubt of your confidence that you have a deep share in my tenderest affections for this let my labours among you and the hazards for you speak rather that I my self Beloved I am without a Complement the devoted servant of your souls prosperity and the interest of Christ in you way the Lord Jesus be set up higher in your hearts may his name ever live in you and be magnified by you and I have what I ask If this work be not promoted among you I shall account all my letters but waste Paper and all my pains but lost labour Brethren I beseech you that none of you live to your selves for this were directly to cross the very end of Christ's death for therefore he died that you should not live to your selves 2 Cor. 5. 15. Oh live to him that died for you live to him that is the God of your life live to him that bought your lives with the expense of his own To him that bought you from destruction and not only so but bought your names into the eternal Inheritance reserved in the Heavens for you Will a man be easily perswaded to lose his life how infinitely tender are men here And yet in the worst sence the most of men do lose their lives yea lose them for nothing Beloved consider I beseech you that life is lost that is not lived unto God If you would not loss your lives that you live see to him who is the end of your lives Oh remember this and reckon that day lost which you have not lived unto God! Brethren how great a part of our lives have we really alas to too really lost I beseech you take heed here you are careful about many things but beware that other things do not put out this which should be the main of your cares to wit the spendin your days and strength for him that made you Would it not be dreadful for a man to find at last when he comes to his account with God that his whole life or at least the main of it had been but damnable self-seeking That a man should have so many years allowed him by God and he should at last be found to have been but a false and wicked servant that had set up for himself with his Masters stock and alienated his goods and turned them to his own use Well that you may throughly learn the grand lesson of living unto God take these Counsels First Settle it upon your heart that it is the sum of all your business and blessedness to live unto God 'T is your business for his pleasure you are and were created what have you else to do but to serve your Maker in your general and particular Callings what was the Candle made for saith one but to be burnt beloved what else have you strength for but for God doth he maintain servants and shall not he look for their work Would you endure it that the servants that you find with meat and wages should set up for themselves that they should eat your bread and all the while do their own work beloved Gods service is your business and he made you and keeps you for no other end and it is your blessedness too Labour to be under the rooted conviction of this principle that your very happiness lies in pleasing and honouring of God Let the sense of this live fresh upon your hearts and it will regulate your whole course Secondly Remember what a dangerous yea damnable thing it is to live to your selves To make it our main care and business to please and gratifie our selves or to have applause from and reputation with others or to grow rich in the world and greaten our selves and posterity is the certain evidence of a graceless heart And though the Godly do make God their principle end in general yet they must know that for so much of their lives ar is spent besides this end which is too too much they shall suffer loss Thirdly Labour to keep alive upon your selves a deep sense of your strong obligations to God Often think with your selves what a righteous what a reasonable thing it is that you should with all that you have serve the Lord. Beloved sha I not the Vessel be for the use of the Potter that made it Shall not the servant Trade for his Master with whose goods he is entrusted do yot not fetch all your bread from Gods door Is not he the Rock that begat you the Author of your being and well-being is not this he that can crucifie you or release you can save you or damn you at his pleasure Is it not from him that you fetch every breath your interest obliges you to please him Why should Beltshazzars charge be against you that the God in whose hand your breach is and whose are all your ways you have not glorified Dan. 5. 23. Fourthly Do not only intend God as the general end of your course but in every solemn action actually mind your end Though a man need not cannot think of his Journeys-end at every step yet with care he might come to this in every solemn action particularly and expresly to mind his end a man cannot nor need he think at every bit that he puts into his mouth I will eat this for God yet he might every time he sits down to his Table remember to eat and drink not to gratifie his flesh but to glorifie God by getting strength for his work you cannot think of it in every step in your Journey but without intending some glory to God by serving his will in your place and station and so in your visits and labours Fifthly Every morning let this be your first and firm resolution I will set
am now ready with joy to say with David Soul return unto thy rest But alas that such things should disturb me I would live above this lower region that no passages or providence whatsoever might put me out of frame nor disquiet my soul and unsettle me from my desirest rest I would have my heart fixed upon God so as no occurrences might disturb my tranquility but I might be still in the same quiet and even frame Well though I am apt to be unsettled and quickly set off the hinges yet methinks I am like a Bird out of the nest I am never quiet till I am in my old way of Communion with God like the needle in the Compass that is restless till it be turned towards the Pole I can say through grace with the Church with my soul have I desired thee in the night and with my Spirit within me have I sought thee early my heart is early and late with God and 't is the business and delight of my life to seek him But alas how long shall I be a seeking how long shall I spend my days in wishing and desiring when my glorified Brethren spend theirs in rejoycing and enjoying look as the poor imprisoned captive sighs under the burdensome clog of his Irons and can only pear through the Grace and think of and long for the sweetness of that liberty which he sees others enjoy such methinks is my condition I can only look through the Grate of this Prison my flesh I see Abraham and Isaac and Jâ—…ob sitting down in the Kingdom of God but alas I my self must stand without longing striving fighting running praying waiting for what they are enjoying Oh happy thrice happy pouls when shall these Fetters of mine be knocked off when shall I be set at liberty from this Prison of my body you are clothed with glory when I am clothed with dust I dwell in flesh in a House of Clay when you dwell with God in a House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens I must be continually clog'd with the cumbersome burden of this Dung-hill Body that had it not a soul dwelling in it like Salt as it were to preserve it would soon turn to puâ—…faction and corruption and be as odious and loathsom as the filthiest Carrion when you have put on incorruption and immortality What continual molestation am I subject to by reason of this flesh What pains doth it cost me to keep this earthen vessel from breaking it must be fed it must be clothed it must be exercised recreated and which is worst of all cherished with time-devouring â—…ep so that I live but little of the short time I have allotted me here but oh blessed souls you are swallowed up of immortality and life your race is run and you have received your Crown How â—â—â—rious must I beâ—…to keep me from dangers how apt am I to be troubled with the cares and fears of this life molesting my self with the thoughts of what I shall eat and what I shall put on and wherewithal I shall provide for my self and mine when your souls are taken with nothing but God and Christ and 't is your work to be still contemplating and admiring that love that redeemed you from all this Alas how am I encompast with infirmities and still carry about me Death in my bosom what pains and cost must I be at to repair the rotten and ruinous building of this earthly Tabernacle which when I have done I am sure will shortly fall about my ears when you are got far above mortality and are made equal with the Angels Oh I groan earnestly to be cloathed upon with my house which is from Heaven being willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord Oh when shall I come and appear before him When shall I receive the purchase of my Saviour the fruit of my prayers the harvest of my labours the end of my Faith the Salvation of my soul Alas what do I here this is not my resting place My treasure is in Heaven and my heart is in Heaven Oh when shall I be where my heart is woe is me that I sojour in Mesech and dwell in the Tents of Kâ—…dar Oh that I had wings like a Dove that I might flie away and be at rest Then would I hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest and be out of the reach of fears disturbances and distractions How long shall I live at such a distance from my God at such a distance from my Countrey Alas how can I be merry how can I sing the Lord Song in a strange Land no I will hang my Harp upon the Willows and sit down and weep when I remember Sion But yet my flesh â—…hall rest in hope and I will daily bath my soul in the sweet thoughts of my blessed home I will rejoyce in hopes of what I do not yet enjoy and content my self with the taste of what I shall shortly have my fill of But stay this Pen runs not beyoud thy Commission Alas now I â—…ceive what I have gotten I perceive I have set down what I would be rather than what I am and wrote more of my dears heart than my own penning rather a Copy for my self than a Copy of my self Well I thank God I haue got some heat by it for all the Lord grant thou mayst get a thousand times more The Lord grant the request I daily pour out before him and make us helps and furtherances to each others soul that we may quicken and promote and forward one another in his ways Help me by thy Prayers as thou dost always The God of all peace and comfort be with thee my sweet love Farewel Thine beyond Expression JOS. ALLEINE LETTER XXXVII God is a satisfying Portion My most dear Pylades HAd not my right hand long since forgot her cunning and the Almighty shook the Pen out of my hand I should long ere this have been writing to thee but it is a wonder of Divine Power and goodness that my soul had not before this time dwelt in silence and that death had not put the long period to all my writing and converse O my Pylades what shall I say unto thee now I begin to write where shall I begin when shall I end methinks I am as a full Bottle quite inverted where the forward pressing of the overhasty liquor makes the evacuatin more flow and my thoughts are like a thronging croud sticking in the door Long is the song of love that I have to tell thee I rejoice in the constancie of thy love that the waters of so long a silence and so great a distance have not yet quenched it but thy desires are towards me and thy heart is with me though providence hath hindred me from thy much desired company I will assure thee it hath been a pleasure to my heart a good part of this summer to hope that I should come one half