The Life and Death of Joseph Alleine, Letters · Letter 15
LETTER XV. [Perswasion to Sinners, and comfort to Saints]
To my dearly Beloved, the Inhabitants of the Town of Taunton, Grace, Mercy, and Peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Most dearly Beloved:
I Have been through mercy many years with 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 value as a great mercy, not in order to myself, if I know my own heart, but in order to your benefit, as 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 bespoken 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 Bruits 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 strictness 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 prosane 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 cou'd 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 our his hands toward you? O sinners, cast your selves into his Arms? 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, Lord, 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 drists 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 nor profaneness swallow you up: let not an almost Christianity deceive you, orignorance 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, how often? who can tell how often, would Gods servants have gathered you, and you would not? many, very many of you would not. But will you now? will you yet come in? I cannot forbear once more, even out of the Prison to call after poor Sinners, and make one tender of mercy more. O come to the Waters of Life, wash you, make you clean; read with 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 before 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 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 Shield 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, JOSEPH ALLEINE. August, 28. 1663.