The Life and Death of Joseph Alleine, Letters · Letter 22
LETTER XXII. [Christian Care, Faith, Self-denial.]
To the most Beloved People, the Servants of God in Taunton, Salvation:
Most endeared Christians,
THe reason why my Letters have not of late come so thick as formerly to you, is not because I forget to love you, and to care for you; but because I have been busily taken up in other Labors of sundry kinds for you. I am yours, and love to be so, being ambitious not to have dominion over your faith, but to be a helper of your Joy. Christs Officers are so your Rulers in the Lord, as yet to Preach not themselves, but the Lord Jesus Christ, and themselves your Servants for Jesus sake. I have no greater felicity under God, than to serve the good of Souls. Brethren beloved, How fares it with your Souls? Are they in Health? Do they prosper? I wish your Temporal prosperity. It is a joy to me to hear when your Trade doth flourish: But these are but very little things if we look into Eternity. Brethren, my ambition for you is, that you should be Cedars among the Shrubs, that from you should found out the Word of the Lord, and that in every place your Faith to God-ward should be spread abroad. That Taunton should be as a Field that the Lord hath blessed: That you should not onelyonly have the Name, but the Spirit, Life, Power, Heat, Growth, Vigour of Christianity among you. Let not Taunton onelyonly have the Name to live, and be noted for the Profession of Religion, but see to it my Brethren, that the Kingdom of God be with you: Oh that every one of your Souls might be a Temple of God! Oh that every one of your Families might be a Church of God! Beloved, look to it, that every one that nameth the Name of Christ among You do depart from Iniquity, secret as well as open, of the Heart as well as of the Life. Let no man think that to make an out-cry upon the Wickedness of the Times, and to be of the Professing Party; will serve his turn; many go to Hell in the company of the wise Virgins. That no man may be a Self-deceiver, let every man be a Self-Searcher. He that keeps no Day-Book in his Shop, and no Account, no Record in his Conscience, his Estate and his Soul will thrive both alike. Beloved, I would that You should remember whither You are a going. If a man be after a few Months to be Transported into another Countrey, never to Return more, he will send over whatever he can, and make the best Provision that he may against he comes into another Countrey. Dear Brethren, You are Strangers and Pilgrims here, and have but a few Months abode in this Countrey, see that you Traffique much with Heaven. Christ is our Common Factor, O send over to him what possible you can. Give Alms plentifully, Pray continually, be much in Meditation and Consideration; Reckon with your selves daily: Walk with God in Your Callings: Do all the Duties of your Relations as unto God: Live not one day to your selves, but unto Christ: Set forth continually in his Name, so shall you be continually Transporting into another World, and laying up Treasure in Heaven: And O the blessed Store that You shall find there after a few Years diligence in such a holy Course! Beloved, while You are here in this World, You are but like a Merchants Ship in a strange Port, the day for your Return is set, and You are to stay no longer then till your Fraight is ready. Be wise, know your season, improve your time, You are made or mar'd for ever, as You speed in this one Voyage. There is no returning again to this Countrey to mend a bad Market, God will call in all his Talents, Time shall be no longer. Oh? come in, come and buy now while the Market is open, that You that want may have Grace, and You that have may have it more abundantly. Go and plead with the Lord Jesus, that he hath bid You come, buy and eat without Mony, and without Price; that he hath counselled You to come buy of him Gold, Raiment, and Eye-salve; tell Him You are come according to his call, and wait upon him for Grace; for Righteousness, for Light and Instruction: Lay hold on his Word, plead it, live upon it; he is worthy to be Believed, worthy to be Trusted, go out of your selves to him, unlearn your selves. There is a threefoold Foot that Carnal-self stands upon, our own Wisdome, our own Righteousness, our own Strength, these three Feet must be Cut off, and we must learn to have no subsistence in our selves but only in Christ, and to stand only on his bottom. Study the excellent Lesson of Self-denial, Self-annihilation, A true Christian is like a Vine that cannot stand of it self, but is wholly supported by the Prop it leans on. It is no small thing to know our selves to be nothing, of no might, of no worth, of no understanding, nor reality; to look upon our selves as helpless, worthless, foolish empty shadows. This holy Littleness is a great matter; when we find that all our Inventory amounts to nothing but Folly, Weakness, and Beggery; when we set down our Selves for Cyphers, our Gain for loss, our Excellencies for very Vanities, then we shall learn to live like Believers. A true Saint is like a Glass without a Foot, that set him where you will, is ready to fall every way till you set him to a Prop: Let Christ be the only Support you lean unto. When you are throughly Emptied and Nullified, and see all comeliness to be but as a withered Flower, dead, dried, and past Recovery, then You will be put upon the happy necessity of going out to Christ for all.
The Messengers haste forceth me Abruptly to end here: I can add no more, by my Prayers to my Counsels, and so commending you to God, and the Word of his Grace, I rest
The fervent Well-willer of your Souls, JOS. ALLEINE. From the Prison at Juel-Chester, April 16. 1663.