Christian Letters Full of Spiritual Instructions, Letter 8
LETTER VIII. [How to shew love to Ministers, and live joyfully.] To the most Loving and dearly Beloved, my Christian Friends in Taunton, Grace, Mercy, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Most endeared Brethren,
I Have received your moving melting letter, and could not look over such tender expressions of your working affections, without some commotions in my own: I may confidently say, I spent more Tears upon those lines, than ever you did Ink: your deep sense of my labours in the Ministry, I cannot but thankfully acknowledge, and take notice of: yet withal, heartily and unseingedly consessing, that all was but the duty which I did owe to your precious and immortal Souls: which God knows, are very much short of my duty. The omissions, imperfections, defects, deadness, that accompanied my duties I do own, I must and will own; and the Lord humble me for them. But all that was of God (and that was all that was good) be sure that you give to God alone. To him I humbly ascribe both the Will, and the Deed, to whom alone be Glory for ever.
My dear Brethren, my business as I have often told you, is not to gain your hearts, or turn your eyes towards me, but to Jesus Christ: his Spokesman I am, will you give your hearts to him? will you give your hands, your names to him? will you subscribe to his Laws, and consent to his Offices, and be at through defiance with all his Enemies? This do, and I have my Errant. Who will follow Christs Colours? who will come under his Banner? this shall be the man that shall be my Friend; this is he that will oblige me for ever. Do these Letters come to none that are yet unsanctified? to no loose sinner? to no ignorant finner? to no unsound professor? Oh that there were none such indeed! oh that I had left no such behind me! but would they do me a kindness as I believe they would, oh then let them come away to Jesus Christ at this call! lie no longer O sinner, in thy swill, be no more in love with darkness! stick no longer in the skirts and outside of Religion, demure no longer, dispute not, and waver no more, halt no further, but strike in throughly with Jesus Christ, except nothing, reserve nothing, but come off throughly to the Lord, and follow him fully. And then happy man that thou shalt be, for thou will be made for ever; and joyful man that I shall be, for I shall save a Soul from death. The earnest and pittiful beggings of a poor Prisoner, do use to move some Bowels: hear O Friends, will you do nothing for a Minister of Christ? Nothing for a Prisoner of Jesus Christ? methinks I hear you answer, [yea, rather what will we not do, he shall never want while we have it; he shall need no office of Love, but we will run and ride to do it.] Yea, but this is not that I beg of you; will you gratifie me indeed? then come in, kiss the Son, bow to the Name of Jesus; not in a Complement, with Cap and Knee, but let your Souls bow, let all your Powers bend Sail, and do him homage. Let that Sacred Name be Graven into …he substance of your hearts, and lie as a bundle of Mirth between your Breasts. Let me freely speak for him, for he is worthy for whom you shall do this thing; worthy to be beloved of you; worthy to have your ve…y hearts, worthy to be admired, adored, praised, served, glorified to the uttermost by you, and every Creature; worthy for whom you should lay down all, leave all: Can any thing be too much for him? can any thing be too good for him? Or too great for him? come give up all, Resign all, lay it at the Feet of Christ Jesus, offer all as a Sacrifice to him, see that you be universally the Lords; keep nothing from him: I know through the goodness of God, that with many of you this work is not yet to do: but this set solemn resignation to the Lord is to be done more than once; and to be followed with an answerable practice when it is done: See that you walk worthy of the Lord? but how? in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost; let these two go together. So shall you adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour: and experience, the Heavenly felicity of a Christians life: While Holiness is made the But of others Persecution, do you make it the white, the mark of your prosecution; that you live it up, as much as others cry it down. O watch and keep your Garments about you; the plain, but comely clothing of humility, the seamless Coat of Christian unity, the strait and close Garment of strictness, mortification and self-denial, the warm Winter-garment of love and charity, this Garment will keep you warm in the Winter: love will not be quenched by the Waters, nor cooled by the nipping Frosts of persecution and opposition. Cleave fast to Christ, never let go your hold; cling the faster, because so many are labouring to knock off your fingers, and loosed your hold. Hold fast your Profession, hold fast your Integrity, hold …ast the beginning of your confidence stedfast to the end: If you do but keep your hold, and make goud your ground, and keep your way; all that the World can do, and all that the powers of darkness can do, can never do you harm. Keep your own Vinyard with constant care and watchfulness, and be sure that there be no Inroad made upon your consciences, that the, Enemy do not get between you and home, between your souls and God; and then let who or what will assail you without, you need not fear: let this be your daily exercise, to keep your consciences void of offence: keep fair weather at home, however it be abroad. But I would not only that you should walk holily, but that you should walk comfortably: But I need say the less to this, because the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, do lie together. On the provision God hath made for your continual joy and comfort: dear Brethren, do but understand your own blessedness, happy men that you are, if you did but know and consider it; who would count himself poor and miserable that hath all the fulness of the Godhead for his: sound in this deep: can you find any bottom? take the heighth of the Divine Perfections if you can, till then you cannot tell your own felicity. Take a servey of Immensity, tell me the longitude or latitude of infinite goodness and mercy, of the Eternal Diety: if you can do this, you may guess at your own happiness. Oh Christians! live like your selves, live worthy of your Portion, of your Priviledge, and your glorious prerogatives. I am in haste, and it is time for me to end; however, that you may walk worthy of your glorious hopes, and may live answerably to the mercies you have received from above, is the great desire of
From the Prison at Juelchester, September 18. 1663. Your Souls fervent well wisher in the bonds of affliction and tribulation. JOS. ALLEINE.