The Way to True Happiness, Introduction · Conclusion
The Conclusion of the whole.
And now my brethren let me know your minds. What do you intend to do? Will you go on and die, or will you set upon a thorow and speedy conversion, and hold on eternal life? how long will you linger in Sodom? how long will you halt between two opinions? 1 King. 18. 21. Are you not yet resolved whether Christ or Barabbas, whether bliss or torment, whether the land Cabul, 1 Kings 9. 13. or the Paradise of God, be the better choice? Is it a disputable case, whether the Abana and Pharphar of Damascus, be better than all the streams of Eden? or whether the vile puddle of sin, be to be preferred before the water of life, clear as Crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb? Can the world in good earnest do that for you, that Christ can? Will it stand by you to eternity? will pleasures, titles, lands, treasures, descend with you, Psal. 49. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 7. If not, had you not need look after somewhat that will? What mean you to stand wavering, to be off and on? Foolish Children! how long will you stick between the womb and the world? Shall I leave you at last no farther than Agrippa, but almost perswaded? Why, you are for ever lost, if left here. As good not at all, as not altogether Christians. You are half of the mind to give over your former negligent life, and to set to a strict and holy course: you could wish that you were as some others be, and could do as they can do. How long will you rest in idle wishes, and fruitless purposes? when will you come to a fixed, full, and firm resolve? Do not you see how Satan gulls you, by tempting you to delays? How long hath he toll'd you on in the way of perdition? how many years have you been purposing to amend what if God should have taken you off this while?
Well, put me not off with a dilatory answer. Tell not me of hereafter. I must have your present consent. If you be not now resolved, while the Lord is treating with you, and woing of you, much less are you like to be hereafter, when these impressions are worn out, and you are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Will you give me your hands? Will you set open the doors, and give the Lord Jesus the full and present possession? Will you put in your names into his Covenant? Will you subscribe? What do you resolve upon? If you are still upon your delays, my labour is lost, and all is like to come to nothing. Fain I would, that you should now put in your adventures. Come, cast in your lot, make your choice. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation: to day if you will hear his voice. Why should not this be the day from whence thou shouldest be able to date thine happiness? why shouldest thou venture a day longer, in this dangerous and dreadful condition? What if God should this night require thy soul? O that thou mightest know, in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace, before they be hid from thine eyes! Luke 16. 42. This is thy day, and 'tis but a day. Iohn 9. 4. Others have had their day, and have received their doom; and now art thou brought upon the stage of this world, here to act thy part, for a whole eternity Remember, thou art now upon thy good behaviour for everlasting. If thou make not a wise choice now, thou art undone for ever. Look what thy present choice is, such must thine eternal condition be. Luke 10. 42. Luke 16. 25. Prov. 1. 27, 28, 29.
And is it true indeed? is life and death at thy choice? yea, 'tis as true as truth is. Deut. 30. 19. why then, what hinders but that thou shouldest be happy? Nothing doth or can hinder, but thine own wilful neglect, or refusal. It was the passage of the Eunuch to Philip: See here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? So I may say to thee: see, here is Christ, here is mercy, pardon, life, what hinders but that thou shouldst be pardoned, and saved? One of the Martyrs as he was praying at the stake, had his pardon set by in a box (which indeed he refused, deservedly, because upon unworthy terms.) But here the terms are most honourable and easie: O sinner, wilt thou burn with thy pardon by? Why do but forthwith give up thy consent to Christ, renounce thy sins, deny thy self, take up the Yoak, and the Cross, and thou carriest the day; Christ is thine, pardon, peace, life, blessedness, all are thine: and is not this an offer worth the embracing; Why shouldst thou hesitate, or doubtfully dispute about the case? Is it not past controversie, whether God be better than sin, and glory better than vanity? Why shouldst thou forsake thine own mercy, and sin against thine own life? When wilt thou sh…ke off thy sloth, and lay by thine excuses? Boast not thy self of to morrow: thou knowest not where this night may lodge thee. Prov. 27. 1.
Beloved, now the holy Spirit is striving with you. He will not always strive. Hast thou not felt thy heart warmed by the word, and been almost perswaded to leave off thy sins, and come in to God? Hast thou not felt some good motions in thy mind, wherein thou hast been warned of thy danger, and told what thy careless course would end in? It may be thou art like young Samuel, who when the Lord called once and again, he knew not the voice of the Lord: 1 Sam. 3. 6, 7. but these motions and items are the offers, and essays, and the calls and strivings of the spirit. O take the advantage of the tide, and know the day of thy visitation.
Now the Lord Jesus stretcheth wide his arms to receive you. He beseecheth you by us. How movingly, how meltingly, how pitifully, how passionately he calleth! The Church is put into a sudden extasie upon the sound of his voice, The voice of my beloved! Cant. 2. 8. O wilt thou turn a deaf ear to his voice! it is not the voice that breaketh the Ceders, and maketh the mountains to skip like a Calf, that shaketh the Wilderness and divideth the flames of fire, it is not Sinai's Thunder; but the soft and still voice. It is not the voice of Mount Ebal, a voice of cursing, and terror; but the voice of Mount Gerizim, the voice of blessing, and of glad tidings of good things. It is not the voice of the Trumpet, nor the noise of War, but a message of peace from the King of peace, Eph. 6. 15. 2. Cor. 5. 18, 20. Methinks it should be with thee as with the spouse; My soul failed when he spake, Cant. 5. 6. I may say to thee, O sinner, as Martha to her sister, The Master is come, and he calleth for thee, Iohn. 11. 28. Oh now, with Mary, arise quickly, and come unto him. How sweet are his invitations! He cryeth in the open concourse. If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink. Iohn. 7. 37. Prov. 1. 21. He broacheth his own body for thee. Oh come and lay thy mouth to his side. How free is he! he excludeth none. Whosoever with, let him come and take the water of life freely, Rev. 22. 17. Whoso is simple, let him turn in hith…r. Come, eat of my bread, drink of the wine which … have mingled. For sake the foolish, and live, Prov. 9. 4, 5. 6. Come unto me, &c. Take my yoak upon you, and learn of me, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Mat. 11. 28, 29. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Joh. 6. 37. How doth he bemoan the obstinate refuser? O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy Children, as a Hen guthereth her Chickens under hot wings, and ye would not. Mat. 23. 37. Behold me, behold me: I have stretched out my hands all the day to a rebellious people. Esay. 65. 1, 2. O be perswaded now at last, to throw your selves into the arms of love.
Behold, O ye sons of men, the Lord Jes…s hath thrown open the prisons, and now he cometh to you (as the Magistrates once to them Acts 16. 39.) and b…ee…heth you to come out. If it were from a Palace, or a Paradise that Christ did call you, it were no wonder if you were unwilling (and yet how easily was Adam tolled from hence?) but it is from your prison, sirs, from your chains, from the dungeon, from the darkness that he calleth you? Esay. 42. 6, 7. and, yet will you not come? He calleth you unto liberty. Gal. 5. 13. and yet will you not hearken? His yoke is easie, his Laws are Liberty, his service freedom: Mat. 11. 30. Iames 1. 25. 1 Cor. 7. 22. and (Whatever prejudices you have against his ways) if a God may be believed, you shall find them all pleasure and peace, and shall taste sweetness and joy unutterable, and take infinite delight and felicity in them. Prov. 3. 17. Psal. 110. 165. 1 Pet. 1. 1. Psal. 119. 103. 111.
Beloved, I am loath to leave you. I cannot tell how to give you over. I am now ready to shut up, but fain I would drive this bargain between Christ and you, before I end. What, shall I leave you as I found you at last? Have you read hitherto, and are not yet resolved upon a present abandoning all your sins, and closing with Jesus Christ? Alas, what shall I say? what shall I do? Will you turn off all my importunity? Have I run in vain? Have I used so many arguments, and spent so much time to perswade you, and yet must sit down at last in disappointment? But it is a small matter that you turn off me: you put a slight upon the God that made you, you reject the bowels and beseechings of a Saviour, and will be found resisters of the Holy Ghost. Acts 7. 51. if you will not now be prevailed with, to repent and be converted.
Well, though I have called long and ye have refused, I shall yet this once more lift up my voice like a Trumpet, and cry from the highest places of the City, before I conclude with a miserable Conclamatum est. Once more I shall call after regardless sinners, that, if it be possible, I may awaken them. O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord, Ier. 22. 29. Unless you be resolved to die, lend your ears to the last calls of mercy. Behold, in the name of God, I make open proclamation to you. Hearken unto me, O ye Children. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not, Prov. 8. 32, 33.
Ho, every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eate ye that which is good, and let your soul delight it self in fatness. Incline your ear and come ye unto me, hear and your soul shall live, and I Will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Esay 55. 1, 2, 3.
Ho, every one that is sick of any manner of disease or torment, Mat. 4. 23, 24. or is possessed with an evil spirit, whether of pride, or fury, or lust, or covetousness, come ye to the Physician; bring away your sick. Loe here is he that healeth all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people.
Ho, every one that is in debt, and every one that is in dist…ess, and every one that is discontented, gather your selves unto Christ and he will become a Captain over you. He will be your protection from the arrests of the Law; He will save you from the hand of Justice. Behold, he is an open sanctuary to you, he is a known refuge, Heb. 6. 18. Psal. 48. 3. Away with your sins, and come in unto him, lest the avenger of blood seize you, lest devouring wrath overtake you.
Ho, every ignorant sinner, come and buy eyesalve that thou maist see, Rev. 3. 18. Away with thine excuses; thou art for ever lost, if thou continuest in this estate, 2 Cor. 4. 3. But accept of Christ for thy Prophet and he will be a light unto thee, Esay. 42. 6. Eph 5. 14. Cry unto him for knowledge, study his word, take pains about the principles of Religion, humble thy self before him, and he will teach thee his way, and make thee wise unto salvation, Mat. 13. 36. Luke 8. 9. Iohn 5. 39. Psal. 25. 9. But if thou wilt not follow him, in the painful use of his means but sit down, because thou hast but one talent, he will condemn thee for a wicked and sloathful servant, Mat. 25. 24, 26.
Ho, every prophane sinner, come in and live. Return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon thee. Be entreated, Oh return, come: Thou that hast filled thy mouth with oaths, and execrations, all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven thee, Mark 3. 28. if thou wilt but throughly turn unto Christ, and come in. Though thou wast as unclean as Magdalen; yet put away thy Whoredoms out of thy sight, and thine adulteries from between thy breasts, and give up thy self unto Christ, as a vessel of holiness, alone for his use, and then, though thy sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wooll, and though they be as crimson, they shall be as white snow, Luke 7. 37. Hos. 2. 2. 1 Thes. 4. 4. Esay. 1. 18.
Hear O ye drunkards, How long will you be drunken? put away your wine, 1 Sam. 1. 14. Though you have rolled in the vomit of your sin, take the vomit of repentance, and heartily disgorge your beloved lusts, and the Lord will receive you. 2. Cor. 6. 17. Give up your selves unto Christ, to live soberly, righteously, and godly; embrace his righteousness; accept his government; and though you have been swine he will wash you, Rev. 36.
Hear O ye loose companions, whose delight is in vain and wicked societie, to sport away your time in carnal mirth and jollity with them, come in at wisdoms call, and choose her, and her ways, and forsake the foolish, and you shall live, Prov. 9. 5, 6.
Hear O ye scorners, hear the word of the Lord. Though you have made a sport of godliness, and the professors thereof; though you have made a scorn of Christ, and of his waies; yet, even to you doth he call, to gather you under the wings of his mercy, Prov. 1. 22, 33. In a word, though you should be sound among. the worst of that black roll, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. yet, upon your through Conversion, you shall be washed, you shall be justified, you shall be sanctified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of ou… God, ver. 11.
Ho, every formal professor, that art but a luke-warm and dough-baked Christian, and restest in the form of godliness, give over thy halving, and thy halting; be a throughout Christian, and be zealous and repent, and then though thou hast been an offence to Christ's stomach, thou shalt be the joy of his heart, Rev. 3. 16, 19, 20.
And now bear witness, that mercy hath been offered you. I call Heaven and Earth to record against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that you may live, Deut. 30. 19. I can but woo you, and warn you: I cannot compell you to be happy: if I could, I would. What answer will you send me with to my Master? Let me speak unto you as Abrahams servant to them; and now if you will deal kindly and truly with my Master, tell me, Gen. 24. 49. Oh for such a happy answer, as Rebekah gave to them! Gen. 24. 57, 58. And they said, we will call the dams…l, and enquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her. Wilt thou go with this man? and she said, I will go. Oh that I had but thus much from you! Why should I be your accuser, Mat. 10. 14, 15. who thirst for your salvation? Why should the passionate pleadings and wooings of mercy be turned into the horrid ag…avations of your obstinancy and additions to your misery. Judge in your selves: Do you not think their condemnation will be doubly dreadful, that shall still go on in their sins, after all endeavours to recall them? Doubtless, it shall be more tolerable for Tire and Sydon, yea for Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of Iudgment, than for you, Mat. 11. 22, 24.
Beloved, if you have any pity for your perishing souls, close with the present offers of mercy. If you would not continue and increase the pains of your travelling Ministers, do not stick in the birth. If the God that made you have any authority with you, obey his command and come in. If you are not the despisers of grace, and would not shut up the doors of mercy against your selves, repent and be converted. Let not Heaven stand open for you in vain. Let not the Lord Jesus open his wares, and bid you buy without money and without price, in vain. Let not his Ministers and his Spirit, strive with you in vain, and leave you now at last unperswaded; lest the sentence go forth against you, The Bellows are burnt, the Lead is consumed of the fire, the Founder melteth in vain. Reprobate Silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them, Ier. 6. 29, 30.
Father of Spirits, take the heart in hand that is too hard for my weakness. Do not thou have ended, though I have done. Half a word from thine effectual power, will do the work. O thou that hast the key of David, that openest when no man shutteth, open thou his heart as thou didst Lydia's and let the King of glory enter in; and make this soul thy happy captive. Let not the Tempter harden him in delays. Let him not stir from this place, nor take his eyes from these lines till he be resolved to forg… his sins, and to accept of life upon thy self-denying terms. In thy name O Lord God did I go forth to these Labours, in thy name do I shut them up. Let not all the time they have lost; be but lost hours, let not all the thoughts of heart, and all the pains that have been about them, be but lost labour. Lord put in thine hand into the heart of this Reader, and send thy spirit, as once thou didst Philip, to joyn himself to the Chariot of the Eunuch, while he was reading thy word. And though I should never know it while I live, yet I beseech thee Lord God let it be found at that day, that some souls are converted by these labours: and let some be able to stand forth and say, that by these perswasions, they were wo… unto thee.
Amen. Amen. Let him that readeth say Amen.
FINIS.
Reading Mr. Ioseph Allein Book, entituled An Alarm to the unconverted.
REader, who ere thou art dost chance to look,
Bless God directed thee to such a Book:
Be serious when thou readest, 'tis no droul,
But that which aimeth to convert thy soul.
What mad besotted desperado can
Take prejudice against this holy man?
Who did sincerely nothing else desire,
But to prevent thy leaping in the fire;
And pen'd this Book out of a true endeavour
To keep thee from that lake which burns for
I do beseech you read it over; why ever.
Will you be obstinate and choose to dye?
Know you what Heaven is, or can you tell
The torments of those damned souls in Hell?
Now read and pray, O pray that God will give
A true repentance, that your soul may live:
This Book needs no Commendum, for no doubt
You will commend it, if you read it out:
What did I care, so sinners understood,
If each word were a tear or drop of blood?
End of the text · Joseph Alleine, The Way to True Happiness (1678)