The Works of the
Rev. John Wesley, M.A.

The Manners of the

ANCIENT CHRISTIANS.

Extracted from a French Author.

CHAPTER I.

Of the life of Christ.

1.AS the Christian religion is not an invention of men, but the work of God, it received its full perfection at the beginning of it. For who can imagine, the apostles were ignorant of any truth necessary or useful to salvation? Or that any thing has been since found out touching the conduct of life, more wise and excellent than what Jesus Christ taught them? It is among the first Christians therefore, that we must look for a pattern of the most perfect life, and by consequence of the most happy, which can be upon earth.

2. Let us begin with the life of Christ himself, the model and source of all perfection. In his very childhood he sets us an example, by his teachableness and obedience to his parents. Of the rest of his youth we only know, that he lived in the little town of Nazareth, passing for the son of a carpenter and working as one himself. In such obscurity he, who came to be the light of the world, chose to pass the greatest part of his life. Thirty years he lived a private life, and only three or four in public, to shew us, that a private life is best for the generality of men: and that there is only a small number who ought to act in public, so far as the order of God, and the love of their neighbour require it.

3. Before he began his great work, he prepared himself for it, by fasting and prayer. And having afterwards been tempted of the devil, to shew, he is able to succour when we are tempted, he went forth to seek and to save that which was lost. He shewed that he came from God by his miracles. And even these gave him matter of many virtues; of simplicity, humility, patience. He wrought them without any pride or ostentation; he seldom stayed till he was asked to do them; and then, only to exercise, or to make known the faith of those that asked him. He gives the glory of all to his Father. “I can of myself, says he, (that is, as man) do nothing. My Father who abideth in me, he it is that doth the works.”

4. What patience was it, to bear that incredible multitude, which continually followed him, who prest to touch him, who threw themselves upon him, and were often ready to overwhelm him? If he went into a house, all the city gathered together at the door, and gave him no time, so much as to eat. So that he could no longer come into the towns, unless in secret; but was forced to stay abroad in the deserts: and even thither the people followed him in great multitudes, as appears by the five thousand, whom he fed there. Hence it was, that he retired to the mountains to pray, that he employed the nights therein, and that he slept when he could, and as he could; as in the ship, during the storm.

5. His life was now more laborious, than when he worked with his hands. Indeed he had not time to work in; insomuch that he suffered women to minister unto him of their goods, and even kept some money by him. Of this he made Judas the keeper. So much did Jesus esteem money! He gave alms of the little he had, and sometimes he had none at all. Indeed he lived all along in great poverty. He had not where to lay his head. At his death, he had no goods, but his cloaths. He came, not to be ministered unto, but to minister. He made his journeys on foot, and continued walking even till the heat of the day. For it was at noon that he sat down, weary as he was, on the well, where he met the woman of Samaria. And tho’ he was the Lord of nature, we find not that he wrought any miracle for his own convenience, or to spare his own pains. The angels ministered unto him only once, to shew what was his due, had he pleased to use it.

6. All his carriage was simple, easy, natural, lively. He looked them in the face, with whom he spake: as the rich young man. It is often said, “He stretched forth his hand unto them;” often, that he made use of such other particular gestures, as were suitable to the occasion. Sometimes his very looks exprest pity, or grief, or indignation: at other times, tenderness; as when he took up the children in his arms, and laid his hands upon them.

7. With all this plainness and simplicity of behaviour, he preserved a wonderful dignity. He was always serious. We find him twice in tears: but it is not said, that he ever laughed. He asked nothing of any man, following his own maxim, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” All men sought him out and ran unto him. He conversed with all, without any meanness of behaviour, and yet with the utmost condescension; being easy of access to all; yea to Publicans and Sinners. He condescended to eat, and to lodge with them, yea to let a woman that was a sinner touch him, and perfume his feet; a delicacy that seemed quite opposite to his poor and mortified life.

8. As he came into the world to instruct mankind, he taught continually both in public and private: insomuch that men admired the power by which he spoke, and the gracious words that came out of his mouth. His discourse was simple and clear, without any ornament, but lively and natural figures. Sometimes, he speaks by actions, as when he bids John’s disciples, “Go tell unto John what ye have seen and heard.” And generally, his words are few. He lays down great principles without troubling himself to draw consequences, or to prove them. Indeed they carry in themselves the light of truth, which only wilful blindness can resist. When he does use proofs, they are those of sensible reasonings and familiar comparisons. His miracles were the strongest proofs, and best suited to all understandings. These were equally apprehended by the learned, as Nicodemus, and the unlearned, as the man born blind. He often joins thereto the authorities of the law and the prophets, shewing that his doctrine came from the same wisdom, and that the Old Testament and the New were built on the same divine foundation.

9. That his disciples might have the full benefit of his example, he lived with them in common, as one family. They followed him wherever he went; they eat and lodged with him; they had opportunity of studying him continually. He spared no pains to instruct them. What they understood not in his public discourses, he explained to them in private; treating them as his friends, and telling them all things, as they were able to bear them. He bore with the utmost patience, their dulness, their ignorance, their vanity, and all their faults, and laboured without ceasing to correct them.

*10. But he had other disciples beside the twelve: for all who believed and were baptized were called his disciples. St. Paul mentions above 500 of them, who together saw him after his resurrection. So that the church even then consisted of two parts: the people, simply called The disciples or The brethren, and those whom Christ had set apart for ministring in public: such were first, The apostles, and then the seventy, whom he chose, and sent two and two before his face.

*11. The different degrees of love wherewith our Lord loved different persons are worthy a serious reflection. He hath taught us, that every man is our neighbour, whom we are to love as ourselves: and he accordingly loved all the world: yea, he gave his life for all. Yet he loved his disciples in a particular manner, and above the rest of them, his apostles; above the rest of the apostles, St. Peter and the sons of Zebedee; and above all, St. John. Thus by his own example hath he authorized us to regard some persons with a particular affection, and shewn, that peculiar friendship is not inconsistent with universal charity.

12. But in his sufferings chiefly hath “He left us an example, that we should tread in his steps.” Being like us in all things, except sin, he felt all the inconveniences of life; hunger, thirst and weariness and pain: and the state he was in, the night before his passion in the garden, plainly shews, that he was sensible like us, of grief and fear and sadness. Add to these his sense of the hardness of men’s hearts, and the contradiction of sinners. But he suffered all, and particularly in his passion, with an invincible constancy. He who with a word could have confounded his accusers and judges together, opened not his mouth. He stood unmoved as a rock in the midst of all insults, reproaches, outrages. On the very cross he possest his soul in patience. Even there retaining composure of mind, he prays for his murderers; he accepts the faith of the penitent thief; he provides for his mother’s comfort; he finishes the accomplishment of the prophecies; he commends his spirit to God.

CHAPTER II.

Of the church at Jerusalem.

1.AFTER the apostles had received the Holy Ghost, they were living images of Jesus Christ. And by them all the following servants of Christ were to form their hearts and lives. So St. Paul to the Corinthians, Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ: and to the ♦Philippians, Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so, as ye have us for an example.

2. Thus they taught by their lives as well as their words. But they chose out some of the believers, whom they taught in a more particular manner, as Jesus Christ had instructed them. These were with them continually wherever they went: these followed them in all their journies, and were appointed by them to reside in, and to govern the churches as they were formed. So with St. Peter was Mark, whom he calls his son (1 Peter v. 13.) and St. Clement, well known in all the churches. With St. Paul, were Timothy, Titus, St. Luke, and sometimes the same St. Clement. Thus Polycarp accompanied St. John. These holy men applied themselves with all care to learn the doctrine, and to imitate the lives of the apostles. And hereby they were themselves examples to other believers, both by word and conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. They likewise themselves formed disciples, capable of instructing and forming others. And this St. Paul directs Timothy to do (2 Timothy ii. 2.) The things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thus was the faith once delivered to the saints: thus was the church, the whole body of Christians from the beginning, the ground and pillar of truth, of all the truths contained in the oracles of God. In the writings therefore of these, not of modern reasoners and disputers, are we to search for that sense of scriptures hard to be understood, which they received from the apostles, and the apostles from Christ.

3. The church at Jerusalem, the pattern and mother of all churches, was taught and governed by the apostles themselves. And all the members thereof continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayer. All who believed were together and had all things common. They sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, as every man had need. They continued daily with one accord in the temple, and in breaking bread in the house or chamber appointed for it: and eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. Again we read, The multitude of them that believed, were of one heart, and of one soul, neither said any, that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. And great grace was upon them all, neither was there any among them, that wanted: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles feet. And distribution was made to every man, according as he had need.

4. This community of goods the ancient philosophers and law-givers often endeavoured, but could never effect: having only punishments to constrain, or reasonings to persuade men to it. And both these were too weak to prevail. Only the grace of Christ could effect it. When this was shed abroad in their hearts, they all looked on each other as brethren, all united in one family, and fed alike by the common care of their Father. The law of love, so often repeated by their Lord, was continually before their eyes, and by this did all men know they were his disciples, by their love to one another.

5. It is said, that they continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine; and they are often called, the disciples or learners. They diligently applied themselves to learn all the truths of God, whether by hearing the apostles both in public and private, or by reading and comparing together the holy scriptures, and meditating upon them. It is likewise said, that they continued in prayer, and went daily for that purpose to the temple: probably at the solemn hours of prayer, the third, sixth and ninth, which the Christian church observed for many ages.

6. The other part of their daily service mentioned here, is the breaking of bread, or the Lord’s supper, as the phrase signifies, not in this place alone, but in many others of the New Testament. It was followed by a repast, the use of which continued long in the ♦church, under the name of Agapæ, or feasts of love. And these it is said, They eat with gladness and singleness of heart. In a word, all the Christians were as little children, in humility, disinterestedness and purity. By renouncing worldly good and hopes, they had cut off the occasions of passions and of the uneasinesses of life: so that their minds were wholly taken up with heaven, and their hope full of immortality. Thus the church of Jerusalem subsisted near forty years, under the conduct of the apostles and St. James (the bishop of it) in particular: till the Christians seeing the ruin of that unhappy city to approach, according to the prediction of their Master, retired out of it to the little town of Pella, where they continued in peace and safety.

CHAPTER III.

The state of the Heathens before their conversion.

1.THEY who are unacquainted with history, suppose, that the men who lived seventeen hundred years ago, were more artless, more innocent and more teachable, than those that are now alive. But the writings of those times which still remain, clearly prove the contrary. The crimes, whereof they give us to full accounts, were committed in the face of the sun. No one ran into a corner to commit them, or endeavoured afterwards to conceal them. And the providence of God seems to have preserved these accounts, on purpose to shew, from what an abyss of corruption (described in short by St. Paul in the beginning of his epistle to the Romans) Jesus Christ delivered the world.

2. The ordinary diversions of the people of Rome, were to see men kill one another, or torn in pieces by wild beasts. And the governors of the provinces, daily exercised the greatest cruelties upon those who were not Romans. The emperors put to death whom they pleased, without any process or trial; whence it was that bad princes shed so much blood, even of the most noble Romans. Their avarice was equal to their cruelty; so that all places were full of frauds, of falshoods, of perjuries, of calumnies, of violences and oppressions.

3. Yet in the midst of the Roman empire, yea, of Rome itself, Christianity established itself: And that at a time when it was the most enlightened that ever it was, as well as the most corrupted. Nor could it more evidently appear, that the Gospel was the power of God, than by its triumphing over those very dispositions, which were of all others most opposite to it. What could be more opposite to the humility of faith and the simplicity of the Christian doctrine, than the haughtiness of self-conscious knowledge, and pride of understanding? What to the inward purity it required, and the strictness of its morality, than that entire depravity of heart, and overflowing corruption of manners?

4. The manner of preaching the Gospel was different, according to the dispositions of the hearers. The apostles convinced the Jews by proofs drawn from their own prophets, and other parts of holy writ; the Heathens, by reasonings, more simple or more subtle, according to their capacity. But what most prevailed on the heathen was, the miracles which were frequent, for two hundred years after the apostles, the holy lives of the Christians, and their constancy in sufferings and death.

5. When any one desired to be a Christian, he was brought to the bishop, who carefully examined, what were the motives and causes of his desiring it, and what his life past had been? For none were received ’till they had renounced whatever was contrary to the law of Christ: and given proof for some time, that they were determined, to make it the rule of their future life.

6. He who was judged sincere in his desire, was received by the bishop into the number of Catechumens. These were not only present at the ♦public exposition of scripture (for so might the Infidels themselves) but had Catechists appointed for them, whose office it was, to instruct them severally in the first principles of Christianity, and to watch over them continually, that their practice might be answerable thereto. The common time for being a catechumen was two years: but it might be either longer or shorter. It was always so long, till the person appeared to be changed in heart and life. The names of those who were judged to be thus changed, were given in at the beginning of Lent. And these, as well as the faithful, spent that solemn time, in watching, fasting and prayer. In the mean while they were instructed in the creed, and the mysteries of the Christian faith: as to their progress wherein they were frequently examined in the church, before the congregation.

7. Toward the end of Lent they were taught the Lord’s prayer, and instructed in the nature of the sacraments, and having been thus prepared, they were baptized on Easter-Eve, that they might rise again with Christ: or on the eve of Pentecost, that they might be ready to receive the Holy Ghost. But though these were the stated times of baptism, even till the tenth age; yet they who were in danger of death were baptized at any time: as in case of open persecution.

8. The day of baptism being come, the Catechumen was brought to the baptistery. This was at first near the church, or in the church porch: afterwards in the church itself. Here, after he had renounced the devil and all his works, he was questioned concerning the faith, and concerning his purpose of leading a Christian life. To which questions he gave distinct answers. He was then immerged in the consecrated water, three times; at the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. At his coming out of the water, a white garment was given him, for a token of the innocence which was now given him, and which he was to take care to preserve without spot unto his life’s end. When the persons baptized were infants, their sureties or sponsors (as Tertullian calls them) answered for them. Immediately after baptism they were presented to the bishop to be confirmed, by prayer and imposition of hands; and for a long time after they were instructed and assisted, as by the priest, so by those who had witnessed for them, till they were throughly perfect in the faith, and fully prepared for every good work.

CHAPTER IV.

Of their prayer and study of the scriptures.

1.THOSE who were baptized began to lead a new life, wholly spiritual and supernatural: a life of faith and prayer: remembring the words of their Lord, that men ought always to pray and not to faint; they endeavoured to pray without ceasing, and used all sorts of means, that the application of their spirit to God, might ♦be interrupted the least that was possible. But of all prayer, they had the greatest esteem for public; as well knowing, the more persons joined together, to beg of God any mercy, the more force their prayers had to obtain it. And the service ended, they saluted each other, the men the men, and the women the women, with the kiss of peace.

2. But besides their solemn prayers both in public and private, they used particular prayers before all they did: following therein the direction of St. Paul, Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, even the Father by him. Accordingly, plowing, sowing, reaping, and all their works, were begun and ended in prayer. They prayed when they began to build a house, or to live in it, and on all the common ♦occurrences of life. Their salutations when they met, and at the beginning of their letters, were not only expressions of friendship, but prayers.

3. The book of Psalms made a great part of their prayers; as including the sum of all the scriptures, and shewing what sentiments a servant of God ought to have, in all the various conditions of life. To these they always joined the reading a part of some of the other holy books: all which the bishops and pastors of the church, explained with all diligence, instructing their flock both publicly and from house to house, and suiting their instructions to their several capacities. But they all along declared, they spake not from themselves, they said nothing new, nothing of their own. They declared, that they were only faithful relators of the gospel of Christ, and of that interpretation thereof, which they had received from their fore-fathers, and their fore-fathers from the apostles. They imprinted in the faithful the utmost abhorrence for all novelties, especially in doctrine. Insomuch that if private Christians heard any discourse which was contrary to the first faith, they did not amuse themselves with disputing, but immediately left the place.

4. What had been read to them in public, out of the holy scriptures, the faithful read again in private. They talked of it in the house and by the way; they meditated thereon day and night. Indeed, particular houses, as St. Chrysostom observes, were then churches. Every father being a pastor to his family, instructing his wife, children, servants; exhorting them familiarly, presiding over their joint devotion, and every way assisting to preserve them in the unity of the church, and to build them up in faith and love.

5. In the mean while they did not neglect to work with their hands, both, that they might avoid idleness, the root of all vices, that they might provide for their own housholds, and that they might have the more ability to help their brethren. But they took care to chuse not only innocent employs, but such as best suited with retirement and humility, and did not too much engage the mind, or dissipate the thoughts: what time they could spare from these, they employed in works of charity: in visiting the sick or afflicted, and assisting whoever stood in need of their assistance. So that the life of a Christian was a continued course of prayer, reading and labour, succeeding each other; and as little as possible interrupted by the necessities of life. Whatever calling they were of, they regarded it always, as only an accessory or help to religion; which they ever remembered was the one single business, that was to take up all their lives. Their profession was, purely and simply to be Christians. They assumed no other distinction: and when they were questioned concerning their name, their country, their condition, their one answer was, “I am a Christian.”

CHAPTER V.

Of their fasts, meals, modesty and seriousness.

1.THE fasts of the ancients were either yearly, as that of Lent, which they observed daily till six in the evening; or weekly, as those of Wednesday and Friday, which they observed till three in the afternoon. The yearly they kept in memory of their Lord, and in obedience to that command, When the bridegroom shall be taken away, then shall they fast in those days. And the weekly too were observed throughout the whole church, in remembrance of his passion: because on Wednesday the council against him was held, and on Friday he was put to death. During the whole Lent, many eat only bread and water: some added thereto nuts and almonds: and others were obliged to use different food, according to their different infirmities. But all abstained from wine and delicate meats, during whatever time was set apart for fasting, and spent as large a proportion of it as they could, in retirement, reading and prayer.

2. At all times the meals of Christians were plain and frugal. They did not live to eat, but eat to live. They used only such food and such a measure of it, as was necessary for health and strength. As to the kinds of food, they eat whatever was set before them, except blood and things strangled; from which they carefully abstained, according to the decree of the apostles speaking by the Holy Ghost. Some indeed there were in all ages, who eat only herbs with bread and water: not out of any abhorrence of other food; but believing this to be best for their own weakness. No Christians eat with ♦heretics, or persons excommunicate: but they did sometimes with infidels, that they might not break off all society with them.

3. The same air of modesty appeared in all the other parts of their life. They valued only inward greatness; they esteemed no nobility, but nobleness of soul. They made no account of perishable goods, or of any riches but spiritual. They utterly despised all that luxury had introduced; all the idle expence of magnificent buildings; of costly apparel; of sumptuous furniture, and vessels of gold and silver. Behold the furniture which her persecutors found in the chamber of Domna, a rich lady of Nicomedia: the Acts of the apostles, two matts upon the floor, a wooden box, and an earthen censer.

4. As to their dress, they wore no glaring colours, but mostly white, the emblem of purity. They used no costly stuffs, no rings, jewels, perfumes; nothing fine or delicate; plainness, modesty, gravity and a contempt of ornament, were visible in their whole exterior. They made use of none of the public diversions, but accounted them all abominations; not only as being idolatrous, but as being one great source of the general corruption of manners. And in fact the theatre was no other than a school of immodesty: the amphitheatre where men fought with each other, or with wild beasts, was evidently a school of cruelty. And all these diversions fomented all sorts of passions, which it is the business of Christianity to calm. Therefore it is, that even the races of the Circus which appeared the most innocent, are constantly mentioned, by the fathers, with horror and detestation: not only on account of the idleness they promoted, and the vast expence that attended them; but likewise of the promiscuous converse of men and women, and the factions which reigned there, producing every day quarrels and furious animosities, that often proceeded even to blood.

5. They likewise entirely disapproved of dice, and all other sedentary games, the least mischief of which they judged to be, the nourishing of sloth and idleness. They did not approve of loud laughter, or whatever has a tendency thereto: as light discourses, ludicrous gestures or actions, buffoonery, drollery. They thought all these beneath the dignity of a Christian, and absolutely unworthy his high calling: whose conversation ought to be always good, to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. They considered, that both our Lord and all his apostles, led the most serious life possible: and that St. Paul condemns by name, that habit of jesting, raillery or facetiousness, which the Heathens ranked among their virtues, as not convenient for a follower of Christ.

6. But as strict as the life of these Christians was, we must not imagine it was melancholy. No, as they prayed without ceasing, and in every thing gave thanks, so they rejoiced evermore. They were not disquieted by covetousness or ambition. They were free from pride, malice, envy, and all that train of uneasy passions, by which, men of the world are continually tormented: not being attached to the goods of the present life; they were little touched with the calamities of it: having always the peace of a good conscience, the joy of doing well, and a full assurance of the favour of God, both in time and in eternity.

7. Nor did the care of their posterity give them any inquietude. The happiness they wished their children was no other, than that they desired for themselves, even to finish their course with joy. If they left them orphans, they knew the church would be their mother, and supply all their wants. Thus they lived without care, without fear, without desire of any of the things of the world. But not without pleasure. What pleasure, (says Tertullian) is greater than contempt of the world, “contempt of death, true liberty, purity of conscience; contentedness with all things? You tread under foot the gods of the Heathens; you heal diseases; you cast out devils; you are led by the Holy Ghost; you live to God. These are the pleasures; these the diversions of Christians.”

CHAPTER VII.

Of their persecutions.

1.BUT notwithstanding the purity of their doctrine, and the unblameableness of their lives, the Christians found what their Lord had told them before, that they should be hated of all men. Because they were not of the world, therefore the world hated them. Therefore was their name cast out as evil: yea, all manner of evil was said of them falsly; and by all ranks of men; both unlearned and learned; people and magistrates being against them. And the prejudice was such, that they were frequently condemned upon the bare name of Christian, without any farther examination. This sufficed to destroy all their good qualities; it being a common saying, “Caius Sejus is a good man; if he were not a Christian.”

2. It’s no wonder, that this universal prejudice, drew many persecutions upon them: a persecution commonly began by some edict forbidding the Christians to meet together. The bishops gave notice of this immediately, and exhorted one another, to redouble their prayers, and to encourage the faithful to run with patience the race set before them. Then many retired, and some even of the pastors, while the rest remained with the people, but carefully concealed, knowing they were the persons, who would be sought for most diligently, as those whose destruction would probably occasion the dispersion of the whole flock. Indeed the rules of the church prohibited any, wilfully to expose themselves to danger, or unnecessarily to provoke the Heathens, and draw persecution upon them.

3. When any Christians were discovered and apprehended, they were brought before the magistrate, who seated on his tribunal, interrogated them, whether they were Christians? If they denied it, they were immediately set at liberty, for they knew a Christian would not save his life by a lie. If they confest they were Christians, all arts were made use of to vanquish their constancy. First, by persuasion and promises, then by threatnings, and last of all by tortures. Sometimes they endeavoured to surprize them into idolatry, and then persuade them that they could not retract. They had always some idol and altar near. On this they offered victims in their presence: of which they would often force them to eat, or to drink of the wine offered to the idol. But this the Christians resisted with all their strength: nay, when incense was laid upon their hands with burning coals, they would not so much as shake off the coals for fear of seeming to offer the incense.

4. The usual methods to force them to deny the faith, were, to stretch them upon the rack, by cords fastened to their hands and feet, and drawn at both ends by pullies: to hang them up by their hands with weights tied to their feet: to beat them with rods or large battoons, with thongs made of raw hides, or with scourges that had balls of lead, or iron points at the end. While they were stretched on the rack, they frequently applied burning coals or torches to their arms or sides: often at the same time tearing off their flesh with pincers or combs of iron. Insomuch that the bones being laid bare, and the intrails lying uncovered, the flame entering into the body put an end to the life of the sufferer.

5. They who survived these tortures, and persisted in professing themselves Christians, were either executed or remanded to prison. Their prisons were only another sort of torture, being commonly dark and loathsome dungeons. Here they put fetters upon their hands and feet. Many had large pieces of wood hung at their necks: many were chained in the most uneasy postures, with weights fastened to their legs or arms. Sometimes they strewed the floor with small pieces of glass, or fragments of earthen vessels, on which they stretched out the prisoner, naked as he was, and wounded all over. There they sometimes left them to die of hunger and thirst and the festering of their wounds. At other times they carefully healed them, but it was, that they might torture them anew. They usually forbid their speaking to any person; as knowing that in this condition, they had converted many Infidels, and often the jailor, or even the soldiers that guarded them. But they permitted them to converse with any, who were like to shake their resolution; a father, a mother, a child, a wife, whose tender words, or silent eloquence, were another sort of temptation, and often more dangerous than the sharpest torments.

6. In the mean time their fellow Christians did not forget them. They prayed for them without ceasing. If they were not permitted to minister to them in prison, at least they attended them to the place of their martyrdom. They exhorted them (often to the loss of their own lives) to endure unto the end. They observed their last words, which were commonly prayers, and fortified themselves by their example. Nor was it to martyrs alone, but to confessors also, that they paid the greatest honour; that is, those who had confest Christ before the magistrate, though they had not yet resisted unto blood.

CHAPTER VIII.

Their care of the poor and sick. Their hospitality. Their patience.

1.THE church took care of all who were unable to help themselves, of whatever age or sex: the blind, the lame, the maimed, the decrepit; and these they esteemed the treasure of the church. They took likewise a particular care of children; not only of the orphan children of Christians, but of those whom their Heathen parents exposed, and indeed of all others they could procure. Their end in all was, by means of temporal, to lead them to spiritual good. Therefore, in like circumstances, they relieved a Christian before a Heathen, and of Christians, the most holy first. For this every church had a common stock, which the deacons distributed according to the orders of the bishop, after giving him an account of the conduct as well as wants of the people committed to his charge.

2. And as soon as a stranger shewed, that he was in the communion of the church, he was received with open arms: for which end the Christians who travelled, took letters of their bishop, declaring the condition of the bearer: whether he was a catechumen, a penitent, or one of the faithful: beside which, there were recommendatory letters, to distinguish priests, deacons, confessors, and those who stood in need of any particular assistance.

3. Not that their hospitality was confined to their brethren. It extended to all, Heathens as well as Christians. Of which we have a remarkable instance in the case of St. Pacomius, a young Roman captain, who being upon his march with his men, and taking up his quarters in a city they came to, was amazed to find the inhabitants receive them with as much affection, as if they had been their old friends. He enquired who they were? And was answered, they were a people of a particular religion, called Christians. He desired to be informed, what the grounds of this religion were? And this was the beginning of his conversion.

*4. But their care and tenderness toward the sick, was yet more observable. No difficulty, no danger, no discouragements could prevent their ministring to these. When Alexandria was dreadfully afflicted with the plague, in the time of the Emperor Valerian, they confirmed their love even to their persecutors, by assisting such as were infected, though many of them died with them. And the priests constantly visited the sick Christians, administered the holy eucharist, prayed with them and for them, exhorted, comforted, and commended their souls to God. They did not fear, but desire death, as only the gate of eternity. And even when their relations went before them, they less grieved for their own present loss, than they rejoiced for their happy deliverance, and in a stedfast hope of meeting them again in paradise.

*5. Such were the manners of the ancient Christians: such were the followers of Jesus Christ, both in faith and practice, while Heathenism reigned, and persecution continued. This obliged them to a continual sense of the presence of God and watchfulness over themselves: every one expecting the hour when he should be betrayed by his wife, his child, or his nearest relation. And herein was seen the patience of the saints, then a common name for all Christians. Even in peace they daily looked for the return of war: nor was that peace itself ever entire, for many Christians suffered, even to blood, where there was no open persecution: and many of them were spoiled and pillaged with impunity even at noon-day. Or, if oppression and violence ceased for awhile, contempt and hate never ceased. To speak and write all manner of evil of the Christians, to revile, to mock at them, to turn them into ridicule: this was not only permitted, but approved, applauded, authorized. But this moved them not: neither unjust contempt, nor ill-grounded calumnies drew from them any murmuring or complaint. They continually returned good for evil. They laboured, if it had been possible, to live peaceably with all men. They studied all ways of gaining their affections. They conformed to all their innocent customs. And of so doing, they were never tired, never overcome with evil, even where they could not overcome evil with good.

6. Their patience shone most with regard to princes and magistrates. Nothing could force them, to speak evil of dignities. They honoured them as the ministers of God. They paid them all the obedience, which consisted with their duty to him. Prest as they were by such injustice and unheard-of cruelties, they never thought of taking up arms for their defence. So far from it, that as numerous as the Christian soldiers were in all the Roman armies, they never made use of the arms they had in their hands, but according to the orders of their generals. Nay, we see the entire legion of St. Mauritius, known by the name of the Thebæan legion, suffering themselves to be massacred without resistance, rather than be wanting in their duty to God or Cæsar.

7. This invincible patience forced at length all the powers of the world to submit to the gospel. The persecutions continued, till in little more than three hundred years, there was a prodigious number of Christians of all ranks and conditions. And hence came the extreme cruelty of the last persecution. But this like all the rest, only extended Christianity farther, and established it so much the more firmly, till the Emperor Constantine declared himself its protector. The Christians then began to live at ease, but at the same time they began to lose the Christian spirit. The world mixing with the church, effected as a friend what it never could while an open enemy: it transfused its own spirit into the servants of Christ, who became insensibly lovers of the world, lovers of themselves, and lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. For with the love of the world entered every unholy desire, every earthly, sensual, devilish passion: which from that time have abounded more and more, and so shall do, till the time approaches for the restitution of all things.

THE

DOCTRINE of SALVATION,

FAITH and GOOD WORKS:

Extracted from the Homilies of the Church of England.

To the READER.

HE that desires more perfectly to understand these great doctrines of Christianity, ought deligently to read the holy scriptures, especially St. Paul’s epistles to the Romans and the Galatians. And, “whosoever giveth his mind to holy scriptures, with deligent study and burning desire, it cannot be that he should be left without help. For either God will send him some godly doctor to teach him, or God himself, from above, will give light unto his mind, and teach him those things which are necessary for him: man’s human and worldly wisdom or science is not needful to the understanding of scripture; but the revelation of the Holy Ghost, who inspireth the true meaning into them that which humility and deligence search for it.”¹

Of the salvation of mankind.

1.BECAUSE all men are sinners against God, and breakers of his law, therefore can no man by his works be justified and made righteous before God. But every man is constrained to seek for another righteousness, or justification, to be received at God’s own hands. And this justification, or righteousness, which we receive of God’s mercy, and Christ’s merits embraced by faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God for our perfect and full justification. For the more clear and full understanding hereof, it is our part ever to remember, how that all the world, being wrapt in sin, God sent his only Son into the world, by shedding his blood, to make satisfaction to his Father for our sins, to asswage his indignation conceived against us.

2. Insomuch that infants being baptized, and dying in their infancy, are by this sacrifice washed from their sins. And they who in act or deed sin after their baptism, when they turn again to God unfeignedly, are likewise washed by this sacrifice from their sins, in such sort that there remaineth not any spot of sin, that shall be imputed to their damnation. This is that justification, which St. Paul speaketh of, (Galatians ii.) No man is justified by the works of the law: but by faith in Jesus Christ. And again, we are justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

3. The great wisdom of God in this mystery of our redemption, hath tempered his justice and mercy together. His mercy he sheweth, in delivering us from our captivity, without requiring any ransom to be paid, or amends to be made on our parts; which thing by us had been impossible to be done. And whereas it lay not in us to do that, he provided a ransom for us, that was, the precious body and blood of his own Son. And so the justice of God and his mercy together, fulfilled the great mystery of our redemption.

4. Of this justice and mercy of God knit together, speaketh St. Paul in the third chapter to the Romans. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God: but are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood. And in the 10th, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth: And in the 8th chapter, That which was impossible by the law, inasmuch as it is weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.

5. In these places the apostle toucheth especially three things, which must go together in our justification. Upon God’s part, his great mercy and grace; upon Christ’s part, the satisfaction of God’s justice, by the offering his body, and shedding his blood; and upon our part, true and lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ. So that in our justification there is not only God’s mercy and grace, but his justice also. And so the grace of God doth not shut out the righteousness of God in our justification; but only shutteth out the righteousness of man; that is to say, the righteousness of our works.

6. And therefore St. Paul declareth nothing on the behalf of man, concerning his justification, but only a true and lively faith, which itself is the gift of God. And yet that faith, doth not shut our repentance, hope, love, and the fear of God, to be joined with faith in every man that is justified. But it shutteth them out from the office of justifying. So that although they be all present together in him that is justified, yet they justify not altogether.

7. Neither doth faith shut out good works, necessary to be done afterwards, of duty towards God: (for we are most bounden to serve God, in doing good works, commanded in scripture, all the days of our life). But we may not do them with this intent, to be justified by doing them. For all the good works we can do, are not able to deserve our justification: but our justification cometh freely of the mere mercy of God: and of so great and free mercy, that whereas all the world was not able to pay any part towards their ransom, it pleased him, without any of our deserving, to prepare for us the most precious jewels of Christ’s body and blood, whereby our ransom might be paid, the law fulfilled, and his justice satisfied. So that Christ is now the righteousness of all them that truly believe in him.

8. Ye have heard, that no man can be justified by his own works, inasmuch as no man fulfilleth the law: and St. Paul in his epistle to the Galatians, proveth the same, saying, If there had been a law given which could have justified, verily righteousness should have been by the law. And again, If righteousness come by the law, then is Christ dead in vain. And to the Ephesians he saith, (chapter ii.) By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. And to be short, the sum of all Paul’s disputation is this, If righteousness come of works, then it cometh not of grace: and if it come of grace, then it cometh not of works. And to this end tend all the prophets, as St. Peter saith, (Acts x. 43.) To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

9. And that we are justified only by this true and lively faith in Christ, speak all the ancient authors; especially Origen, St. Cyprian, St. Chrysostom, Hilary, Basil, St. Ambrose, and St. Augustin: by which they take away clearly all merit of our works, and wholly ascribe our justification unto Christ only. This faith the holy scripture teacheth us, is the strong rock and foundation of the Christian religion. This doctrine all ancient authors of Christ’s church do approve. This doctrine setteth forth the true glory of Christ, and beateth down the vain glory of man. This whosoever denieth, is not to be accounted for a Christian man, nor for a setter forth of Christ’s glory; but for an adversary to Christ and his gospel, and for a setter forth of man’s vain-glory.

10. But that this true doctrine of justification by faith may be truly understood, observe, that justification is the office of God only; and is not a thing which we render unto him, but which we receive of him by his free mercy, through the only merits of his beloved Son. And the true sense of this doctrine, we are justified freely by faith without works, or, we are justified by faith in Christ only, is not, that this our own act to believe in Christ, or this our faith in Christ, which is within us, doth justify us; (for that were to account ourselves to be justified by some act or virtue that is within ourselves) but that although we have faith, hope, and charity within us and do never so many works thereunto; yet we must renounce the merit of all, of faith, hope, charity and all other virtues and good works, which we either have done, shall do, or can do, as far too weak to deserve our justification: for which therefore we must trust only in God’s mercy, and the sacrifice which Christ offered for us on the cross.

11. As then John Baptist, as great and godly a man as he was, yet in this matter of forgiving sin put the people from him, and pointed them to Christ, saying, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world: even so as great and godly a virtue as faith is, it putteth us from itself, and pointeth us to Christ, to have only by him remission of sins or justification. So that our faith as it were, saith unto us thus: It is not I that taketh away your sins. It is Christ only, and to him alone I send you for that purpose; forsaking all your good virtues, words, thoughts, and works, and putting your trust in Christ only.

12. And in truth, neither our faith nor our works do justify us; that is, deserve remission of our sins: but God himself doth justify us, of his own mercy, thro’ the merits of his Son only. Nevertheless, because by faith given us of God, we embrace the promise of God’s mercy, and of the remission of our sins; therefore the scripture saith, that faith doth justify, yea, Faith without works. And as it is all one to say, Faith without works, and only faith doth justify us, therefore the ancient fathers from time to time speak thus: Only faith justifieth us, meaning no other than St. Paul meant when he saith, Faith without works justifieth us. And because this is wrought through the only merits of Christ, and not thro’ our merits, or thro’ the merit of any virtue we have within us, or of any work that cometh from us: therefore, in that respect, we renounce, as it were, again, faith, works, and all other virtues. For our corruption through original sin is so great, that all our faith, charity, words and works cannot merit or deserve any part of our justification for us. And therefore we thus speak, humbling ourselves to God, and giving to our Saviour Christ all the glory of our justification.

13. To justify then, is the office of God to man. Our office and duty to God is not to pass our time sinfully or unfruitfully: for this were to serve the devil, and not God. For that faith which bringeth not forth repentance, but either evil works, or no good works, is not a right, pure and living faith, but a dead and devilish one, as Paul and St. James call it. For even the devils believe, That Christ was born of a virgin: that he wrought all kind of miracles, declaring himself very God: that for our sakes he suffered a most painful death, to redeem us from death everlasting: that he rose again the third day: that he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right-hand of the Father, and at the end of the world shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead. These articles of our faith the devils believe, and so they believe all that is written in the Old and New Testament. And yet for all this faith, they be but devils. They remain still in their damnable estate, lacking the very true Christian faith.

14. The right and true Christian faith, is not only to believe that holy scripture, and the articles of our faith are true; but also, to have a sure trust and confidence, to be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ; whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey his commandments.

15. And this true Christian faith, neither any devil hath, nor yet any man, who, in his receiving the sacraments, in coming to church, and in all other outward appearances, seemeth to be a Christian, and yet in his life sheweth the contrary. For how can a man have this true faith, sure trust and confidence in God, that by the merits of Christ his sins are forgiven, and ♦be reconciled to the favour of God, when he denieth Christ in his works? Surely no ungodly man can have this faith, and trust in God!

16. If we do truly believe, that whereas we were condemned to hell and death everlasting, God hath given his own son to take our nature upon him, and to suffer death for our offences, to justify us, and to restore us to life everlasting: if we truly believe, that he hath made us his dear children, brethren unto his only son, and inheritors with him of his eternal kingdom of heaven; these great and merciful benefits of God will move us to render ourselves unto God wholly, with all our hearts, might, and power, to serve him in all good works, to seek in all things his glory; evermore dreading to offend in word, thought, or deed, such a merciful God and loving Redeemer. They will also move us, to be ever ready for his sake to give ourselves to our neighbours, and as much as lieth in us, to study with all our endeavour, to do good to every man. These are the fruits of true faith, to do good, as much as lieth in us, to every man; and above all things, and in all things, to advance the glory of God: to whom be praise and honour, world without end!

Of true Christian faith.

1.THE first coming unto God is through faith, whereby we are justified before God; but lest any man should be deceived, for want of a right understanding thereof, it is diligently to be noted, that faith is taken in scripture two ways: there is one faith, which the scripture calleth a dead faith. And this, by St. James, is compared to the faith of devils, who believe and tremble, and yet do nothing well: and such a faith as this have wicked Christians, who profess they know God, but in works deny him.

2. This faith is, a persuasion that there is a God, and a belief of all the truths contained in his word. So that it consisteth only in believing that the word of God is true. And this is not properly called faith. But as he that readeth Cæsar’s commentary, tho’ he believeth it to be true, yet he is not properly said, to believe in Cæsar, even so he that believeth all the bible to be true, and yet liveth ungodly, is not properly said to believe in God. For inasmuch as faith without works is dead, it is not faith, as a dead man is not a man.

3. Another faith there is in scripture, which is not idle or unfruitful, but (as St. Paul declares) working by love. And as that is called a dead faith, so this may be called a quick or living faith. This is not only a belief of the articles of our faith; but also a true trust and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and a stedfast hope of all good things at God’s hand:¹ a confidence, that tho’ we should fall from him by sin, yet if we return to him by true repentance, he will forgive our offences for his Son’s sake; and make us inheritors of his everlasting kingdom: that in the mean time he will be our protector and defender, and not withdraw his mercy finally from us, if we commit ourselves wholly unto him, hang only upon him, and call upon him, ready to obey and serve him. This is the true, living Christian faith; which is not in the mouth, and outward profession only, but it liveth and stirreth inwardly in the heart: and this faith is not without hope and trust in God, nor without the love of God, and of our neighbour nor without the fear of God, nor without the desire to hear God’s word, and to follow the same, in avoiding evil, and gladly doing all good works.

4. Of this faith, three things are specially to be noted; first, that it is fruitful in bringing forth good works; secondly, that without it can no good works be done: thirdly, what good works this faith doth bring forth.

5. For the first, as light cannot be hid, but will shew itself at one place or other; so true faith cannot be hid, but will break out, and shew itself by good works. And as the living body of a man ever exerciseth such things as belong to a living body, for nourishment and preservation of the same; even so the soul that hath a living faith, will be always doing some good work, which shall declare that it is living. Therefore, if any man fancy he is set at liberty from doing good works, it is a manifest token he hath no true faith; yea he knoweth not what true faith meaneth. For true Christian faith is not only a belief of all the things of God which are contained in holy scripture; but also an earnest trust and confidence in God that he is careful over us, as the father is over the child whom he loveth, and that he will be merciful to us for his son’s sake. And this true faith, when we consider what God hath done for us, is also moved thro’ continual assistance of the Spirit of God, to serve and please him, to keep his favour, to fear his displeasure, to continue his obedient children; shewing thankfulness by observing his commandments; considering how clearly, without our deservings, we have freely received his mercy and pardon.

6. Therefore, if it do not appear in our conversation, the faith we pretend to have is but feigned: because true faith is manifestly shewn by good living, and not by words only: as St. Augustin saith, Good living cannot be separated from true faith, which worketh by love: and St. Chrysostom, Faith is full of good works; and as soon as a man believeth, he shall be adorned with them. How plentiful it is in good works, St. Paul teacheth at large in the 11th chapter to the Hebrews; evidently declaring, that true faith is no unfruitful thing, but a thing of perfect virtue, of wonderful operation and strength, bringing forth all good motions and good works.

7. Every man therefore must diligently examine himself, whether he hath this faith in his heart or not. He that feeleth his heart set to seek God’s honour and leadeth not his life after his own desire, but setteth his mind to serve God, and for his sake to love all his neighbours, whether they be friends or adversaries, doing good to every man, (as opportunity serveth) and willingly hurting no man; such a man may well rejoice in God, perceiving by his life, that he hath a living faith. But he that doth not live according to God’s words, deceiveth himself if he think he believeth in him.

8. Let us then by our works declare our faith to be the living Christian faith: and by such virtues as ought to spring out of faith. Let us add to, or in our faith, virtue; in our virtue, knowledge; in our knowledge, temperance; in our temperance, patience; in our patience, godliness; in our godliness, brotherly-kindness; and in brotherly-kindness, charity. So shall we both certify our conscience, that we are in the right faith, and also confirm other men. If you feel and perceive such a faith in you, rejoice in it, and be diligent to maintain it. Let it be daily encreasing more and more by good works; so shall you be sure that you shall please God, and when his will is, receive the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

9. The second thing that was noted of true faith was, that without it can no good works be done: for as the branch cannot bear the fruit itself, saith Christ, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine; ye are the branches: he that abideth in me and I in him, he bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. And St. Paul proveth that Enoch had faith, because he pleased God: for without faith, saith he, it is impossible to please him.

10. Faith giveth life to the soul: and they are as much dead to God who want faith, as they are to the world, whose bodies want souls. Without faith all we do is but dead before God, be it ever so glorious before man. Even as a picture is but a dead representation of the thing itself; so are the works of those who have not faith before God. They are but shadows of good and living things, and not good and living things indeed: For without faith no work is good before God. We must set no good works before faith. “Let no man, saith St. Augustin, reckon upon his good works before his faith; for where faith was not, good works were not. There is one work in which are all good works, that is, faith which worketh by love. If thou hast this, thou hast the ground of all good works: without this, thou hast only the shadows of them.”

11. To the same purpose, saith St. Chrysostom, “Many who have not the true faith, yet flourish in works of mercy; but the chief work is lacking, to believe in him whom God hath sent. So soon as a man hath faith, he shall flourish in good works. For faith is full of good works, and nothing is good without faith. They that shine in good works without faith, are like dead men who have goodly and precious tombs. Faith cannot be but naked without good works, for then it is no true faith; and when it is joined to works, yet it is above the works. For as men first have life, and after are nourished; so must our faith in Christ go before, and after be nourished with good works. And life may be without nourishment, but nourishment can’t be without life. A man must needs be nourished by good works, but first he must have faith. He that doth good works, yet without faith, he hath no life. I can shew a man that by faith without works lived and came to heaven: but without faith never man had life. The thief that was hanged when Christ suffered, did believe only; and the most merciful God justified him. Faith by itself saved him; but works by themselves never justified any man.”

12. The third thing to be noted of true faith is, what good works it doth bring forth. And this Christ himself hath plainly declared, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. So that we are taught by Christ’s own mouth, that the works of the commandments of God are the true works of faith, the very way that doth lead to everlasting life.

13. Wherefore as ye have any regard for everlasting life, apply yourselves above all things to read and hear God’s word; mark diligently what his commandments are, and with all your endeavour follow the same. First, you must have an assured faith in God, and give yourselves wholly unto him; love him in prosperity and adversity, and dread to offend him evermore. Then for his sake, love all men, friends and foes, because they are his creatures and image, and redeemed by Christ as ye are. Cast in your mind how you may do good unto all men, unto your power, and hurt none. Obey all your superiors and governors; serve your masters faithfully and diligently; disobey not your fathers and mothers, but honour, help, and please them to your power. Oppress not, kill not, beat not, neither slander nor hate any man: but love all men, speak well of all men, help and succour every man as you may, yea, even your enemies that hate you, that speak evil of you, and hurt you. Take no man’s goods, nor covet your neighbour’s goods; but be content with your own, and bestow them charitably, as need requireth. Flee all idolatry, witchcraft, perjury; commit no manner of adultery, fornication, or other unchastity in will or deed. And labouring continually in thus keeping the commandments, which, wrought in faith, God hath ordained to be the path-way unto heaven, you shall not fail to come to that everlasting life, where you shall live in glory with God for ever.

CHRISTIAN LETTERS.

By Mr. JOSEPH ALLEINE.

To the READER.

THE letters of Mr. Samuel Rutherford, have been generally admired by all the children of God, into whose hands they have fallen, for the vein of piety, trust in God, and holy zeal, which runs through them. The same piety, zeal, and confidence in God, shine through all the letters of Mr. Alleine: so that in this respect he may well be stiled, the English Rutherford. But yet there is a very discernible difference between them: in piety and fervour of spirit they are the same: but the fervour of the one more resembles that of St. Paul, of the other, that of St. John. They were both men of the most intrepid courage: but in love Mr. Alleine has the pre-eminence. He seems to excel in bowels of mercies, meekness, gentleness, in tenderness, mildness, and sweetness of spirit, even to his bitterest enemies. I do not therefore scruple to give these letters the preference, even to Mr. Rutherford’s: as expressing, in a still higher degree, the love that is long-suffering and kind, which is not provoked, which thinketh no evil, and which hopeth, believeth, and endureth all things.

JOHN WESLEY.

London,
March 7, 1767.

LETTER I.

To his wife concerning his acceptance of Taunton.

My dear heart,

BY this time I hope thou hast received mine, touching Taunton. I find my heart much inclining that way. I will tell thee the principles upon which I go.

First, I lay this for a foundation, That a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things that he possesseth. It was accounted a wise prayer that Agur put up, to be fed with food convenient for him. And certain it is, that where men have least of the world, they esteem it least, and live more by faith in God, casting their care and burden upon him. O the sweet breathing of David’s soul! The strong actings of his faith when his condition was low and mean! How fully doth he rely upon God. And certainly could we that are unexperienced, but feel the thorns of those cares and troubles, that there are in gathering and keeping much, and the danger when riches increase of setting our hearts upon them, we should prize the happiness of a middle condition. Doubtless, godliness with contentment is great gain. Seekest thou great things for thyself (said the prophet to Baruch) seek them not. Certainly a good conscience is a continual feast, and enough for a happy life.

*Secondly, I take this for an undoubted truth, that a dram of grace is better than a talent of wealth; and therefore such a place where we have little to do with the world to take off our thoughts from the things of eternity, and have the advantage of abundance of means, and the daily opportunities of warming our hearts with the blessed society of Christians, is (if we pass a true spiritual judgment) without comparison before another place, void of those spiritual advantages. Let us think, what though our purses may thrive better in a place of large maintenance; yet where are our souls like to thrive any way answerable to what they are in this? We should have but little in the world, but what is this, if it be made up to us, in communion with God and his people? If we thrive in faith, and love, humility, and heavenly-mindedness, what matter is it, though we do not raise ourselves in the world? Oh! Who would leave so much grace, and so much comfort in communion with Christ and his saints, for the probabilities of living a little more handsomely. ’Tis a strange thing to see how Christians generally judge. What is it worth a year? Is the maintenance certain? What charges are there like to be? These are the questions we commonly ask first, when we speak of settling. But alas, though those things are to be considered too, yet what good am I like to do? What good am I like to get? These should be the chief things we should judge by. What if we have but a little in the world? Why then we must keep but a short table, and give the meaner entertainment to our friends. O, but will not this be abundantly made up, if we have more outward and inward peace? Let others hug themselves in their corn, and wine, and oil, in their fat livings, and their large tables, if we have more of the light of God’s countenance, who would change with them?

Thirdly, That the surest way to have any outward mercy, is to be content to want it. When men’s desires are over-eager after the world, they must have thus much a year, and a house well furnished, and wife, and children, thus and thus qualified, God doth usually, break their wills by denying them, as one would cross a froward child of his stubborn humour: or else puts a sting into them, that a man had been as well without them. The best way to get riches, is out of doubt to set them lowest in one’s desires. Solomon found it so: he did not ask riches, but wisdom, but God was so pleased, that he threw in them into the bargain. Nothing sets God’s mercies farther off than the want of free submission 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 outward comforts we leave, or outward advantages, that we may glorify him in our services, and enjoy him in all his ordinances more than other-where we could, we shall receive an hundred fold in this life. ’Tis a sad thing to see how little Christ is trusted; men will trust him no farther than they can see him. Alas, hath he not a thousand ways, both outward and inward, to make up a little outward advantage to us? Have any ventured themselves upon him in his way, but he made good every promise to them? Let us therefore exercise our faith, and stay ourselves on 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 any way that God put him into; and if a man have but a little income, if he have a great blessing, that will make it up. Alas, we must not account of 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 ’tis not bread that keeps men alive, but the word of blessing that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; so ’tis not the largeness 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: let others toil to enlarge their income, we will pray God to enlarge our blessing, and I doubt not but we shall prove the gainers.

Sixthly, That every condition hath its snares, and troubles, and therefore we may not expect to be without them wherever 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 meanness of the maintenance. And let us consider how inconsiderable this inconvenience is, in comparison of those we must reckon upon meeting with, if God cast us into another place. Upon these considerations, I find my heart much inclined to accept of their offer at Taunton. I beseech thee to weigh the matter and tell me thy thoughts, and which way thy spirit inclines, for I have always resolved the place I settled in should be to thy content. I have been so large in delivering my judgment, that I must thrust up my affections 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; farewell, mine own soul.

I am, as ever, thine own heart,

JOS. ALLEINE.

Oxon, May 27, 1659.

LETTER II.

To my most dearly beloved, my Christian friends in Taunton, salvation.

Most loving brethren,

I SHALL never forget your old kindnesses; would I never so fain forget them, yet I could not, they are so continually renewed; for there is never a day but I hear of them: nay, more than hear of them, I feel and taste them. The God that hath promised they that give to a prophet but a cup of cold water, shall receive a prophet’s reward: he will recompense your labour of love, your fervent prayers, your care for my welfare, and your bountiful supplies. I do and will bless the Lord as long as I live, that he hath cast my lot in so fair a place, to dwell in your communion; and especially to go in and out before you, and to be the messenger of the Lord of hosts to you, to proclaim his law, and to preach his excellencies, to be his spokesman to you, and to woo for him, to espouse you to one husband, and to present you as a chaste virgin unto Christ. Lord! how unworthy am I, of this glorious dignity, which I verily believe the brightest angels in heaven would be glad of! I cannot repent, notwithstanding all the difficulties that attend his despised servants, and that are like to attend them; I have set my hand to his plough; and when I was entered into the sacred office, I told you, “Most gladly do I take up this office with all the persecution, affliction, difficulties and inconveniences that do and may attend it.” And blessed be God, I am through his goodness of the same mind still; and my tribulations for Christ, confirm my choice and resolution to serve him with much more than my labours. *Brethren, let them take up with the world that have no better portion; be content that they should bear away the riches, and preferments, and glory, and splendor of the world. Alas! You have no reason to envy them: verily they have a lie in their right-hand: Ah! How soon will their hopes fail them! How soon will the crackling blast be out, 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 you, 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, of the inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.

Ah my brethren! Why should you not be all happy? I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, 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! 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 made me overseer, should perish: when Christ hath done so much for you, and when we, (through his grace,) have done somewhat to 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, to accept of 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, persuade them, one quarter of them, to be saved? How it moved me to see your diligence in flocking to the most hazardous opportunities, since the law forbad my public preaching; and yet to think that many of you that went so far, were like to perish for ever for want of going farther! How fain would I carry you farther than the outward profession: O, how loath am I to leave you there? How troubled to think that any of you should hazard much for religion, and yet miscarry for ever by the hand of secret pride or untamed passion, or an unbridled tongue, or which I fear most of all, a predominant love of the world in your hearts. Alas, is there no remedy, but I must carry you to heaven’s 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! Altho’ 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 securing of your everlasting condition: take heed of resting in the outer part of religion, but be restless till you find a thorough change within, that you are quite new in the bent of your hearts; for here is the main of religion: for Christ’s sake, for your soul’s sake look to it, that you build upon the rock, that you unfeignedly deliver yourselves to the Lord to be under his command, and at his disposal 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 trials coming, when we shall see professors fall like leaves in autumn. Therefore is it that I would so fain have you look to your standing, and to secure the main. O make sure whatever you do; get and keep your evidences clear! How dreadful would your temptation be, if you should be called to part with all for Christ, and not be sure of him neither! Get a 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, and crying mightily to God for assurance: be strict and watchful in your whole course, and I doubt not but you will quickly have it.

I cannot conclude till I have given you my unfeigned thanks for your most kind and gracious letter. Sure it shall be in store with me, and laid up among my treasures. That God is pleased to make use of me for your edification, is matter of highest joy unto me: as also to see your stedfastness in Christ, your unshaken resolutions, notwithstanding all the tempter’s wiles. Go on, my dearly beloved, and the Lord strengthen your hands and your hearts, and lift you up above the fear of men. The Lord strengthen, establish, settle you and after you have suffered awhile, make you perfect: I leave my brethren in the everlasting arms, and rest,

Your embassador in bonds,

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the common ♦goal at Ivelchester,
June 13th, 1663.

LETTER III.

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 READILY acknowledge myself a debtor to you all, and a servant of all, and therefore I have sent to salute you all. My lines fell in a fair place when the Lord cast my lot among you; I remember the tears and prayers you have sent me hither with. 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. Ah! how it pities me to think, that so many of you should still remain in your sins. 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 as 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 we die? Whosoever will, let him take of the waters of life freely! What miss of life, when it is to be had for the taking! God forbid. O my brethren, my soul yearns for you, and my bowels towards you. Ah, that I did but know what arguments to use with you: who shall chuse my words that I may prevail with sinners not to reject their own mercy? How shall I get within them? How shall I reach them? O that I could get but 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 woo for him, that I might prevail! These eight years have I been calling, and yet how great a part remain visibly in their sins, and how few have I gained to Christ by sound conversion?

Many among you remain under the power of ignorance: ah: how often have I told you the dangerous, yea, damnable state that such are in. Never flatter yourselves 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, 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 hath made them, will not have mercy on them. Oh, for the love of God and your souls, I beseech you awake and bestir yourselves to get the saving knowledge of God. You that are capable of learning a trade, are you not capable of learning the way to be saved? And is it not pity that you should perish for ever for want of a little pains, and study, and care 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 answerably. Search the scriptures 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.

Many have escaped the gross pollutions of the world, but stick in the form of godliness. O I am jealous for you! That you may not lose the things that you have wrought, for the Lord’s sake put on, and beware of perishing in the suburbs of the city of refuge. Beg of God to make thorough work with you; be jealous for yourselves and try your estates, but only with those marks, that you are sure will abide God’s trial.

But for you that fear the Lord in sincerity, I have nothing but good and comfortable words: may your souls ever live. What condition can you devise wherein there will not be matter of joy unspeakable to you. O beloved, know your own happiness, and live in that holy admiring, adoring, praising of your gracious God, that becomes the people of his praise. The good will of him that dwelt in the bush with you all. The Lord create a defence upon you, and deliverance for you: The Lord cover you all the day, and make you to dwell between his shoulders! I desire your constant, instant, earnest prayers for me, and rest,

A willing labourer, and thankful sufferer for you.

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the common goal, in Ivelchester,
July 4th, 1663.

LETTER V.

To my most dearly beloved friends, in Taunton, grace and peace.

Most endeared Christians.

MY heart is with you, though I am absent. Dear fellow soldiers under the captain of our salvation, consider your calling, and approve yourselves men of resolution; be discouraged with no difficulties of your present warfare. As for human affairs, I would have you to be as you are, men of peace. I would have you armed, not for resisting, God forbid; but for suffering only. You should resist, 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 sin. 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; but for these spiritual enemies, all your affections, and all your prayers must be engaged against them: yea, you must admit no parley: it is dangerous to dispute with temptations. *Remember what Eve lost by parleying with Satan: you must fly from temptations, and put them off at first with a peremptory denial. If you will but hear the devil’s arguments, and the flesh’s pleas, it is an hundred to one but you are insnared. And for this present evil world, the Lord deliver you from it. Surely you had need watch and be sober, or else this world is like to undo you. I have often warned you not to build upon an external happiness; and to promise yourselves nothing but hardship here: Oh still remember your station; soldiers must not count upon rest, and fullness, but hunger, and hardness. Labour to get right apprehensions of the world. Do not think these things necessary. One thing is needful: you may be happy in the want of all outward comforts. Do not think yourselves 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: you may have never such an opportunity for your advantage in all your lives, as when you 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 yourselves into the possession of death.

*Look often upon the 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? Put yourselves often into your graves, and look out from thence upon the world, and see what judgment you have of it. 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? One serious walk over a church-yard, might make a man mortified to the world. Think upon how many you tread; but ye know them not: no doubt they had their estates, their friends, their businesses, and kept as much stir in the world as others do now. But alas, what are they the better for all this? Know you not that this must be your own case shortly? Oh the unhappiness of man; how is he bewitched; and befooled, that he should expend himself for that which he knows shall forever leave him! Brethren, I beseech you lay no stress upon these perishing things, but labour to be at a holy indifference about them: is it for one that is in his wits to sell his God, his soul, for things he is not sure to keep a day, and which he is sure after a few 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 to these, and tell them here is such and such preferments for you; you shall have such titles of honour and delights, if you will now disown religion, 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 judgment will open! Woe to them that though they have been warned by others, and have heard the world’s greatest darlings in death cry out of its vanity, yet would take no warning; but must serve themselves too, for warnings to others. Ah! my beloved, beware there be none among you, that will rather part with their consciences than with their estates; that have secret reserves to save themselves whole, when it 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.

May the Lord of Hosts be with you, and the God of Jacob your refuge. Farewell my dear brethren, farewell, and be strong in the Lord. I am

Your’s to serve you in the gospel,
whether by doing or suffering

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the common gaol at Ivelchester,
August 31, 1663.

LETTER VI.

To the beloved 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 I rejoice 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 I have not sought your’s but you; and that for doing my duty to your souls, I am here in these bonds, which I chearfully accept through the grace of God that strengtheneth me: Oh! that your hands might be strengthened, and your hearts encouraged in the Lord your God by our sufferings! See to it, 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: it is a gospel worth 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 escape to heaven! Alas for them! They know not what they do. What would not these foolish virgins do, when it is too late, for a little of the oil of the wise! But let not any of you be wise too late: look diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God. Beware that none of you be cheated through the deceitfulness of your hearts, with counterfeit grace. There is never a grace but hath its counterfeit; and there is nothing more common, than to mistake counterfeit grace for true. And remember you are undone for ever, if you should die in such a mistake. Not that I would shake the confidence of any sound believer, whose graces are of the right kind: build your confidence sure: see that you get the certain marks of salvation, and make sure, by 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 being confident before you have tried. I would fain have you all secured against the day of judgment; I would that the state of your souls were all well settled: Oh how comfortably might you think of any troubles, if you were but sure of your pardons! I beseech you, whatever you neglect, look to this: I am afraid there are among you that have not made your peace with God; that are not yet acquainted with that great work of conversion: such I charge before the living God, to speed to Christ, and without any more delay to put away their iniquities, and deliver up themselves to Jesus Christ, that they may be saved. It is not your profession or external duties, that will save you: no, no, you must be converted or condemned. It is not enough that you have some love to God’s 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 damnable and undone condition? And your utter inability to lick yourselves whole by your own duties? Have you been brought to such a sense of sin, that there is no sin, but you heartily abhor it? Are you brought to such a sense of the beauty of holiness, and of the laws and ways of God, that you desire to know the whole mind of God? Would you not excuse yourselves by ignorance from any duty, and do not you allow yourselves in the neglect of any thing conscience charges upon you as a duty? Are your very hearts set upon the glorifying and enjoying of God, as your greatest happiness? *Had you rather be the holiest than be the richest and greatest in the world? And is your greatest delight in the thoughts of your God, and in your conversings with God in holy exercises! Is Christ more precious than all the world to you? And are you willing upon the thorough consideration of the strictness and holiness of his laws, to take them all for the rule of your thoughts, words and actions, and though religion may be dear, do you resolve, if God assist you, to go through with it, let the cost be what it will? Happy the man that is in such a case. This is a Christian indeed, and whatever you be and do short of this, all is unsound. But you that bear in your souls the marks above-mentioned, upon you I lay no other burden, but to hold fast, and make good your ground, and to press forwards towards the mark. Thankfully acknowledge the grace of God to your souls; and live rejoicingly in the hopes of the glory of God; live daily in the praises of your Redeemer; and study the worthiness, excellency, and glory of his attributes: let your souls be much taken up in contemplating his glorious perfection, and blessing yourselves in the goodly portion you have in him: live like those that have a God, and then be disconsolate if you can: if there be not more in an infinite God to comfort you, than in a prison, or poverty or affliction to deject you, our preaching is vain and your faith is vain. Let the thoughts of God be your daily repast: and never be satisfied till your hearts run out as freely, naturally, unweariedly after God, as others do after the world. Farewell my dear brethren, the Lord God Almighty be a protection to you, and your exceeding great reward; Farewell in the Lord.

I am,
Your’s in the bowels of the Lord Jesus,

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the common gaol, in Ivelchester,
September 11, 1663.

LETTER VII.

[How to shew love to ministers, and to 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 letter, and could not look over such tender expressions without some commotion. I may confidently say, I spent more tears upon those lines, than ever you did ink. Your deep sense of my labours I cannot but thankfully acknowledge, yet withal, heartily confessing, that all was but what I owed to your immortal souls; which God knows was very much short of my duty. The omissions, imperfections, deadness, that accompanied my duties I 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 turn your eyes to me, but to Christ: his spokesman I am, will you give your hands, your names to him? Will you subscribe to his laws, and consent to his offices, and be at defiance with all his enemies? This do, and I have my errand. Who will follow Christ’s 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 no loose sinner? No ignorant sinner? No unsound professor? Would they do me a kindness, as I believe they would? Then let them come away to Christ! O sinner, be no more in love with darkness; stick no longer in the skirts and outside of religion. Waver no more, halt no farther, but strike in throughly with Jesus Christ; except nothing, reserve nothing, but come throughly to the Lord, and follow him fully. And then happy man thou shalt be, for thou wilt be made for ever; and joyful man I shall be; for I shall save a soul from death. The earnest beggings of a poor prisoner, 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, 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 it that I beg of you; will you gratify me indeed? Then come in, bow to the name of Jesus; yea, let your souls bow, let all your powers do him homage. Let that sacred name be graven into the substance of your hearts. 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 very 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 Jesus, offer all as a sacrifice to him, see that you be universally the Lord’s; 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 Christian life: cleave fast to Christ, never let go your hold; cling the faster, because so many are labouring to loosen your hold. Hold fast your integrity, hold fast the beginning of your confidence stedfast to the end: If you do but keep your hold, 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 vineyard with constant care and watchfulness, and be sure that there be no inroad made upon your consciences, that the enemy do not get between your souls and God; and then let 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. I would not only that you should walk holily, but that you should walk comfortably. I need say the less to this, because the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, lie together. Oh the provision God hath made for your continual 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 that hath all the fullness of the Godhead for his. O Christians, live like yourselves, live worthy of your portion, and your glorious prerogatives. That you may walk worthy of your glorious hopes, and live answerable to the mercies you have received, is the great desire of

Your souls fervent well-wisher in bonds.

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the prison at Ivelchester,
September 18, 1663.

LETTER VIII.

[Remember Christ crucified; and crucify sin.]

To the faithful and well-beloved people, the servants of Christ in Taunton, salvation.

Most dear Christians,

I AM by office a remembrancer, the Lord’s remembrancer for you, and your remembrancer in the behalf of Christ. My business is with the apostle, to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. And who shall I remember you of, but your intercessor with the Father, who hath you always in remembrance, appearing in the presence of God for you? May his memory ever live in your hearts, though mine should die; Oh, remember his love more than mine; remember in what a case he found you, and yet nothing could divert the purpose of his love from you: He loathed not your rags nor your rottenness: he found you in loathsome filthiness, yet he pitied you. His bowels were moved, and his compassions were kindled, when one would have thought his wrath should have boiled and his indignation have burned down to hell against you: he loathed not, but loved you, and washed you from your sins in his own blood. Ah polluted captives! Ah vile and putrid carcases! that ever the Holy Jesus should his ownself wash you. Methinks I see him weeping over you; and yet it was a more costly bath by which he cleansed you. Ah sinners look upon the streaming blood flowing from his blessed body, to fetch out the ingrained filthiness that you by sin had contracted. Alas! What a horrid filthiness, that nothing but the blood of the covenant could wash away! And what a love is Christ’s, that, when a whole ocean could not wash nor purify us, would open every vein of his heart to do the work! Look upon your crucified Lord: do you not see a sacred stream flowing out of every member? Ah, how those holy hands, those unerring feet do run a stream to purge us! Alas, how the great drops of blood fall to the ground from his sacred face in his bitter agony, to wash and beautify ours! How his wounded heart and side twice pierced, first with love and pity, and then with the soldier’s cruelty, pour out their healthful and saving floods upon us? Lord! How do we forget such love as this? Ah monsters of ingratitude, that can be unmindful of such a friend! Do we thus requite him? Is this our kindness to such an obliging friend! Christians, where are your affections? To what use do you put your faculties? What have you memories for, but to remember him? What have you the power of loving for, but that you should love him? Wherefore serves joy or desire, but to long for him? And delightfully embrace him? May your souls and all their powers be taken up with him; may all the doors of your souls be set open to him. Here fix your thoughts, terminate here your desires; here you may kindle your fire when almost out. Brethren what will you do now for Jesus Christ? Have you never a sacrifice to lay upon his altar? Come and I will shew you what you shall do, let your hands be in the blood of your sins, search them out with diligence, search your hearts and your houses; whatever iniquities you find there, out with them, put them far from your tabernacles; if you crucify them not, you are not Jesus’s friends. *God forbid that there should be a lying tongue, or any way of deceit in your shops: that his service should give place to the world in your families. Far be it from any of you, my brethren, that you should be careful to teach your children and servants the way of your callings, and neglect to instruct them in the way of life. Is weekly catechising in every one of your families? The Lord convince any of you that may be guilty of this neglect: Oh, set up God in your houses; and see that you be not slovenly in closet performances. Beware of serving the Lord negligently; serve not the Lord with that which costs you nothing: look to it that you content not yourselves with a cheap and easy religion. Put your flesh to it: be well assured that the religion that costs you nothing, will yield you nothing: Keep up the life of religion in your family and closet duties. Fear nothing like a customary and careless performance of God’s service. Judge your ownselves whether lazy wishes, idle complaints, and yawning prayers are like to carry you through the mighty difficulties that you must get through, if ever you come to heaven. When you find yourselves going on in a listless, heartless course, ask yourselves, is this to take the kingdom of heaven by violence? See that you sacrifice yourselves to the Lord, that now you live to Christ himself. As Christ hath made over his life and death to you, so let it be your care to live and die to him. Labour to look upon all your enjoyments as Christ’s goods; upon your time, parts, strength, as his talents: look upon yourselves only in the quality of servants and stewards, that are to husband all these for your Lord’s advantage, and as those that must give an account. And pray for me that I may take the counsel that I give. I bless the Lord, I want nothing but the opportunity of being serviceable to you: but I hope the Lord will make my bonds for you, to be useful to your edification; if I may glorify God, and serve you best by being here, I shall never wish to come out. Finally brethren, farewell: be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you. I am,

The ready servant of your faith and joy,

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the prison at Ivelchester,
October 14th, 1663.

LETTER IX.

[On daily self-examination.]

To the most beloved people, the flock of Christ in Taunton, salvation.

Most dear brethren,

BRETHREN how stands it with you? Doth the main work go on? do your souls prosper? This is my care; beware that you flag not, that you faint not now in the evil day. I understand that your dangers grow upon you. May your faith and courage grow much more abundantly!

Some of your enemies, I hear, are in great hopes to satisfy their desires upon you. Well, be not discouraged my dear brethren, but bless the Lord, who of his abundant mercy, hath so remarkably preserved you so long beyond all expectation. Let it not be a strange thing to you, if the Lord doth now call you to some difficulty: forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is. I plainly see the coal of religion will soon go out, unless it have some better helps to cherish it, than a carnal ministry, and lifeless administration. Dear brethren, now is the time for you that fear the Lord, to speak often one to another: manage your duties with what prudence you can, but away with that carnal prudence, that will decline duty to avoid danger.

*I left you some helps for daily examination, I am jealous lest you should grow slack, or slight, and careless in that duty. Let me ask you in the name of the Lord, doth never a day pass you, but you solemnly and seriously call yourselves to an account, what your carriage hath been to God and men? Speak conscience? Is there never an one within the hearing of this letter, that is a neglecter of this duty? Doth every one of your consciences acquit you? Oh that they did! Tell me, would not some of you be put shrewdly to it, if I should ask you when you read, or thought over the questions that were given you for your help? Would you not be put to a blush, to give me an answer? And will you not be much more ashamed, that God should find you tardy? Not that I would necessarily bind you up to that very method; only till you have found a way more profitable, I would desire you, yea, I cannot but charge you, to make daily use of that. Awake conscience, and do thou fall upon that soul that thou findest careless in this work, and never let him be at rest till thou canst witness for him, that he is a daily and strict observer of himself, and doth live in the constant practice of this duty. What! Shall neither God’s charge nor your profit hold you to your work? Yet I may not doubt, but some of you do daily perform this duty. The Lord encourage you in it: yet give me leave to ask you what you have gained? Are you grown more universally conscientious, more strict, more humble, and more sensible of your many and great defects, than you were before? If so blessed are you of the Lord; if otherwise, this duty hath been but slightly performed by you. What can you say to this question? Doth your care of your ways abate or increase, by the constant use of this duty? If it abate, remember from whence you are fallen, and repent; as good not to do it at all, as not to the purpose.

The Lord God be a sun and a shield to you. My most dear love to you all; fare you well in the Lord. I am,

Your embassador in bonds,

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the common gaol at Ivelchester,
October 20, 1663.

LETTER X.

[Motives and marks of growth.]

To the most loving and best beloved, the servants of Christ in Taunton, grace and peace.

Most dear and tender friends:

WHOSE I am, and whom under God I desire to serve; to build you up in holiness, and comfort, hath been through grace my great ambition. This is that which I laboured for; this is that which I suffer for: and in short, the end of all my applications to you, and to God for you. How do your souls prosper? Are they in a thriving case? What progress do you make in sanctification? Doth the house of Saul grow weaker and weaker, and the house of David stronger and stronger? Behold, I am jealous of you with a godly jealousy, lest any of you should lose ground in these declining times: and therefore cannot but be often calling upon you to look to your standing, and to watch and hold fast, that no man take your crown. Ah! How surely shall you reap in the end, if you faint not! Take heed therefore that you lose not the things you have wrought, but as you have begun well, so go on in the strength of Christ, and give diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end.

Do you need motives? 1. How much are you behind hand? Oh the fair advantages that we have lost! What time, what sabbaths, sermons, sacraments, are upon the matter lost? How much work have we yet to do? Are you sure of heaven yet? Are you fit to die yet? Surely they that are under so many great wants, had need to set upon some more thriving courses.

Secondly, Consider what others have gained, whilst we it may be sit down by the loss: Have we not met many vessels richly laden, while our souls are empty? Oh, the golden prizes that some have won? While we have folded the hands to sleep! Have not many of our own standing in religion, left us far behind them?

*Thirdly, Consider you will all find little enough when you come to die: The wise among the virgins have no oil to spare, at the coming of the bridegroom; temptation and death will put all your graces to it. How much ado have many had at last to put into this harbour! David cries for respite, till he had recovered a little more strength.

Fourthly, Consider how short your time for gathering in probably is? The Israelites gathered twice so much manna against the sabbath as they did at other times, because at that time there was no manna fell. Brethren, you know not how long you have to lay in for. Do you ask for marks how you may know your souls to be in a thriving case?

First, If your appetites be more strong. Do you thirst after God and after grace, more than heretofore? Do your cares for and desires after the world abate? And do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Whereas you were wont to come with an ill-will to holy duties, do you come to them as an hungry stomach to its meat?

Secondly, If your pulses beat more even. Are you still off and on, hot and cold? Or is there a more even spun thread of holiness through your whole course? Do you make good the ground from which you were formerly beaten off?

*Thirdly, If you do look more to the carrying on together the duties of both tables. Do you not only look to the keeping of your own vineyards, but do you lay out yourselves for the good of others, and are filled with zealous desires for their conversion and salvation? Do you manage your talk and your trade, by the rules of religion?

*Do you eat and sleep by rule? Doth religion form and mould, and direct your carriage towards husband, wife, parents, children, masters, servants? Do you grow more universally conscientious? Is piety more diffusive than ever with you? Doth it come more abroad with you, out of your closets, into your houses, your shops, your fields? Doth it journey with you, and buy and sell for you? Hath it the casting voice in all you do?

Fourthly, If the duties of religion be more delightful to you. Do you take more delight in the word than ever! Are you more in love with secret prayer, and more abundant in it? Cannot you be content with your ordinary seasons, but are ever and anon making extraordinary visits to heaven? And upon all occasions turning aside, to talk with God in some short ejaculations? Are you often darting up your soul heavenwards? Is it meat and drink for you, to do the will of God? Do you come off more freely with God, and answer his calls with more readiness of mind?

*Fifthly, If you are more abundant in those duties which are most displeasing to the flesh. Are you more earnest in mortification? Are you more strict and severe than ever in the duty of daily self-examination, and holy meditation? Do you hold the reins harder upon the flesh than ever? Do you keep a stricter watch upon your appetites? Do you set a stronger guard upon your tongues? Have you a more jealous eye upon your hearts?

Sixthly, If you grow more vile in your own eyes. Do you grow more out of love with men’s esteem, set less by it? Are you not marvellous tender of being slighted? Can you rejoice to see others preferred before you? Can you heartily value and love them that think meanly of you?

Seventhly, If you grow more quick of sense, more sensible of divine influences, or withdrawings. Are you more afraid of sin than ever? Are your sins a greater pain to you than heretofore? Are your very infirmities your great afflictions? and the daily workings of corruption a continual grief of mind to you?

I must conclude abruptly, commending you to God, and can only tell you that I am,

Your’s in the Lord Jesus,

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the common gaol, in Ivelchester,
October 31, 1663.

LETTER XI.

To my dearly beloved, the inhabitants 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 further your salvation. I must again and again thank you for your abundant affection to me, which I value as a great mercy, not in order to myself, but in order to your benefit, that I may thereby be a more likely instrument of your good. Surely, so much as I value your love, yet had I rather be forsaken of you all, and buried in oblivion; so that your eyes and hearts may be fixed on Christ, and sincerely engaged to him. Brethren, I have not bespoken your affections for myself: O that I might win your hearts to Christ. O that I might convert you to him though you were diverted from me. *I should much rather chuse to be hated of all, so this might be the means to have Christ set up savingly in the hearts of you all. And indeed there is nothing great but in order to God; nothing is considerable as it is terminated in us: it matters not whether we are in riches or poverty, 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 pain or contempt, if by these God’s glory may be promoted. What are we for, but for God? What doth the creature signify separated from his God? Why just so much as the cypher separated from his figure. We are 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 brutes, than that we should not use our reason for him. What are our interests, unless they may be subservient to his interest? Or our reputation, unless we may hereby glorify him?

Do you love me? I know you do. But who is there, that will leave his sins for me? 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? Oh wherein may you rejoice me? 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 yourselves up throughly to the Lord. Would you lighten my burden? Would you make glad my heart? Let me hear of your owning the ways and servants of the Lord in adversity, of your 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 sinners were awakened, and induced by the preaching of these bonds, to leave their drunkenness, their loose company, their deceit and wantonness! 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 yourselves into his arms! Why should you die? Why will you forsake your own mercy? Will you perish when mercy woos you? Confess and forsake your sins, and you shall find mercy. Will you sell your souls to perdition for a little ease and delight in your flesh? Or a little of the gain of unrighteousness? Why, these are the things that part between sinners and Christ.

*I know many are spun with a finer thread, and are not so far from the kingdom of God. But I must 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 too, and yet fall short of the glory of God! Oh ye halting Christians, that halt between Christ and the world, that are as Ephraim, like a cake not turned, dough-bak’d, professors, that have lamps without oil, 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 from the profane, and ye own the people of the Lord. But godliness is a heart-work, it goes deep, and spreads far: unless the frame of your hearts, and the drift 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 Christ’s, how far soever you go in external performances. Hear then, O people, and let not an almost Christianity deceive you, or 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, lest you should split against these dangerous rocks. O Taunton, Taunton, how often would God’s servants have gathered you, and 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.

But for you, whose hearts are set against every sin, and are resolved for God and holiness; you that experience a thorough change, and have respect to all God’s 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 ye of the Lord: O happy souls rejoice in the Lord, and again, I say, rejoice: let your souls magnify the Lord, and your spirits rejoice 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 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 Christ’s hands; but the harder they pluck, the harder do you cling, and cleave to 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. May he be a sun to comfort you, and shine with his beams of grace and glory on you all: farewell in the Lord, I am,

Your’s in the bonds of the gospel,

JOS. ALLEINE.

LETTER XIII.

To the beloved people, the flock of God in Taunton, grace and peace.

Most dear friends and brethren,

I 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 teaching every man, that I might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

You that have taken upon you the profession of strict godliness, I shall only press you to press towards the mark. You have much work to do, and God hath given you no time to loiter in. I beseech you to put on. That person that sits down when he hath gotten to that pitch that he thinks will bring him to heaven, is never like to come thither: grace is one of those things that saith, It never hath enough. Let me urge upon you the apostle’s counsel, Follow after holiness.

First. Holiness is the choicest ornament: it is an adorning in the sight of God, of great price. It is the glory of God, and will you count it your shame? Exodus ♦15. God is glorious in holiness, and grace is called glory, 2 Corinthians iii. 18. Yet we may now cry out as the psalmist, O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? Psalms iv. 2. But be of good comfort, the shame of holiness is real glory.

Secondly. Holiness is the safest defence; grace is not only for ornament, but for use. Righteousness is a breast-plate that keeps the vitals, and is a sure defence from any mortal wounds. When the politicians have done their best, it is he that walketh uprightly, that walketh surely, Proverbs x. 19. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, saith David. I desire to be no longer safe than these can preserve me; when I must let go my integrity or my safety, I will chuse the danger rather than the sin: and yet will never doubt but my integrity will save me harmless. *Never persuade me that the man chooses wisely, who runs upon the displeasure of God, to flee man’s displeasure. Did you ever hear of a man so mad as to run upon the sword’s point, to avoid the scratch of a pin? Why this is the wisdom of the distracted world, who will sin rather than suffer, and to save themselves harmless in the world, will run upon God, even upon the thick bosses of his buckler.

Thirdly. Holiness will be found to be your real happiness: eat of this tree, and you shall be indeed as God. Godliness is God’s likeness. The beauty of holiness is his very image; sin is the disease of which holiness is the cure. O what peace and tranquility doth holiness work in the mind! Great peace have they that love thy commandments, and nothing shall offend them. In a word, holiness is the perfection of man’s nature, the communication of the divine nature, the earnest of glory, and the very entrance of heaven.

Let me say now to every one of you, as our Saviour to Martha; Believest thou this? If you do, live like believers, and do you follow after holiness as others follow their trades or studies. Let religion be your business, and not a thing by the bye: follow as hard after grace, as if you did indeed believe riches and honor were in it. Let holiness sit on your lips, and season all your speech with grace. Profess it, own it, plead stoutly for it, be advocates for holiness, in an adulterous and wicked generation; wear it as a robe of honour, when the world cast their reproaches at you for it: let it dwell in your hearts: let it adorn your houses: let it be your companion in your closets: let it travel with you in your journies: let it lie down and rise up with you: let it close your eyes in the evening, and call you out of your beds in the morning. Be you the votaries of holiness: keep her, and she shall keep you.

Because I know you love to hear of my welfare, I must tell you that goodness and mercy follow me perpetually every day, and every night, glory to God in the highest. Dear brethren, fare you well in the Lord, I am

Your devoted servant in the gospel,
whether a bond-man, or a free,

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the common Gaol, at Ivelchester,
December 3, 1663.

LETTER XIV.

To the flock of Christ in Taunton, grace and peace.

Most endeared friends,

I WOULD have you count nothing as certain but Christ’s 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. 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 you 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 find that heaven is the main of your cares, that your hearts are set upon it as your home and your country; and that it is your business to seek it and secure it. If your hearts be upon heaven, your names are unquestionably 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 hath 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 affections? Then rejoice and leap for joy, your names are most precious 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 heart is 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 God’s means against it as far as you know them? If it be thus with you, Christ hath set his stamp upon your hearts, and hath set you as a seal upon his heart.

Rejoice then, O Christians, and bless yourselves, in being under Christ’s 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, doing and 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: many will be plucking at you, but fear not, he hath all power. Can omnipotence secure you? He is all treasure. Can unsearchable riches suffice you? In a word, he is all fullness. Can fullness fill you? If so, you are blessed and shall be blessed.

Beloved, We lose unutterably for want of considering our own privileges, and blessedness. O man, is Christ thine, and yet dost thou live at a low rate? Is thy name written in heaven, and yet dost thou not rejoice? Shall the children of the kingdom, the chosen generation, be like other men? O Christians, remember who and whence you are, consider your obligations, bestir yourselves, 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 obtained the King’s patent for an earldom, glory in his riches and honour? And shall the grant of heaven signify little with thee? Or Christ’s patent for the son-ship and partnership with himself be like a cypher? Shall Haman come home from the banquet with a glad heart, glorying in the greatness of his riches, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him? And shall we find it under God’s 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? *Christians live like yourselves, let the world see that the promises of God and privileges of the gospel are not empty sounds. Let the heavenly chearfulness and the restless diligence, and the holy raisedness of your conversation prove the reality, excellency, and beauty of your religion. See that you receive not the grace of God in vain. Remember with trembling, 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

Your’s in all manner of obligations,

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the common goal, in Ivelchester,
January 20, 1663.

LETTER XV.

[What do you more than others?]

To the most dearly beloved, the servants of God, in Taunton, grace and peace.

Most loving and entirely beloved,

YOU are a great joy to me. I know not what thanks to render to the Lord for you, when I hear of your constancy and fidelity, and zeal, in adhering to him, and his ways, even in such a time as this; you are highly favoured. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that he hath regarded the low estates of his servants: that he should ever indulge you as he hath, and hover over you, even as the eagle stirreth up her nest, and fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings, for so hath the Lord your God dealt with you: he hath kept you as the apple of his eye, and since the streams of Cherith were dried up, yet to this day he hath not suffered the handful of meal to waste, nor the oil in the cruise to fail, but hath continually provided for you. How should I love and bless the Lord for this his great grace towards you? Now I beseech you my brethren, that you consider the kindness of the Lord; for the Lord your God is he that careth for you, and that you love the Lord your God, and fear him for ever, for he is your life, and the length of your days. But as Job had a holy fear of his children, lest they should have offended: so I am jealous of you with a godly jealousy, lest any of you should receive this grace of God in vain. I must not cease to put you mind, that God doth look for no small matter from you. Remember my charge, that there be not a barren tree nor a dwarf Christian among you; where the Lord soweth much, he expects to reap accordingly. Whose account, my beloved, is like to be so great as yours? O look about you, and think of the master coming to reckon with you for his talents; when he will expect no small increase. Beloved, what can you do? How much are you grown? What spoil have you made upon your corruptions? What progress in grace?

Suppose Christ should put the awakening question to you, What do you more than others? God doth expect more of his people, than of any others in the world: and well he may. For

First, He hath bestowed more on them than on others: now where much is given, much shall be required; can you think of that without trembling? He hath bestowed on them singular love; Thee only have I known of all the families on earth: and he looks that his love should be a constraining argument to obedience. Again, he hath laid out a singular care for his people, more than for others: he cares for no men, for nothing in the world, in comparison of them. He reproveth kings for their sakes. He will give nations and kingdoms for their ransom. So precious are they in his sight, and so dearly beloved, that he will give men for them, and people for their life. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, he will not endure them out of his sight. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and first the eye of his more accurate observation: God can wink at others as it were, and overlook what they do with little notice, but he has a most curious eye upon his people, he marketh their steps, and booketh their words, he weigheth their actions, and pondereth all their goings. And should they not walk more cautiously than any alive, that are under so exact an eye? Secondly, the eye of special care and protection. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, I will guide thee with mine eye: and should not they be infinitely tender and careful how to please the Lord, who have his singular care laid out on them? In short, God hath bestowed on them singular privileges: these are a peculiar treasure to him above all people, a kingdom of priests, an holy nation; they dwell alone, they are diverse from all people. When the whole world lies in wickedness, these are called and chosen, and faithful, washed, and justified, and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. The rest are the refuse; these the jewels. Shall not God’s priests be cloathed with righteousness, and shall not princes live above the rate of peasants?

Secondly, He hath entrusted them with more than others: not only with the talents of his grace, (for the increase whereof they must give a strict account) but also with the jewel of his glory. How tenderly should they walk, that are entrusted with such a jewel? Remember, your Maker’s glory is bound up in your fruitful walking.

Thirdly, He hath qualified them more than others. He hath put into them a principle of life, having quickened them together with Christ. He hath set up a light in their minds, when others lie in darkness. He hath given them other aids, than others have, even his Spirit to help their infirmities, when others lie like vessels that are wind-bound, and cannot stir.

Fourthly, He hath provided for them other manner of things than for others. These are the little flock to whom it is his good pleasure to give the kingdom: great are the preparations for them. The Father hath prepared the kingdom for them from the foundations of the world: the Son is gone to heaven on purpose to prepare a place for them: the Spirit is preparing them, and making them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: and should these be like other people?

Brethren, God and men expect you should do more than others, see that you be indeed singular. For

1. If you do no more for God than others, he will do more against you than others: You only have I known, therefore will I punish you. The barren tree in the vineyard must down, whereas had he been in the common he might have stood much longer. God looketh for grapes from his vineyard, on which he had bestowed such care more than ordinary, but when they bring forth wild grapes, he will lay them waste in a worse manner than the forest.

2. If you do no more than others, you must look for no more than others: If you should put off God with a common obedience, you must expect to be put off with common mercies.

3. Except you do more than others, God will be dishonoured by you more than others.

And truly, as God looks for more from his own than others, so he looks for more from you than others, even of his own, because he hath done more: see that you be shining Christians, that you be strong in the grace of God, that you press towards the mark. But I must conclude; I give my love among you all, being able to add no more, but that I am

Your’s in fervent love and longings,

JOS. ALLEINE.

LETTER XVI.

To the servants of God in Taunton, salvation.

Most endeared Christians,

I AM your’s, and love to be so, being ambitious not to have dominion over your faith, but to be a helper of your joy. Christ’s 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’s sake. I have no greater felicity under God, than to serve the good of souls. Brethren, how fares it with your souls? Are they in health? Do they prosper? It is a joy to me to hear when your trade flourishes: but these are 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 sound out the word of the Lord, and that in every place your faith to God-ward should be spread abroad. That ye should be as a field that the Lord hath blessed: that you should not only have the name, but the spirit, life, power, heat, growth, vigour of Christianity among you. Let not Taunton only have the name to live: but to see to it, 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 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, 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 in his conscience, his estate and his soul will thrive both alike. Beloved, I would that you should remember whither you are going. If a man be after a few months to be transported into another country, never to return, he will send over whatever he can, and make the best provision he may against he come into that country. Brethren, you are strangers and pilgrims here, and have but a few month’s stay in this country; see that you traffic much with heaven. Christ is our common factor. O send over to him what possibly you can. Give alms plentifully, pray continually, be much in meditation and consideration; reckon with yourselves daily: walk with God in your callings. Do all the duties of your relations as unto God: live not one day to yourselves, but unto Christ: 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! *Beloved, while you are here in this world, you are but like a merchant’s ship in a strange port; the day for your return is set, and you are to stay no longer than ’till your freight is ready. Be wise, know your season, improve your time, you are made or marred forever, as you speed in this one voyage. There is no returning to this country 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 who 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 money, 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 yourselves to him, unlearn yourselves. There is a threefold foot that we naturally stand upon, our own wisdom, our own righteousness, and our own strength; these three feet must be cut off, and we must learn to have no subsistence but 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 itself, but is wholly supported by the prop it leans on. It is no small thing to know ourselves to be nothing, of no might, of no worth, of no understanding; to look upon ourselves 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 beggary: when we set down ourselves 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 on. When you are throughly emptied, and see all your comeliness to be but as a withered flower, dead, dried, past recovery, then you will be put upon the happy necessity of going out to Christ for all.

I can add no more but my prayers to my counsels, and so commending you to God, and the word of his grace, I rest

The fervent well-wisher of your souls,

JOS. ALLEINE.

LETTER XVII.

To the servants of God in Taunton, salvation.

Most endeared Christians,

I SEND you a few prison counsels.

1. To improve for eternity, the advantages of your present state. Though you are at many disadvantages with respect to the public ordinances, yet you have many most happy privileges. Oh what a mercy have you that you may serve God when you will in your families! That you may be as much as you will with God in secret prayer, and holy meditation, and self-examination! I beseech you consider what a blessing you have above others, that have your health, and a competency, and are free from those heart-eating cares, that others are disabled by, from looking after God and their souls. Oh consider what a blessed seed-time you have for eternity! Now be wise and improve your happy season. Prepare for death. Make all sure: press on towards the mark. Lay up in store for yourselves 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? 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 disadvantages of your state. Study to know your own weakness, and where your danger lies, that you may obviate Satan, and prevent your miscarrying: there is no condition but has its snares. See that ye acquaint yourselves with his devices lest you be beguiled by him, through your own unwariness. You that are well provided for in the world had need to watch yourselves, lest you fall in love with present things, lest you be lifted up, lest you trust in those carnal props, and put confidence in the creatures, lest you warp, and decline, and baulk your duties, through the desire of preserving your estates. You that have little in the world, are not without your temptations: Oh take heed of envying others prosperity, of murmuring and discontent, of diffidence and distrustfulness, of using indirect means to help yourselves: be sure you make not any pressures an excuse from your daily serving 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, most expose you to. Be not strangers to yourselves. Prove yourselves upright in keeping from your iniquities.

*3. To converse often with your dust. Brethren, we are going; the grave waiteth for us: O forget not that corruption is your father, and the worm your mother, and your sister! These are your 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 hence. Happy he that knew not 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. 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 accordingly. Often ask your hearts, What 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 played. What! 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 represent death unto you, as it will shew shortly itself: or could but open a window into eternity to you: How effectually would this do the work! Then the cripple would fling away his crutches, the slothful would pluck his hand out of his bosom, and shake off his excuses, and be night and day at his work. Then the Laodicean would be recovered from his ♦benumbed 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.

Brethren, lift up yourselves above the objects of sense; be men for eternity, and carry it like those that seek for glory, honour, and immortality. I commend you to divine grace; and am

Your’s in the bonds of the gospel of our Lord Jesus,

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the common gaol at Ivelchester,
March 5, 1665.

LETTER XVIII.

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 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 jealousy, that no man take your crown. 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 long profession of the name of Jesus Christ: Oh, see upon what ground you stand. You must, every one of you, stand shortly before the judgment-seat of Christ, and be tried for your lives: Oh, try yourselves throughly first. ’Tis easy to mistake a partial reformation and external obedience, for true sanctification. Therefore I beseech you every one, to examine whether you are in the faith. Prove your ownselves. 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 know you are passed from death unto life, and that 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 mean you to live at uncertainties? Brethren, it is an intolerable 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 it is intolerable ♦carelessness, if you do not bring yourselves to the trial by these marks. What! Are your hands filled with books, and your ears with sermons, that tell you so plainly from the word of God, how you shall know whether you are in Christ, and are you still to seek? Oh, stir up yourselves. Take heed, lest a promise being left of entering into his rest, any of you fall short of it at last. You are a professing people; you pray, and you hear; but oh, look to your sincerity. Look to your principles, look to your ends; else you may lose all at last. Examine not only what is done, but whence ’tis done; look to the root as well as to the fruit. Eye not only your actions, but your aims. Remember what a strict eye you are under. The Lord Jesus makes strict observation upon all your works and ways. He observes who of you are fruitful, and who are barren and unprofitable. He knows who are thriving, and who declining. He observes who are warm, and who lukewarm: who are sound Christians, and who have only a name to live.

Christians, put on, press towards the mark, be adding to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge. See that you grow extensively, being abundant in all sorts of good works. Be pitiful, be courteous, gentle, easy to be intreated. Be slow to anger, soon reconciled. Be patient, be temperate, be chearful. Study not every one only his own things, but also the good of his neighbour. Think it not enough to look to your own souls but watch for the souls of others. Pray for them, warn them, be kind to them, study to oblige them, that by any means you may win them, and gain your souls.

Labour to grow intensively, to do better the things that you did before, to be more fervent in prayer, more free and willing in all the ways of the Lord, to hear with more profit, to examine yourselves more thoroughly, to mind heaven more frequently.

I commend myself to your prayers, and you to the grace of God, remaining

Your’s in the Lord Jesus,

JOS. ALLEINE.

Dorchester,
July 7, 1663.

LETTER XIX.

[The character and privileges of true believers.]

To the most beloved people, the servants of God in Taunton, grace and peace.

Most dearly beloved,

I REJOICE to hear of God’s continual goodness towards you; he is your shepherd, and therefore it is that you do not want. Me you have not always, but he is ever with you; his rod and his staff shall comfort you. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all your days, and you shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

In this my dear brethren, rejoice, that God is engaged in so near and so sweet a relation to you. Doubtless your souls shall lodge in goodness, and be provided for carefully, that have the Almighty for your shepherd. Blessed are the flock of his hands, and the sheep of his pasture; happy are the people that are in such a case.

But who are Christ’s sheep?

Not all professors. I beseech you to take heed how you rest in profession. It is not profession, but conversion that turns a man from a swine to a sheep. Let none of you flatter yourselves, that because you have escaped the gross pollutions of the world, therefore you are among the number of Christ’s sheep. All this you may attain to, and yet be but washed swine; there must be an inward, deep, thorough, universal change upon your natures, dispositions, inclinations, or else you are not Christ’s sheep.

*If you will be put out of doubt whether you are his sheep or not, you must try it by the mark that Christ sets upon all his sheep, even your sanctification. You that will stand to the trial, answer me truly and deliberately to these questions. Do you hate every sin as the sheep doth the mire? Do you regard no iniquity in your hearts? Do you strive against, and oppose all sin, though it may seem never so necessary, never so natural to you, or have you not your secret haunts for evil? For every swine will have his swill. Do you abstain from sin out of fear, or out of dislike? Are you at peace with no sin? 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 out 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 hunger and thirst after it, and desire it more than any temporal good? Have you chosen the way of God’s precepts, and had rather live holily than be allowed to live in your sins? Do you in your very hearts prefer a strict life in communion with and conformity to God, before the prosperity of the world? Do you chuse 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 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 all that have this mark, come and understand your happiness. You are marked out for preservation, and let it go how it will with the rest, it shall go well with you. You are the separated ones upon whom the angel hath set the seal of the living God; you are redeemed unto God from among men, being the first fruits unto God and the Lamb, and have your Father’s name written in your foreheads.

Hail, you are highly favoured of the Lord, blessed are ye among men! Though you are but poor and despised, and little like Benjamin among the thousands of Judah; you carry away the blessing and the privilege from all the rest. God hath done more for the least of you than for the whole world of mankind besides. Fear not little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. All that the scripture speaks of that kingdom of glory, that everlasting kingdom, it speaks to you. Behold your inheritance. You are the sons of God, inheritors of the kingdom of heaven, joint heirs with Christ the Lord of glory.

Do you believe this? Do you thoroughly believe? If so, my work is done, I need not bid you rejoice, nor bid you be thankful, only believe. Do this and do all. Believe and you will rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. Believe and you will be fruitful, and shew your faith by your works. Believe and you will love, for faith worketh by love. In a word, keep these things upon your hearts by daily and lively consideration, and this will bring heaven into your souls, and engage you to all manner of holy conversation. This will mortify you to the world, the grand enemy which I charge you to beware of. O remember, your’s is the kingdom; and ponder these sayings in your hearts. Beloved, I have written these things to you that your joy may be full. And now peace I leave with you. I am Christ’s embassador to you, an embassador of peace; his peace I pronounce unto you; in his name I bless you. Farewell in the Lord.

I am,
The fervent well-wisher of your souls,

JOS. ALLEINE.

Devizes, June 29, 1666.

LETTER XXI.

To the beloved people, the inhabitants of Taunton, grace and peace.

Most dear friends,

MY chief joy is, that my beloved is mine and I am his. But next to that I have no joy so great as that you are mine and I am yours, and you are Christ’s. My relation to Christ is above all: he is my life and my peace, my riches and my righteousness: he is my hope and my strength, and mine inheritance, and my rejoicing: in him will I please myself for ever, and in him will I glory. I esteem myself most happy and rich, and safe in him, though of myself I am nothing. In him I may boast without pride, and glory without vanity. Here is no danger of being over-much pleased; neither can the Christian exceed his bounds in valuing his own riches and happiness in Christ. The Lord hath dealt bountifully with me, and none shall stop this my confidence of boasting in Christ. But as my lot in him is above all, so it is no small content to me, that my lot is fallen with you. And though I have broken my health, and lost my liberty once and again for your sakes, yet none of these things move me. I wish nothing more than to spend and to be spent upon the service of your faith. I bless the Lord for it is an invaluable mercy, that ever he called me to be an embassador of the Lord Jesus Christ to you-wards. In this station I desire to approve myself to him, and that I am withdrawn from my work for a season, it is but that I may return to you refreshed, and more enabled for my work among you. I am tender of preserving the little strength God doth add to me, entirely for your sakes. I bless the Lord I am in great tranquility here in this town, and walk up and down without any questioning me. I do by this return you my hearty thanks for your earnest prayers in my behalf, for it is God that must do the cure. I seem to be retired to this place, as a vessel rent and shattered and torn in the service, that is come to recruit in the harbour: And here I am as it were repairing and victualling to put forth again in the service: which I shall do as soon as I am ready. What is my life unless I am serviceable? And though I must for the present forbear my wonted labour, yet I shall not cease to exhort you while I am absent from you, to stand fast, and to grow up in your holy faith.

Be warned, my beloved, that you fall not upon those rocks on which so many 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 Christian that will be found a mere Idolater. Many a soul goes down to Hell in this sin, and never discerns it till it be too late. Remember, that the Oxen, the Farm, Wife, Merchandize, all of them lawful comforts, did effectually keep men from closing with Christ, as the vilest lusts of the worst of men. Whatever you find your hearts very much pleased in among these earthly comforts, set a mark upon that thing, and remember that there lies your greatest danger. What you love most, you must fear most; and think often with yourselves, this, if any thing, is like to be my ruin. Oh, the multitudes that perish by the secret hand of this enemy, the over-valuing of earthly things. The hearers compared to the thorny ground did openly fall away; but while others withered they were as green and fresh as ever; and yet their inordinate affection to the things of this life, secretly undid all at last. Little do most think 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 are the things which are like to undo them for ever. How little is that scripture thought of, love not the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Are there not many among us, who though they keep up prayer, and other holy duties; yet the strength of their hearts goeth out after earthly things? And these are their chief care and their chief joy. Such must know they are none of Christ’s; and they had better understand now, and seek to be renewed by repentance, than hereafter, when there shall be no place for repentance.

Secondly, Lest while iniquity abounds, your love to Christ wax cold. Remember what an abomination Laodicea was to Christ, because she grew luke-warm; and what a controversy he had with Ephesus, a sound church, because she did but slacken and grow remiss in her love. A friend is born for adversity; and now is the time, if you will prove the sincerity of your love to Christ, by following him zealously, resolvedly, fully, now he is rejected and opposed.

Thirdly, Lest you keep up a barren and fruitless profession. See to it, that you be not only professors, but proficients. Many think all is well because they go on in the exercises of religion; but alas! You may keep on praying and hearing all the week long, and yet be not one jot the farther. Many there are that keep going, but it is like the horse in the mill, that is going all day, but yet is no farther than when he first began. Nay, it often happens in the trade of religion, as in trading in the world, many keep on trading still, ’till for want of care, and examining their accounts, 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 yourselves into poverty, so you may hear and pray yourselves into hardness of heart and desperate security and formality. This was the very case of wretched Laodicea, who kept in the track of religious duties, and verily thought that all was well, because the trade went on, and that she was increased in spiritual goods. But when her accounts were cast up, all comes to nothing, and ends in wretchedness, poverty, and nakedness. I commend you to the living God, remaining

Your fervent well-wisher and Embassador in Christ.

JOS. ALLEINE.

Devizes, June 22, 1666.

LETTER XXII.

[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 Lord hath committed to me, for the furtherance of your salvation. How long, Lord, how long shall I dwell in silence? How long shall my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth? When will God open my lips, that I may stand up and praise him? But it is my Father’s good pleasure yet to keep me in a total disability of publishing his name among you; unto him my soul shall patiently subscribe. I cannot complain that he is hard to me: I am full of the mercies of the Lord, and shall I complain? Far be it from me.

*But though I may not murmur, methinks 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 counsels to my beloved people. But it cannot be; alas, my right hand seems to have forgot her cunning, and hath much ado with trembling to lift the bread into 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 shook my pen as it were out of my hand? But 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 than 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, I feel already how in-sufficient all 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, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. Oh help me to love that precious name of his, which is above all my praises. O love the Lord all ye his saints, magnify him with me, and let us exalt his name together! He hath remembred my low estate, because his mercy endureth for ever. Blessed be you of the Lord, for all your remembrances of me before the Lord. You have wrestled with the Lord for me, you have wrestled me out of the jaws of death: O the strength of prayer! Surely it is stronger than death. See that you have the honour the power and prevalency of prayer: Oh be in love with prayer, and have high and venerable thoughts of it. What distresses, diseases, or death, can stand before it? Surely I live by prayer, prayer hath given a resurrection to this body of mine, when physicians and friends had given up their hopes.

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 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 you be throughly possessed and inflamed with the love of God. See that you study this. Fill your souls with wonder, and be ravished with this love: take your daily walk, and lose yourselves in the field of love. O that your souls may be drowned in the love of Christ, ’till you say with the spouse, I am sick of love. 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 comforted me, ravished, and refreshed me both in body and soul! Now my own hands can feed me, and my own feet 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 which hath done all this for me? 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. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. Farewell in the Lord, I remain

Your unworthy minister and servent
Well-wisher in the Lord,

JOS. ALLEINE.

LETTER XXIII.

To the servants of Christ in Huntingdon, grace and peace.

Most dear Christians,

I THANKFULLY acknowledge, both to God and you, that I am many ways obliged to love and serve you, and surely, when the Lord shall turn our captivity, I will (through his grace) endeavour to shew myself thankful. I am the more sensible of your great love, because I cannot be insensible how little I have been able to do to oblige you. Able, I say, for I am sure I have been willing to be much more serviceable. But now letters and prayers are all that I have for you: of these I shall be ready to be prodigal. I fervently pray, and do not doubt to speed, that you may reap in grace and glory, what you have sown in bounty. Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Ah how sure is it! And how great, and how near!

Come on, my dear brethren and fellow-travellers. Stir up yourselves and set to your race. See that you loiter not, but speed in your holy course. What, tire by the way, or think of looking back when heaven is the prize? God forbid. To him that soweth righteousness there shall be a sure reward. What though it should seem slow? As long as it is so sure, and so great, never be discouraged. In the end you shall reap, if you faint not. Wait but awhile, and you shall have a blessed harvest. The Lord speaks to the Christian, as he to his creditor in another case, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Oh for faith and patience! How safely will these carry us to the harbour, thro’ all difficulties.

Brethren, be ye followers of them, who thro’ faith and patience inherit the promises. It is want of patience that undoes the world. Patience I mean, not so much in the bearing the afflictive evil, as in waiting for the deferred good. If the reward of religion were in hand, who would not be religious? But the Lord deals all upon trust, and on that account is but little dealt with. You must plow and sow, and wait for the return of all at the harvest, when this life is ended. They that like not religion upon these terms, may see where they can mend their markets. But you, my brethren, be stedfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord; for as much as ye know your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Wait a little; there is but a short life between you, and the blessed inheritance of glory. Ah wretched unbelievers! How worthy are you to be shut for ever out of the kingdom, that did so undervalue all the glory that God had promised, as not to count it sufficient to pay you for a little waiting? Beloved, lift up your eyes, and behold your inheritance, the good land that is beyond Jordan, and that goodly mountain. The promises are a map of heaven. Do but view it believingly and considerately, as it is drawn there, and tell me, what think you of that worthy portion, that goodly heritage? Will not all this make you amends for your stay? Why then act like believers. Never think much of the pains and expences of religion. Let no man think he shall come off a loser. What though you are much upon the spending hand? God is before-hand with you however: but I would have you principally to look forward. It is much that God hath laid out upon you; but who can tell what he hath laid up for them that fear him? And will you miss of all for want of patience? God forbid.

Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth, and hath long patience, ’till he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. What, shall the husbandman have more patience for the fruits of the earth, than you for the precious fruits of your faith? The husbandman hath no such certainty as you: he hath but a probability of an harvest, and yet he hath patience; he is content to venture. He is at great pains, and much cost; he is still laying out, and hath nothing coming in, and yet he is content to wait for his reimbursement, ’till the corn be grown. But your harvest is more sure, as sure as the infallible promise, the immutable oath of God.

Again, the husbandman hath no such increase to look for as you. If he were sure, that every corn would bear a crown, with what joy, rather than patience, would he go through all his cost and labour? Why, brethren, such is a believer’s increase. Every grain shall produce a crown; and every tear shall bring forth a pearl; and every minute in pains or prayers, an age of joy and glory. Beside, the husbandman hath long patience, and will not you have a little patience? It is not long patience that God doth expect of you: for behold the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Will the garrison yield when relief is at hand? Or the merchant give up his hopes, when within sight of the harbour? Or will the husbandman give up all for lost, when he sees the fields white for harvest? And shall he do more for a crop of corn, than you will do for a crop of glory? Far be it. Behold the Judge is at the door. The Lord is at hand. He cometh quickly, and his reward is with him. He comes with the crown in his hand, to set upon the head of patience. Therefore cast not away your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. The prisoners of the Lord, your brethren in the patience of Jesus, can tell you, it is good suffering for such a master.

We must tell you, as they said to our Lord in another case, He is worthy for whom you should do this. God is beyond measure gracious to us here. He shines bright into our prison. He waters us from heaven and earth. As we trust, you forget not the poor prisoners, when you pray, so we would that many thanksgivings should abound in our behalf. And prayer being the only key that can open our prisons, we trust you will pray and not faint. Farewell, dear brethren, Fare ye well in the Lord, I am,

An unworthy embassador of Jesus, in bonds,

JOS. ALLEINE.

From the Prison at Ivelchester,
October 28, 1663.

LETTER XXIV.

[To his wife.]

My most dear Theodosia,

THOU seemest to have been long from me; let nothing any longer detain thee, but my sister’s necessity, or father’s authority. 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 ’tis 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 we use to call business is but vanity and pastime in comparison of this. Remember that ’tis thy one end, to glorify 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 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, and duties 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. Oh that thou mayst still be laying up in heaven! Still furthering thy account; still adding to the heap, and increasing thy glorious reward? Nothing is done for God, but thou shalt hear of it again. What 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 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 plough in hope, and sow 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 an inch of it. See thou to it, that my time in writing this letter be not lost time. Love God the more, and set thy heart the straiter towards him, and practise this one thing, in every action look to thy end, 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.

[To his wife.]

My dear heart,

*MY heart is now a little at rest to write to thee. I have been these three days much disturbed. Strong sollicitations I have had from several hands, to accept very honourable preferment; but I have not found the invitations 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 now can say, Soul, return unto thy rest. But alas, that such things should disturb me! I would live above this lower region, that no passages whatsoever might put me out of frame, or unsettle me from my desired 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, yet I am like a bird out of the nest, I am never at 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 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, ’tis the business and delight of my life to seek him. But alas, how long shall I spend my days in wishing, when my glorified brethren spend theirs in enjoying? As the poor imprisoned captive sighs under his irons, and can only look through the grate, and long for the liberty which others enjoy: such is my condition. I can only look through the grate of this prison, my flesh; I see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, sitting down in the kingdom of God. But alas, I myself must stand without, longing, praying, waiting, for what they are enjoying. Happy souls! When shall these fetters of mine be knocked off? When shall I be set at liberty from this prison of my body? You are cloathed with glory, when I am cloathed 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 clogged with this cumbersome body, 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 exercised; and which is worst of all, cherished with time-devouring sleep; 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 cautious must I be to keep me from dangers! How apt am I to be troubled with the cares and fears of this life, when your souls are taken up with God and Christ, and ’tis your work to be still contemplating, and admiring that love that redeemed you from all this. What pains must I be at to repair the 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. Oh when shall I be where my heart is? Wo is me that dwell in the tents of Kedar! Oh that I had wings like a dove, that I might fly away and be at rest! Then would I hasten my escape from the 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 country? Alas, how can I sing the Lord’s 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 shall rest in hope, and I will daily bathe my soul in the sweet thoughts of my blessed home. I will rejoice in hopes of what I do not yet enjoy, and content myself with the taste of what I shall shortly have my fill of.

The Lord grant the request I daily pour out before him, and make us furtherances to each other’s 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! Farewell!

Thine beyond expression,

JOS. ALLEINE.

LETTER XXVI.

[God is a satisfying Portion.]

My most dear friend,

HAD not my right hand long since forgot her cunning, and the Almighty shook the pen out of my hand, I should long e’er this have written 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.

Long is the song of love that I have to tell thee. I rejoice in the constancy 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 hindered 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 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 gives 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: my expences have been vast; 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 the weakest, and in the multitude of my thoughts within me, his comforts have refreshed my soul. I have found God a satisfying portion to me, and have sat 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 talk 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 David, Thou hast made me most blessed for ever more. Happy is the hour that ever I was born, to be made partaker of so blissful a treasure, so endless a felicity, such angelical a prerogative, as I have in him: O how sweet are his converses, how delightful it is to triumph in his love.

Methinks the story of the lepers comes not unaptly to my mind, who said one to another when they had eat and drunk and carried away silver and gold and raiment, and went and hid it, We do not well; this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. It is fit 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 adored, and magnified and admired for ever and ever. Bless the Lord, O my soul, bless the Lord, O my friend; let us exalt 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 fatness of the olive, and the 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 myself: I find thou dost over-value me; set the crown upon the head of Christ; let nothing be great with thee but him, give him the glory. 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 themselves come so exceedingly short of the rule that God hath set before us. I often think of the complaint of the devout Monsieur De Renty [I feel myself very poor this week; and very defective in the love of God; if you would know wherein you can pleasure me, love God more: that what is wanting in me may be made up in the abundance of your love:] in this thou mayest highly pleasure me: love God a little the better, praise him a little the more for my sake; let me have this to please myself in, that God is a little the better loved for me, and that I have blowed up, if it be but one spark of divine love in the bosom of my dearest friend, towards him.

Thy cautions are acceptable to me, I desire to provide for manifold changes and storms. I know I am not yet in the harbour; O pray with me that I may not enter into temptation; for I am very weak in spirit, as well as in body, God knoweth. 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 whilst I am. And yet once more, I must have room to add my thankful acknowledgment of thine. With our most dear affections to you both, I commend you to the God of love, still abiding,

Thy fast and sure

FRIEND.

Bath, October 12, 1668.

LETTER XXVII.

Dear Cousin,

THE welcome tidings of your safe arrival at Barbadoes is come to my ears; as also the news of your escape from a perilous sickness, for which I bless the Lord. I have considered, that God had bereft you of a careful father, and that your mother takes but little care for you; so that you have none nearer than myself to watch for your soul, and to charge and admonish you in the Lord.

But yet, be not discouraged by these things, but look to heaven, fly 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 yourself, 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 religion your business.

These things do, and you shall be sure of a friend in heaven; and, if I may be any comfort to you, you shall not fail, while I live, to have one friend on earth to care for you. You are gone far from me, even to the uttermost parts of the earth: but I have sent these letters to call after you; yea, not only 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?

Go aside; retire from the noise of the world, and say to yourself, Oh my soul! Whither art thou going? Do not I know, 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 is my chief care? 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 has my heart? Do I think to be crowned, and yet never fight? To gain the race and never run? To enter at the strait gate, and never strive? To overcome principalities and powers, and never wrestle? No, no; Oh my soul, either lay by the hopes of heaven for ever, or rouse up thyself, put forth thy strength after God and glory. Either lay by thy worldly hopes, or thy hopes of immortality; away with thy sins, or let Christ go for ever. Think not to have Christ and the world too, to serve God and mammon: if thou follow the world, thou must die: 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 thyself night nor day, till you are gotten off from the world, broken off from every known sin, and got 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 which is concerned in them; think not that I am in jest with you. 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. Oh be thankful to the Lord, that now you are fatherless and friendless, yet you have one remembrancer to warn you to flee from the wrath to come. God forbid that I should find you at last in the place of torments, for your not embracing these counsels. To conclude, I charge you as a minister, as a father, take heed of these three things:

1. Lest the gain of the world prove the loss of your soul:

2. Lest company draw you from God:

3. Lest a lofty or a worldly heart should thrust you out of the kingdom of heaven.

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. Your lot is fallen in a place of great wickedness, where your soul is in much danger, where your temptations are many, and your helps for heaven but few: where good examples are rare, and many will entice ♦you to sin and vanity. O! look about you, consider your danger, fear lest you should miscarry for ever. I can but warn you and pray for you: but though you have none to oversee you, remember the eye of God is upon you, to observe all your actions, and that he will surely bring all your practices into judgment. I commend you to the Lord, and remain,

Your loving and careful uncle,

JOS. ALLEINE.

August 19, 1668.

LETTER XXVIII.

Dear friend,

*YOUR letter was exceeding welcome to me, not only as reviving the remembrance of our old friendship, but also, as bringing me news of some spiritual good that you received by me, which is the best tidings that I can receive: For what do I live for, but to be useful to souls in my generation? *I desire no other business than to please and honour my God, and serve my generation in that short allowance of time I have here. Shall I commend to you the lesson that I am about to learn? It is, to be entirely devoted to the Lord, that I may be able to say after the apostle, To me to live is Christ. I would not be serving God only for a day in the week, or an hour or two in the day: but every day, and all the day. I am ambitious to come up to that of our Lord and Master, To do always those things that please God. I plainly see that self-seeking is self-undoing; and that then we promote ourselves best, when we please God most. I find, that when I have done all, if God be not pleased, I have done nothing; and if I can but approve myself to God, my work is done: I reckon I do not live that time I do not live to God.

*I am fain to cut off so many hours from my days, and so many years from my life, as I have lived to myself. I find no enemy so dangerous as myself, and O that others may take warning by my hurt: O that I had lived wholly to God! Then had every day and every hour that I have spent, been found upon my account at that day: then had I been rich indeed, in treasure laid up there, whither I am apace removing; then I had been every day and hour adding to the heap, and increasing the reward which God of his mere grace hath promised, even to the meanest work that is done to him. I perceive I am an eternal loser by acting no more for God; for what is done to myself is lost; but what is done for God, is done for ever, and shall receive an everlasting reward. Verily, if there be a world to come, and an eternal state after this short life, it is our only wisdom to be removing, and, as it were transplanting and transporting what we can, from hence into that country to which we are shortly to be removed, that what we are now doing we may reap the fruit of for ever.

Well, let us be wholly swallowed up in religion, and know no other interest but Jesus Christ. I cannot say, I have already attained; but this is what my heart is set to learn. That in all that I do, whether sacred or civil actions, still I may be doing but one work, and driving on one design, That God may be pleased by me, and glorified in me; That not only my praying, preaching, alms, may be found upon my account; but even my eating, drinking, sleeping, visits, discourses, because they are done to God. Too often do I miss my mark; but I will tell you what are the rules I set myself: Never to lie down but in the name of God; nor barely for natural refreshment, but that a wearied servant of Christ may be recruited and fitted to serve him better the next day. Never to rise up but with this resolution, I will go forth this day in the name of God, and will make religion my business, and spend the day for eternity. Never to enter upon my calling, but first thinking, I will do these things as unto God, because he requireth these things at my hands, in the place and station he hath put me into. Never to sit down to the table, but resolving, I will not eat meerly to please my appetite, but to strengthen myself for my Master’s work. Never to make a visit, but to leave something of God where I go; and in every company to leave some good savor behind. This is that which I am pressing hard after: and if I strive not to walk by these rules, let this paper be a witness against me.

I perceive you are otherwise persuaded in some things than I am: but however, I trust we meet in our end. May it be your whole study to gain souls, and to build them up in holiness, which is with too many the least of their cares. One duty (miserably neglected) I shall be bold to recommend from my own experience, and that is, the visiting your whole flock from house to house, and enquiring into their spiritual estates particularly, and dealing plainly and truly with them about their conversion to God.

You see how free I am with you: but I know your candour. I rejoice in your happy yoke-fellow: salute her from your old friend, and accept of the unfeigned respects of him who is, Sir,

Your real and faithful friend,

JOS. ALLEINE.

LETTER XXX.

To the most beloved people, the servants of God in Taunton, salvation.

Most dearly beloved and longed for,
my joy and crown.

MY heart’s 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 suffering, and writing at this present time. 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 think his blood, and shall I think my breath too dear in order to your salvation; what pity is it, that any of you should miscarry at last, under the power of ignorance, or by a profane 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 thankfully acknowledge, that there are not a few of you who are the joy of your ministers, and the glory of Christ. But it cannot be dissembled, that far the greater number give little ground to hope, they are in the state of salvation. And must not this be a pinching thought to a compassionate teacher, that he cannot persuade men, but that the most of them will wilfully throw away themselves? Is it not a woeful sight, to behold the devils driving a great part of our miserable flocks, (as they did once the herd of swine) violently down the hill, till they be choaked in the water, drowned in the gulph of endless perdition? Ah miserable spectacle! What through the wilful blindness of some, the looseness and sensuality of others, the halving, and cold, and customary religion of others, how great a number of our poor flocks, is Satan like to carry utterly away from us, after all that hath been done to save him?

Yet I cannot but call after them. Hearken unto me, O ye children. How long will ye love vanity, and trust in lying words? As the Lord liveth, you are lost, except you turn: wherefore turn yourselves and live ye. Ah how mercy wooeth you! How it waiteth to be gracious? Hear, O sinners, hear. See you not how the merciful Saviour of the world stretcheth forth his hands all the day long, and spreadeth forth his wings, and calleth you as a hen doth her chickens! Hear you not the sounding of his bowels? He hath no need of you: Yet how do his compassions melt over perishing sinners? His heart is turned within him, and shall not this turn your hearts? His repentings are kindled together, and shall not this lead you to repentance? Behold, he standeth at the door and knocketh. O man, wilt thou keep Jesus at the door, and lodge Barabbas in thy bosom? Oh his melting love to sinners! He calleth after them, he weepeth over them, he crieth to them. How long, ye simple ones, will you love simplicity? Will you not be made clean? When shall it once be? Why will you die? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you. Sinner, art thou not yet melted? Oh come in at his loving calls. Come out from thy sins: touch the scepter of grace and live: Why shouldst thou be dashed in pieces by his iron rod? Kiss the Son: Why shouldst thou perish in the way? Set up Jesus as thy king, lest he count thee for his enemy, because thou would not that he should reign over thee, and so thou be called forth and slain before him. Oh how dreadful will this case be, to die by the hand of a Saviour! Oh double hell, to have thy Redeemer become thy executioner! And the hand that was so long stretched forth to save thee, to be now stretched forth to slay thee! And the merciful heart of Christ himself hardened against thee, so that he should call thee forth, and hew thee in pieces, as Samuel did Agag before the Lord.

*Beloved, I despair of ever bringing you to salvation, without sanctification: or possessing you with happiness without persuading you to holiness. God knows I have not the least hope ever to see one of your faces in heaven, except you be sanctified, and exercise yourselves unto godliness. This is that I drive at, I beseech you study to further personal godliness, and family godliness.

*1. Personal godliness. Let it be your first care to set up Christ in your hearts. See that you make all your worldly interests stoop to him, that you be entirely and unreservedly devoted to him. If you deliberately and ordinarily harbour any sin, you are undone. See that you unfeignedly take the laws of Christ, as the rule of your words, thoughts and actions; and subject your whole man, faithfully to him. If you have a true respect unto all God’s commandments, you are sound at heart. O study to get the image and impress of Christ upon you within. Begin with your hearts, else you build without a foundation. Labour to get a saving change within, or else all external performances will be to no purpose. And then study to shew forth the power of godliness in your life. Let piety be your business. ’Tis the highest point of justice, to give God his due. Beware that none of you be a prayerless person: for that is a certain discovery of a Christless, and a graceless person. Suffer not your bibles to gather dust. See that you converse daily with the word. That man can never lay claim to blessedness, whose delight is not in the law of the Lord. Let meditation and self-examination be your daily exercise, else the Papists, yea the Pagans will condemn us. If ever you come to any growth in holiness, without the constant use of this practice, I am grossly deceived. And therefore I beseech, yea even charge you by the Lord, that you would daily examine yourselves.

But piety without charity is but the half of Christianity, or rather impious hypocrisy. See therefore that you do justly, and love mercy, and let equity, and charity run like an even thread, through all your dealings. Be you temperate in all things, and let chastity and sobriety be your undivided companions. Let truth and purity, seriousness and modesty, heavenliness and gravity, be the constant ornaments of your speech. Let patience and humility, simplicity and sincerity shine in all parts of your conversation. See that you forget and forgive wrongs, and requite them with kindness. Be merciful in your censures, and put the most favourable construction upon your brethren’s carriage. Be slow in promising, punctual in fulfilling. Let meekness, innocency, affableness, yieldingness, and courtesy, commend your conversation to all men. Let none of your relations want that love and loyalty, that reverence and duty, that tenderness, care, and vigilancy, which their several places and capacities call for. This is true godliness. I charge you before the most high God, that none of you be found a swearer, or a liar, 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, or a quarreller, or a thief, or backbiter, or a railer: for I denounce unto you from the living God, that damnation is the end of all such.

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 faith. Let every housholder say, with Joshua, I, with my house, will serve the Lord, and with David, I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

First, Let religion be in your families, not as a matter by the by, but the standing business of the house. Let them have your prayers as duly as their meals. Is there any of your families, but have time for their taking food? *Wretched man! Canst thou find time to eat, and not time to pray?

*Secondly, Settle it upon your hearts, that your souls are bound up in the souls of your family. They are committed to 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 thyself for them, that their blood may not be found in thy skirts? Wilt thou do no more for immortal souls, than thou wilt do for the beasts that perish? What dost thou do for thy children, and servants? Thou providest meat and drink for them, and dost thou not the same for thy beasts? Thou givest them medicines, and cherishest them when they are sick, and dost thou not so much for thy swine? More particularly.

1. Let the solemn reading of the word, and singing of psalms, be your family exercises. See Christ singing with his family, his disciples, Matthew xxvi. 30. Luke ix. 18.

2. Let every person in your family be duly called to an account of their profiting by the word heard or read, as they are about doing your own business. This is a duty of consequence unspeakable, and would be a means to bring those under your charge to remember and profit by what they receive.

3. Often take account of the souls under your care, concerning their spiritual estates. Make enquiry into their conditions, insist much upon the sinfulness and misery of their natural estate, and upon the necessity of regeneration, in order to their salvation. Admonish them gravely of their sins; encourage beginnings. Follow them earnestly, and let them have no quiet for you, till you see in them a saving change. This is a duty of high consequence, but fearfully neglected by some. Doth not conscience say, Thou art the man?

4. Look to the strict sanctifying of the sabbath by all of your housholds. Many poor families have little time else. O improve but your sabbath days as diligently in doing your Maker’s work, as you do the other days in doing your own work, and I doubt not but you may come to some proficiency.

5. Let the morning and evening sacrifice of solemn prayer, be daily offered up in all your families. Beware they be not found among the families that call not upon God’s name; for why should there be wrath from the Lord upon your families? O miserable families without God in the world, that are without family prayer! What have you so many family sins, family wants, family miseries; 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 can’st find no time? Pinch out of your meals and sleep, rather than want for prayer. *Say not, my business will not give leave. This is thy greatest business, to save thyself, and the souls committed to thee. In a word, the blessing of all is to be got by prayer. And what is thy business without God’s blessing? Say not, I am not able. Use thy one talent, and God will increase it. Helps are to be had till thou art better able.

*6. Put every one in your families upon private prayer. Observe whether any 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, wants, and mercies, the materials of prayer.

7. Set up catechizing in your families, at least once every week. It was my parting, dying request, that you would set up and maintain this duty in your families. Have you all done it accordingly? Cannot your confidences 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. To this day are you without solemn catechizing in your houses! Ah, what a discouragement to your teacher is this? Brethren shall I yet prevail with you? Will you reject me also? O let me persuade 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 than this comes to: Will you deny me? I beseech you, let me find, if ever God brings me again to visit your houses, that the words of a suffering minister have some power with you. I have sent you help on purpose: What shall all my persuasions be but speaking to the wind? Beloved, have you no dread of the Almighty’s charge, that you should teach these things diligently to your children, and talk of them as you sit in your houses, and train them up in the way they should go? Hath God so commanded Abraham, that he would teach his children and his houshold, Genesis xviii. 19. and given such a promise to him thereupon, and will not you put in for a share of either in the praise or the promise? 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 their work; and should you not at least be as zealous in putting them upon God’s work? Say not, they are dull and not capable. If they be dull, God requires of you the more pains and patience; but dull as they are, you will make them learn how to work; and can they not learn how to live? Are they capable of the mysteries 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 profaneness, the downfal of error, fulfil ye my joy with going through with this duty.

I have been long and yet I am afraid my letter will be ended before my work is done: how loath am I to leave you, before I have prevailed with you to set to this work? Will you pass your promise, will you give me your hands? Oh that you would? You cannot do me a greater pleasure. Beloved, why should you not give the hand one to another, and mutually engage to each other, for more vigorous and diligent endeavours, in promoting family godliness? I must tell you, God looks for 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 than ever, under these extraordinary dispensations. My most dearly beloved, mine own bowels in the Lord, will you satisfy the longings of a travelling minister? will you answer the calls of divine providence? Would you that your children should bless you? Oh, then set up piety in your families. As ever you would be blessed or be a blessing, let your heart, and your houses be the temples of the living God, in which his worship (according to the fore-mentioned directions) may be with constancy reverently performed.

O FATHER of Spirits, that hast set me over thy flock to watch for their souls as one that must give 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 little and helpless flock: but thou art their shepherd, 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 persuasively to them, but I cannot prevail. Then I said, I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nought, yet I cannot give them over, much less may I give thee over. Lord, persuade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem. Lord compel them to come in, and lay thy hands of mercy upon them, as thou didst on lingering 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 a way the most of the flock before mine eyes, and to deride the fruitless endeavours of thy labourers, and boast over them, that he can do more with them, though he seek to ruin 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 endeavours also be lost. O God, find out every ignorant, every profane sinner, every prayerless soul, and every prayerless family, and convince them of their miserable condition while without thee in the world. Set thy image up in their souls, set up thy worship in their families. Let not pride, ignorance, or sloth 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 secret influence of thy grace into their hearts, and engaging them to do thy pleasure. Amen. Amen.

JOS. ALLEINE.

A WORD to a

SABBATH-BREAKER.

Remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy.

HAVE you forgotten who spoke these words? Or do you set him at defiance? Do you bid him do his worst? Have a care. You are not stronger than he. Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth: but woe unto the man that contendeth with his Maker; he sitteth on the circle of the heavens: and the inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers before him!

Six days shalt thou do all manner of work. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God. It is not thine, but God’s day. He claims it for his own. He always did claim it for his own, even from the beginning of the world. In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it. He hallowed it; that is, he made it holy: he reserved it for his own service. He appointed, that as long as the sun or the moon, the heavens and the earth should endure, the children of men should spend this day in the worship of him, who gave them life and breath and all things.

Shall a man then rob God? And art thou the man? Consider, think what thou art doing. Is it not God who giveth thee all thou hast? Every day thou livest, is it not his gift? And wilt thou give him none? Nay, wilt thou deny him what is his own already? He will not, he cannot quit his claim. This day is God’s. It was so from the beginning. It will be so to the end of the world. This he cannot give to another. O render unto God the things that are God’s: Now! To-day, while it is called to-day!

For whose sake does God lay claim to this day? For his sake, or for thine? Doubtless, not for his own. He needeth not thee, nor any child of man. Look unto the heavens and see, and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him? If thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou unto him? If thou art righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thine hand? For thy own sake therefore, God thy Maker doth this. For thy own sake he calleth thee to serve him. For thy own sake, he demands a part of thy time to be restored to him that gave thee all. Acknowledge his love. Learn, while thou art on earth to praise the king of heaven. Spend this day, as thou hopest to spend that day which never shall have an end.

The Lord not only hallowed the sabbath-day, but he hath also blessed it. So that you are an enemy to yourself. You throw away your own blessing, if you neglect to keep this day holy. It is a day of special grace. The king of heaven now sits upon his mercy-seat, in a more gracious manner than on other days, to bestow blessings on those who observe it. If you love your own soul, can you then forbear laying hold on so happy an opportunity? Awake, arise, Let God give thee his blessing! Receive a token of his love! Cry to him that thou may’st find the riches of his grace and mercy in Christ Jesus! You do not know, how few more of these days of salvation you may have. And how dreadful would it be, to be called hence in the abuse of his proffered mercy.

O what mercy hath God prepared for you, if you do not trample it under foot? What mercy hath he prepared for them that fear him, even before the sons of men! A peace which the world cannot give: joy, that no man taketh from you: rest from doubt and fear and sorrow of heart; and love, the beginning of heaven. And are not these for you? Are they not all purchased for you, by him who loved you, and himself for you? For you, a sinner! You, a rebel against God! You, who have so long crucified him afresh! Now, look unto him whom you have pierced! Now say, Lord, it is enough. I have fought against thee long enough. I yield, Jesus, Master, have mercy upon me!

On this day, above all, cry aloud, and spare not, to the God who heareth prayer. This is the day he hath set apart for the good of your soul, both in this world and that which is to come. Never more disappoint the design of his love, either by worldly business or idle diversions. Let not a little thing keep you from the house of God, either in the forenoon or afternoon. And spend as much as you can of the rest of the day, either in repeating what you have heard, or in reading the scripture, or in private prayer, or talking of the things of God. Let his love be ever before your eyes. Let his praise be ever in your mouth. You have lived many years in folly and sin. Now, live one day unto the Lord.

Do not ask any more, “Where is the harm, if after church, I spend the remainder of the day in the fields, or in a public-house, or in taking a little diversion?” You know where is the harm. Your own heart tells you so plain, that you can’t but hear. It is a base mispending your talent, and a bare-faced contempt of God and his authority. You have heard of God’s judgments even upon earth, against the prophaners of this day. And yet these are but as drops of that storm of fiery indignation, which will at last consume his adversaries.

Glory be to God who hath now given you a sense of this. You now know, this was always designed for a day of blessing. May you never again by your idleness or prophaneness, turn that blessing into a curse! What folly, what madness would that be? And in what sorrow and anguish would it end? For yet a little while, and death will close up the day of grace and mercy. And those who despise them now, will have no more sabbaths, or sacraments or prayers for ever. Then how will they wish to recover that, which they now so idly call away? But all in vain. For they will then find no place for repentance, tho’ they should seek it carefully with tears.

O my friend, know the privilege you enjoy. Now remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy. Your day of life and of grace is far spent. The night of death is at hand. Make haste to use the time you have: improve the last hours of your day. Now provide the things which make for your peace, that you may stand before the face of God ♦for ever.

A WORD to a

SWEARER.

Swear not at all,

SAITH the Lord God of heaven and earth. Art thou without God in the world? Hast thou no knowledge of God? No concern about him? Is not God in all thy thoughts?

Dost thou believe there is a God? Where? in heaven only? Nay, he filleth all in all? Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?

Whither wilt thou go then from his spirit? Or whither wilt thou flee from his presence? If thou go up into heaven, God is there. If thou go down into hell, he is there also. If thou take the wings of the morning, and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there his hand shall touch thee, and his right-hand shall hold thee.

God seeth thee now: his eyes are upon thee: he observes all thy thoughts: he compasseth thy path: he counteth all thy steps: he is acquainted with all thy ways: by him thy actions are weighed; nor is there a word in thy tongue but he knoweth it altogether.

And does not power belong unto God? yea, all power in heaven and in earth? Is he not able, even while thou readest or hearest these words, to crush thee into nothing? Can he not just now crumble thee into dust? Or bid the earth open and swallow thee up? O do not set him at nought! Do not provoke him thus. Do not fly in his face! Can he not, in a moment, cast forth his lightnings and tear thee? Shoot out his arrows and consume thee? What hinders him from cutting thee off this instant? Sending thee now, now, quick into hell?

Would God do thee any wrong therein? What! In giving thee the request of thy own lips? What words were those thou spakest but now? Did not God hear? Why, thou didst pray to God to send thee to hell. Thou didst ask him to damn thy soul. How, art thou in love with damnation? Art thou in haste to dwell with everlasting burnings? To be day and night tormented in that flame, without a drop of water to cool thy tongue?

Dost thou pray for this? I pray God, it may never be either my lot or thine! Alas, my brother! What if God take thee at thy word? What if he say, be it unto thee even as thou wilt? What if he give thee thy wish, and let thee drop into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels?

I had rather thou shouldst go to the paradise of God. Hadst not thou? Is not heaven better than hell? Art thou not convinced of this in thy own conscience? Why, then, amend thy prayer, cry to God, “Save my soul, for I have sinned against thee: save me from all my sins. Save me from all my evil words, and evil works, from my evil tempers, and evil desires! Make me holy as thou art holy! Let me know thee, and love thee, and serve thee, now and for ever.”

And is not God willing to do this? Surely he is. For God loveth thee. He gave his only Son, that thou mightest not perish, but have everlasting life. Christ died for thee. And he that believeth on him hath everlasting life. Mark that word: he hath it. He hath it now. He hath the beginning of heaven even upon earth: for his soul is filled with the love of God: and the love of God is heaven. He that truly believes on Jesus Christ, hath a peace which earth cannot give: his mind is always calm; he hath learned in every state therewith to be content: he is always easy, quiet, well pleased; always happy, in life and in death. For a believer is not afraid to die; he desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ: he desires to quit this house of clay, and to be carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom: to hear the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and to see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven: to stand at his right-hand, and hear that word (which I earnestly beg of God you and I may hear:) “Come ye blessed, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world!”

A WORD to a

DRUNKARD.

1.ARE you a man? God made you a man. But you make yourself a beast. Wherein does a man differ from a beast? Is it not chiefly in reason and understanding? But you throw away what reason you have. You strip yourself of your understanding. You do all you can to make yourself a mere beast: not a fool, not a madman only; but a swine, a poor filthy swine. Go and wallow with them in the mire! Go, drink on, till thy nakedness be uncovered, and shameful spewing be on thy glory!

2. O how honourable is a beast of God’s making, compared to one who makes himself a beast! But that is not all. You make yourself a devil. You stir up all the devilish tempers that are in you, and gain others, which perhaps were not in you: at least you heighten and increase them. You cause the fire of anger, or malice, or lust, to burn seven times hotter than before. At the same time you grieve the Spirit of God, till you drive him quite away from you. And, whatever spark of good remained in your soul, you drown and quench at once.

3. So you are now just fit for every work of the devil, having cast off all that is good or virtuous, and filled your heart with every thing that is bad, that is earthly, sensual, devilish. You have forced the Spirit of God to depart from you; for you would take none of his reproof: and you have given yourself up into the hands of the devil, to be led blindfold by him at his will.

4. Now what should hinder the same thing from befalling you, which befel him, who was asked, which was the greatest sin, adultery, drunkenness, or murder? And which of the three he had rather commit? He said drunkenness was the least. Soon after, he got drunk. He then met with another man’s wife, and ravished her. The husband coming to help her, he murdered him. So drunkenness, adultery and murder went together.

5. I have heard a story of a poor, wild Indian, far wiser than either him or you. The English gave him a cask of strong liquor. The next morning he called his friends together, and setting it in the midst of them, said, “These white men have given us poison. This man (calling him by his name) was a wise man, and would hurt none but his enemies. But as soon as he had drunk of this, he was mad, and would have killed his own brother. We will not be poisoned.” He then broke the cask, and poured the liquor upon the sand.

6. On what motive do you thus poison yourself? Only for the pleasure of doing it? What! will you make yourself a beast, or rather a devil? Will you run the hazard of ♦committing all manner of villainies; and this only for the poor pleasure of a few moments, while the poison is running down your throat? O never call yourself a Christian! Never call yourself a man! You are sunk beneath the greater part of the beasts that perish.

7. Do you not rather drink, for the sake of company? Do you not do it, to oblige your friends? For company, do you say? How is this? Will you take a dose of ratsbane for company? If twenty men were to do so before you, would not you desire to be excused? How much more may you desire to be excused, from going to hell for company? But, “to oblige your friends”—What manner of friends are they, who would be obliged by your destroying yourself? Who would suffer, nay entice you so to do? They are villains. They are your worst enemies. They are just such friends, as a man that would smile in your face, and stab you to the heart.

8. O do not aim at any excuse. Say not, as many do, “I am no one’s enemy but my own.” If it were so, what a poor saying is this, “I give none but my own soul to the devil.” Alas! is not that too much? Why shouldst thou give him thy own soul? Do it not. Rather give it to God.

But it is not so. You are an enemy to your king, whom you rob hereby of an useful subject. You are an enemy to your country, which you defraud of the service you might do, either as a man or as a Christian. You are an enemy to every man that sees you in your sin; for your example may move him to do the same. A drunkard is a public enemy. I should not wonder at all, if you was (like Cain of old) afraid that every man who meeteth you should slay you.

9. Above all, you are an enemy to God, the great God of heaven and earth: to him who surrounds you on every side, and can just now send you quick into hell. Him you are continually affronting to his face. You are setting him at open defiance. O do not provoke him thus any more. Fear the great God.

10. You are an enemy to Christ, to the Lord that bought you. You fly in the face of his authority. You set at nought both his sovereign power and tender love. You crucify him afresh, and when you call him, your Saviour, what is it less than to betray him with a kiss?

11. O repent! See and feel what a wretch you are. Pray to God, to convince you in your inmost soul. How often have you crucified the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame! Pray that you may know yourself, inwardly and outwardly, all sin, all guilt, all helplessness. Then cry out, Thou Son of David, have mercy upon me! Thou Lamb of God, take away my sins. Grant me thy peace. Justify the ungodly. O bring me to the blood of sprinkling that I may go and sin no more, that I may love much, having had so much forgiven!

A WORD to a

SMUGGLER.

I. “WHAT is smuggling?” It is the importing, selling, or buying of run goods: that is, those which have not paid the duty appointed by law to be paid to the king.

1. Importing run goods. All smuggling vessels do this with an high hand. It is the chief, if not the whole business of these, to bring goods which have not paid duty.

2. Next to these are all sea captains, officers, sailors, or passengers, who import any thing without paying the duty which the law requires.

3. A third sort of smugglers are all those, who sell any thing which has not paid the duty.

4. A fourth sort, those who buy tea, liquors, linen, handkerchiefs, or any thing else which has not paid duty.

II. “But why should they not? What harm is there in it?”

1. I answer, open smuggling (such as was common a few years ago, on the southern coasts especially) is robbing on the highway: and as much harm as there is in this, just so much there is in smuggling. A smuggler of this kind is no honester than an highwayman. They may shake hands together.

2. Private smuggling is just the same with picking of pockets. There is full as much harm in this as in that. A smuggler of this kind is no honester than a pickpocket. These may shake hands together.

3. But open smugglers are worse than common highwaymen, and private smugglers are worse than common pickpockets. For it is undoubtedly worse to rob our father, than one we have no obligation to. And it is worse still, far worse, to rob a good father, one who sincerely loves us, and is at that very time doing all he can, to provide for us, and to make us happy. Now this is exactly the present case. King George is the father of all his subjects: and not only so, but he is a good father. He shews his love to them on all occasions: and is continually doing all that is in his power, to make his subjects happy.

4. An honest man therefore would be ashamed to ask, where is the harm in robbing such a father? His own reason, if he had any at all, would give him a speedy answer. But you are a Christian: are you not? You say, you believe the bible. Then I say to you, in the name of God, and in the name of Christ, Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not take what is not thine own, what is the right of another man. But the duties appointed by law are the King’s right, as much as your coat is your right. He has as good a right to them, as you have to this: these are his property, as much as this is yours. Therefore you are as much a thief if you take his duties, as a man is that takes your coat.

5. If you believe the bible, I say to you, as our Saviour said to them of old time, Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. If then you mind our Saviour’s words, be as careful to honour the King, as to fear God. Be as exact in giving the king, what is due to the king, as in giving God what is due to God. Upon no account whatever rob or defraud him of the least thing which is his lawful property.

6. If you believe the bible, I say to you, as St. Paul said to the ancient Christians, Render unto all their dues: in particular, Custom to whom custom is due, tribute to whom tribute. Now custom is by the laws of England due to the king. Therefore every one in England is bound to pay it him. So that robbing the king herein, is abundantly worse than common stealing, or common robbing on the highway.

7. And so it is, on another account also: for it is a general robbery: it is, in effect, not only robbing the king, but robbing every honest man in the nation. For the more the king’s duties are diminished, the more the taxes must be increased. And these lie upon us all: they are the burden not of some, but of all the people of England. Therefore every smuggler is a thief-general, who picks the pockets both of the king, and all his fellow-subjects. He wrongs them all; and above all, the honest traders: many of whom he deprives of their maintenance: constraining them either not to sell their goods at all, or to sell them to no profit. Some of them are tempted hereby, finding they cannot get bread for their families, to turn thieves too. And then you are accountable for their sin as well as your own: you bring their blood upon your own head. Calmly consider this, and you will never more ask, “What harm there is in smuggling?”

III. 1. But for all this, cannot men find excuses for it? Yes, abundance; such as they are. “I would not do this, says one; I would not sell uncustomed goods: but I am under a necessity: I can’t live without it.” I answer, may not the man who stops you on the highway, say the very same? “I would not take your purse; but I am under a necessity: I cannot live without it.” Suppose the case to be your own; and will you accept of this excuse? Would not you tell him, “Let the worst come to the worst, you had better be honest, though you should starve.” But that need not be neither. Others who had no more than you to begin with, yet find a way to live honestly. And certainly so may you: however, settle it in your heart, “Live or die, I will be an honest man.”

2. “Nay, says another, we do not wrong the king: for he loses nothing by us. Yea, on the contrary, the king is rather a gainer, namely by the seizures that are made.”

So you plunder the king, out of stark love and kindness! You rob him, to make him rich! It is true, you take away his purse: but you put an heavier in its place! Are you serious? Do you mean what you say? Look me in the face and tell me so. You cannot. You know in your own conscience, that what comes to the king, out of all seizures made the year round, does not amount to the tenth, no not to the hundredth part of what he is defrauded of.

But if he really gained more than he lost, that would not excuse you. You are not to commit robbery, though the person robbed were afterwards to gain by it. You are not to do evil, that good may come. If you do, your damnation is just.

“But certainly, say some, the king is a gainer by it, or he might easily suppress it.” Wilt you tell him, which way? By Custom-house officers? But many of them have no desire to suppress it. They find their account in its continuance: they come in for a share of the plunder. But what if they had a desire to suppress it? They have not the power. Some of them have lately made the experiment: and what was the consequence? Why they lost a great part of their bread, and were in danger of losing their lives.

♦8. Can the king suppress smuggling, by parties of soldiers? That he cannot do. For all the soldiers he has are not enough, to watch every port and every creek in Great-Britain. Besides, the soldiers that are employed, will do little more than the Custom-house officers. For there are ways and means to take off their edge too, and making them as quiet as lambs.

“But many courtiers and great men, who know the king’s mind, not only connive at smuggling, but practise it.” And what can we infer from this? Only that those great men are great villains. They are great highwaymen and pickpockets: and their greatness does not excuse, but makes their crime tenfold more inexcusable.

But besides. Suppose the king were willing to be cheated, how would this excuse your cheating his subjects? All your fellow-subjects, every honest man, and in particular, every honest trader? How would it excuse, your making it impossible for him to live, unless he will turn knave as well as yourself?

3. “Well, but I am not convinced it is a sin: My conscience does not condemn me for it.” No! Are you not convinced, that robbery is a sin? Then I am sorry for you. And does not your conscience condemn you for stealing? Then your conscience is asleep. I pray God to smite you to the heart, and awaken it this day!

4. “Nay, but my soul is quite happy in the love of God: therefore I cannot think it is wrong.” I answer, wrong it must be, if the bible is right. Therefore either that love is a mere delusion, a fire of your own kindling; or God may have hitherto winked at the times of ignorance. But now you have the means of knowing better. Now light is offered to you. And if you shut your eyes against the light, the love of God cannot possibly continue.

5. “But I only buy a little brandy or tea now and then, just for my own use.” That is, I only steal a little. God says, steal not at all.

6. “Nay, I do not buy any at all myself: I only send my child or servant for it.” You receive it of them: Do you not? And the receiver is as bad as the thief.

7. “Why I would not meddle with it, but I am forced, by my parent, husband, or master.” If you are forced by your father or mother to rob, you will be hanged nevertheless. This may lessen, but does not take away the fault: for you ought to suffer rather than sin.

8. “But I do not know, that it was run.” No! Did not he that sold it, tell you it was? If he sold it under the common price, he did. The naming the price, was telling you, “This is run.”

9. “But I don’t know where to get tea which is not run.” I will tell you where to get it. You may have it from those whose tea is duly entered, and who make a conscience of it. But were it otherwise, if I could get no wine, but what I knew to be stolen, I would drink water: yea, though not only my health, but my life depended upon it: for it is better to die, than to live by thieving.

10. “But if I could get what has paid duty, I am not able to pay the price of it. And I can’t live without it.” I answer, 1. You can live without it, as well as your grandmother did. But 2. If you could not live without it, you ought to die, rather than steal. For death is a less evil than sin.

11. “But my husband will buy it, whether I do or no. And I must use what he provides, or have none.” Undoubtedly to have none is a less evil, than to be partaker with a thief.

IV. Upon the whole then, I exhort all of you that fear God, and desire to save your souls, without regarding what others do, resolve at all hazards, to keep yourselves pure. Let your eye be fixed on the word of God, not the examples of men. Our Lord says to every one of you, What is that to thee? Follow thou me! Let no convenience, no gain, no pleasure, no friend, draw you from following him. In spite of all the persuasions, all the reasonings of men, keep to the word of God. If all on the right-hand and the left will be knaves, be you an honest man. Probably God will repay you (he certainly will, if this be best for you) even with temporal blessings: there have not been wanting remarkable instances of this. But if not, he will repay you with what is far better: with the testimony of a good conscience towards God; with joy in the Holy Ghost; with an hope full of immortality; with the love of God shed abroad in your hearts. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!

London,
January 30, 1767.

A WORD to a

Condemn’d Malefactor.

WHAT a condition are you in? The sentence is past: you are condemned to die: and this sentence is to be executed shortly. You have no way to escape; these fetters, these walls, these gates and bars, these keepers cut off all hope. Therefore die you must: but must you die like a beast, without thinking what it is to die? You need not: you will not: you will think a little first: you will consider, what is death? It is leaving this world, these houses, lands, and all things under the sun; leaving all these things, never to return; your place will know you no more. It is leaving these pleasures; for there is no eating, drinking, gaming, no merriment in the grave. It is leaving your acquaintance, companions, friends: your father, mother, wife, children. You cannot stay with them, nor can they go with you: you must part; perhaps for ever. It is leaving a part of yourself; leaving this body which has accompanied you so long. Your soul must now drop its old companion, to rot and moulder into dust. It must enter upon a new, strange, unbodied state. It must stand naked before God!

2. But O! how will you stand before God? The great, the holy, the just, the terrible God? Is it not his own word, Without holiness no man shall see the Lord? No man shall see him with joy: rather he will call for the mountains to fall upon him and the rocks to cover him. And what do you think holiness is? It is purity both of heart and life. It is the mind that was in Christ, enabling us to walk as he also walked. It is the loving God with all our heart, the loving our neighbour, every man as ourselves, and the doing to all men, in every point, as we would they should do unto us. The least part of holiness is, to do good to all men, and to do no evil either in word or work. This is only the outside of it. But this is more than you have. You are from it; far as darkness from light. You have not the mind that was in Christ: there was no pride, no malice in him: no hatred, no revenge, no furious anger, no foolish or worldly desire. You have not walked as Christ walked: no; rather as the devil would have walked, had he been in a body; the works of the devil you have done, not the works of God. You have not loved God with all your heart. You have not loved him at all. You have not thought about him. You hardly knew or cared, whether there was any God in the world. You have not done to others as you would they should do to you; far, very far from it. Have you done all the good you could to all men? If so, you had never come to this place. You have done evil exceedingly: your sins against God and man are more than the hairs of your head. Insomuch that even the world cannot bear you; the world itself spues you out. Even the men that know not God declare, you are not fit to live upon the earth.

3. O repent, repent! Know yourself: see and feel what a sinner you are. Think of the innumerable sins you have committed, even from your youth up. How many wicked words have you spoken? How many wicked actions have you done? Think of your inward sins! Your pride, malice, hatred, anger, revenge, lust. Think of your sinful nature, totally alienated from the life of God. How is your whole soul prone to evil, void of good, corrupt, full of all abominations! Feel, that your carnal mind is enmity against God. Well may the wrath of God abide upon you. He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity: he hath said, The soul that sinneth, it shall die. It shall die eternally, shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.

4. How then can you escape the damnation of hell? The lake of fire burning with brimstone? Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched? You can never redeem your own soul. You cannot atone for the sins that are past. If you could leave off sin now, and live unblamable for the time to come, that would be no atonement for what is past. Nay, if you could live like an angel for a thousand years, that would not atone for one sin. But neither can you do this: you cannot leave off sin: it has the dominion over you. If all your past sins were now to be forgiven, you would immediately sin again: that is, unless your heart were cleansed; unless it were created anew. And who can do this? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Surely none but God. So you are utterly sinful, guilty, helpless! What can you do to be saved?

5. One thing is needful: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved! Believe (not as the devils only, but) with that faith which is the gift of God, which is wrought in a poor, guilty, helpless sinner, by the power of the Holy Ghost. See all thy sins on Jesus laid. God laid on him the iniquities of us all. He suffered once the just for the unjust. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree. He was wounded for thy sins; he was bruised for thy iniquities. Behold the Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world! Taking away thy sins, even thine, and reconciling thee unto God the Father! Look unto him and be thou saved! If thou look unto him by faith, if thou cleave to him with thy whole heart, if thou receive him both to atone, to teach and to govern thee in all things, thou shalt be saved, thou art saved, both from the guilt, the punishment, and all the power of sin. Thou shalt have peace with God, and a peace in thy own soul, that passeth all understanding. Thy soul shall magnify the Lord, and thy Spirit rejoice in God thy Saviour. The love of God shall be shed abroad in thy heart, enabling thee to trample sin under thy feet. And thou wilt then have an hope full of immortality. Thou wilt no longer be afraid to die, but rather long for the hour having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ.

6. This is the faith that worketh by love, the way that leadeth to the kingdom. Do you earnestly desire to walk therein? Then put away all hindrances. Beware of company: At the peril of your soul, keep from those who neither know nor seek God. Your old acquaintance are no acquaintance for you, unless they too acquaint themselves with God. Let them laugh at you, or say, you are running mad. It is enough, if you have praise of God. Beware of strong drink. Touch it not, lest you should not know when to stop. You have no need of this to chear your spirits; but of the peace and the love of God: beware of men that pretend to shew you the way to heaven, and know it not themselves. There is no other name whereby you can be saved, but the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And there is no other way whereby you can find the virtue of his name but by faith. Beware of Satan transformed into an angel of light, and telling you, it is presumption to believe in Christ, as your Lord and your God, your wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Believe in him with your whole heart. Cast your whole soul upon his love. Trust him alone: love him alone: fear him alone: and cleave to him alone: Till he shall say to you (as to the dying malefactor of old,) This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

A WORD in SEASON;

OR,

Advice to an ENGLISHMAN.¹

1.DO you ever think? Do you ever consider? If not, ’tis high time you should. Think a little, before it is too late. Consider what a state you are in. And not you alone, but our whole nation. We would have war. And we have it. And what is the fruit? Our armies broken in pieces: And thousands of our men either killed on the spot or made prisoners in one day. Nor is this all. We have now war at our own doors: our own countrymen turning their swords against their brethren. And have any hitherto been able to stand before them? Have they not already seized upon one whole kingdom? Friend, either think now, or sleep on and take your rest, till you drop into the pit where you will sleep no more?

2. Think, what is likely to follow, if an army of French also, should blow the trumpet in our land! What desolation may we not then expect? What a wide-spread field of blood? And what can the end of these things be? If they prevail, what but Popery and Slavery? Do you know what the spirit of Popery is? Did you never hear of that in queen Mary’s reign? And of the holy men who were then burnt alive by the Papists, because they did not dare to do as they did? To worship angels and saints; to pray to the virgin Mary; to bow down to images, and the like. If we had a king of this spirit, whose life would be safe? At least, what honest man’s? A knave indeed might turn with the times. But what a dreadful thing would this be to a man of conscience? “Either turn, or burn. Either go into that fire: or into the fire that never shall be quenched.”

3. And can you dream that your property would be any safer than your conscience? Nay, how should that be? Nothing is plainer than that the Pretender cannot be king of England, unless it be by conquest. But every conqueror may do what he will. The laws of the land are no laws to him. And who can doubt, but one who should conquer England by the assistance of France, would copy after the French rules of government?

4. How dreadful then is the condition wherein we stand? On the very brink of utter destruction! But why are we thus? I am afraid the answer is too plain, to every considerate man. Because of our sins: because we have well-nigh filled up the measure of our iniquities. For, what wickedness is there under heaven, which is not found among us at this day? Not to insist on the sabbath-breaking in every corner of our land, the thefts, cheating, fraud, extortion; the injustice, violence, oppression; the lying and dissimulating; the robberies, sodomies and murders (which, with a thousand unnamed ♦villainies are common to us and our neighbour Christians of Holland, France, and Germany:) consider over and above, what a plentiful harvest we have of wickedness almost peculiar to ourselves? For who can vie with us, in the direction of courts of justice? In the management of public charities? Or, in the accomplished, barefaced wickedness, which so abounds in our prisons, and fleets, and armies? Who in Europe can compare with the sloth, laziness, luxury and effeminacy of the English gentry? Or with the drunkenness, and stupid, senseless cursing and swearing, which are daily seen and heard in our streets? One great inlet, no doubt, to that flood of perjury, which so increases among us day by day: the like whereunto is not to be found, in any other part of the habitable earth.

5. Add to all these (what is indeed the source as well as completion of all) that open and profess’d Deism and rejection of the Gospel, that public, avowed apostacy from the Christian faith, which reigns among the rich and great, and hath spread from them to all ranks and orders of men (the vulgar themselves not excepted) and made us a people fitted for the destroyer of the Gentiles.

6. Because of these sins is this evil come upon us. For (whether you are aware of it, or no) there is a God: a God, who tho’ he sits upon the circle of the heavens, sees and knows all that is done upon earth. And this God is holy; he does not love sin: he is just, rendering to all their due. And he is strong; there is none able to withstand him: he hath all power in heaven and in earth. He is patient indeed, and suffers long; but he will at last repay the wicked to his face. He often does so in this world; especially when a whole nation is openly and insolently wicked. Then doth God arise and maintain his own cause; then doth he terribly shew both his justice and power: that if these will not repent, yet others may fear, and flee from the wrath to come.

7. There hath been among them that feared God, a general expectation for many years, that the time was coming, when God would thus arise, to be avenged on this sinful nation. At length the time is come. The patience of God, long provoked, gives place to justice. The windows of heaven begin to be opened, to rain down judgments on the earth. And yet, with what tenderness does he proceed? In the midst of wrath remembring mercy. By how slow degrees does his vengeance move! Nor does his whole displeasure yet arise.

8. Brethren, countrymen, Englishmen, What shall we do? To-day! While it is called to-day! Before the season of mercy is quite expired, and our destruction cometh as a whirlwind? Which way can we remove the evils we feel? Which way prevent those we fear? Is there any better way, than the making God our friend? The securing his help against our enemies? Other helps are little worth. We see armies may be destroyed, or even flee away from old men and children. Fleets may be dashed to pieces in an hour, and sunk in the depth of the sea. Allies may be treacherous, or slow, or foolish, or weak, or cowardly. But God is a friend who cannot betray, and whom none can either bribe or terrify. And who is wise, or swift, or strong like him? Therefore, whatever we do, let us make God our friend. Let us with all speed remove the cause of his anger. Let us cast away our sins. Then shall his love have free course, and he will send us help, sufficient help, against all our enemies.

9. Come; will you begin? Will you, by the grace of God, amend one, and that without delay? First then, own those sins which have long cried for vengeance in the ears of God. Confess, that we and all (and you in particular) deserve for our inward and outward abominations, not only to be swept from the face of the earth, but to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. Never aim at excusing either yourself or others: Let your mouth be stopt. Plead guilty before God. Above all, own that impudence of wickedness, that utter ♦carelessness, that pert stupidity, which is hardly to be found in any part of the earth, (at least, not in such a degree) except in England. Do you not know what I mean? You was not long since praying to God for “damnation upon your own soul.” One who has heard you, said, is that right? Does not God hear? “What if he takes you at your word?” You replied, with equal impudence and ignorance, “What, Are you a Methodist?”――What, if he is a Turk? Must thou therefore be a Heathen?――God humble thy brutish, devilish spirit.

10. Lay thee in the dust, for this and for all thy sins. Let thy laughter be turned into heaviness; thy joy into mourning; thy senseless jollity and mirth, into sorrow and brokenness of heart. This is no time to eat and drink and rise up to play; but to afflict thy soul before the Lord. Desire of God a deep piercing sense of the enormous sins of the nation, and of thy own. Remember that great example: how when the king of Nineveh was warned of the near approaching vengeance of God, he caused it to be proclaimed, Let none taste any thing, let them not feed nor drink water. But let them be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yea let them turn every one from his evil way; who can tell, if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not. Jonah iii.

11. Let them turn every one from his evil way. Cease to do evil. Learn to do well. And see that this reformation be universal: for there is no serving God by halves. Avoid all evil, and do all good unto all men; else you only deceive your own soul. See also, that it be from the heart: lay the axe to the root of the tree. Cut up, by the grace of God, evil desire, pride, anger, unbelief. Let this be your continual prayer to God, the prayer of your heart, (as well as lips) “Lord, I would believe: help thou mine unbelief! Give me the faith that worketh by love. The life which I now live, let me live by faith in the Son of God. Let me so believe, that I may love thee, with all my heart, and mind, and soul, and strength! and that I may love every child of man, even as thou hast loved us! Let me daily add to my faith courage, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, charity: that so an entrance may be ministered to me abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

An HYMN.

For his Majesty

King GEORGE.

HYMNS.

HYMN I.

HYMN II.

HYMN III.

A WORD to a

FREEHOLDER.

WHAT are you going to do? To vote for a parliament man? I hope then you have taken no money. For doubtless you know the strictness of the oath, That you have received no “Gift or reward, directly or indirectly, nor any promise of any, on account of your vote” in the ensuing election. Surely you start at perjury! At calm, fore-thought, deliberate, wilful perjury. If you are guilty already, stop. Go no farther. ’Tis at the peril of your soul. Will you sell your country? Will you sell your own soul? Will you sell your God, your Saviour? Nay God forbid! rather cast down just now the thirty pieces of silver or gold, and say, “Sir, I will not sell heaven. Neither you, nor all the world is able to pay the purchase.”

I hope you have received nothing else, neither will receive; no entertainment, no meat, or drink. If this is given you on account of your vote, you are perjured still. How can you make oath, you have received no gift? This was a gift, if you did not buy it. What will you sell your soul to the devil for a draught of drink, or for a morsel of bread? Oh consider what you do. Act, as if the whole election depended on your single vote: And as if the whole parliament depended (and therein the whole nation) on that single person whom you now chuse to be a member of it.

But if you take nothing of any, for whom shall you vote? For the man that loves God. He must love his country, and that from a steady, invariable principle. And by his fruits you shall know him. He is careful to abstain from all appearance of evil. He is zealous of good works, as he has opportunity, doing good to all men. He uses all the ordinances of God and that both constantly and carefully. And he does this, not barely as something he must do; or what he would willingly be excused from. No; he rejoices in this his reasonable service, as a blessed privilege of the children of God.

But what if none of the candidates have these fruits? Then vote for him that loves the king: king George, whom the wise providence of God has appointed to reign over us. He ought to be highly esteemed in love, even for his office sake. A king is a lovely, sacred name. He is a minister of God unto thee for good. How much more, such a king, as has been in many respects, a blessing to his subjects. You may easily know those who love him not. For they generally glory in their shame. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities: no, not even of the ruler of their people.

Perhaps you will say, but I love my country, Therefore I am for the country-interest. I fear, you know not what you say. Are you against your king because you love your country? Who taught you to separate your king from your country? To set one against the other? Be assured, none that loves either. True lovers of their country do not talk in this senseless manner.

Is not the interest of the king of England and of the country of England, one and the same? If the king is destroyed, doth it profit the country? If the country, does it profit the king? Their interest cannot be divided. The welfare of one is the welfare of both.

Have you an objection of a different kind? Do you say, I am for the church? The church of England for ever! Therefore I vote for ――. He is a true churchman, a lover of the church. Are you sure of that? Friend, think a little. What kind of a churchman is he? A whoring churchman? A gaming churchman? A drunken churchman? A lying churchman? A cursing and swearing churchman? Or, a red-hot persecuting churchman, that would send all dissenters to the devil at a clap? For shame! for shame! Do you call a man a churchman, who knows no more of God than a Turk? Call a man a churchman, that does not even pretend to so much religion, as would serve an honest Heathen? He is a lover of the church who is a lover of God, and consequently of all mankind. Whoever else talks of loving the church is a cheat. Set a mark upon that man.

Above all, mark that man, who talks of loving the church, and does not love the king. If he does not love the king, he cannot love God. And if he does not love God, he cannot love the church. He loves the church and the king just alike. For indeed he loves neither one nor the other.

Oh beware, you who truly love the church, and therefore he cannot but love the king: beware of dividing the king and the church, any more than the king and country. Let others do as they will, what is that to you? Act you as an honest man, a loyal subject, a true Englishman, a lover of the country, a lover of the church; in one word, a Christian! One that fears nothing but sin, that seeks nothing but heaven, and that desires nothing but God. Nothing but glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!

ADVICE to a

SOLDIER.

1.ARE you to die? Must you leave this world, and carry nothing of it away with you? Naked as you came out of your mother’s womb, naked shall you return. And are you never to come back into this world? Have you no more place under the sun? When you leave these houses and fields, this flesh and blood, do you part with them for ever? Are you sure of this? Must all men die? Can none at all escape death? Do rich men likewise die, and leave their riches for others? Do princes also fall and die like one of their people? Can you then escape it? You do not think so. You know death is as sure as if you felt it already: as if you was now gasping for life, sweating and trembling in those last pangs, till the soul started off from the quivering lips, into the boundless ocean of eternity.

2. And are you to be judged? How is this to be? Why, the Son of God shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him; and then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them from one another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. Behold he cometh with clouds! And every eye shall see him, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty! And I saw (wilt thou also say) a great white throne, and him that sat thereon, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and they were judged, every man according to his works. And shalt thou also be judged according to thy works? All thy works, whether they be good or evil? Yea, and for every idle word which thou shalt speak, thou shalt give an account in the day of judgment. But this is not all: the Lord, the judge searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins. He understands all thy thoughts; and for all these likewise he shall bring thee into judgment. Supposest thou it is enough to be outwardly good? What! though thy inward parts are very wickedness? And are they not? Is not thy soul fallen short of the glory (the glorious image) of God? Look into thy breast. Art thou not a fallen spirit? Dost thou not know and feel, how very far thou art gone from original righteousness? Desperately full thou art of all evil, and naked of all good? Is there not in thee, an earthly, sensual, devilish mind? A mind that is enmity against God? ’Tis plain there is. For thou dost not love God. Thou dost not delight in him. He is not the desire of thy eyes, or the joy of thy heart. Thou lovest the creature more than the Creator. Thou art a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God. O how wilt thou stand in the judgment!

3. Are you then to go to heaven or hell? It must be either to one or the other. I pray God you may not go to hell! for who can dwell with everlasting burnings? Who can bear the fierceness of that flame, without even a drop of water to cool his tongue? Yea, and that without end; for as the worm dieth not so the fire is not quenched. No, whoever is once cast into that lake of fire, shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. O eternity! eternity! Who can tell the length of eternity? I warn thee now, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, that thou come not into that place of torment!

4. But alas! Is not hell now begun in thy soul? Does thy conscience never awake? Hast thou no remorse at any time? No sense of guilt? No dread of the wrath of God? Why these (if thou art not saved from them in this life) are the worm that never dieth. And what else is thy carnal mind? Thy enmity against God? Thy foolish and hurtful lusts, thy inordinate affections? What are pride, envy, malice, revenge? Are they not vipers gnawing thy heart? May they not well be called, the dogs of hell? Canst thou be out of hell, while these are in thy soul? While they are tearing it in pieces, and there is none to help thee? Indeed they are not fully let loose upon thee. And while thou seest the light of the sun, the things of the world that surround thee, or the pleasures of sense divert thy thoughts from them. But when thou canst eat and drink no more, when the earth, with the works thereof is burnt up, when the sun is fallen from heaven, and thou art shut up in utter darkness, what a state wilt thou be in then? Mayst thou never try! Seek thou a better habitation, a house of God eternal in the heavens.

5. There the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest. For God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain, but everlasting joy upon their heads. But this joy our ears have not yet heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man to conceive. Yet a little of it the children of God can conceive, from what they already enjoy. For the kingdom of heaven is within them. God has given them eternal life; the life which is hid with Christ in God. They have heaven upon earth; righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Their souls are renewed in the image of God. They love God. They are happy in him; and they love their neighbour (that is every man) as themselves, as their own souls. Being justified by faith, they have peace with God, yea, a peace which passeth all understanding. And they rejoice in him, knowing their sins are blotted out; that they are accepted in the beloved, and that they are going to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled, and that fadeth not away.

6. Will you reply to all this, “But I am a soldier, and have therefore nothing to do with these things?” Hold! Have soldiers nothing to do with death? How so? Do soldiers never die? can you fright death away? No, my friend; he will not regard all your big words and looks; nor all the weapons of your warfare. You can neither conquer, nor escape him. Your profession may excuse you from many other things; but there is no excusing yourself from death. Are you less sure of this than other men are? No; there is one lot for all. Are you farther from it than they? Nay, rather nearer. You live in the very jaws of death. Why then a soldier (if there be any difference) has more to do with death than other men. It is not far from every one of us: but, to him, it is just at the door.

7. Or, do you fancy a soldier has nothing to do with judgment? Will you say then (as poor Captain Uratz did, when he was ask’d a few minutes before his death, if he had made his peace with God) “I hope God will deal with me like a gentleman?” But God said unto him, “Thou fool! I will deal with thee, as with all mankind. There is no respect of persons with me. I reward every man according to his works.” Thou also shalt receive of the righteous judge, according to the things which thou hast done in the body. Death levels all; it mingles in one dust the gentleman, soldier, clown and beggar; it makes all these distinctions void. When life ends so do they. Holy or unholy is the one question then. Lo! the books are opened, that all the dead may be judged according to the things that are written therein! O may thy name be found written in the book of life!

8. For, have soldiers nothing to do with hell? Why then is it so often in thy mouth? Dost thou think God does not hear the prayer? And how often hast thou prayed him, To damn thy soul? Is his ear waxed heavy that it cannot hear? I fear thou wilt find it otherwise. Was not he a soldier too, (and a terrible one) to whom God said of old, “Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming?” And what marvel? For sin is the high road to hell. And have soldiers nothing to do with sin? Alas! How many of you wallow therein, yea and glory in your shame? How do you labour to work out your own damnation! O poor work, for poor wages! The wages of sin is death; the wages of cursing, of swearing, of taking the name of God in vain, of sabbath-breaking, drunkenness, revenge, of fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness. Now, art thou clear of these? Does not thy own heart smite thee? Art thou not condemned already? What voice is that which sounds in thine ears? Is it not the voice of God? Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a sinner as this? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Be very sure that thou art stronger than he, before thou fliest in his face! Do not defy God, unless thou canst overcome him. But canst thou indeed? O no. Do not try. Do not dare him to do his worst. Why should he destroy both thy body and soul in hell? Why shouldst thou be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power?

*9. But if there were no other hell, thou hast hell enough within thee. An awakened conscience is hell. Pride, envy, wrath, hatred, malice, revenge; what are these but hell upon earth? And how often art thou tormented in these flames? Flames of lust, envy, or proud wrath? Are not these to thy soul, when blown up to the height, as it were a lake of fire, burning with brimstone? Flee away before the great gulph is fixt: escape, escape for thy life! If thou hast not strength, cry to God, and thou shalt receive power from on high: and he whose name is rightly called Jesus, shall save thee from thy sins.

10. And why should he not? Has a soldier nothing to do with heaven? God forbid that you should think so! Heaven was designed for you also. God so loved your soul, that he gave his only begotten Son, that you, believing in him, might not perish, but have everlasting life. Receive then the kingdom, prepared for you from the foundation of the world! This, this is the time to make it sure; this short, uncertain day of life. Have you then an hour to spare? No; not a moment. Arise, and call upon thy God. Call upon the Lamb who taketh away the sins of the world, to take away thy sins. Surely he hath borne thy griefs, and carried thy sorrows! He was wounded for thy transgressions, and bruised for thy iniquities. He hath paid the ransom for thy soul. Believe in him, and thou shalt be saved. Art thou a sinner? He came, not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Art thou a lost, undone sinner? He came to seek and to save that which was lost. May he that gave himself for thee, give thee ears to hear, and a heart to understand his love! So shalt thou also say, “The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God.” So shall the love of God be shed abroad in thy heart, and thou shalt rejoice with joy unspeakable. Thou shalt have the mind that was in Christ, and shalt so walk as he also walked; till having fought the good fight, and finished thy course, thou receive the crown that fadeth not away!

The End of the Ninth Volume.