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 XXIX.
[To a minister in prison.]
Worthy Sir,
IT was but a little after my release from my own confinement, but I heard of yours: and now write to you, as one that hath taken a higher degree than ever, being commenced prisoner of Christ. I was once affected with the picture of a devout man, to whom a voice came down from heaven, saying, Quid vis fieri pro te? To which he answered, Nihil domine, nifi pati ac contemini pro te. Undoubtedly, Sir, it is our real glory to be throughout conformed to Jesus Christ, not only in his sanctity, but in his sufferings. I doubt not your consolations in Christ superabound in all your tribulations for him. Yet let me add this, that you have a whole shoal of promises come in to you, which you had not before; I mean all the promises to suffering saints, in which they have not so immediate a part, unless in a suffering state. And doubtless he hath got well, that hath gotten such a number of exceeding great and precious promises.
I can tell you little good of myself: but this I can tell you, that the promises of God were never so sweet to me, as since my imprisoned state. It shames me that I have let such a treasure lie by so long, and have made so little use of it. Never did my soul know the heaven of a believer’s life, till I learnt to live a life of praise, and to set home the unspeakable riches of the divine promises, to which, through grace, I am made an heir. I verily perceive that all our work were done, if we could but prevail with ourselves and others to live like believers; to tell all the world by our carriage, that there is such pleasantness in Christ’s ways, such beauty in holiness, such reward to obedience, as we profess to believe!