*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.