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,