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 XII.
[How to live to God.]