unthankful And what though they do hate us Their love and good-will were much more to be feared than their hatred and a far worse sign Brethren keep your selves in the love of God here is Wisdom O happy souls that are his Favourites For the Lords sake look to this make sure of something look to your sincerity above all things in the World let not any of you conclude that because you are of the suffering party therefore all is well Look to the Foundation that your hearts be soundly taken off from every sin and set upon God above as your Blessedness Beware that none of you have only a name to love and be no more than almost Christians For the love of your Souls make a diligent search and try upon what ground you stand for it heartily pities me to think that any of you should be in so deep and hazard so much as these must do that will now cleave to the hated ways of the people of God and yet lose all at last for want of being thorow and sound in the main work I mean conversion and Regeneration None so miserable in all the world as an unsound Professor of Religion now is for he shall be hated and persecuted of the World because he takes up a Profession and yet rejected of God too because he sticks in a Profession but when once you bear the marks of Gods favour you need not fear the Worlds frowns Cheer up therefore Brethren be strong in the Lord and of good courage under the Worlds usage Fear not in our Fathers House there is bread enough and room enough this is sufficient to comfort us under all the inconveniences of the way that we have so happy a Home so worthy a Portion so ready a Father so goodly an Heritage so sure a Tenure Oh comfort one another with these words let God see that you can trust in his Word let the world see that you can live upon a God I shall share my Prayers and loves among you all and commit you to the Almighty God the Keeper of Israel that never flumbereth nor sleepeth be your Watchman and Keeper to the end Farewel I am From the common Goal at Juelchester July 24. 1663. A fervent well-wisher of your Temporal and Eternal Happiness Joseph Alleine LETTER VI. Look out of your Graves upon the World To my most dearly Beloved Friends the chosen of God in Taunton Grace and Peace Most endeared Christian MY heart is with you though I am Absent as to my Bodily presence from you and therefore as I have often already so I have now written to you to stir up your pure minds by way of Remembrance and to call upon you for your stedfast continuing and vigorous proceeding in the ways of God Dear Friends and fellow Souldiers under Christ the Captain of our Salvation consider your calling and Station and approve your selves as good Souldiers of Jesus Christ as men of resolution and courage be discouraged with no difficulties of your present Warfare As for humane affairs it would have you to be as you are Men of Peace I would have you Armed not for resisting God forbid but for Suffering onely as the Apostle hints You should resist even 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 sins you must make no Peace for 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 which I again desire you to mind as one special duty of the times but for these Spiritual Enemies all your affections and all your Prayers must be engaged against them yea you must admit no Parley It 's dangerous to dispute with Temptations Remember what Eve lost by Parleying with Satan you must flie from Temptations and put them off at first with a Peremptory denial If you will but hear the Devils Arguments and the Fleshes Pleas and fair Pretences it is an hundred to one but you are insnared by his Sophistry And for this present evil World the Lord deliver you from its Snares Surely you had need watch and be sober and use your spiritual Weapons dexterously aâ—…d diligently or else this World is like to undo you and destroy yoâ—… I have often warned you not to build upon an External happiness and that you should promise yoâ—…r selves nothing but hardship here Oh still remember your station Souldiers must not count upon Rest and Fulness but Hunger and Hardness Labour to get right apprehâ—…sions of the World Do not think these things necessary one thing is needâ—…ul You may be happy in the want of all outward comfâ—…s Do not think your selves 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 and that you may have never such an opportunity for your advantage in all your lives as when you put all to hazard and 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 your selves into the possession of Death Look often upon your 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 what good will it do you put your selves often into your Graves and look out from thence upon the World and see what Judgement you have of it then 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 and to have been Men of esteem one serious walk over a Church-yard as one speaks might make a man morâ—…ified to the World Think upon how many you Tread but you know them not no doubt they had their Estates their Friends their Trades their businesses and kept as much stir in the World as others do now But alas what are they the better for any for all this know you not that this must be your own case very shortly Oh the unhappiness of deceived man how miserably is he bewitched and befooled that he should expend himself for that which he knows shall for ever leave him Brethren I beseech you lay no stress upon these perishing things but labour to be at a Holy indifferency about them Is it for one that is in his wits to sell his God his conscience his soul for thiâ—…gs that he is not sure to keep a week nor a day and which he is sure after a â—…ew sleepings and wakings more to leave behind him for ever go and talk with dying
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 Christians life While Holiness is made the But of others Persecution do you make it the white the mark of your prosecution that you live it up as much as others cry it down O watch and keep your Garments about you the plain but comely clothing of humility the seamless Coat of Christian unity the strait and close Garment of strictness mortification and self-denial the warm Winter-garment of love and charity this Garment will keep you warm in the Winter love will not be quenched by the Waters nor cooled by the nipping Frosts of persecution and opposition Cleave fast to Christ never let go your hold cling the faster because so many are labouring to knock off your fingers and loosed your hold Hold fast your Profession hold fast your Integrity hold â—…ast the beginning of your confidence stedfast to the end If you do but keep your hold and make goud your ground 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 Vinyard with constant care and watchfulness and be sure that there be no Inroad made upon your consciences that the Enemy do not get between you and home between your souls and God and then let who or 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 But I would not only that you should walk holily but that you should walk comfortably But I need say the less to this because the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost do lie together On the provision God hath made for your continual joy and 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 and miserable that hath all the fulness of the Godhead for his sound in this deep can you find any bottom take the heighth of the Divine Perfections if you can till then you cannot tell your own felicity Take a servey of Immensity tell me the longitude or latitude of infinite goodness and mercy of the Eternal Diety if you can do this you may guess at your own happiness Oh Christians live like your selves live worthy of your Portion of your Priviledge and your glorious prerogatives I am in haste and it is time for me to end however that you may walk worthy of your glorious hopes and may live answerably to the mercies you have received from above is the great desire of From the Prison at Juelchester September 18. 1663. Your Souls fervent well wisher in the bonds of affliction and tribulation JOS. ALLEINE LETTER IX Easie Sufferings To the most Loving and Beloved my Christian Friends at â—…aunton Salvation DEarly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown for whom I am an Embassadour in Bonds what thanks to render to God in your behalf I know not for your fervent charity towards me and all the servants of my Lord for all your labours of love for all your diligence and boldâ—…ess and resolution in owning the despised way and hared serâ—…ants of the Lord Jesus in an evil day The Lord is not unrighteous to forget this Is not this upon record with him and â—…aled up among his Treasures surely the Lord will have mercy upon Tauntou I have no doubt but that the God of â—…our Mercies hath yet a choice blessing in store for you be not weakned by my Bonds Glory be to God in the Highest that he hath accounted me worthy not only to Preach the Gospel to you but also to confirm it by the paâ—…ing with my much valued liberty so dear a People so sweeâ—… Relations comforts conveniencies which I enjoyed in all aâ—…dance when I was with you When I look back upon all the circumstances of the late Providence I must say as they of Christ upon his Miracles He hath done all things well it is all as I would have it I am fully satisfied in my Fathers good pleasure Verily there is no little honour and happiness no little peace and priviledge in these Bonds Verily all is true that I have told you of the All-sufficiency of God of the fulness of Christ of the satisfactoriness of the promises of the peace tranquility content and security that is to be had in a life of Faith Surely methinks I should be content to seal to these things at a much dearer rate than this but my gracious Father will not put me to the hardest Lesâ—…on at first oh what reason have I to speak good of his name what else should I do all my days but love and fear and preach and praise so good a God when I look back upon the gentle dealings of God with me I often think he hath brought me up as indulgently as David did Adoniâ—…ah of whom it is said His Father had not displeased him I have received nothing but good at the hands of the Lord all my days and now he doth begin to afflict I see so much Mercy in this very Goal that I must be more thankful for this than for my prosperity Surely the name of the place is The Lord is here Surely it may be called Peniel Be strong in the Lord my Breâ—…hren be patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draws nigh In nothing be terrified by your adversaries Now let those that fear the Lord be often speaking one to another I hear that Satan is practising to send more of you after me I desire and pray for your liberty but if any of you be sorced hither for the testimony of the Gospel I shall embrace you with both arms Fare you well my most dearly Beloved be perfect and be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you My Brethren in Bonds salute you with much affection rejoycing to behold your order and the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ share my heart among you and know that I am The willing Servant of your Faith and Joy JOS. ALLEINE From the common Gaole at Juelchester Sept. 28. 1663. LETTER X. The Love of Christ. To my Beloved in the Lord the Flock of Christ in Taunton Grace and Peace Most Loving and best Beloved MY heart is with you my affections are espoused to you And methinks I could even say with the Apostle you are in my heart to live and die
presence of God for you May his memory ever live in our hearts though mine should die Oh remember his Love more than Wine remember in what a case he found you and yet nothing could anihilate his heart nor divert the purpose of his Love from you He loathed not your Rags nor your Rottenness he found you in a loathsome vomit and filthiness in a nasty and verminous tatters think not these expressions too odious no Pen can describe no heart can imagine the odiousness of sin in his sight in which you lay and rolled your selves as the filthy Swine in the mire 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 monstrous and polluted Captives ah vile and putrid Carkases that ever the holy Jesus should take the hands of you and shouâ—…d his own self wash you and wrinse you merhâ—…nks 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 out warm from his blessed Body to setch out the ingrained filthiness that you by sin had contracted Alas what a horrid filthiness in sin that nothing but the blood of the Covenant could wash away and what a love is Christs than when no Sope nor Nitre could suffice to cleanse us when a whole Ocean could not wash nor purifie 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 that innocent Back doth bleed with cruel scourgings to save ours how the great drops of blood fall to the ground from his sacred Face in his miraculous sweat in his bitter and bloody Agony to wash and beautifie ours how his wounded hearts and side twice pierced first with love and pity and then with Souldiers cruelty do pour out their healthful and saving Flouds upon us Lord how do we make a shift to forget such a love as this ah mirrors or rather monsters of ingratitude that can be unmindful of suâ—…h a Friend do we thus requite him is this our kindness to such an obliging friend Christians where are you 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 to embrace him may your souls and all their Powers be taken up with him may all the little doors of your souls be set open to him Here â—…ix your thoughts heâ—…e terminate your desire here you may light your Candle and kindle your fire when almost out Rub and chafe your hearts well with the deep consideration of the love of Christ and it is a wonder if they do not get fome warmth The Lord shed abroad his love in your hearts by the H. Ghost Oh that this love might constrain you 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 fall foul with them search them out with diligence search your hearts and your houses whatever iniquitâ—…es you find there out with them put them far from your Tabernacles if you crucifie them not you are not Jesus his Friends Godforbid 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 Brethrâ—…n that you should be careful to teach your children and servants the way of your Trades and Callings and neglâ—…t to instruct them in the way of Life Is weekly Caâ—…echising up 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 cost you nothing look to it that you content not your selves with a cheap and easie Religioâ—… Put your flesh to it be well assured that the Religion that costs you nothing will yeeld you nothing keep up the life of Religion in your Family and Closet duties Fear nothing like a customary and careless performance of Gods service Judge your own selves whether lazie wishes idie 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 your selves going on in a liftless liveless heartless course and have no mind to your work ask your selves is this to take the Kingdom of Heaven by violence or can I hope to win it without see that you sacrifice your selves to the Lord that you deliver up your selves to him 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 forget your selves and look upon all your enjoyments as Christs goods upon your time parts strength as his Talents look upon your selves onely in the quality of Servants and Stewards that are to husband all these for your Lords advantage and as those that must give an account And pray for me that I may take the Counsel that I give I â—…ss the Lord I want nothing but the opportunity of being â—…ceable unto you and to enjoy you but I hope the Lord will make my bonds for you to be useful to your edification that is the White I aim at if I may glorifie God and serve your Souls best by being here I shall never wish to come out though I confess liberty of its self is very precious Finally Brethren Farewel 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 The ready Servant of your Faith and Joy JOS. ALLEINE From the Prison at Juelchester Octob. 14. 1663. My dear Brother Norman salutes you tenderly desiring you to be patient to stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh LETTER XII For daily Self-Examination To the most Beloved People the Flock of Christ in Taunton Salvation Most dear Brethren I Would my time were as long as my heart that I might open my self to you but I was not without some discontent diverted when I was setting my self to have Written at large to you Now I am pinched however I could not leave my dear charge altogether unvisited but must needs salute you in a few Lines Brethren how stands it with you doth
you and should be willingly so many years a Prisoner for you so I might eminently and effectually further your salvation I must again yea again and again thank you for your abundant and intire affections to me which I value as a great mercy not in order to my self if I know my own heart but in order to your benefit and I may thereby be a more likely Instrument to further your good Surely so much as I do value your love which is not a little yet had I rather if I am not unacquainted with my self be forgotten and forsaken of you all and buried in oblivion So that your eyes and hearts might be hereby fixed on Christ and sincerely engaged to him Brethren I have not be spoken your affections for my self O that I might win your hearts universally to Jesus Christ though I had lost them for ever O that I might be instrumental to convert you to him though you were diverted from me I am perswaded that I should much rather choose to be hated of all so this might be the means to have Christ honoured and set up savingly in the hearts of you all And indeed there is nothing great but in order to God nothing is much material or considerable as it is terminated in us It matters not whether we are in Riches or poverty in 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 pains or contempt if by these Gods glory may be most promoted What are we for but for God what doth the Creature signifie separated from his God why just so much as the Cypher separated from the Figure or the letter from the Syllable we are nothing or 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 Bruis than that we should not use our reason for him What are our Interests unless as they may be subservient to his Interest or our esteem or reputation unless we may hereby glorifie him do you love me I know you do but who is there that will leave his sins for me I mean at my requests with whom shall I prevail to give up himself in strictnese and self-denial to the Lord who will be intreated by me to set upon neglected duties or reform accustomed sins O wherein may you rejoyce me in this 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 your selves up throughly to the Lord would you lighten my burden would you loosen my bonds would you make glad my heart let me hear of your owning the ways and servants of the Lord in adversity of your coming in of your abiding and 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 sinner would be awakened and be induced by the Preaching of these Bonds which heretofore would not be prevailed with to leave their drunkenness their loose company their lying and deceit and Wantonness by all the threatnings of God that could be pronounced against them nor all the beseechings wooings and entreaties that I was able to use with them 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 your selves into his Arm Why should you die why will you forsake your own mercy will you perish when mercy wooes you confess and forsake your sins and you shall find mercy will you part with Christ and sell your souls to perdition for a little ease and delight to your flesh or a little of the gain of unrighteousness or a little Ale or vain mirth or loose company why these are the things that part between sinners and Christ. I know many are spun with a finer thred and are not so far from the Kingdom of God as the prayerless ignorant Sabbath-breaking intemperate sort are But I must once 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 it may be too and yet should fall short of the glory of God for want of a through work of grace Oh you halting Christians that halt between Christ and the World that are as Ephraim like a Cake not turned dow-baked Professors that have Lamps without Oyl that cry Lord Lotd 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 among the profane despisers of Godliness but do own the people of the Lord and do love the Ministers and ordinances therefore all is well I tell you Godliness is a heart-work it goes deep and spreads far unless the frame of your hearts and the drifts 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 Christs how far soever you go in common workings and external performances Hear then O people and let not profaneness swallow you up let not an almost Christianity deceive you or ignorance 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 least you should split against these dangerous Rocks O Jerusalem Jerusalem said Christ and O Taunton Taunton may I say from him 〈…〉 who can tell how often would Gods 〈…〉 â—…thered you and you would not many very many 〈…〉 would not But will you now will you yet come in I 〈…〉 forbear once more even out of the Prison to 〈…〉 or sinners and make one tender of mercy more O 〈…〉 to the waters of Life wash you make you clean read 〈…〉 diligent observation the melting passages Prov. 1. 22. to the end Isa. 1. 16 21. Isa. 55. 6 10. Oh obdurate sinners if none of these things move you But for you whose very hearts are set against every sin and are deliberately resolved for God and Holiness â—…re all the worlds delight you that have experience of a thorow change and are brought to have respect to all Gods 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 you of the Lord O happy Souls
wherein I might sufficiently reâ—…lect on you or my self But although so great a part of Taunton be translated to Juelchester with me yet I may not I cannot forget you that are behind Alas poor Taunton how should I bewail thee did I look upon thee only with the Eye of sense Alas for thy wonted liberties for thy former plenty and variety wherewith the Lord hath blessed thee he had spread a Table for thee in the midst of thine Enemies Bread hath been given thee and thy Waters have been sure Bâ—…t now a Famine seems to threaten thee and the Comforters that should relieve thy Soul are far from thee Thy Shepheards are removed Thou seest not thy Signs nor thy Prophets and thy wonteâ—… helpers are now disabled from giving thee supplies Alas how do thine enemies triumph and thy Teachers and thine Inhabitants are become their Captives and how great is the cry of thy poor and thine oppressed Such would be the language of sense if that were suffered to be the Speaker But faith will speak in another Dialect And therefore amongst my other Counsels that I shall send you this shall be the first Judge not of the present Providences by the conduct of sense but by the eye of Faith Faith will see that we are then-most honoured when we are most vilified and reproached and set at nought for the sake of Christ and that we are then most happy when the World hath done its worst to make us miserable Faith will tell you that GOD is a very present help when you seem quite to fail of help and will shew you the Well of water that is near when the Water in the Bottle is spent What though you seem to have lost Ministers Husbands Friends for a Season Faith will tell you that they are well bestowed and that it will be both your and their advantage in the Day of Retribution Brethren what are you for are you for the present world or for that that to come are you for your temporal enjoyments or do you seek for Glory Honour and Immortality If you are for this World you have made a very imprudent choice in taking up the Profession of Godliness and cleaving to and owning the hated ways of the Lord But if you are for Glory and for Eternity then be of good chear all these things do make for us You are witnesses how often I have told you of these things and I can say with the Apostle I believe therefore have I spoken and therefore I am nothing moved with all these things nor with the things that do yet further betide me I believe and therefore I told you that you should never be losers by Jesus Christ. Nay do I say I told it you you know the Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed you that the persecuted are doubtly blessed that such should rejoyce and leap for joy because great is their reward in Heaven Hath not God said that if we suffer with him we shall also Reign with him and that these light afflictions work for us a weight of Glory And if this be true I pray you tell me whether GOD hath not dealt well with us in counting us worthy of this little Tribulation for his Name Indeed the Sufferings is but little but verily the Reward will not be little I know whom I have trusted I am well assured the Glasse is turned up and every hour reckoned of our Imprisonment and every Scorn and Reproach of our Enemies is kept in Black and VVhite I believe therefore do I speak GOD is infinitely tender of us my Brethren though a Poor and despicable Generation I value not the Pot gun threats of a frowning world 't is well with us we are GODS Favourites Come my Beloved let us sit down under his Shadow Here is safety and rest if God be for us who can be against us Verily he Bottles all our Tears and tells all our wandrings He numbers all our hairs whosoever toucheth us shall not be Innocent Know you not that we are the Apple of his Eye Hath not he reproved the greatest for his Peoples sakes saying reproach not mine anointed And so we forget how he loved us Are not we his Jewells Doth he not own us for his Members for his Children Ah what a Block doth Unbelief make of man VVhat do you think that all this doth signifie nothing Can you forget your Children VVill you suffer your Jewells to lie in the Dirt or make no reckoning of them whether they are lost Verily I write not this without shaming reflections upon my own stupidity VVhat Beloved of God adopted by God! VVhat a Member of Christ Jesus A Vessel of Mercy An heir of Glory VVhat and not yet swallowed up in the sense of Gods infinite love Blush Oh my Soul and be còfounded before the most high cover thy face with shame I remember what the Heathen Seneca writes observing the expressions of Gods love to man in his common Providence Verum est usque in delicias Amamur That is it is a very truth we are Beloved of God even as his darlings My Brethren Have Faith in God Believe his Promises VValk in the sense of his love Comfort your selves in Gods love towards you under all the hatred and envy of men and the contradiction of sinners that you meet with Be strong and of a good Courage God is for you Be assured that he that walketh uprightly walketh surely Forsake not the assembling of your selves together Now see that you speak often to one another and build up each other in the holy Faith God knows I cannot do for you as I would I would have been larger to you but I cannot My most dear loves I desire you to share among you I am greatly Yours The Peace that passeth all Understanding keep your hearts and minds I am Yours to serve you and for you with all readiness of mind JOS. ALLEINE From the Prison at Juelchester July 28th 1665. LETTER XXI What do you more than others To the most dearly Beloved the Servants 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 regard ed the low Estates of his Servants That he should ever Indulge you as he hath and hover over you even as the Eagle stirteth up her Nest and fluttereth over her Young spreadeth abroad her VVings 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 wast nor the Oyl in the Cruse to fail but though you have no certainty to trust
they may not fall down till Israel do prevail Let us fear lest there be some evil among us that God being angry with us doth send this farther tryal upon us Pray earnestly for me lest the eye of the most jealous God should discern that in me which should render me unfit for the mercy you desire And let every one of you search his heart and search his house to see if there be not cause there Let not these disappointments make you to be nevertheless in love with Prayers but the more out of love with sin Let us humble our selves under the mighty hand of God and he shall exalt us in due time And for the enemies of God you must know also that their foot shall slide in due time Let the Servants of God encourage themselves in their God for in the things wherein they deal proudly he is above them therefore fret not your selves because of evil doers commit your cause to him that judgeth righteously Remember that you are bid if you see oppression of the poor and violent perverting of Judgement and Justice in a Province not to marvel at the matter verily there is a God that judgeth in the Earth and you have the liberty of appeals rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him and fret not your selves because of the men that bring wicked devises to pass take heed that none of you do with Peter begin to sink now you see the waters rough and the winds boysterous these things must not weaken your Faith nor cool your Zeal for they are great arguments for the strengthning of it What clearer evidence can there be for the future judgment and perdition of the ungodly and Coronation of the Just in another life than the most unjust proceedings that are here upon Earth shall not the Judge of all the Earth see right to be done We lee here nothing but confusion and disorder the wicked receiveth according to the work of the righteous and the Innocent according to the work of the wicked The Godly perish and the wicked flourish these do prosper and they do suffer What can it be ever thus no doubtless there must be a day when God will Judge the world in righteousness and rectifie the present disorders and reverse the unrighteous Sentences that have been passed against his servants And this evidence is so clear that many of the Heathen Philosephers have from this very Argument I mean the unrighteous usage of the good concluded that there must certainly be rewards and punishments adjudged by God in another World Nor yet lose your Zeal now is the time that the love of many doth wax cold but I bless God it is not so with you I am sure your love to me is as true Friends should be like the Chimneys warmest in the Winter of Adversity and I hope your love to God is much more and I would that You should abound yet more and more Where else should you bestow your Loves Love ye the Lord ye his Saints and cling about him the faster now ye see the world is striving to separate you from him How many are they that go to knock off your fingers O methinks I see what tugging there is The World is plucking and the Devil is plucking Oh hold fast I beseech you hold fast that no man take your Crown Let the Water that is sprinkled yea rather poured upon your love make it to flame up the more Are you not betrothed unto Christ Oh rcmember remember your Marriage Covenant did you not take him for Richer for Poorer for better for worse now prove your love to Christ to have been a true conjugal love in that you can love him when most slighted despised undervalued blasphemed among men Now acquit your selves not to have followed Christ for the Loaves now confute the Accuser of the Brethren who may be ready to suggest of the best of you as he did of Job Doth he serve the Lord for nought And let it be seen that you loved Christ and holiness purely for their own sakes that you can love a naked Christ when there is no hopes of worldly advantage or promoting of self-interest in following him Yet beware that none of you do stick to the wayes of Christ and Religion upon so carnal an account as this because this is the way that you have already taken up and you count it a shame to recede from your Principles I am very jealous lest some Professors should miss of their reward for this least they should be accounted Turn-coats and Hypocrites therefore they will shew a stoutness of spirit in going on since they have once begun and cannot with honour retreat Would you chose holiness and strictness if it were to do again would you enter your selves among Gods poor people if it were now first to do Would you have taken up the Profession of Christ though you had foreseen all this that is come and coming This will do much to evidence your sincerity But I forget â—…hat I am writing a Letter being prone to pass all bounds when I have thus to do with you The Lord God remember and reward you and your labours of love The Eternal God be your refuge and put under you his everlasting Arms. The Peace of God that passeth all understanding keep your hearts Christs Legacy of Peace I leave with you and rest with my dear affections to you all Your Embassador in Bonds JOS. ALLEINE LETTER XXIV Councel for Salvation To the most beloved People the servants of God in Taunton Salvation Most endeared Christians MY continual solicitude for your State will not suffer me to pass in quiet one week without Writing to you unless I am extraordinarily hindred Your sincerity stedfastness and proficiency in the grace of God is the matter of my earnest desire and that which I should account my self happy in I have a longing desire to see the Faces of you all and besides mine expectation shall I trust speedily have the opportunity to see you at the approaching Assizes which I shall greatly rejoyce in notwithstanding our coming may be otherwise attended with many Inconveniencies In the mean time I send you a few Prison Counsels As 1. To improve for Eternity the Advantages of your present State Though you are at many disadvantages with respect to the publick Ordinances yet you have many wondrous and most happy Priviledge which Spiritual Wisdom would make no small improvement of Oh what a mercy have you that you may serve God while 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 of the Comforts of this life and are free from those continual pains or Heart-eating Cares that others are disabled by from looking after God and their Souls as you may do Oh consider what a blessed Seed-time
Trespasses Others have escaped the gross pollutions of the world but stick in the form of Godliness and content themselves with a negative Righteousness that they are no Drunkards nor Swearers c. or at best with an outward conformity to the duties of Religion or some common workings instead of a saving O I am jealous for you that you should not lose the things that you have wrought and miss you reward for want of sincerity for the Lords sake put on and beware of perishing in the Suburbs of the City of Refuge beg of God to make through-work with you and be jealous for your selves get a right understanding of the difference between a Hypocrite and a sincere Christian and try you estates much but only with those marks that you are sure from the Scripture will abide Gods tryal But for you that fear the Lord in sincerity I have nothing but good and comfortable words I have proclaimed your happiness in the last Token I sent to the Town I mean the abstract for the Covenant of Grace upon the Priviledges comforts mercies there summed up and set before you May your souls ever live what condition can you devise wherein there will not be abundance of comfort and matter of joy unspeakable to you O Beloved know your own happiness and live in that holy admiring commending adoring praisings of your gracious God that becomes the people of his praise I have been long yet methinks I have not emptied half my heart unto you I trespass much I fear upon the Bearer therefore in haste I commend you to God The good will of him that dwelt in the Bush be 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 From the common Goale in Juelchester July 4th 1663. A willing Labourer and thankful Sufferer for you JOS. ALLEINE LETTER V. Trust God and be sincere To my most endeared Friends the Servants of Christ in Taunton Grace and Peace Most dearly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown MY hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that yoâ—… may be saved I know that you are the But of mens rage and malice but you may satisfie your selves as Dapid in his patient sustaining of Shemei's sury and curses It may be the Lord will look upon our affâ—…ction and require good for their cursing this day But however it be for that be sure to hold on your way your name indeed is cast forth as evil and you are hated of all men for Christs-sake for your profession of his Gospel and cleaving to his ways and servants but let not this discourage you for you are now more than ever blessed onely hold fast that no man take your Crown Let not any that have begun in the Spirit end in the flesh Do not forsake God till he forsake you he that endureth to the end shall be saved The Promise is to him that overcometh therefore think not of looking back Now you have set your hands to Christ's Pow though you labour hard and suffer long the Crop will pay for all now the Lord is trying what credit he hath in the World and who they be that will trust him The unbelieving World are all for present pay they must have ready money something in hand and will not follow the Lord when there is like to be any great hazard and hardship in his service But now is the time for you my Beloved to prove your selves Believers when there is nothing visible but present hazard and expence and difficulty in your Makers service Now it will be seen who can trust the Lord and who trusts him not Now my Brethren bear you up stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong now give glory to God by believing If you can trust in his Promises for your reward now when nothing appears but the displeasure of Rulers and Bonds and losses and tribulation on every side this will be somewhat like Believers Brethren I beseech you to reckon upon no other but crosses here Let none of you dream of an Earthly Paradise or flatter your selves with dreams of sleeping in your ease and temporal Prosperity and carrying Heaven too Think not to keep your Estates and liberties and consciences too Count not upon rest till you come to the Land of Promise Not that I would have any of you to run upon hazards uncalled No we shall meet them soon enough in the way of our duty without we will balk it and shamefully turn aside but I would have you cast over-board your Worldly hopes and count not upon an earthly felicity but be content to wait till you come on the other side the Grave Is it not enough to have a whole eternity of happiness yet behind If God do throw in the comforts of this life too into the bargain I would not have you throw them back again or despise the goodness of the Lord but I would my Brethren that you should use this World as not abusing it that you should be crucified to the world and the world to you that you should declare plainly that you seek a Countrey a better Countrey which is an Heavenly Ah! my dear Brethren I beseech you carry it like Pilgrims an strangers I beseech you abstain from fleshly lusts which war against your Souls for what have we to do with the customes and courses and fashions of this world who are strangers in it Be contented with Travellers lots know you not that you are in a strange Land all is well as long as it is well at home I pray you Brethren daily and srequently to consider your condition and station do you not remember that you are in an Inn and what though your be but poorly attended and meanly accommodated though you â—…are hard and lie hard Is this a strange thing what should Travellers look sor else will you set forth in a Journey and promise your selves nothing but sair way and fair weather Shall a man put forth to Sea and reckon upon nothing but the calm If you were of the World the World would love his own But now God hath chosen you and called you out of the world therefore the World hateth you But remember my Brethren it is your duty to love them even while they hate you and to pray for mercy for them that will shew no mercy nor do no Justice for us This I desire you to observe as a great duty of the present times And let not any so far forget their duty and pattern as to wish evil to them that do evil to us or to please themselves with the thoughts of being even with them Let us commit our selves to him that judgeth righthously and shew our selves the children of the most High who doth good to his Enemies and is kind to the unkind and