A26682:6
An Alarm to Unconverted Sinners
An alarm to unconverted sinners, in a serious treatise ... whereunto are annexed Divers practical cases of conscience judiciously resolved / by Joseph Alleine, late preacher of the Gospel at Taunton in Somerset-shire.An alarme to unconverted sinners, in a serious treatise ... whereunto are annexed Divers practical cases of conscience judiciously resolved / by Joseph Alleine, late preacher of the Gospel at Taunton in Somerset-shire.
London: printed by E.T. and R.H., 1672
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
He that hath an ear to hear let him hear.
Miserable Souls.
There is that Life and Light and Love in every true Believer, but especially in every Faithful Minister of Christ, which engageth them to long and labour for your Salvation. Life is communicative and active. It maketh us sensible that Faith is not a fantasy, nor true Religion a stage-play, nor our hopes of eternal happiness a dream. And as we desire nothing more for our selves, than to have more of the Holy Life which we ⟨image 3⟩have, alas! in so small a measure, so what is it that we should more desire for others? With the eye of an infallible (though too weak) faith, we see the Heaven which you neglect, and the blessed souls in Glory with Christ, whose companions you might be for ever: we see the multitudes of souls in hell, who came thither by the same way that you are going in: who are shut out of the glorious presence of God, and are now among those devils that deceived them, remembering that they had their good things here, Luke 16. 25. and how they spent the day of their visitation, and how light they once set by God, by Christ, by Heaven, by Mercy, whilst Mercy was an earnest solicitor for their hearts: And with our bodily eyes we see at the same time, abundance of poor sinners living about us, as if there were no God, no Christ, no Heaven, no Hell, no Judgment, no nor Death to be expected; as if a man were but a master beast, to rule the rest, and feed upon them, and perish with them. And if it were your own case, to see what souls do in Heaven and Hell, and at once to see how unbelievingly, carelessly and senselessly most men live on earth, as if ⟨image 3⟩