A26701:128
The way to true happiness in a serious treatise /
The way to true happiness in a serious treatise / by Joseph Alleine.
London : Printed and are to be sold by Nevil Simmons, 1678
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Reader, dost thou view this and never ask thy self, whether it be thus with thee? Pause a while, and breathe on this great concernment.
2. The election also is changed, so that he chooses another way, Psal. 119. 30. He pitches upon •od as his blessedness, and upon Christ as the principal, and holiness as the subordinate means, to bring him to God. Joh. 14. 6. Rom. 2. 7. He chooses Jesus for his Lord. Col. 2. 6. He is not merely forced into Christ by the storm, nor doth he take Christ for bare necessity, as the man begged from the gallows, when he takes the wife, rather than the halter: but he comes off freely in the choice. This match is not made in a fright, as with the terrified conscience, or dying sinner, that will seemingly do any thing for Christ, but doth only take Christ, rather than hell: but he deliberately resolves, that Christ is his best choice, Phil. 1. 23. and would rather have him to choose, than all the good of this world, might he enjoy it while he would. Again, he takes holiness for his path. He doth ⟨p. 31⟩not out of mere necessity submit to it: but he likes and loves it. I have chosen the way of thy Precepts, Psal. 119. 173. He takes Gods testimonies not as his bondage, but as his heritage, yea his heritage for ever: v. 111. he counts them not his burden, but his bliss, not his cords but his cordials. 1 Joh. 5. 3.