N03796:208
An alarm to unconverted sinners. In a serious treatise: showing I. What conversion is…An alarm to unconverted sinners. In a serious treatise: shewing I. What conversion is…
An alarm to unconverted sinners. In a serious treatise: showing I. What conversion is not, and correcting some mistakes about it. II. What conversion is, and wherein it consisteth. III. The necessity of conversion. IV. The marks of the unconverted. V. The miseries of the unconverted. VI. Directions for conversion. VII. Motions [i.e., Motives] to conversion. : Whereunto are annexed Divers practical cases of conscience judiciously resolved. / By Joseph Alleine, late Minister of the Gospel at Taunton, in Somersetshire.An alarm to unconverted sinners. In a serious treatise: shewing I. What conversion is not, and correcting some mistakes about it. II. What conversion is, and wherein it consisteth. III. The necessity of conversion. IV. The marks of the unconverted. V. The miseries of the unconverted. VI. Directions for conversion. VII. Motions [i.e., Motives] to conversion. : Whereunto are annexed Divers practical cases of conscience judiciously resolv'd. / By Joseph Alleine, late Minister of the Gospel at Taunton, in Somersetshire.
Philadelphia: printed by B. Franklin, 1741
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.
II. Not only Man, but the whole visible Creation is in vain without this: Beloved, God hath made all the visible creatures in Heaven and Earth for the Service of Man, and Man only is the Spokesman for all the rest. Man is in the Universe, like the Tongue in the Body, which speaks for all the Members: The other Creatures cannot praise their Maker, but by dumb signs hint to Man, that he should speak for them: Man is (as it were) the High-Priest of God's Creation, to offer the Sacrifice of Praise for all his Fellow-creatures, Psalm 147, and 148, and 250. The Lord expecteth a Tribute of Praise from all his works, Psalm 103.22. Now all the rest do bring their Tribute to Man, and pay it in by his Hand: So then, if Man be false, and faithless, and selfish, God is wronged of all, and shall have no active Glory from his Works.
O dreadful Thought to think of! That God should build such a World as this, ••d And lay out such infinite Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness thereupon, and all in vain; and Man should be guilty, at last, of robbing and spoiling him of the Glory of all: Oh think of this! while thou art unconverted, all the Offices of the Creatures to thee are in vain: ⟨p. 49⟩Thy Me•t nourishes thee in vain, the Sun holds forth his light to thee in vain, the Stars that serve thee in their Courses, by their most powerful, tho' hidden Influence, Judg' 5.20. Hos. 2.21, 22. do it in vain; thy Clothes warm thee in vain; thy Beast carries thee in vain: In a Word, the unwearied labour and continual travel of the whole Creation (as to thee) is in vain. The Service of all the Creatures, that drudge for thee, and yield forth their Strength unto thee (that therewith thou shouldest serve their Maker) is all but lost Labour. Hence the whole Creation groaneth under the Abuse of the unsanctified World,