N03796:247
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.
Help, O All searching Light! and let thy discerning Eye discover the rotten Foundation of the Self deceiver; and lead me, O Lord God, as thou didst the Prophet, into the Chambers of Imagery, and dig through the Wall of Sinners Hearts, and discover the hidden Abominations that are lurking out of sight, in the dark. Oh send thine Angel before me, to open the sundry Wards of their Hearts, as thou didst before Peter, and make even the Iron gates to fly open of their own Accord. And as Jonathan no sooner tasted the Honey, but his Eyes were enlightened; so grant, O Lord, that when the poor deceived Souls with whom I have to do, shall cast their Eyes upon these Lines, their Minds may be illuminated, and their Consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their Eyes, and hear with their Ears, and be converted, that thou mayest heal them.
This must be premised, before we proceed to the Discovery, That it is most certain Men may have a confident Persuasion, that their Hearts and States be good, and yet be unsound. Hear the Truth himself, who shows in Laodicea's Case, that Men may be wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, and yet not know it; yea, they may be confident they are rich, and increased in Grace▪ Rev. 3.17. There is a Generation that is pure in their own Eyes, and yet is not washed from their own Filthiness, Prov. 30.12. Who better persuaded of his Case than Paul, while yet he remained unconverted? Rom. 7.9. So that they are miserably deceived, that take a strong Confidence, for a sufficient Evidence. They ⟨p. 66⟩that have no better Proof, than barely a strong Persuasion, that they are converted, are certainly as yet Strangers to Conversion.
This must be premised, before we proceed to the Discovery, That it is most certain Men may have a confident Perswasion, that their Hearts and States be good, and yet be unsound. Hear the Truth himself, who shews in Laodicea's Case, that Men may be wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, and yet not know it; yea, they may be confident they are rich, and increased in Grace