N03796:492
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.
Rule III. To take most care of that which is most out of Sight. A Christian's Eye is most on the Things least seen; first upon his Heart, herein he doth exceed the Righteousness of the Pharisees, whose great Care was to keep all fair and clean that came to view, but looked no farther: Make great Conscience of your Carriage in secret, and let your main Guard be upon your Hearts, and this will be more than others reach to. This was Paul's Care, to keep his Conscience, his Inside, clean and undefiled, Acts 24.16. and Job's Care, that tho' all the World did reproach him, he might not put a Reproach in the Mouth of his Conscience, Job 27.6. and David's Care that his Heart might be clean. 2. Upon his Hope. Others look to the Things seen, Things in Hand; but the true Believer eyes his Hopes, walks by Faith, not by Sight, and lives a quite different Life from many others in the World besides; as living upon the Hope of Heaven doth differ from living on the Pleasures, Profits and Honours of the World.
Rule IV. To be merciful to others Failings, and very severe to our own. The noble Roman Cato, could more easily forgive any than himself To aggravate our own Evils, and to have an Excuse ready for our Brothers, and to censure ourselves freely, and to come with the Mantle behind us to cover our Brother; this is to do more than others. The Hypocrite is a Censurer abroad; he is like the Eye that can see any thing but itself: He can discern a Mote in his Brother's Eye, but not a Beam in his own. But the Servant of God rebukes others with Meekness, but falls out easily and bitterly with himself.
Rule V. To suffer rather than to sin. This was Moses's choice, but the Hypocrite is quite contrary: He chooseth Iniquity rather than Affliction. To go so far with Christ as our Way lies together, is to do no more than an unsound Professor may reach to: The Trial is when Christ's Interest and ours do cross, and we must either baulk our Duty, or our Safety and Advantage. The famous Martyr under Julian, would not give one Half-penny towards the Building of the Idol's Temple, tho' he was offered his Life by the Emperor on those Terms: The godly high Priest Eleazer, when the Nobles persuaded him to eat other Meat under Colour of Swine's Flesh, and they would persuade the King Antiochus that he had eaten Swine's Flesh, would die rather than stain his Profession with the Appearance of Evil. When a Man shall lie in outward Misery, and have a Door of Deliverance opened, if he would but sin, and yet he will not accept of it, as those Worthies in Paul's Martyrology: This is to do more than others,