to that once! then thou hast an answer at hand in those means thou wilt find prescribed thee: and because they are such as thou wilt hardly be persuaded to use, take in the motives that follow, and they will help down the means: consider both the one and the other, and if thou dost not find the means proper, and the motives weighty, I think I shall do thee no wrong if I tell thee, thou art still of a blind mind, and a harder heart.

Friend, the matter which this little book comes to treat with thee about, is of the highest importance, 'tis a matter of life or death. If thou sayest, The terms upon which life is offered are hard; consider, is it not harder to die? He is worthy to die who will lose his soul to save his labour. If thou couldst step down into the deep, and take a turn or two with those damn. ed souls who are drenched with fire and brimstone, and bound in everlasting chains of vengeance, and should ask them, Now what do you think of the terms upon which life was offered? Now what think you of that repentance, of that obedience, of that circumspection, self-denial, and the greatest severity, which by the gospel were imposed upon you? If you might once again have the same terms granted you for your redemption from this place of torment, would you yet say, Hard terms? let me rather die this death for ever, than live such a life? let me broil in this furnace, rather than escape with such difficulty? Shouldst thou ask them thus that have felt what it is to be damned, what answer dost thou think they would make? O friend! never again groan under the difficulties of conversion, till thou believe them to be worse than hell. But I will no farther anticipate my worthy

author.

"Nor is there much need 1 should commend either himself or his works; for the author himself thou mayest at a small charge get acquainted with, in that history of his life and death which is extant, concerning which I shall only say,

"Sic mihi contingat vivere, sicque mori."

"And for this work of his, what commendation I shall give of it will be needed no longer than till thou hast read it over: thou wilt find such wine in it as needs no bush. This only shall I say, as far as my credit will go, it is exceedingly well worth thy most serious perusal. O mayest thou hear that voice (such a voice from heaven there is, whether thou hear it or no) Tolle & Lege-Take up and read. Read, friend, and read over again, read and understand, understand and pray, pray and consider, and consent unto him, who by the pen of his servant calls to thee from heaven, Why wilt thou die? Turn and live.O suffer this work of instruction and exhortation to open thy blind eyes, to turn thee from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, that thou mayest receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified, Et cum talis fueris, memento mei. When it is thus with thee, then pray for

"The friend and servant of thy soul,

"RICHARD ALLEINE."

INVITATION TO SINNERS

TO TURN TO GOD,

IN ORDER TO THEIR ETERNAL SALVATION.

DEARLY beloved and longed for, I gladly acknowledge myself a debtor to you all, and am concerned, as I would be found a good steward to the household of God, to give to every one his portion; but the physician is most solicitous for those patients whose case is most hazardous; and the father's bowels are especially turned towards his dying child; the numbers of unconverted souls call for my most earnest compassion: and therefore to these, first, I shall apply myself.

But, Lord, wherewith shall I woo them? Wherewith shall I win them? O that I could but tell! I would write unto them in tears; I would weep out every argument, verily (were I able) I would: O how thankful would I be, if they would be prevailed with to repent and turn! But, Lord, how insufficient am 1 for this work! Lord, what a task hast thou sent me to do! Alas, wherewith shall I make the heart to feel that is hard as a piece of the nether millstone! Shall I go and lay my mouth to the grave, and look when the dead will obey me, and come forth? Shall I give the blind to see? From the beginning of the world was it ever heard that a man opened the eyes of the blind? But thou, O Lord, canst pierce the scales and prick the heart of the sinner: I can but draw the bow at a venture, but do thou direct the arrow

between the joints of the harness, kill the sin, and save the soul of a sinner that casts his eyes on these labours."

But some of you do not know what is meant by conversion; and therefore, for your sakes, I shall show what conversion is. Others cherish secret hopes of mercy, though they continue as they are: and for them I must show the necessity of conversion. Others harden themselves with a vain conceit that they are converted already: unto them I must show the marks of the unconverted. Others, because they feel no harm, fear none, and so sleep upon the top of the mast: to them I shall show the misery of the unconverted. Others sit still, because they see not their way out: to them I shall show the means of conversion. And, finally, for the quickening of all, I shall close with the motives to conversion.

CHAP. I.

Showing what CONVERSION is not.

LET the blind Samaritans worship they know not what-John iv. 22. Let the heathen Athenians superscribe their altar unto the unknown God-Acts xvii. 23. They that know man's constitution, cannot but know that the understanding having the empire in the soul, he that will go rationally to work must labour to let in the light here. Therefore, that you may not mistake me, I shall show you what I mean by the conversion I persuade you to endeavour after.

The devil hath made many counterfeits of conversion, and cheats one with this, and another with that; and such craft and artifice he hath, that (if it were possible) he would deceive the very elect. Now, that I may cure the damnable mistakes of some who think they are converted, when they are not, I shall show the nature of conversion, both what it is not, and what it is.

you

1. It is not the taking upon us the profession of Christianity. Doubtless Christianity is more than a

name: If we will hear Paul, it lies not in word but in power, 1 Cor. iv. 20. If to cease to be Jews and Pagans, and to put on the Christian profession, had been true conversion, who better Christians than they of Sardis and Laodicea? These were all Christians by profession, and had a name to live; but because they had but a name, are condemned by Christ. Are there not many that mention the name of the Lord Jesus, that yet depart not from iniquity? And will God receive these for true converts? What! converts from sin, when they yet live in sin! We find not only professors, but preachers of Christ, and wonder-workers, turned off because evil workers, Matt. vii. 22, 23.

2. It is not the being washed in the laver of regeneration, or putting on the badge of Christ in baptism. Many wear the livery of Christ, that yet never stand to their colours, nor follow their Leader. Ananias and Sapphira were baptized as well as the rest. How fondly do many mistake here, deceiving and being deceived! dreaming that grace is necessarily tied to the external administration of baptism, and so every infant shall be regenerated, not only sacramentally, but really and properly. Hence men fancy, that being regenerated already when baptized, they need no farther work.

Friends and brethren, be not deceived, God is not mocked, Gal. vi. 7. Whether it be your baptism, or whatever else that you pretend, I tell you from the living God, that if any of you be prayerless persons, or unclean, or malicious, or covetous, or riotous, or a scoffer, or a lover of evil company; in a word, if you are not holy, strict, and self-denying Christians, you cannot be saved.

3. It lies not in a moral righteousness. This exceeds not the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, and therefore cannot bring us to the kingdom of God. St. Paul, while unconverted, touching the righteonsness which is in the law was blameless. The Pharisee could say, I am no extortioner, adulterer, unjust. Thou must have something more than all this