” White we keep aloof in generals there is little fruit to be expected; it is the hand-fight that does execution. David is not awakened by the prophet’s hovering at a distance in parabolical insinuations. He is forced to close with him, and tell him plainly, “Thou art the man.” Few will, in words, deny the necessity of the new birth; but they have a self-deluding confidence that the work is not now to do. And because they know themselves free from that gross hypocrisy which takes up religion merely for a color to deceive others, and for covering wicked designs, they are confident of their sincerity, and suspect not that more close hypocrisy, wherein the greatest danger lies, by which a man deceiveth his own soul. But man’s deceitful heart is such a matchless cheat, and self-delusion so reigning and so fatal a disease, that I know not whether be the greater, the difficulty or the necessity of the undeceiving work that I am now upon. Alas for the unconverted! they must be undeccived, or they will be undone. But how shall this be effected?
Help, O all-searching Light, and let thy discerning eye discover the rotten foundation of the selfdeceiver; 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. O send thy angel before me to open the sundry wards of their hearts, as thou didst before Peter, and make even the iron gates 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, and thou mayest heal them.
This must be premised before we proceed, that it is most certain men may have a confident persuasion that their hearts and states are good, while yet they are 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 are pure in their own eyes, and yet. are not washed from their filthiness.” Prov. 30: 12. Who better persuaded of his fate than Paul, while he yet remained unconverted? Rom. 7: 9. So that they are miserably deceived who take a strong confidence for a sufficient evidence. They that have no better proof than barely a strong persuasion that they are converted, are certainly as yet strangers to conversion. Alleine’s Alarm. (4)
But to come more close. As it was said to the adherents of Antichrist, so here; some of the unconverted carry their marks in their forehead more openly, and some in their hands more covertly. The apostle reckons up some upon whom he writes the sentence of death; as in these dreadful catalogues, which I beseech you to attend to-with all diligence: “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” Eph. 5:5, 6. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Rev. 21:8. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Cor. 6:9,10. Woe to them that have their name written in this catalogue. Such may know, as certainly as if God had told them from heaven, that they are unsanctified, and under an impossibility of being saved in this condition.
There are then these several classes that, past all dispute, are unconverted; they carry their marks in their foreheads. ’
1. The unclean. These are ever reckoned among the goats, and have their names, whoever is left out, in all the forementioned catalogues.
2. The covetous. These are ever branded for idolaters, and the doors of the kingdom are shut against them by name.
8. Drunkards. Not only such as drink away their reason, but withal, yea, above all, such as are too strong for strong drink. The Lord fills his mouth with woes against these, and declares them to have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. Isa. 5:11, 12, 22; Gal. 5:21.
4. Liars. The God that cannot lie has told them that there is no place for them in his kingdom, no entrance into his hill; but their portion is with the father of lies, whose children they are, in the lake of burnings. Rev. 21:8, 27.
5. Swearers. The end of these, without deep and speedy repentance, is swift destruction, and most certain and unavoidable condemnation. James 5:12.
6. Railers and backbiters, that love to take up a reproach against their neighbor, and revile him to his face, or else wound him secretly behind his back. Psalm 15:1, 3.
7. Thieves, extortioners, oppressors, that grind the poor, or overreach their brethren when they have an opportunity: these must know that God “is the avenger of all such.” Hear, O ye false and purloining and wasteful servants; hear, O ye deceitful tradesmen, hear your sentence! God will certainly shut his door against you, and turn your treasures of unrighteousness into the treasures of wrath, and make your ill-gotten silver and gold to torment you, like burning metal in your bowels.
8. All that do ordinarily live in the profane neglect of God’s worship, that hear not his word, that call not on his name, that restrain prayer before God, that mind not their own nor their families’ souls, but “live without God in the world.”
9. Those that are frequenters and lovers of vain company. God hath declared, he will be the destroyer of all such, and that they shall never enter into the hill of his rest. Prov. 9:5, and 13: 20.
10. Scoffers at religion, that make a scorn of precise walking, and mock at the messengers and diligent servants of the Lord, and at their holy profession, and make themselves merry with the weakness and failings of professors: Hear, ye despisers,” hear your dreadful doom! Prov. 19:29, and 3:34. Sinner, consider diligently whether thou art not to be found in one of these ranks; for if this be thy case, thou art in the “gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity;” for all these do carry their marks in their foreheads, and are undoubtedly the sons of death. And if so, the Lord pity our poor congregations. O how small a number will remain, when these ten sorts are left out. May God show you your danger, and constrain you to ery, “Lord, have mercy upon us!”’ p—
Sirs, what shift do you make to keep up your confidence of your good state, when God from heaven declares against you, and pronounces you in a state of damnation? I would reason with you as God with them, “How canst thou say, I am not polluted? See thy way in the valley; know what thou hast done.” Man, is not thy conscience privy to thy tricks of deceit, to thy secret sins, to thy way of lying? Yea, are not thy friends, thy family, thy neighbors, witnesses to thy profane neglect of God’s worship, to thy covetous practices, to thy envious and malicious carriage? May they not point at thee as thou goest, There goes a gaming prodigal; there goes a drunken Nabal, a companion of evil-doers; there goes a railer, or a scoffer, or a licentious person? Beloved, God hath written it as with a sunbeam, in the book by which you must be judged, that these are not the spots of his children, and that none such, except renewed by converting grace, shall ever escape the damnation of hell..
O that you would now be persuaded to “repent and turn from all your transgressions, or else iniquity will be your ruin.” Alas, for poor hardened sinners. Must I leave you at last where you are?
However, you must know that you have been warned, and that I am clear of your blood; and whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear, I will leave these Scriptures with them, which will prove either as thunderbolts to awaken them, or as searingirons to harden them. God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.” He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded, etc. I will laugh at your calamity—when your destruction cometh as a whirlwind.”
And now I imagine many will begin to bless themselves, and think all is well, because they cannot be reproached with these grosser evils; but I must tell you that there is another sort of unsanctified persons, that carry not their mark in their foreheads, but more secretly and covertly. These do frequently deceive themselves and others, and pass for good Christians, when they are all the while unsound at heart. Many pass undiscovered, till death and judgment bring all to light. Those self-deceivers seem to come even to heaven’s gate with confidence of their admission, and yet are turned off at last. I beseech you deeply to lay to heart and firmly retain this awakening consideration, that multitudes miscarry by the hand of some secret sin, that is not only hidden from others, but for want of observing their own hearts, even from themselves. A man may be free from open pollutions, and yet die at last by the fatal hand of some unobserved iniquity; and there are these twelve hidden sins, through which souls go down by numbers into the chambers of eternal death: these you must search carefully for, and take them as black marks, wherever they be found, discovering a graceless and unconverted state; and as you love your lives, read carefully, with a holy jealousy of yourselves, lest you should be the persons concerned.
1. Gross wilful ignorance. O how many poor souls doth this sin kill in the dark, Hos. 4: 6, while they think verily they have good hearts, and are in the ready way to heaven. This is the murderer that despatcheth thousands in a silent manner, when they suspect nothing, and see not the hand that destroys them. You shall find, whatever excuses you make for ignorance, that it is a soul-ruining evil, Isa.27: 11; 2 Thess. 1: 342. Cor. 4:3. Ab, would it not have grieved a man’s heart to see that “woful spectacle, when the poor Protestants were shut up in a barn, and a butcher came, with his inhuman hands warmed in human blood, and led them one by one, blindfold, to a block, where he slew them, one after another, by scores, in cool blood? But how much more should your hearts bleed to think of the hundreds, in great congregations, that ignorance doth destroy in secret, and lead blindfold to the block. Beware that this be not your case. Make no plea for ignorance; if you spare that sin, know that it will not spare you; and would a man keep a murderer in his bosom?
2. Secret reserves in closing with Christ. To forsake all for Christ, to hate father and mother, yea, a man’s own life for him, Luke 14:26, “This is a hard saying.” Some will do much, but they will not have the religion that will save them: they never come to be entirely devoted to Christ, nor fully to resign to him: they must have the sweet sin; they mean to do themselves no harm; they have secret exceptions for life, liberty, or estate. Many take Christ thus, and never consider his selfdenying terms, nor count the cost; and this error in the foundation mars all, and ruins them forever. Luke 14: 28-33. -
8. Formality in religion. Many rest in the outside of religion, and in the external performance of holy duties. And this oftentimes doth most effectually deceive men, and more certainly undo them than open profaneness; as it was in the Pharisee’s case. They hear, they fast, they pray, they give alms, and therefore will not believe but their case is good. Whereas, resting in the work done, and coming short of the heart-work and the inward power and vitality of religion, they fall at last into the burning, from the flattering hope and confident persuasion of their being in the ready way to heaven. O dreadful case, when a man’s religion shall serve only to harden him, and effectually to delude and deceive his own soul!
4. The prevalence of false ends in holy duties.” This was the bane of the Pharisees. O how many a poor soul is undone by this, and drops into hell before he discerns his mistake! He performs his “good duties,” and so thinks all is well, but perceives not that he is actuated by carnal motives all the while. It is too true, that, even with the really sanctified, many carnal ends will ofttimes creep in; but they are the matter of their hatred and humiliation, and never come to be habitually prevalent with them, and bear the greatest sway. But when the main thing that doth ordinarily carry a man out to religious duties shall be some carnal end—as to satisfy his conscience, to get the reputation of being religious, ‘““to be seen of men,” to show his own gifts and parts, to avoid the reproach of being a profane and irreligious person, or the like—this discovers..an unsound heart. O Christian, if you would avoid self-deceit, see that you mind not only your acts, but above all your ends.
5. Trusting in their own righteousness. This is a soul-ruining mischief., When men trust in their own righteousness they do indeed reject Christ’s. Beloved, you had need be watchful on every hand; for, not only your sins, but your duties may undo you. It may be you never thought of this; but so it is,-that a man may as certainly miscarry by his seeming righteousness and supposed graces as by gross sins; and that is, when-a man doth trust to these as his righteousness before God, for satisfying his justice, appeasing his wrath, procuring his favor, and obtaining his own pardon; for this is to put Christ out of office, and make a Saviour of our own duties and graces. Beware of this, O professors; you are much in duties, but this one fly will spoil all the ointment. When you have done most and best, be sure to go out of yourselves to Christ; reckon your own righteousness but filthy rags. Phil. 83:9; Isa. 64:6.
6. A secret enmity against the strictness of religion. Many moral persons, punctual in their formal devotions, have yet a bitter enmity against strictness and zeal, and hate the life and power of religion. They like not this forwardness, nor that men should make such a stir in religion; they condemn the strictness of religion as singularity, indiscretion, and intemperate zeal, and with them a lively preacher or lively Christian is but an enthusiast. These men love not loliness as holiness, for then they would love the height of holiness, and therefore are undeubtedly rotten at hear, whatever good opinion they have of themselves.’ 1. The resting in a certain degree of -religion.
When they have so much as will save them, as they suppose, they look no farther, and so show themselves short of true grace, which will ever put men upon aspiring to perfection. Phil. 3:13; Prov. 4:18. 8. The predominant love of the world. This is the sure evidence of an unsanctified heart. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” But how close does this sin lurk ofttimes under the fair covert of forward profession. - Yea, such a power of deceit is there in this sin, that many times, when every body else can see the man’s worldliness and covetousness, he cannot see it himself, but hath so many colors, and excuses, and pretences, for his eagerness after the world, that he doth blind his own eyes, and perish in his self-deceit. How many professors are there with whom the world hath more of their hearts and affections than Christ; “who mind earthly things,” and thereby are evidently after the flesh, and like to end in destruction. Yet ask-these men, and they will tell you confidently they prize Christ above ali; for they see not their own earthly-mindedness, for want of a strict observance of the workings of their own hearts. Did they but carefully search, they would quickly find that their greatest satisfaction is in the world, and that their greatest care and main endeavor are to get and secure the world, which are the certain signs of an unconverted sinner. May
~ the professing part-of the world take earnest heed that they perish not by the hand of this sin unobserved. Men may be, and often are, kept off from Christ as effectually by the inordinate love of lawful comforts, as by the most unlawful courses.
9. Reigning malice and envy against those that disrespect them, and are injurious to them. O, how do many, that seem to be religious, remember injuries and carry grudges, rendering evil for evil, loving to take revenge, wishing evil to them that wrong them: directly against the rule of the Gospel, the pattern of Christ, and the nature of God. Doubtless, where this evil is kept boiling in the heart, and is not hated, resisted, and mortified, but doth habitually prevail, that person is in the very gall of bitterness, and in a state of death. Matt. 18% 32-35; 1” John, 3 14,15.
Reader, doth nothing of this touch thee? Art thou in none of the forementioned ranks? O search, and search again; take thy heart solemnly to task. Woe unto thee if, after thy profession, thou shouldst be found under the power of ignorance, lost in formality, drowned in earthly-mindedness, envenomed with malice, exalted in an opinion of thine own righteousness, leavened with hypocrisy and carnal ends in God’s service, and imbittered against strictness; this would be a sad evidence that all thy religion were in vain. But I must proceed.: 10. Unmortified pride. When men love the praise of men more than the praise of God, and set their hearts upon men’s esteem, applause, and approbation, it is most certain that they are yet in their sins, and strangers to true conversion. When men see not, nor complain, nor groan under the pride of theirown hearts, it is a sign they are dead in sin. O, how secretly doth this sin live and reign in many hearts, and they know it not, but are very strangers to themselves. John 9: 40.
11. The prevailing love of pleasure. This is a black mark. When men give the flesh the liberty that it craves, and pamper and please it, and do not deny and restrain it; when their great delight is in gratifying their appetites and pleasing their senses; whatever appearances they may have of religion, all is unsound. A flesh-pleasing life cannot be pleasing to God: “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh,” and are careful to keep it under, as their enemy. Gal. 5:24; 1 Cor. 9: 25-27.
12. Carnal security, or a presumptuous confidence that their condition is already good. Many cry, peace and safety, when sudden destruction is coming upon them. This was that which kept the foolish virgins sleeping when they should have been working—upon their beds when they should have been at the markets. They perceived not their want of oil, till the bridegroom was come; and while they went to buy, the door was shut. And O, that these foolish virgins had no successors! Where is the place, yea, where is the house almost, where these do not dwell? Men are willing to cherish in themselves, upon ever so slight grounds, a hope that their condition is good, and so look not out after a change, and by these means perish in their sins. Are you at peace? Show me upon what grounds your peace is maintained. = Is it Scripture peace? Can you show the distinguishing marks of a sound believer? Can you evidence that you have something more than any hypocrite in the world ever had? If not, fear this peace more than any trouble; and know that a carnal peace doth commonly prove the most mortal enemy of the soul, and, whilst it smiles, and kisses, and speaks fairly, doth fatally smite, as 1t were, under the fifth rib.
By this time I think I hear my readers crying out, with the disciples, “Who then shall be saved 2” Set out from among our congregations all those ten ranks of the profane on the one hand, and then besides take out all these twelve classes of self-deceiving hypocrites on the other hand, and tell me whether it be not a remnant that shall be saved. How few will be the sheep that shall be left, when all these shall be separated and set among the goats. For my part, of all my numerous hearers, I have no hope to see any of them in heaven that are to be found among these two-and-twenty classes that are here mentioned, except by sound conversion they are brought into another condition.
And now, conscience, do thy office: speak out, and speak home to him that heareth or readeth these lines. If thou find any of these marks upon him, thou must pronounce him utterly unclean. Take not a lie into thy mouth; speak not peace to him to whom God speaks no peace; let not sense bribe thee, or self-love or carnal prejudice blind thee. I summon thee from the court of heaven to come and give evidence. As thou wilt answer it at thy peril, give in a true report of the state and case of him that readeth this book. Conscience, wilt thou altogether hold thy peace at such a time as this? I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell the truth. Is the man converted, or is he not? Doth he allow himself in any way of wickedness, or doth he not? Doth he truly love, and please, and prize, and delight in God above all things, or not? Come, put it to an issue.
How long shall this soul live at uncertainties? O conscience, bring in thy verdict. Is this man a new man, or is he not? How dost thou find it? Hath there passed a thorough and mighty change upon him, or not? When was the time, where was the place, or what were the means by which this thorough change of the new birth was wrought in his soul? Speak, conscience; or if thou canst not tell the time and place, canst thou show Scripture evidence that the work is done? Hath the man ever been taken off from his false foundation, from the false hopes and false peace wherein once he trusted? Hath he been deeply convinced of sin, and of his lost or undone condition, and brought out of himself, and off from his sins, to give up himself entirely to Jesus Christ; or dost thou not find him to this day under the power of ignorance, or in the mire of worldliness? Hast thou not found upon him the gains of unrighteousness? Dost thou not find him a stranger to prayer, a neglecter of the word, a lover of this present world? Dost thou not sometimes catch him in a lie? Dost thou not find his heart fermented with malice, or burning with lust, or going after his covetousness? Speak plainly to all the forementioned particulars. Canst thou acquit this man, this woman, from being in any of the two-and-twenty classes here described? If he be found with any of them, set him aside; his portion is not with the saints. He must be converted and made a new creature, or he cannot enter the kingdom of God.:
Beloved, be not your own betrayers; do not deceive your own hearts, nor set your hands to your own ruin by a wilful blinding of yourselves. Set up a tribunal in your own breasts: bring the word and conscience together. “To the law and to the testimony.” Hear what the word concludes of your state. O follow the search till you find how the case stands. Mistake here, and you perish. And, such is the treachery of the heart, the subtlety of the tempter, and the deceitfulness of sin, all conspiring to flatter and deceive the poor soul; and withal so common and easy it is to mistake, that it is a. thousand to one but you will be deceived, unless. you be very careful, and thorough, and impartial in the inquiry into your spiritual condition. O therefore be diligent in your work; go to the bottom; search with candles; weigh yourself in the balance; come to the standard of the sanctuary; bring your coin to the touchstone. Satan is master of deceit; he can draw to the life; he is perfect in the trade; there is nothing but he can imitate. You cannot wish for any grace, but he can fit you with a counterfeit. Be jealous; trust not even your own heart. Go to God to search you and try you, to examine you and prove your reins. If other helps suffice not to bring all to an issue, but you are still at a loss, open your case ingenuously to some godly and faithful minister, or Christian friend. Rest not till you have put the business of your eternal welfare out of doubt. O Searcher of hearts, put thou this soul upon, and help him in his search.”
Alieine’s Alarm. 1