| Joseph Alliene's prayers for his readers
Having read Alliene's 'Alarm to the Unconverted' we begin a short series next week in church on conversion. I have been stuck by the prayers of Alliene sprinkled throughout the book for the conversion of his readers. I have been blessed by them and I trust you will be too as he pleads for those around him.
(The page numbers are from the Banner of Truth's 1978 reprint)
But, O Lord, how insufficient I am for this work. Alas, with what shall I pierce the scales of Leviathan, or make the heart feel that is hard as the nether millstone? Shall I go and speak to the grave, and expect the dead will obey me and come forth? Shall I make an oration to the rocks, or declaim to the mountains, and think to move them with arguments? Shall I make the blind to see? From the beginning of the world was it not heard that a man opened the eyes of the blind (Jn 9 32). But, O Lord, Thou canst pierce the heart of the sinner. I can only draw the bow at a venture, but do Thou direct the arrow between the joints of the harness. Slay the sin, and save the soul of the sinner that casts his eyes on these pages. (Page 15)
O Lord, choose my stones out of the brook (1 Sam 17. 40, 4S). I come in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel. I come forth, like the stripling David against Goliath, to wrestle, not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world (Eph 6 12). This day let the Lord smite the Philistines, spoil the strong man of his armour, and give me the captives out of his hand. Lord, choose my words, choose my weapons for me; and when I put my hand into the bag, and take out a stone and sling it, do Thou carry it to the mark, and make it sink, not into the forehead, but into the heart of the unconverted sinner, and smite him to the ground like Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9 4). (Page 17)
O Lord God, help. Alas, shall I leave them thus? If they will not hear me, yet do Thou hear me. O that they might live in Thy sight! Lord, save them, or they perish. My heart would melt to see their houses on fire when they were fast asleep in their beds; and shall not my soul be moved within me to see them falling into endless perdition? Lord, have compassion, and save them out of the burning. Put forth Thy divine power, and the work will be done. (Page 67)
Help, O all-searching Light, and let Thy discerning eye disclose the rotten foundation of the self-deceiver. Lead me, O Lord God, as Thou didst the prophet, into the chambers of imagery, and dig through the wall of sinners' hearts, and reveal 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 there. (page 68)
O Thou all-powerful Jehovah, who workest, and none can hinder Thee, who has the keys of death and hell, pity Thou the dead souls that lie here entombed, and roll away the grave-stone, and say as to the dead body of Lazarus, Come forth. Lighten Thou this darkness, O inaccessible Light, and let the day-spring from on high visit the dark regions of the dead, to whom I speak; for Thou canst open the eye that death itself hath closed. thou that formedst the ear, canst restore the hearing; say Thou to these ears, Ephphatha, and they shall be opened. Give Thou eyes to see Thine excellencies, a taste that may relish Thy sweetness, a scent that may savour Thy ointment, a feeling that may discern the privilege of Thy favour, the burden of Thy wrath, the intolerable weight of unpardoned sin; and give Thy servant order to prophesy to dry bones, and let the effects of this prophecy be as of Thy prophet when he prophesied the valley of dry bones into a living army exceeding great. (Page 82)
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Stuart
Elder, Lambeg Baptist, Northern Ireland, UK
In Him the fulness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form and in Him you are complete (Col 2.9-10)
The Christian is a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God. (RM M'Cheyne)
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