THE SAINT’S POCKET BOOK BEING A SHORT VIEW OF THE GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES OF THE GOSPEL. BY THE REV. JOSEPH ALLEINE. AUTHOR OF “AN ALARM TO THE UNCONVERTED,” etc. Originally published 1666 A NEW AND REVISED EDITION WITH A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS, BY JAMES NICHOLS, EDITOR OF FULLER’S “CHURCH HISTORY.” etc. LONDON: WILLIAM TEGG. 1866. PRINTED BY WILLIAM NICHOLS, 46, HOXTON SQUARE. Additional notes, modernized language, corrections, and formatting © William Gross www.onthewing.org 2011 Source text: http://books.google.com/books/about/The_saints_pocket_book.html?id=F-4CAAAAQAAJ Contents EDITOR’S PREFACE. ............................................................................................................................................ 1 THE REV. JOSEPH ALLEINE. ................................................................................................................................. 3 CHAPTER 1. THE VOICE OF THE HERALD, BEFORE THE GREAT KING. ................................................................... 12 CHAPTER II. INTRODUCTION. – THE PROCLAMATION; OR, THE VOICE OF THE LORD. .......................................... 14 SECTION I. THE IMMUNITIES AND LIBERTIES OF THE COVENANT, CONSISTING IN, ............................................................. 15 I. Our general discharge from all our debts. ....................................................................................................... 15 II. Our release; .................................................................................................................................................... 15 1. From the house of bondage. ....................................................................................................................................... 15 2. From the dark and noisome prison of sin. .................................................................................................................. 15 3. From the gaol of the grave. ......................................................................................................................................... 16 4. From the dungeon of eternal darkness. ...................................................................................................................... 16 III. Our protection from all enemies: .................................................................................................................. 17 1. From the arrests of the law. ........................................................................................................................................ 17 2. From the usurped dominion of the powers of darkness. ............................................................................................ 17 3. From the victory of the world. .................................................................................................................................... 17 4. From the curse of the cross......................................................................................................................................... 17 SECTION II. THE PRIVILEGES AND PREROGATIVES OF THE COVENANT. ........................................................................... 18 1. He gives himself to us: For our God. ............................................................................................................... 18 2. Instead of relations, to be our friend. ............................................................................................................. 19 3. Our physician. ................................................................................................................................................. 19 4. Our shepherd. ................................................................................................................................................. 19 5. Our sovereign ................................................................................................................................................. 19 6. Our husband. .................................................................................................................................................. 20 SECTION III. HE CONVEYS HIMSELF TO US IN ALL ESSENTIAL PERFECTIONS AND PERSONAL RELATIONS. .......................... 20 I. In all his ESSENTIAL PERFECTIONS. .................................................................................................................. 20 1. His eternity, as the date of our happiness. ................................................................................................................. 20 2. His unchangeableness, as the rock of our rest. ........................................................................................................... 21 3. His omnipotence, for our guard. ................................................................................................................................. 21 4. His faithfulness, for our security. ................................................................................................................................ 22 5. His mercies, as our store. ............................................................................................................................................ 22 6. His omniscience, as our overseer. ............................................................................................................................... 22 7. His wisdom, as our counsellor. .................................................................................................................................... 23 8. His justice, as our avenger and rewarder. ................................................................................................................... 23 9. His omnipresence, as company for us. ........................................................................................................................ 24 10. His holiness, as a fountain of grace to us. ................................................................................................................. 24 11. His sovereignty, to be, as it were, commanded by us. .............................................................................................. 25 12. His all-sufficiency, to be the lot of our inheritance. .................................................................................................. 25 13. His infiniteness, to be the extent of our inheritance. ................................................................................................ 26 II. In all his PERSONAL RELATIONS. ..................................................................................................................... 26 First. God the Father, to be a Father to us. ..................................................................................................................... 26 1. He promised his fatherly affection. ....................................................................................................................... 27 2. His fatherly compassion. ........................................................................................................................................ 27 3. His fatherly instruction. ......................................................................................................................................... 27 4. His fatherly protection. .......................................................................................................................................... 27 5. His fatherly provision. ............................................................................................................................................ 27 6. His fatherly approval. ............................................................................................................................................. 28 SECTION IV. HE GIVES ALL THINGS WITH HIMSELF, BOTH PRESENT AND TO COME. ............................................................. 29 I. THINGS PRESENT are ours. .............................................................................................................................. 29 First. The UPPER SPRINGS, or spiritual blessings, such as: .............................................................................................. 29 1. Adoption, access, audience, peace, perseverance. ............................................................................................... 29 i 2. The protection of his angels. .................................................................................................................................. 29 3. The inspection of his ministers. ............................................................................................................................. 30 4. The rod of his discipline. ........................................................................................................................................ 30 5. The pledges of his sacraments. .............................................................................................................................. 30 Secondly. The NETHER SPRINGS, or temporal mercies: .................................................................................................. 31 1. The supply of his creatures. ................................................................................................................................... 31 2. The co-operation of his