The Christian’s New Will and Heart
Joseph Alleine (1634–1668) was an English Nonconformist pastor and author of many books. He wrote An Alarm to Unconverted Sinners, A Sure Guide to Heaven: or An Earnest Invitation to Sinners to Turn to God, and many others.
In An Alarm to Unconverted Sinners, Alleine writes of the nature of conversion:
Conversion turns the bias of the will, both as to means and ends.
The intention of the will is altered. Now the man has new ends and plans: now he intends to have God above all; and he desires and designs nothing in all the world so much as that Christ may be magnified in him (Phi 1:20). He considers himself more happy in this than in all that the earth could yield: that he may be serviceable to Christ, and bring him glory in his generation. This is the mark he aims at, so that the name of Jesus may be great in the world, and that all the sheaves of his brothers may bow to this sheaf.
Reader, do you read this, and never ask yourself whether it is that way with you? Pause awhile, and breathe on this great concern.
The election also is changed, so that he chooses another way (Psa 119.13). He rests upon God as his blessedness; and upon Christ as the principal; and upon holiness as the subordinate means to bring him to God. He chooses Jesus for his Lord (Col. 2.6). He is not merely forced into Christ by the storm; nor does he take Christ for a bare necessity, as the man who begged from the gallows that he would rather take a wife than the noose; but it is a free choice. This match is not made out of fright, as with the terrified conscience, or a dying sinner who will seemingly do anything for Christ (he only takes Christ rather than hell); rather, he deliberately resolves that Christ is his best choice, (Phi 1:23) and he would rather choose him than all the good of this world, even if he might enjoy it while he could. Again, he takes holiness for his path; he does not submit to it out of mere necessity, but he likes and loves it. I have chosen the way of your precepts (Psa 119:173). He takes God’s testimonies, not as his bondage, but as his heritage, indeed, his heritage forever, (Psa 119:111). He does not consider them his burden, but his bliss; not his cords, but his cordials. He not only hears, but he takes up Christ’s yoke: he does not take holiness like the stomach takes the loathed medicine (which it swallows rather than die); instead, he takes it like the hungry man takes his beloved food: no time passes so sweetly with him as the time he spends in the exercise of holiness; these are both his aliment and his element, the desire of his eyes and the joy of his heart.
Put it to your conscience as you go along, whether you are that man? O happy man, if this is your case! But see you are thorough and impartial in the search.
Thirdly, It turns the bent of the affections, (2 Cor 7:11). These all run in an new channel: the Jordan is now driven back, and the water runs upwards against its natural course.
Christ is his hope, (1 Tim 1:1), this is his prize; (Phi 3:8) here is his eye; here is his heart. He is content to throw everything overboard (as the merchant does in the storm when he is about to perish), so he may but keep this jewel.
The first of his desires is not after gold, but grace; (Phi 3:13) he hungers after it, he seeks it as he would seek silver, he digs for it as he would for hidden treasure: he would rather be gracious than be great: he would rather be the holiest man on earth than the most learned, most famous, or most prosperous. While carnal, he said, “Oh, if I were only in great esteem, and rolled in wealth, and swam in pleasure; if my debts were paid, and I and mine were provided for, then I would be a happy man.” But now the tune has changed: Oh, says the convert, if only I had my corruptions subdued; if I had such measures of grace, such fellowship with God, then even if I were poor and despised, I would not care; I would consider myself a blessed man. Reader, is this the language of your soul?
His joys are changed. He rejoices in the ways of God’s testimonies as much as he would in all riches (Psa 119:14). He delights in the law of the Lord, which he once little savoured. He has no such joy as he does in thoughts of Christ, the fruition of his company, and the prosperity of his people.
His cares are quite altered. He was once set on the world, and any scraps of spare time (nothing too often) was enough for his soul. Now he gives up caring for the donkeys, and sets his heart on the kingdom. Now his cry is, What shall I do to be saved? (Act 16:30) His great concern is how to secure his soul. Oh, how he would bless you if you could only put away his doubts of this!
His fears are not so much of suffering, but of sinning (Heb 11:25-26). Once he was afraid of nothing so much as the loss of his estate, or esteem, the pleasure of friends, the frowns of the great: nothing sounded so terrible to him as pain, or poverty, or disgrace. Now these are little to him in comparison to God’s dishonour or displeasure. How warily he walks, lest he tread on a snare! He always fears: he looks before and behind; he has his eye upon his heart and he often looks over his shoulder lest he be overtaken with sin. It kills his heart to think of losing God’s favour; this he dreads as his only undoing; (Psa 51:11-12; Psa 119:7-44).
No thought in the world pinches him and pains him so much as to think of parting with Christ.
His love runs a new course. My love was crucified (said holy Ignatius), that is, my Christ. This is my beloved, says the spouse (Song 5:16). How often Augustine pours his love upon Christ! O eternal blessedness, etc. He can find no words sweet enough. Let me see you, O light of my eyes. Come, O you joy of my spirit. Let me behold you, Oh, the gladness of my heart. Let me love you, O the life of my soul. Appear to me, O my great delight, my sweet comfort, my God, my life, and the whole glory of my soul. Let me find you, O desire of my heart! Let me hold you, love of my soul! Let me embrace you, O heavenly bridegroom! Let me possess you.
His sorrows now have a new vent (2 Cor 7:9-10). The view of his sins and the sight of a Christ crucified that scarcely stirred him before, now deeply affect his heart!
His hatred boils, his anger burns against sin (Psa 119:104). He has no patience with himself; he calls himself a fool, and a beast, and he thinks any name is too good for him when his indignation is stirred up against sin. He could once swill in it with exceeding pleasure; now he loathes the thought of returning to it as much as he loathes licking the filthiest vomit.
Commune, then, with your own heart; pay attention to the common and general current of your affections, whether they are towards God in Christ above all other concerns. Indeed, sudden and strong commotions of the affections and sensitivities, are often found in hypocrites, especially where the natural constitution leads to that. By contrast, the sanctified are often without tangible stirrings of the affections where their temper is more relaxed, unemotional, and detached. The question is whether the judgment and will are firmly determined for God above all other good — whether real or apparent; if the affections sincerely follow their choice and conduct, even though not as strongly and sensibly as desired, there is no doubt that the change is a saving change.