Ten Rules to Make Religion Your Business, by Joseph Alleine

Ten Rules to Make Religion Your Business

by Joseph Alleine

 

Rule 1

 

You must thoroughly acquaint yourselves with the rule and the compass that religion steers by. Unless the mariner knows every point of his compass, he is like to make but foul work of it. The Word is a believer’s compass, Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule, &c. A believer walks by rule, and by this rule, the rule of the Word; you can never manage the business of religion, except you do thoroughly know, and often eye your rule, and put the rule to your work. How can you trade religiously unless you know the rules you are to deal by? Or pray rightly, if ignorant of the rules you are to pray by? Beloved, the commandment is exceeding broad, and prescribes you rules for your whole man, and for the right behaving of yourselves in every part of your conversation; Oh hide the word in your hearts! lay up the rules you are to work by; and the rules that you are to give by; the rules that you are to speak by; and the rules that you are to hear by; and the rules that you are to examine yourselves by: Be sure there be no part of your conversation, but that you have some rules that you do set to yourselves about it.

 

How can you carry yourselves religiously in your relations, unless you do conscientiously observe the rules that you are to carry yourselves by? If wives do not know their rules, and husbands their rules, and children their rules, how can you bring your profession to any thing? beloved as ever you would make any thing of religion, know the rules of your places, set it down with yourselves, you husbands, you wives, you children; these be the rules that I will walk by, and wherein I sail of these rules I will see my error, and study to come up to what is lacking.

 

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Ten Rules to Make Religion Your Business, by Joseph Alleine

 

 

Joseph Alleine (1633-1668) was an English Puritan, perhaps best known for his book, Alarm to the Unconverted. He loved and served the Lord from childhood. From eleven years of age onward, “the whole course of his youth was an even-spun thread of godly conversation,” wrote one observer.

 

Alleine studied at Oxford, under such divines as John Owen and Thomas Goodwin. In 1662, following the ascension of Charles II, Alleine was ejected for nonconformity but, believing his time was short, he increased his preaching, averaging one or two sermons each day for the next nine months, until he was arrested and cast into prison. His prison became a pulpit as he preached to crowds through the bars. Released a year later, he continued preaching. He was arrested a second time while preaching on July 10, 1666, and imprisoned again. Though he was released his health gave way under the hardship and he died at age thirty-four. His last words were: “Christ is mine, and I am His—His by covenant.”