Remains of that excellent minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Joseph Alleine being a collection…Remaines of that excellent minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Joseph Alleine being a collection…

First, You are the people of his choice, when others are but the refuse. O my Brethren, I may say to you, as God said to Israel by Moses, Deut. 7. 6. For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people to himself, above all people of the earth. This is your case, I beseech you Christians, erect you faith, and let not your consideration be idle. Hear him speaking thus to you, as in Exod. 19. 5. You shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine. Ah, beloved I must call upon you to rejoice in the Lord: and again must I call upon you to rejoice: and lift up your heads before the Lord; you are the chosen vessels of the Lord. What! will ⟨p. 154⟩you hear these things with low Affections and common hearts. Do you believe or do you not? If you do not, why are you called Christians? If you do, Oh what an ecstasy of Joy should your hearts be raised too? Oh look upon the miserable condition of the perishing world, the reprobate world! look down, and see what burnings do betide them! better for them that they had never been born. And shall it but a little affect you that God hath separated you from them all? I may say of you, as the Apostle doth with thankfulness of his Thessalonians, 2 Thess. 2. 13. We are bound to give thanks to God for you Brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation. Oh how should you bless the Lord for his eternal purpose, which he purposed toward you, Eph. 1. 4. O let free grace now be exalted, hath God made you. (I mean believers) to be the choice of his heart, and will you hear this with little and low affections, as if it did but little concern you, when you are the people of Gods choice? Oh how did Christ bless the Lord for you! and should not you for your s•lves? he was transported with Joy for this, •ke. 10. 21. He rejoiced in spirit and said Father I thank thee that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and h•st made them known to babes. And he calls upon his Disciples to rejoice in this: rejoice not in this that the devils are made subject to you: but rejoice in that your names are written in heaven. Your names are written in the lambs book of life, while others are written in