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…

Use. Is it so blessed and glorious a change, that God doth work in the condition of a believer, when he bringeth him to himself; no less than from being dead to be alive, from being lost to be found? Then you that are believers rejoice in, and be thankful for that blessed and happy condition that God hath translated you into. Ah brethren, how may you look one upon another, and consider what God hath done for you?

Use. Is it so blessed and glorious a change, that God doth work in the condition of a believer, when he bringeth him to himself; no less than from being dead to be alive, from being lost to be found? Then you that are believers rejoyce in, and be thankfull for that blessed and happy condition that God hath translated you into. Ah brethren, how may you look one upon another, and consider what God hath done for you?

1. How that you were dead, and are alive again; You were diseased, yea dead creatures. diseased, full of all that may render you miserable: all diseases are met together in a poor sinner. Now that God hath recovered thy diseased soul, yea, thy dead soul, and brought thee to life again, Oh what matter of joy is this! How should you wonder at so great a change as this? We read that at the Miracles that our Saviour did upon the diseased, there was great astonishment among the people; they were amazed at this, but here are more miraculous cures than those; the cure of dead souls is more than the cure of dead bodies. O Brethren, if all the diseased that Christ had cured should have conferred together, what strange stories would they have told? One would have said, I was born deaf; and he said Ephatha, and my ears were opened. Another I was born ⟨p. 302⟩blind and he anointed mine eyes, & I washed and received my sight. Another, I was thirty eight years under a disease, and by a word of his mouth I was healed. Another, I was eighteen years in a sad condition, and by a touch of his garment I was cured. And so of the rest. Ah brethren, you were not only diseased, but dead; and Christ hath recovered you. O! what matter of thankfulness is here? You that are believers, should not look one upon another without wondering. What should move you to wonder if not this? It will be a strange change when we shall see all the sons of Adam come forth at last out of their graves; when we shall see those that were buried in the great deep, brought forth by the power of Christ; and made all appear together, this will be a strange change. But the change of dead bodies is not so great as the change of dead souls. O how should you praise God that hath raised you from so great a death as this! How is it that we are taken up no more with wonderment for this that he hath done for our souls? God doth rejoice over it; it is heavens joy when a lost sinner is found. And doth God and Angels take notice of it, and rejoice, and do you not take notice of it? O what ingratitude is this!