Remains of Joseph Alleine, Treatise 10
Luk. 15. 23, 24.
Bring hither the fatted Cals, and kill it, and let us eat, and be merry. For this my Son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
MY beloved this text is so full of mercy, on Gods part, and so full of comfort for us, that methinks I may close the book, and have done as soon as I have begun: methinks the text might be a Sermon of it self. In it you have set before you the joy and triumph of heaven for the recovery of poor, dead, lost sinners.
1. You have heavens joy and triumph for them. Bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it and let us eat, and be merry. Under this is signified the Joy that is in heaven over one returning sinner. The Angels of God, yea, the God of the Angels, do rejoyce in the conversion of one lost sinner.
2. You have the cause of this Joy, and that was from that blessed and happy change that had passed upon this prodigal. And there is a twofold change that we find upon him, In his heart, and in his state.
1. In his Heart. That you have in the verses above. When he came to himself, he said, how mauy hired servants of my fathers, have bread enough, and to spare, and I perish with hunger? Here is a great change wrought upon his heart, he is now come to his sens…s again. An impenitent finner is beside himself: none in the world is so distracted as he is. All the madness in the world is nothing to this. He that throws fire-brands at his head, is not in so bad a … as he that throws fire-brands at God. Well, the man is now come to his senses: and what was the effect.
(1) He was sensible of his misery, I perish with hunger. This is one of the first things that God doth for his people, when he brings them home, to make them sensible of their misery.
(2) He was sensible of his sin too. Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. Not onelyonly misery, but the sense of sin must be set home upon the heart of a poor sinner, or else the conversion will not be true.
(3) You have his confession and conversion: His confession, Father I have Sinned. And his conversion, he returned home to his Father.
2. A change in his State. When he comes to his father, you shall see what an Alteration it made in his Father.
(1) From Nakedness to Clothing, ver. 22. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. He was now new clothed from top to toe: yea, not onelyonly for necessity, but for ornament, a ring on his hand. O what a change was here! from Rags to Robes. And no other but the best Robes.
(2) From Penury, to Plenty. Bring hither the fatted calf. Alass! the poor starveling would have been glad but a little before, to have eat of the husks that he fed the swine with, but he could not have them. But now the fatted calf must be fetched out and killed for him.
(3) From being lost, to be found. He was lost, and is found.
(4) From being dead, to be alive again.
There are four Observations that I shall commend to you from the words.
1. Observ. That a Sinner in his Natural condition, is not onelyonly diseased, but dead: not onelyonly strayed, but lost.
2. Obs. That there is a possibility even for dead Sinners to be raised, for lost sinners to be recovered. Consider this you that are here, that are touched with the sense of your misery. If any souls are touched with the sense of their misery and undone condition, consider this that you may be found. It hath been thus with all the saints of God. They were dead and lost; and yet are alive and are found: and why may not you as well as they? Oh pray and use the means: Why should not you be turned too?
3. Obs. That it is a most glorious and blessed change that God doth work in the state of a believer when he bringeth him to himself, from the state that he was in; no less than from being dead to be alive; from being lost to be found.
4. Obs. That it is mateer of Heavens joy and triumph, when poor dead Sinners are revived; and lost Sinners are recovered. Bring hither the f…ted calf, &c. and why so? This my son was dead and is alive again; was lost, and is found.
It is the third of these Observations that I intend to insist upon. That it is a most blessed and glorious change that God doth work in the state of a believer, &c. I shall open this in its several parts. It is a great change that God doth work.
(1) From being dead to be alive. Regeneration is not such a change as doth consist in performing such a duty, or leaving such a sin that thou could'st not well live in. It is pittiful to think, how many take the leaving of one sin to be the new birth; No, it is no less than from being dead to be alive again.
(2) It is such a change, as from being lost to be found. A sinner, in his Natural state is a lost man, in a lost condition: but when he is recovered by conversion he is found again. The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost. And so in this Luke 15. What was this lost sheep, and lost groat, and lost Son? What was the meaning of all this, but the recovering of lost Souls? So that its a great change, a coming from death to life; from being lost to be found. If our gospel be hid, 'tis hid to those that are lost: (that is, for the present they are lost,) but when they are converted, then, of lost they are found.
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 confer'd 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 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 onelyonly 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 rejoyce over it; it is heavens joy when a lost sinner is found. And doth God and Angels take notice of it, and rejoyce, and do you not take notice of it? O what ingratitude is this!
This should excite sinners to …eed their return to God; for this will rejoyce heaven and earth. Shall I leave my wine (saith the Vine) whereby I make glad the heart of God and man? I may say truly, the recovery of a sinner makes glad the heart of God and man; not onelyonly will Christians and Ministers rejoyce over thee when thou turnest to God: but God himself will rejoyce over thee, when thou returnest: he will call for the fatted Calf, &c. O the Mirror of unthankfulness, that is upon our hearts, that we should be no more moved with any work that God hath done upon our souls! You that are converted and wrought upon by Sanctification, one would think that you should be able to enter upon no other talk than this, to tell what God hath done for your Souls. My brethren, if while we are here together, we should see our dead friends, that have been dead ten, or twenty, or thirty years agoe, to eat and drink, and walk, and talk, and converse with us, how should we be astonished at it? And how would they wonder one at another? One that dyed at such a time; and another, that dyed at such a time and here they live again, and talk again. But now here is a greater wonder than this; here are dead souls, and they are brought together and live again, and talk again. O! me thinks you should wonder to see one another restored from so great a death.
Obj. But you will say, how shall I know that I am recovered from death to life?
Ans. I shall give together the Characters, and the priviledges of you that are recovered from death to life, that so your evidence and comfort may be promoted together.
And there are these four that belong to you First. He hath raised you from a state of corruption and rottenness, to a state of health, and holiness. You know a state of death is a state of corruption: the grave is a place of rottenness and putrifaction. You that lye in your old lusts still, certainly you have no portion or part in this matter. But you that are changed are brought from this state: a state of sin, is a state of corruption. The Scripture every where speaks of sin by the Metaphor that carries in it the highest pitch of filthiness, Psal. 14. 3. They are altogether become silthy, or stinking. And so in Job 15. 16. How much more abominable and silthy is man, which drinketh in iniquity like water? Man in his natural state is a most silthy creature: no comparison is … to set forth the odiousness of his condition, before he is sanctified by grace; and the reason is, because he drinketh in iniquity like water. As the fish doth swim in, and take in water naturally: so sin is his very element wherein he doth naturally live as it were. Thus the Apostle, Rom. 3. 13. Their throat is an open Sepulchre. And so our Saviour compares the Pharisees to to whited Sepulchres. But now you that are believers, God hath raised you from a state of Rottenness to a state of health and holiness. Grace is the health of the soul; Holiness is the soundness of the soul. An upright heart, is a sound heart. O beloved, what a priviledge is this to be translated from a state of corruption, to a state of holiness? O what cause have you of thankfulness, that can find the stamp of God again upon your souls? you are highly favoured indeed whom God hath priviledged with this. There is all that is desirable in grace and holiness; Riches, Wealth, beauty, all. How often do we read of the beauty of Holiness? And so of its Riches too; I counsel thee to buy of me gold, that thou mayest be Rich, Rev. 3. 18. 'Tis the true Riches. And so it is Health and Soundness too, Prov. 3. 8. It shall be health to thy Navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Secondly, From a state of darkness, to a Land of Light. You know the grave is a place of darkness; and death, a state of darkness. Thus is it in the Spiritual death. Dead souls are all in darkness, under the power of darkness, Act. 26. 18. The grave for our dead bodies is a place of darkness: but the grave for dead souls, is a place of utter darkness, of everlasting darkness. The grave is Formidable, and deep. You know when a body is dead, it must be buried, that it may not annoy us. God hath provided a grave to bury dead souls in out of his sight; and where do you think that this grave is? Why Hell is the grave for dead souls. The rich man was dead, and was buried, but where was he buried? His soul was in Hell, so some translate this place, And being buried, in Hell he lift up his eyes, Luke, 16. 22, 23. Hell is a place of darkness, and thick darkness. O that is horrible indeed, that is reserved for poor impenitent sinners; the blackness of darkness for ever, Jude 13. He doth not onelyonly say darkness, but blackness of darkness for ever. Ah brethren, this is that which Christ hath recovered you from, from death to life. If you go down into the grave, and see how the dead do lye in darkness, and silence, how formidable is that! But oh how will it be, to see the grave of hell where dead souls are buried! This was your place before you were sanctified. Ah brethren, what manner of praise, what … of deliverance should you compass the throne of Gods grace withal, who have such a change wrought upon you?
Thirdly. From a … of Impotence, to a state of power. A natural state is an impotent state, Rom. 5. 6. When we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ dyed for the ungodly. As a dead man is not able to move a finger to put off the worms that crawl upon his body and face: So a dead soul cannot get the victory over his flesh, and lusts. He is under an impossibility of doing any thing acceptable before God. But now God hath given you strength, that you should leap and walk, … praise God. God did put strength into thy feet when he recovered thee from death to life, that tho… should… be able to go thorow dissiculties for his names sake. Brethren, those that are altogether without strength were certainly never brought to a true and spiritual life. If thou art brought from death to life, thou hast some strength. it may be it is but a little strength; But every Saint hath a little strength, so that he doth not live in the wilsul practice of any sin. If thou hast not thus much thou art dead in thy sins.
Fourthly, From a state of Insensibleness, to a state of Sense. A Dead man is without sense; He hath Eyes, but he seeth not; and Ears, but he heareth not: And thus it is with a dead soul. But now you that are believers, you are raised from this miserable state. I may say to you, Blessed are your Eyes, for you see; and your Ears, for you hear. O what a change hath he wrought upon you!
1. He hath opened your eyes, when others are in blindness. Brethren! what a change is this? How many do you see that live where the Gospel is Preached, and yet remain ignorant? O! what thankfulness should this provoke you to? You are restor'd to your spiritual sense. Before, you thought it the smallest matter in the world to sin against God: Now, you look upon it after another manner. O how should you bless God in those words of our Saviour, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. O! How many be there of the wise men, & great men of the world that have their eyes closed? God hath hid these things from them that they cannot see them: But your eyes see, give God the glory.
2. He hath bored your Ears, when others are in deafness. When others are like the deaf Adder, he hath given you the hearing Ear, the obedient Ear; O! consider this, and be thankful. Thou hast of thy self a heart as obstinate as any other heart i… the world. Now if God hath given thee ears to hear, O bless his Name! How often may we call upon a Dead man, and he never hear? so we may call upon dead souls, and they hear not, with their souls at least, though they hear with their ears.
3. God hath loosed your Tongues, when others are dumb and silent. O what mercy is this? Beloved, you could not breath before God your Prayers and Requests with lise and fervour as you do, unless God did unlose your tongues, and open your mouths. Man's lips are locked up, and his tongue tyed up, that he cannot utter himself be…ore God; or at least, not with that fervency that others can: O bless the Lord that he hath loosed your tongues.
4. He hath given you Appetites, when others rellish not the things of God. Dost thou find any hungrings and thirstings after Christ, and his Righteousness? Is this that which thou dost pant after, to be made more conformable to the Lord? Dost thou pant after Christ, as others pant after the world? O bless God that hath put such a difference between thee and others. When others relish not the things of God, they ar… sapless things; yea, many times they seem burdenfome things to them, God hath given thee such an appetite, that thou findest a relish in them, that nothing goes down so sweetly, as the service of God.
5. He hath given you your feeling, when some others are past feeling. We read of some that were past feeling, Eph. 4. 19. You know a dead man hath no sense or feeling; if you lay a Mountain upon him, he feels it not: So it is with a dead soul, he feels not the burthen of his si…s, he complains not for his sins: Now canst thou say, that thy sins be the greatest trouble to thee in all the world? O bless the Lord for this! It is a great priviledge; you that are Believers do groan under this burthen, and 'tis your duty so to do; yet under this there is some life, or else you would not feel your corruptions as you do.
And now to close all, let me renew the Exhortation, Rejoyce and be Thankful; that though you were lost, you are found again. O remember what a condition you were in when you were lost! Do you not remember what bitterness did seize upon you? How many times did you give up your souls, and did believe that you should never be found, or restored? And did God find you when you were lost? O consider who it was that found you. Christ came from Heaven to Earth to take thee up, poor lost sheep, upon his shoulders, to carry thee to Heaven; O be not forgetful, …ut Rejoyce, and be Thankful.