The life & death of Mr. Joseph Alleine, late teacher of the church at Taunton, in Somersetshire, assistant to Mr. Newton whereunto are annexed diverse Christian letters of his, full of spiritual instructions tending to the promoting of the power of Godliness, both in persons and families, and his funeral sermon, preached by Mr. Newton.

CHAP. III. A brief Character of him by that Reverend Person Mr. R. A. who was nearly related to him, shewing how eminently he wus qualified for the Ministerial Service and Warfare, unto which he was called.

OF his Extract, I shall say little; He was the Son of a godly Father, Mr. Tobie Allein, sometime of the Devi∣zes, an understanding, affectionate, prudent, and signally humble, and experienced Christian; who died suddenly, but sweetly; his Son surviving him not above a year or two. He having been languishing for some time, at length he seemed to be upon eecovery, and went about his House; on the morn∣ing before he died, he arose about four; about 10 or 11 he came down out of his Closet, and called for something to eat, which being prepared, he gave Thanks, but could not eat any thing: His Wife perceiving a sudden change in him, perswa∣ded him to go to his Bed; He answered, No, but I will die in my Chair, and I am not afraid to die; He sat down and on∣ly said, My Life is hid with Christ in God, and then he closed his Eyes with his own hands, and died immediately. No more of the Father: Concerning his Son I shall speak,

What he was, and what his temper and behaviour was.

• As a Man.
• As a Christian.
• As a Minister.

1. As a Man. He was, 1. Of quick natural parts, and great acquired Abilities, concerning which I shall need say no more, there being a fuller Account given by another Hand.

2. Of a composed grave and serious temper and behaviour, not at all morose, but full of candour, free, affable, chearful, and courteous.

2. As a Christian. He was for exemplary Holiness and Hea∣venliness of mind and life, much elevated above the ordinary Rank. He lived much in delightful Communion with God, his Soul was greatly exercised in Divine Contemplation, and he would sometimes speak (to provoke others, whom he wish∣ed the same delights, to the same exercise) what ineffable pleasure, sweetness, and satisfaction his Soul had found in his stated Meditations on the Divine Attributes, distinctly one by one. In his Discourses he would speak much and passionately to the commending and exalting of the Divine Goodness, and of the inexpressible dearness and tenderness of the Divine Love. In Prayer he was not ordinarily so much in confession or complaining of Corruption and Infirmities, (though he expressed a due sense of these) as in the admiring and praising of God in his Infinite Glorious Perfections, in the mention of his wonderful Works, particularly of those Wonders of his Love revealed in Jesus Christ. In some of his Letters to me, when he had been speaking of the Grace and Goodness of God to him, (of the sense whereof he would seem to be even quite swallowed up) he would break off with some such Expressions as these, I am full of the Mercies of the Lord; O Love the Lord for me; O praise the Lord for my sake; O help me, help me to praise the Lord.

His whole Life was adorned and beautified with the admi∣rable lustre of his particular personal Graces.

1. He was a Man of Love. His sweet amicable and courteous converse, was such as made him the deliciae of his Acquaintance, and made way for the entertainment both of his serious Counsels and severer Reproofs: He grew dear un∣to the Saints that knew him, because they saw in his very face and all his Carriages, how very dear they were to him. His compassion to those in distress, his bounty to those in want, (wherein he abounded beyond his ability) his forbearance in case of offences, his affectionate Language and Carriage, his readiness to all obliging Offices of Love to his Relations, to his Friends, to Strangers, to Enemies, did evidently declare how he loved them. Especially his Love was let forth in

fuller streams upon the Congregation where he exercised his Ministry. The People of his Care, were the People of his De∣light. His ardent longing for their Souls, his rejoycing in their Souls — prosperity, his bleedings and breakings of Soul under any of their falls or infirmities, his uncessant la∣bours among them, both publickly, and from House to House, his frequent and affectionate Letters to them when he was ab∣sent; his earnest desire to live and die, and be buried amongst them, (declaring to them, That if he died within fifty miles of Taunton, his will was to be brought and buried there, that his Bones might be laid with their Bones, his Dust mingled with their Dust) these all declare how greatly they were in his Heart.

2. He was a Man of Courage. 1. He feared no dangers in the way of his Duty, knowing that He that walks up∣rightly, walks surely. In cases less clear, he was very inquisi∣tive to understand his way, and then he fixed without fear.

2. He feared not the faces of Men, but where occasion was, he was bold in admonishing, and faithful in reproving; which ungrateful Duty he yet managed with such prudence, and such expressions of Love, and compassion to Souls, as made his way into hearts more easie, and his work more suc∣cesful.

3. He was a Son of Peace; Both a zealous Peace-maker among differing Brethren, in case of personal Quarrels and Contentions; and he was also of sober and peaceful Princi∣ples, and an healing Spirit, as to Parties or Factions upon the account of Religion. He had an awful and reverend regard to Magistrates, abhorring all provoking and insolent ex∣pressions, or mutinous and tumultous Actions against them.

4. He was a Man of Truth and Righteousness; Both as to his own personal practice, and also was much in pressing it upon others, especially professors of Religion, to be exam∣plarily just in their dealings, and true in their words; to be wary in promising, and punctual in performing. O how often and passionately have I heard him bewailing the Sins of Pro∣mise-breaking and deceitful dealing, whereof such as he hath known to be guilty, have understood both by Word and Wri∣ting how much his Soul was grieved at them, for the wrong they did hereby to their own Souls especially, and the re∣proach

they brought upon the Gospel of our Lord.

5. He was of great Patience. To say nothing of his behaviour under sufferings of other kinds, his great weakness, and long languishing for some years together, and his constant serenity, calms and quietness of Spirit, in all that time, so far from the least touch of murmuring, that he was still blessing the Lord for his tender dealings with him, have given the World a full proof that he was of a patient Spirit.

6. He was Eminent in Liberality; He not only did, but devised liberal things, and by liberal things did he stand; He studied and considered how he might both give him∣self, and procure from others, relief for those in want: He gave much Alms daily, both in the place where he lived, and where-ever he came. When there were Collecti∣ons at any time for pious and charitable uses, He stirred up others to bountiful giving, both by Word, and also by his Ex∣ample. In the Collection for the Fire in London, He gave publickly such a liberal proportion as he thought meet to be an example to others; and (as I came occasionally to under∣stand) lest it should be misjudged, he had been known to give more, he gave more than as much again secretly. He distri∣buted much amongst his Relations. His Aged Father, and divers of his Brethren, with their large Families, being fallen into decay, he took great care for them all, and gave educati∣on to some, Pensions to other, Portions to others of them; and notwithstanding all this, he had but a very small matter of Stock to begin upon, and never above 80 pounds per ann. that I know of, and near the one half of his time, not above half so much; only by the industry of his Wife, who for di∣vers years kept a Boarding-School, his income was for that time considerably enlarged. He took great pains in journey∣ings abroad to many Gentlemen, and othe rich Men in the Countrey, to procure a standing supply for such Non-conform∣ing Ministers as were in want.

7. He was of an Active Spirit. He went about doing good. As he was abundant and uncessant in his Labours in the Congregation where he lived; So where-ever he came, he would be scattering some good Seed, not only among the A∣dult, but he would be dealing much with the Children in those Families into which he came, asking them Questions,

giving them Counsel, and sometimes leaving them his Coun∣sel in Writing. In his own Family (which was great whilst his Wife kept Boarders) he was exceedingly industrious; the gravity of his Carriage, contempered with much sweet∣ness and affability towards those young ones, begat in many of them, the Awe and Love, as of Children to their Father, and made way for the success of his Indeavours with them, which was considerable upon divers of them. At Bath, while he lay sick there, he sent for many of the Poor, both Old and Children, and gave them Catechisms, engaging them to learn them, and give him an account; who came chearfully and frequently to him, being encouraged hereto by his Familiar and Winning Carriage; his giving them Money, his Feeding and Feasting them. He would sometimes say, It's pity that Counsel of our Lord (Luk. 14. 13.) of Feasting the Poor, was no more practised amongst Christians.

8. He was of an humble Spirit. Though God had so ex∣ceedingly listed him up in the Hearts of others, yet he was not puffed up in his own: He was low in his own eyes, and despised the praise of men. His whole carriage was without the least ostentation, and he was of great condescention to the Weakest or Meanest. Once or twice he was complain∣ing to me of the pride of his Heart; I (judging it to proceed rather from an holy jealousie of himself, and a tenderness of the least spark of that evil, than from any power it had upon him) replyed to him (as I remember) to this purpose: If he had a proud Heart, he had it to himself, for none else could perceive it. But he answered, Some men that are proud enough, have more wit than to let every one know it. Another time making the same complaint in a Letter to me, he added this: But my naughty heart, whilst I am writing this, is in hope you will not believe me. So watchful was he, as to espie and check the least motions of that Lust, which he so much ab∣horred.

3. As a Minister. He was setled in Taunton Magdalen, as an Assistant to the Reverend Pastour there; with whom, as a Son with the Father, he served in the Gospel. I shall say nothing here, there being a large Account given under the Hand of that worthy Person.

But besides his Labours in that great Congregation, in

which alone he was fixed, the care for many other Congrega∣tions was daily upon him. He went forth frequently into se∣veral places about the Countrey, amongst the poor ignorant people that lived in dark Corners, and had none to take care of them, and both Preached to them himself, and stirred up many of his Brethren; whose forward minds readily joyn∣ed with him, to set up standing Lectures amongst them. He had an Eye to poor Wales, and had an influence upon the sending over some Ministers to them: He resolved also to have gone and spent some time amongst them himself, and by all the disswasions of his Friends, from his great Weakness and Unfitness for Travail, he was hardly with-held from his Purpose.