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.

By way of Exhortation.

First, Rejoyce with trembling in your Prison-Comforts, and see that you keep them in a Thankful-Remembrance. Who can tell the Mercies that you have received here? My time, nor strength, will not suffice me to recapitulate them. See that you rejoyce in GOD, but rejoyce with trembling. Do not think the account will be little for Mercies, so many and so great. Receive these choice Mercies with a trembling hand, for fear lest you should be found guilty of misimpro∣ving such precious benefits, and so wrath should be upon you from the Lord. Remember Hezekiah's case, great Mercies did he receive, some Praises he did return, but not according to the benefit done unto him; therefore was wrath upon him from the Lord, and upon all Judah for his sake, 2 Chron. 32. 25. Therefore go away with a holy Fear upon your hearts, lest you should forget the loving kindness of the Lord, and should not render to him according to what you have received.

Oh my Brethren, stir up your selves to render praises to the Lord: You are the People that GOD hath formed for his Praise, and sent hither for his Praise; and you should now go Home as so many Trumpets to sound forth the Praises of GOD, when you come among your Friends. There is an Expression, Psal. 68. 11. The Lord gave the Word, great was the company of them that published it. So let it be said of the Praises of God now, Great was the company of them that published them. GOD hath sent a whole Troop of you here together, let all these go home and sound the praises of GOD where-ever you come; and this is the way to make his Praise glorious indeed. Shall I tell you a Story that I have read: There was a certain King that had a pleasant Grove, and that he might make it every way delightful to him, he caused some Birds to be caught, and to be kept up in Cages, till they had learned sundry sweet and artificial Tunes; and when they were perfect in their Lessons, he let them Abroad out of their Cages into his Grove, that while he was walk∣ing

in this Grove, he might hear them singing those pleasant Tunes, and teaching them to other Birds that were of a wild∣er Note. Brethren, this King is GOD, this Grove is his Church, these Birds are your selves, this Cage is the Prison; GOD hath sent you hither, that you should learn the sweet and pleasant Notes of his Praise, And I trust that you have learned something all this while, GOD forbid else. Now GOD opens the Cage, and lets you forth into the Grove of his Church, that you may sing forth his Praises, and that o∣thers may learn of you too. Forget not therefore the Songs of the House of your Pilgrimage, do not return to your wild Notes again; keep the Mercy of GOD for ever in a thank∣ful Remembrance, and make mention of them humbly as long as you live; then shall you answer the end for which he sent you hither: I trust you will not forget this place. When Queen Mary died, she said, That if they did rip her up, they should find Callis on her Heart. I hope that men shall find by you hereafter, that the Prison is upon your heart, Lichester is upon your heart.

Secondly, Feed and feast your Faith upon Prison-Experi∣ences. Do not think that GOD hath done this onely for your present supply. Brethren, GOD hath provided for you, not only for your present supply in Prison, but to lay up for all your Lives, that experience that your Faith must live upon, till Faith be turned into Vision. Learn dependance upon GOD, and confidence in GOD, by all the Experiences that you have had here, Because thou hast been my help (saith the Psalmist) therefore under the shadow of thy Wing will I rejoyce. Are you at a loss at any time, then remember your Bonds. We read in Scripture of a time when there was no Smith in all Israel, and the Israelites were fain to carry their Goads and other Instruments, to be sharpened, down to the Phili∣stines: So when your Spirits are low, and when your Faith is dull, carry them to the Prison to be sharpened and quick∣ned. Oh how hath the Lord confuted all our fears! Cared for all our necessities! The Faith of some of you was sorely put to it for Corporal Necessities: You came hither, not ha∣ving any thing considerable to pay for your Charges here, but GOD took care for that: And you left poor miserable Fa∣milies at home, and no doubt but many troublesome thoughts

were in your minds, what your Families should do for Bread, but GOD hath provided for them.

We that are Ministers, left poor starvling Flocks, and we thought that the Countrey had been now stript, and yet GOD hath provided for them. Thus hath the Lord been pleased to furnish us with Arguments for our Faith, against we come to the next distress: Though you should be called forth to leave your Flocks destitute, you that are my Brethren in the Mini∣stry, and others their Families destitute, yet doubt not but GOD will provide, remember your Bonds upon all occasions. Whensoever you are in distress, remember your old Friend, remember your tryed Friend.

Thirdly, Let Divine Mercy be as Oyl to the flame of your Love: O love the Lord all ye his Saints. Brethren, this is the Language of all GOD's dealings with you, they all call upon you to love the Lord your God with all your hearts, with all your Souls, with all your strength. What hath GOD been doing ever since you came to this Prison? All that he hath been doing since you came hither, hath been to pour Oyl into the flames of your Love, thereby to encrease and heigh∣ten them. GOD hath lost all these Mercies upon you, if you do not love him better then you did before. You have had supplies; to what purpose is it, unless you love GOD the more? If they that be in want, love him better than you, it were better you had been in their case. You have had health here, but if they that be in sickness love GOD better than you, it were better you had been in sickness too: See that you love your Father, that hath been so tender of you. What hath GOD been doing, but pouring out his Love upon you? How were we mistaken? For my part, I thought that GOD took us upon his Knee to Whip us, but he took us upon his Knee to Dandle us. We thought to have felt the strokes of his Anger, but he hath stroked us as a Father his Children, with most dear Affection. Who can utter his loving Kind∣ness! What (my Brethren) shall we be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 than Publicans? the Publicans will love those that love them. Will not you return Love for so much Love? Far be this from you, Bre∣thren, you must not only exceed the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, but the Pha∣risees too; therefore, surely you must love him that loveth you. This is my Business now to bespeak your love to GOD,

to unite your hearts to him; Blessed be God for this Occa∣sion, for my part I am unworthy of it. Now if I can get your Hearts nearer to GOD than they were, then happy am I, and blessed are you: Fain I would, that all these Experi∣ences should knit our Hearts to GOD more, and endear us for ever to him. What? So much bounty and kindness, and no returns of Love? At least no further returns? I may plead in the behalf of the Lord with you, as they did for the Centurion: He loveth our Nation (say they) and hath built us a Synagogue. So I may say here, He hath loved you, and poured out his Bounty upon you. How many friendly Visits from those that you could but little expect of? Whence do you think this came? It is GOD that hath the Key of all these Hearts. He secretly turned the Cock, and caused them to pour forth kindness upon you: There is not a motion of love in the Heart of a Friend towards you, but it was GOD that put it in.

Fourthly, Keep your Manna in a Golden Pot, and forget not him that hath said so often, Remember me. You have had Manna rained plentifully about you, be sure that something of it be kept. Do not forget all the Sermons that you have heard here: O that you would labour to repeat them over, to live them over! You have had such a Stock that you may live upon, and your Friends too (if you be communicative) a great while together: If any thing have been wanting, time for the Digesting hath been wanting. See that you well Chew the Cud, and see that you especially remember the Feasts of Love. Do not you know who hath said to you so often, Remember me? How often have you heard that sweet Word since you came hither? What? Do you think it is enough to remember him for an hour? No, but let it be a living and lasting remembrance. Do not you write that Name of his in the Dust, that hath written your Names upon his Heart. Your High Priest hath your Names upon his Heart, and there∣with is entered into the Holy Place, and keeps them there for a Memorial before the Lord continually. O that his Re∣membrance might be ever written upon your Hearts, writ∣ten as with a Pen of a Diamond, upon Tables of Marble, that might never be worn out! That as Aristotle saith of the cu∣tious Fabrick of Minerva, that he had so ordered the Fa∣brick,

that his Name was written in the midst, that if any went to take that out, the whole Fabrick was dissolved. So the Name of Jesus should be written upon the substance of your Souls, that they should pull all 〈◊〉〈◊〉, before they should be able to pull it out.

Fifthly, Let the Bonds of your Affliction, strengthen the Bonds of your Affection. Brethren, GOD hath sent us hi∣ther to teach us among other things, the better to Love one another. Love is lovely, both in the sight of GOD and Men, and if by your Imprisonment you have profited in Love, then you have made an acceptable proficiency. O Brethren, look within; Are you not more indeared one to another? I bless the Lord for that Union and Peace that hath been ever among you; but you must be sensible that we come very far short of that Love that we owe one to another; we have not that love, that indearedness, that tenderness, that com∣placency, that compassion towards each other, that we ought to have. Ministers should be more indeared one to another, and Christians should be more dear to each other, then they were before. We have eaten and drunk together, and lived on our Fathers Love in one Family together; we have been joyned together in one common Cause, and all put in∣to one Bottom: O let the Remembrance of a Prison, and of what hath passed here, especially those Uniting Feasts, ingage you to love one another.

Sixthly, Let present Indulgence fit you for future hard∣ships, and do not look that your Father should be alwayes dandling you on his Knee. Beloved, GOD hath used you like Fondlings now, rather than like Sufferers: What shall I say? I am at a loss, when I think of the tender indulgence, and the yearnings of the Bowels of our Heavenly Father upon us. But (my Brethren) do not look for such Prisons a∣gain.

Affliction doth but now play and sport with you, rather than Bite you; but do you look that Affliction should here∣after fasten its Teeth on you to purpose: And do you look that the Hand that hath now gently stroked you, may possi∣bly buffet you, and put your Faith hard to it, when you come to the next Tryal. This fondness of your Heavenly Father, is to be expected only while you are young and tender, but

afterward you must look to follow your Business, and to keep your distance, and to have rebukes and frowns too when you need them. Bless GOD for what you have found here, but prepare you, this is but the beginning, (shall I say the be∣ginning of Sorrow, I cannot say so; for the Lord hath made it a place of Rejoycing) this is but the entrance of our Afflicti∣on; but you must look, that when you are trained up to a bet∣ter perfection, GOD will put your Faith to harder Exercise.

Seventhly, Cast up your accounts at your Return, and see whether you have gone as much forward in your Souls, as you have gone backward in your Estates. I cannot be insensi∣ble, but some of you are here to very great disadvantage, as to your Affairs in the World, having left your business so rawly at home in your Shops, Trades, and Callings, that it is like to be no little detriment to you, upon this Account: But happy are ye, if you find at your return, that as much as your Affairs are gone backward, and behind-hand, so much your Souls have gone forward. If your Souls go forward in Grace by your Sufferings, blessed be GOD that hath brought you to such a place as a Prison is.

Eightly, Let the Snuffers of this Prison make your Light burn the brighter, and see that your Course and Discourse be the more savoury, serious, and Spiritual for this present Tryal. O Brethren! Now the Voice of the Lord is to you, as it is in the Prophet Isaiah 60. 1. Arise, and shine, now let your Light shine before men, that others may see your good Works, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. It is said of those Preachers beyond Sea, that have been sent into England, and here reaped the benefit of our English practical Divinity: At their Return, they have Preached so much better than they had wont to do, that it hath been said of them: Apparuit hunc fuisse in Angliâ. So do you my Brethren, Live so much better than you had wont, that when men shall see the change in your Lives, they may say of you, Apparuit hunc fuisse in Custodiâ. See that your whole Course and Discourse be more Spiritual and Heavenly than ever. See that you shine in your Families when you come Home; be you better Husbands, better Masters, better Fathers, study to do more than you have done this way, and to approve your selves better in your Family-Relations than you did before; that the savour

of a Prison may be upon you in all Companies, then will you praise and please the Lord.

Ninthly, And lastly, See that you walk Accurately, as those that have the Eyes of GOD, Angels, and Men, upon you: (my Brethren) you will be looked upon now with very cu∣rious Eyes. GOD doth expect more of you than ever; for he hath done more for you, and he looketh what Fruit there will be of all this. Oh! may there be a sensible change upon your Souls, by the Showres that have fallen in Prison, as there is in the greenness of the Earth, by the showres that have fal∣len lately abroad.