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.

1. His Prudence in them.

His Prudence; Then in apportioning, as well as designing, the most suitable and seasonable instructions to his People, was most apparent, in that he was still (after he had finish∣ed a foregoing Text or Discourse) even at a loss, as he hath often expressed himself to some of his Friends, what Subject most advantagious and seasonable to his Auditory, he should next insist on; so far he was from aiming or shooting at Rovers in his Divine Instructions and Exhorta∣tions. And so loth he was to labour in vain, and to pass from one Discourse to another, as one unconcerned whether he had sown any good Seeds or no on the Hearts of his Hearers; that in the close of his Applicatory part on any Text, (which sometimes he handled for a considerable

while) he ever expressed his great unwillingness to leave that Subject, till he could have some assurance, that he had not fought in that Spiritual Warfare against Sin, as one who beateth the Air; when also he expressed his great fear, lest he should, after all his most importunate Warnings, leave them as he found them. And here with how much Holy-Ta∣king Rhetorick, did he frequently expostulate the Case with Impenitent Sinners, in words too many to mention, and yet too weighty to be forgotten; vehemently urging them to come to some good resolve before he and they parted, and to make their choice either of Life or Death.