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.

LETTER. XL. [Directions to the Ministers of Somersetshire and Wistshire, for the instructing of Families by way of Catechising.]

SIR,

THIS Letter cometh to you, like the men of Macedo∣nia, to Paul, crying to you, Come and help us. O how insufficient do we find our selves for the Praises of GOD! What Reason have we to call upon our selves, and to call upon all our Friends! and yet we foresee that all will be too little a Sacrifice at last, and too slender a return to the most High God, who hath made us such wonders of Mercy, and such signal instan∣ces of his Divine Power and Rich Grace. You are not ignorant of our Estate, how the Sentence of Death had passed upon us; how our Flesh and our Hearts failed, and Friends and Physicians gave up their Hopes: But God, that raised the Dead, was pleased to make us the Monuments of his wondrous Mercy. O that the same God would make us the special instruments of his Praise and Glory. Of a Truth Sir, we perceive our Hearts are too little, our Tongues are too shore, our Expressions are too low, either to conceive or ut∣ter what we owe to the Great God. O help! help! Bless the Lord, O our Souls: Bless the Lord, O our Friends: O that all that have Wrestled with God for us, might joyn Hand in Hand to make some suitable returns to the God of our lives, and may bring in every one his Sacrifice, and all contribute to make one common stock of Praises, that many Thanksgivings

may abound to God on our behalfs. O what hath Prayer done for us! while we live we must Honour Prayer, and admire the Power of Prayer, we owe our limbs and our lives to Prayer. O that a goodly crop of praise may grow up unto God as a return for his Mercies: that the seed of Prayers, and showers of tears, may procure sheaves of joy, and Songs of deliverauce.

But O what shall we render? wherewithall shall we come before the Lord, or bow our selves to the Most High God? O where shall we find a sitting sacrifice? Ve∣rily we will give our selves and our All to him. But alas, what are we, and what is this little that we call our All? Therefore have we found in our hearts to write to you and others, that we might excite you to the Divine Praises with us. And O that the Lord might be loved the bet∣ter, and glorified the more for our sakes: Will you tell us wherein we may shew our love to Him? wherein we may best please and serve Him? O that you would! Herein assuredly you would most highly gratifie us. O that we might do some singular thing for God; for cer∣tainly they are not common things that he hath done for us. We pray you call upon those that fear the Lord, to help us in celebrating his loving kindness. O how it pleaseth our very Hearts to think that God should be Loved and Honoured the better for us: That we may be instruments, if it be but for the blowing up of one flash, nay, the kindling of one spark of Divine Love in the Hearts of his Children towards him! Sir, You cannot pleasure us in any thing so much as in this, To love and admire God, and spread his Praise more and more; that what is wanting through our weakness, may be made up in your abundance. But we have need to crave your 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for our length; but the love of Christ constraineth us, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 we hope you will pass by an error of Love.

While we have been deyifing what to do for our God, we thought we could no way better serve him,

than by provoking such as you are to set up his great Name with us. We love and Honour you, not onely as you are a Member, but a Minister of Christ Jesus our LORD, and therefore deserve to be doubly dear un∣to us: And because we could think of no more plea∣sing a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, we have stirred up our selves and Friends with us, to send to you a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet, this poor Token of Love, which though but small, yet we trust will be a sweet savour unto God, and will be accepted with you, being our two Mites cast into God's Treasury. But look not upon your self as obliged to us hereby: but put it upon the Account of Christ, to whose precious Name we dedi∣cate it, and from whom (although he be so much already before hand with us, yet) we expect a recompence at the Resurrection of the just.

And being further desirous to promote the work of God in our low and slender Capacities, we have been bold to provoke your self, with other our Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry, to set about that necessary and much neg∣lected work of Catechising; not a little pleasing our selves in the sweet hope, that by your means we may be instru∣mental to spread the sweet savour of the knowledg of our God, in every place: and being well perswaded of your readiness to forward so blessed a work, we have stirred up our selves and our Friends to expend a considerable Sum of Money to furnish Ministers with Catechisms, a hundred whereof we have sent unto you, beseeching you to use your best prudence and utmost diligence, for the spreading of them, and for others improvement by them, that our labour and charge in so good a work, prove not at last of no effect.

Sir, we shall humbly propose unto you, but not impose upon you. But let us be bold with you in Ghrist, to lay our requests before you as touching this concernment, they being indeed what judicious friends and brethren have thought fit to propound.

1. That the People be publikely and privately instruct∣ed about the high necessity and great usefulness of this Dutie.

2. That these Catechisms be freely given to all that will promise to use them.

3. That you would be pleased to acquaint your self with all the Schools that are within your Verge; and that you would do your utmost to engage the Teachers thereof to teach their Scholars this Catechism; and that you would furnish all their Scholars that are capable and willing to learn.

4. That you will endeavour from house to house to en∣gage the Master or Mistris of every Family, for the forwar∣ding of this work.

5. That you will appoint set-times wherein to take an Account of the proficiency of all such as have promised to Learn; and that, if it may be, they may be engaged to Learn weekly a proportion, according to their Capaci∣ties.

6. That you would favour us so far, as to let us know as speedilie as you may, of the receit of these Lines; and, if we may presume so far upon you, we pray you to indulge us some assurance under your Hand, That you will to your Power promote this happy design, and that by our Lady∣day next you will acquaint Mr. Bernard what progress is made.

Sir, our Sou's will even travel in Birth for the suc∣cess of this undertaking; and therefore we request you for the love of God, and by the respect which we are perswaded you bare to us, that you will labour to comfort and encourage us in our endeavours for God, which you can no way in the World do so well, as by letting us see, that there is some Blessed Fruit of our cost and paines; and that we have not run in

vain, nor laboured in vain. If there be any of these Ca∣techsims remaining in your hands that you cannot dis∣pose of by our Lady-day, be pleased to send them to Mr. Barnard, or to Mr. Rositer in Taunton. If you should need any more, give us speedy notice, and you shall not fail to be furnished with what number you desire.

Thus upon the bended knees of our thankful souls, we commend our poor sacrifices, together with your self, to the eternal God, and remain,

Christs devoted Sevants, and your Friends JOS. BERNARD, and JOS. ALLIENE.

FINIS.