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, VI. [Look out of your Gravos upon the World.]

To my most dearly Beloved Friends, the chosen of God in Taunton, Grace and Peace.

Most endeared Christians,

MY heart is with you, though I am Absent, as to my Bodlly presence from you, and therefore as I have of∣ten already, so I have now Written to you to stir up your pureminds by way of Remembrance, and to call upon you for your stedfast continuing, and vigorous proceeding in the ways of God. Dear Friends, and fellow Souldiers under Christ the Captain of our Salvation, consider your Calling and Station, and approve your selves as good Souldiers of Jesus Christ, as men of resolution and courage, be discoura∣ged with no difficulties of your present Warsare. As for

humane affairs, I would have you to be as you are, Men of Peace: I would have you Armed not for resisting, God for∣bid, but for Suffering only, as the Apostle hints: You should resist, even to the uttermost, striving against Sin. Here you must give no Quarter, for if you spare but one Agag, the life of your Souls must go for the life of your Sins: you must make no Peace, for God will not smile on that Soul that smiles on Sin, nor have any Peace with him, that is at peace with his Enemy. Other Enemies you must for∣give, and love, and pray for (which I again desire you to mind as one special duty of the times) but for these Spi∣ritual Enemies, all your affections, and all yonr Prayers must be engaged against them; yea, you must admit no Parley: It's dangerous to dispute with Temptations. Re∣member what Eve lost by Parleying with Satan: you must slie from Temptations, and put them off at first with a Pe∣remptory denial. If you will but hear the Devils Arguments, and the Fleshes Pleas, and fair Pretences, it is an hundred to one but you are insnared by his Sophistry. And for this present evil World, the Lord deliver you from its Snares. Surely you had need watch and be sober, and use your spiri∣tual Weapons dexterously and diligently, or else this World is like to undo you, and destroy you. I have often warned you not to build upon an External happiness, and that you should promise your selves nothing but hardship here: Oh still remember your Station; Souldiers must not count upon Rest, and Fulness, but Hunger, and Hardness. Labour to get right apprehensions of the World. Do not think these things necessary; one thing is needful: You may be happy in the want of all outward comforts. Do not think your selves undone, if brought to Want or Poverty: study Eter∣nity, and you will see it to be little material to you, whe∣ther you are Poor or Rich; and that you may have never such an opportunity for your advantage in all your lives, as when you put all to hazard, and seem to run the Vessel up∣on the Rocks. Set your enemies one against the other: Death against the World; no such way to get above the World, as to put your selves into the possession of Death. Look often upon your Dust that you shall be Reduced to, and imagine you saw your Bones tumbled out of your Graces, as they are

like shortly to be, and men handling your Skulls, and enquir∣ing whose is this. Tell me of what account will the World be then, what good will it do you: put your selves often into your Graves, and look out from thence upon the World, and see what Judgement you have of it then. Must not you be shortly forgot among the Dead? your places will know you no more, and your Memory will be no more among men, and then what will it profit you to have lived in fashion and repute, and to have been Men of esteem? one serious walk over a Church-yard, as one speaks, might make a man mor∣tified to the World. Think upon how many you Tread, but you know them not: no doubt they had their Estates, their friends, their Trades, their businesses, and kept as much stir in the World as others do now. But alas, what are they the better for any, for all this? know you not that this must be your own case very shortly: oh the unhappiness of deceived man! how miserably is he bewitched, and befooled, that he should expend himself for that which he knows shall for ever leave him. Brethren, I beseech you lay no stress upon these perishing things, but labour to be at a Holy indifferencie a∣bout them: Is it for one that is in his wits to sell his God, his conscience, his soul, for things that he is not sure to keep a week, nor a day, and which he is sure after a few sleepings and wakings more, to leave behind him for ever? go and talk with dying men, and see what apprehensions they have of the World? if any should come to such as these, and tell them here is such and such preferments for you, you shall have such titles of Honour and delights, if you will now disown Reli∣gion, or subscribe to iniquity; do you think such a motion would be embraced? Brethren, why should we not be wise in time! why should we not now be of the mind of which we know we shall be all shortly! woe to them that will not be wise, till it be to no purpose! woe to them whose eyes no∣thing but Death and Judgement, will open! woe to them that though they have been warned by others, and have heard the Worlds greatest Darlings in Death to cry out of its vanity, worthlesness and deceitfulness, and have been told where and how it would leave them; yet would take no warning, but only must serve themselves to, for warnings to others. All my Beloved, beware there be no worldly Professors among

you, that will part rather with their part in Paradise, than their part in Paris; that will rather part with their Con∣sciences, than with their Estates; that have secret reserves in hearts to save themselves whole, when it comes to the pinch; and not to be of the Religion that will undo them in the World. Beware that none of you have your hearts where your Feet should be, and love your Mammon before your Maker. It is time for you to learn with Paul, to be Crucified to the World.

But it is time for me to remember that 'tis a Letter, and contain my self within my Limits. The God of all Grace, stablish, strengthen, and settle you in these shaking times, and raise your hearts above the fears of the Worlds Threats, and above the Ambition of its favours. My dearest loves to you all, with my servent desire of your Prayers. May the Lord of Hosts be with you, and the God of Jacob your refuge. Fare∣wel my dear Brethren, Farewel, and be strong in the Lord, I am

Yours to serve you in the Gospel, whether by Doing or Suffering. Joseph Alleine.

From the common Gaole at Juelchester, June 31. 1663.